12 Simple Preventive Tips for Cough, Cold, Allergy

Prevention tips from a frequent cough, cold and allergy
  • Cause: Understand and find out the factors which could worsen the cold, cough and running nose
  • Smoking: Stay away from active & passive smoking and avoid going to areas with high concentration of air dirt, smoke and construction particles.
  • Mask: Wear a mask which can cover your nose, cheeks and chin whenever you leave your home or office. Frequent cleaning of mask is also very important.
  • Hand wash: Wash your hands frequently and before eating with sanitizer is the good way to maintain hygiene.
  • Yoga & Exercise: Replace and refill your lungs with fresh air by doing yoga and breathing exercises. Make sure you do exercise with proper method to get the optimum result.
    Eg:- An easy exercise is blowing balloons in one breath. Blow five balloons every day, gradually you will be able to blow larger balloon than before. Play indoor and outdoor fun games with kids.
  • Diet: Take food rich in protein and antioxidant.
    Eg:-fruit juice (Mausambi, orange, lemon tulsi seed water) are rich in antioxidants.
    Fish, dal, eggs, sprouts, all the salads etc are rich in protein. (Avoid items that you are allergic to)
  • Gargle: Do gargle with warm saline water early in the morning and at bedtime. It will remove the infective particles and cell from the throat and thus help in reducing the pain, days of illness as well as dose of medicines.
  • Steam inhalation: Take Steam inhalation for about 10 minutes just before going to bed followed by blowing nose gently to decrease sinus congestion and mobilize trapped fluid. This will also relieve headache, nose block and helps in having a good sleep.
  • Air-purifying plants: Keeping air-purifying indoor plants would help in improving indoor air quality and gives spiritual healing to air, mind and heart. Eg:- Areca palm, Money plants, Snake plants. Home hygiene is also equally important.
  • Prescribed medication: Avoid taking the combination of medicine without consulting the doctor. Generally mild cough, running nose has its own course of illness and it takes few days to improve on its own. Consult the doctor if symptoms are severe.
  • Proper fluid-intake: Good amount of fluid intake is very vital and at times are life-saving. It reduces weakness, tiredness, dizziness and post-treatment episodes. Symptoms of less water intake is thirst, yellowish urine, hard stools, burning eyes, mild acidity.
  • Proper clothing: Wearing appropriate clothes according to the season is very important.
    Examples
    • Carrying mufflers and jackets in AC office.
    • Carrying umbrella/raincoats in rainy seasons or in areas where rain is unexpected.
    • Loose clothes in summer.
    • Avoid packing kids with too many layers of clothing as it might suffocate the kid.
    Though visiting a doctor is vital in an illness, above practices help reduce the frequency of occurrence and stop its spread within the family.