Nature's remedies.

If you have the illness, nature has the cure

Colds are generally caused by any of about 100 different viruses that are capable of infecting the upper respiratory tract. They are easy to get and even easier to give away.

Though each type of virus technically produces a different type of cold, they are classified as a single illness, since they share common symptoms. Statistics reveal that North Americans average four colds a year.

Although some colds are airborne, others are transmitted by hand-to-nose contact. For example, you touch a germ-laden doorknob or countertop or shake hands with someone who has a cold. You then touch your eyes, nose or mouth, and an infection soon takes hold.

You might not get a cold even at this stage. Perhaps your body has already acquired an immunity to this particular virus you have just contacted, so you're protected. If your immune system is in tip-top condition, it may subdue the virus before actual symptoms manifest.

In the worst-case scenario you do come down with a cold. The virus has found a receptive home and moves in, generally around the nose and throat.

The body reacts by forming mucus to flush out the invader (runny nose), sending increased amounts of blood to the infected site, and raising body temperature (fever) to catalyze the healing process. Additional internal adjustments result in aches, pain and fatigue, as the body wages its battle against the aggressive virus.

Typically, the cold doesn't stand a chance against the white blood cells and antibodies, which are the lethal force of the body's defense team. The battle does rage intensely for a time. During this period (usually a week to 10 days), the patient should be subdued and resting if he or she wishes to avoid amplified infection.

While many individuals seek over-the-counter cold remedies to treat their aches, relieve congestion, stop coughs and soothe sore throats, these are merely palliatives which temporarily relieve symptoms and cure nothing.

The same is true for prescription drugs. Antibiotics can't kill the common cold virus. What they actually do is have negative effects as they kill off helpful bacteria throughout the body and thus interfere with its efforts to fight off the virus. Prescriptions can actually prolong the cold.

Adequate rest at the onset combined with consumption of large quantities of fluids has long been the standard approach to treating colds. While it has certainly withstood the test of time, the modern natural medicine pharmacopoeia offers still other possibilities.

The following suggestions are a random sample of those used and valued by people around the world.

Homeopathy 

Homeopathy is derived from two Greek words literally meaning "similar suffering." Its use is based on the premise that substances capable of producing a particular set of symptoms will, if taken in minute doses, cure those same symptoms by nudging the immune system into gear.

Since cold symptoms vary dramatically, some experimentation may be required before you find the remedy that's right for your specific cold. Take the one that most closely parallels your symptoms and follow the instructions indicated on the package.

The remedies listed below illustrate some of the most common symptom pictures. The "C" designations indicate the strength of the prescriptions.

ACONITE 30C: Taken for colds that occur suddenly, particularly those associated with a change in the weather and accompanied by sneezing, burning throat, restlessness and symptoms that worsen at night.

ALLIUM 6C: For colds that produce runny eyes, when nasal discharges burn the upper lip, and when symptoms are relieved by fresh air.

ARSENICUM 30C: Given for colds accompanied by restlessness, irritability and chills. The patient is thirsty, but drinks in sips and experiences a watery, burning nasal discharge.

BELLADONNA 30C: For colds that come on suddenly with a high fever, dry skin, light-sensitive eyes, a sore throat that is worse on the right side, a tickly cough and an unusual thirst.

BRYONIA 30C; For chest colds accompanied by a cough. The sinuses feel raw. The patient is irritable and thirsty to the point of gulping liquids.

EUPHRASIA 6C: For colds that produce considerable mucus that causes a burning sensation in the eyes. The eyes stream, and symptoms worsen at night.

KALI BICHROMICUM 30C: For situations where there is sinus congestion, thick, green nasal discharge, sensitivity to touch, pain in the cheekbones or on the bridge of the nose.

NATRUM MUR 6C: Taken when a cold is in its early stages and sneezing is worse in the morning. Mucus resembles raw egg white, the nose is blocked, cold sores appear and patient is withdrawn and rejects sympathy.

PULSATILLA 30C: The patient feels better in warm, fresh air, doesn't feel thirsty, but is unusually emotional.

Vitamin, mineral and herbal therapies

If you have a cold, the following supplements can help shorten the duration of the illness and reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Vitamin A: Immune enhancing with potent, virus-killing activity. Try 50,000 i.u. three times daily for a maximum of five days.

Vitamin C: Anti-viral and antibacterial, improves host resistance. Take 500 to 1000 mg every two hours for no more than five days.

Garlic: Raw garlic kills nearly 100 percent of rhinoviruses. Chop a raw clove finely and take it at bedtime, or mix with food. A few sprigs of parsley will help deodorize your breath.

Echinacea: Immune stimulating herb. Take 25 drops of tincture four times daily.

Zinc: Immune stimulating and anti-viral. Take one lozenge containing 23 mg of elemental zinc every two waking hours for one week.

Hydrotherapy 

Soak your feet to cure your head!

Severely blocked nasal passages can frequently be relieved by administration of a hot foot bath. Simply place the feet and part of the lower legs into a pail of hot (up to 100 [degrees] F) water for a few minutes.

How does this work? Stoppage in the nose results from sluggish circulation in the inflamed nasal mucus membranes brought on by the infection. Toxins of the germs have rendered local blood vessels incapable of regulating blood flow, and the blood stagnates in the vessels.

Immersing the lower extremities in hot water causes their blood vessel system to be dilated from the heat. thus diverting blood flow away from the upper body parts to the lower. The whole systemic circulation is enhanced as a result, and nasal blockage is relieved.

Ayurveda

In India and elsewhere, Ayurvedic practitioners recommend herbs and diets to treat colds. Colds are classified as "kapha-vata disorder." They appear when the body has an excess of kapha's cool, moist characteristics, causing a stuffy or runny nose and profuse sweating. Additionally, excess vata energy restricts gastric fire (agni) so you get chills.

"Warming" herbs can reduce excess kapha and restore agni. Among those typically recommended are ginger, cinnamon, licorice, basil, clove and mints. Ingest up to four grams of any of these herbs in powdered form mixed with hot water three times a day.

The Ayurvedic diet for colds emphasizes whole grains and steamed vegetables while stressing the avoidance of all dairy products, oily foods, nuts, pastries and sweet fruit juices. This approach provides maximum support for the immune system as it works to rid the body of the cold virus.

Aromatherapy

Essential oils are potent, highly volatile liquids extracted from plants by distilling or squeezing. Their use has played an important role in maintaining health for several thousand years. Here are some approaches to treating cold-related symptoms.

Gargles: (not to be swallowed): Take four ounces of distilled water and one ounce of vinegar and add one of the following oils. Be sure to shake well prior to each use.

Anise - for relief from cough - six drops.

Peppermint - antiseptic and cooling - three drops

Sage - aids healing and soothes sore throat pain - three drops

Vapor rub: add 50 drops of eucalyptus, 15 drops of peppermint and 15 drops of wintergreen oil to one ounce of cold-pressed oil. Shake well. Rub on chest and back to ease congestion.

Cold sores: A few drops of tea tree oil applied to cold sores reduces pain and aids healing.

Don't forget the common sense approach. Rest when you get a cold. You feel fatigued because your immune system is in overdrive. Drink hot fluids. They are not only soothing to the throat, but they also impair the viruses' ability to reproduce.

Eat chicken soup! Laboratory studies reveal that chicken soup contains substances that may reduce the body's inflammation response as well as the amino acid acetyl cysteine, which thins the mucus in the lungs.

An ounce of prevention

Because colds spread directly from person to person, the only real but generally impossible way to remain cold-free is to avoid all human contact. However, there are two less dramatic but effective ways to avoid colds:

1. Build up your immune system, and

2. Avoid viral infections whenever possible.

Try the following approaches to boost immune system function.

[check] Reduce consumption of sweets and alcohol. All forms of sugar and alcohol impair the activity of infection-fighting white blood cells.

[check] Eat less fat and more fruits and vegetables. Diets high in saturated fat make your immune system work overtime to prevent heart disease and cancer, thus potentially decreasing its effectiveness in fighting off colds. Additionally, plant-based diets support the immune system, as they are abundant in essential vitamins and minerals.

[check] Avoid dry air that is unhealthy for the respiratory system. Use a humidifier or set containers of water on stoves and radiators.

[check] Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water. To avoid spreading germs, place used tissues into closed receptacles such as paper or plastic bags. Clean hands afterwards.

[check] Avoid smoking, which paralyzes the hairlike cells in the nasal passages that keep them clean.

Natural approaches to preventing and treating the common cold are not aimed at merely masking symptoms. They either attack the virus directly or help to fortify the immune system in its assault. Low in cost and side effects, they are definitely an avenue worth exploring!

Dr. SHARON L. HAGEMANN Naturopath P.O. Box 202 Barryville, New York 12719-0202

Sharon Hagemann is a naturopathic physician, medical herbalist and a director of the Catskill School of Natural Therapies. Her family lives on a small farm in the Catskill Mountain region of New York.