Mucus is a barrier for the body to protect the respiratory system from dust, pollen, viruses … But when there are many people with colds or colds around us, this protective barrier can be overcome. The body's reaction then is to increase mucus production to expel as many viruses as possible. Although they work in our favor, the truth is that the congestion that they suppose can be very annoying. And the mucus doesn't stay in the nose, it goes down the throat. But if it does it very loaded with germs and inflammatory proteins, that is when we can also have a sore throat.
A plan to let you breathe
The ideal is to help the mucus come out, because if it stagnates it can end up complicating and cause otitis or sinusitis.
- What to do. It is essential to do frequent nasal washes with serum or seawater. You should do it by tilting your head, closing the nostril that is below and nebulizing over the upper one until you notice that the canal clears. Then put your head down and let it drip before blowing yourself with a tissue and repeating on the other side. Also, morning and night or just at night, you can steam yourself by boiling thyme in water and letting the steam soak through your nose.
According to a study published in the journal Epidemiology, stress multiplies the risk of suffering a cold by 4.
Stay hydrated throughout the day
Hydrating well is essential to promote the elimination of mucus. Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day (if it costs you, here are tricks to drink water without realizing it). And the infusions and natural juices also help.
- Expectorant infusion. Put 2 teaspoons of mallow per cup and when the infusion is done, add a splash of lemon and sweeten with maple syrup. Infusions of thyme, elderberry, echinacea or eucalyptus will also go well .
Diet is also essential
- Fruits and vegetables. The base of your diet should be fresh fruits and vegetables, because they stimulate the defensive system.
- Vitamin C. It is important that you reinforce the contribution of vitamin C, which, although it does not prevent you from catching a cold, will help make it milder. The foods with the most vitamin C are citrus fruits, kiwis, red pepper …
- Beta carotene You should also eat more foods rich in beta-carotene. Yellow-orange vegetables (carrot, pumpkin, mango, etc.) or green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, broccoli, etc.) are rich in this essential substance to keep mucous membranes healthy and regenerate those that are inflamed as a consequence of respiratory disorders.
- Natural antivirals and bactericides. You should also incorporate garlic and onion in your meals because they are antiviral and bactericidal, the same as ginger root.
- The magic potion: the broth. Science has shown that drinking chicken broth helps you overcome a cold better. You can make it with onion, potato, parsnip, turnip, carrot, celery, parsley and chicken, and drink it warm during the day.
At night, when everything gets worse …
Mucus is much more annoying when lying down because it collects in the back of the nose. Therefore, it is recommended that before going to bed you steam and raise the top of the bed. Better if you can lift it by the legs than by putting on several cushions, because they lose height.
- Watch the humidity. Heating dries up the environment a lot. In that case, humidifiers work fine, as does putting wet towels on the radiator. But as a precaution, do not use menthol substances with the humidifier, as it can have the opposite effect on sensitive people.
Very curious. What is snot made of?
- 3% are proteins. Like mucin, albumin, immunoglobulin, enzymes, and amino acids.
- 2% are minerals. Very similar to those that make up tears: sodium, chlorine, calcium, potassium.
- 95% is water. Helps keep mucous membranes lubricated.
- And 1 liter a day is the amount of mucus that, on average, we swallow.
