Friday, June 03, 2011

Allergic Colds - Symptoms and Treatment (Guest Post)

For as long as I remember, my father suffered from seasonal allergies. These led to heavy colds and occasionally breathing problems. He is currently visiting us here in Dallas and told me that for the past few months he has been able to greatly alleviate the symptoms when he has allergies and is able to prevent a full blown attack ! I asked him to share his observations and tips on this blog so that readers with similar problems might also find these useful !

This is one of the common illness that is found nowadays, may be because of rise in pollution levels in urban areas.I was the victim of this illness for a very long time.But as a result of long observations and self medications I have been able to almost get rid of this repetitive illness that haunted me for a very long period.However the suggestions which I am giving here should be taken as only "suggestions" and not as prescriptions by a medical practitioner.
Symptoms:Continuous sneezing,runny nose and itching in the throat are the three major symptoms to start with.The patient may feel bit feverish and may have body ache too after sometime.The mucous may become thick and may become hard to expel.This may result in breathlessness,breathing problems in early mornings and later sleepless nights.
Treatment:Continuous sneezing and running nose may immediately be stopped by taking a tablet of " techzine" or "citzine". (These are medicines available in India. Medicines targeted to reduce allergic symptoms such as Claritin or Zyrtec may be taken here. In any case, please consult a physician before taking any medication )
Once the sneezing stops one can reduce the dose to half a tablet for a couple of days.As the tablet gives much needed sleep, it is advisable not to drive any vehicle after taking the tablet.To take out thick phlegm,one has to inhale steam 3-4 times a day.Due to inhalation of steam,thick mucous gets thinner and it will be easy to discharge through nose or mouth.The patient should drink hot water which will help in discharging the thick mucous.When I say hot I mean hot.You can drink as hot fluid as you can without getting your lips burnt of course.
Cause:The illness is mostly caused by minute dust that is found while cleaning old books, papers or clothes etc.Or by pollens or by cold and humid atmosphere.
Precautions:He/she should following precautions to avoid allergic cold.
 1. Avoid taking cold stuff directly from refrigerator, consume only hot food and fluids.
 2. Don't get exposed to cold atmosphere.Take care to cover your head and ears if you are going out in cold weather.
 3.Avoid food to which your body is allergic.You have to find out which vegetable is not suitable to your body by constant observations.The list may vary from person to person.For example in my case,brinjal (eggplant/ aubergine),raw mango,sour grapes and mango fruits,very cold and sour butter milk can cause me cold.
 4.Avoid taking curds at nights especially when suffering from cold.
 5.Make it a point to start the day with a full glass of hot water.
 If one follows these steps,I am sure he/she may get rid of this problem once for all.Any suggestions and comments in this regard for improvements will be highly appreciated.

1 comment:

  1. Its very nice of uncle to share his experiences that I am sure will help many reader who are currently fighting this aliment. Very helpful!

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