;)
Posted on 09/30/2010 11:58:50 PM PDT by neverdem
Edited on 10/01/2010 5:52:45 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
That reminds me of Mom’s other trick. Salt water AND a crushed-up aspirin to gargle. And warm honey. And warm oil in the ears for ear infections.
The only drawback is they mess up your taste. It takes a day to get back to normal when you stop using them.
The article mentioned zinc (the key ingredient) has 'potential' long term safety issues. Never heard about that. You only take the things for a couple days.
Gargling is part of our oral traditions.
;^)
I’ve been an MD for over 30 years. You can reduce the number of colds and the severity of them by doing one thing:
Limit your nose blowing, esp at the first sign of a cold. Once you start blowing, you’ll be dripping and blowing your nose every 15 minutes...
Clear you nose once in the shower in the morning...gargle and spit all you want, but nose blowing prolongs colds.
If your children are getting colds frequently, have them wash their hands before they eat, and get the younger ones to stop picking their nose.
At the first sign of a cold, take a simple decongestant...change your toothbrush...
Anyway, there you have it....
Please email me this season, if it turns out I was right...
My hunting buddy uses it on his female bird dogs when they’re in heat. Confuses the male dogs, so they spend their time hunting, and not courting.
“No one has mentioned Cold-eze.”
I too swear by those drops! First, very first sign of any cold symptom (especially when hubby or co-workers around me are sick) I start using Cold-eze. No colds in ages.
(knock wood)
On a related note, powered saline solution sinus irrigation is wonderful for upper sinus congestion from colds and such.
I’ve had a Grossan Hydro Pulse Sinus System for about 5 years now, and it may be treating a symptom, but it sure clears things out and makes you feel better and breath easier.
I use salt water ,honey and some Jack Daniels for my gargling.
Nasal irrigation with salt water helps more. Probably should do both.
http://www.hydromedonline.com/hp.html
Also helps with allergies.
“.change your toothbrush.”
I plunge my toothbrush into boiling water every few days. Same with the dishwashing brushes. Sometimes use alcohol or bleach before boiling.
We must have had the same mom! Didn’t matter what was ailing me, she did the same thing every time:
I got the salt water gargle, and then she followed it up with Vicks Vap-O-Rub schmeared all over my chest and throat with a white cotton sock tied around my neck. To top it off, I was offered my choice of chicken broth with oysterettes crumbled up in it, or lemon juice in hot water with honey. Oh! Almost forgot the pastina with TONS of butter; that was another choice.
Regards,
“lemon juice in hot water with honey. “
Honey mixed with chili powder for sore throat.
Hmmmm....chili powder, huh? That sounds like it packs a punch!
Regards,
PS: Love your screen name.
Ahh.. the Vick’s rag as we used to call it. My mother was a nurse and we did the gargling with salt water and the “Vic’s rag” all the time. They really do help. Except my husband hates sleeping next to the smell of Vick’s or I would use it more often.
I also remember the cough syrup with codeine, and the idoine (ouch!). And if your stomach was upset, she brought out the paragoric. YUCK! I did learn not to complain about the stomach.
Here’s a scoop for the Ney York Slimes: Breathing prolongs life.
My grandmother was prescribing salt water gargle 70 years ago. She also had some kind of concoction with onions, sugar and other ingredients called onguintine. God, it tasted awful but helped a cold.
;)
Grandpa’s was whiskey and honey for a sore throat. Worked to.
Oysterettes? Little saltine type crackers shaped like octagons? Man, I haven’t seen those in 40 years!!!
Sigh... brings back memories of tomato soup in front of the fireplace, snow up to my butt when I go outside and the smell of a wet dog next to me...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.