As soon as cold symptoms appear, simple reflex actions can help halt the infection early and may prevent the need for a doctor's visit. Drawing from expert natural health advice, here's how to respond effectively.
First reflex (a bit unglamorous): examine the color of your nasal discharge.
If it's clear and watery, the infection hasn't set in—it's often a reaction to temperature shifts. Paired with watery eyes, it signals the very start of an infection.
What to do: Get homeopathic nasal sprays from your pharmacy. Inhale essential oils of lemon or tangerine on a handkerchief or in a bowl of hot water. Cleanse nasal passages with medicinal seawater ampoules or sprays (available at pharmacies).
If yellowish, it indicates a viral infection that could become bacterial.
What to do: Continue seawater rinses, inhale ravintsara essential oil (Cinnamomum camphora) on a handkerchief. Use pharmacy trace element sprays containing silver.
If greenish, it points to a localized bacterial infection (no fever); if with fever, it's more systemic.
What to do: Ask your pharmacist for essential oil complexes designed for this—inhale on a handkerchief. Then, instill one ampoule per nostril of colloidal silver trace elements (confirm with pharmacist; avoid burning silver nitrate). For stubborn sinusitis, take black radish juice ampoules diluted in a glass of lemon juice, midday and evening (contraindicated with gallstones).
Don't wait—act fast, wherever you are: Order a hot lemon juice (even at a café). Add cinnamon ideally, and let it infuse.
If feverish: Add 4 cloves and thyme; simmer 7 minutes, strain, and drink piping hot—no sugar (use honey sparingly if needed).
Often, one dose stops it cold. If symptoms linger, have 3 cups daily for 2-3 days.
Further reading: Treat All Year Round Naturally: Advice from a Doctor for the Whole Family, by Dr. Jean-Christophe Charrié and Marie-Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, Prat editions.
