A throbbing throat. A nose that’s somehow equal parts congested and runny. A rapid-fire succession of gesundheit-worthy sneezes.
No matter what foreboding signs of the common cold come first, the reflexive need to eradicate them in one fell swoop is only natural—what with ubiquitous, heavily stocked medicine aisles bombarding you with promises of instantaneous, multi-symptom relief. But before reaching for a litany of over-the-counter medications, or begging your doctor for a preemptive Z-Pak prescription, it may be worth attempting a gentler holistic approach as the first line of defense.
“Typical OTC remedies target symptoms like a cough, cold, headache, but don’t target the root issues and sometimes further depress the immune system,” explains integrative medicine physician Taz Bhatia, M.D., citing the example of antihistamines, which dry up drainage but then lead to sinus or ear infections since the drainage gets thicker and harder to expel. “Natural remedies can have fewer side effects with less exposure to harmful chemicals, as well as can treat the root issue to keep you healthier in the long run.”
Every individual, of course, is different, and a doctor should advise on when it’s time to actually break out the proverbial big guns. But in the spirit of taking a 360-degree approach to prevention and healing in 2019, here, Bhatia lays out an easy beginner’s guide to naturally warding off the basic cold and flu this winter.
For the full story, visit Vogue.com.
