Cold weather flu, bugs, head colds and viruses

Medical issues, doctors, dentists, opticians and hospitals in Hua Hin and Thailand.
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buksida
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Cold weather flu, bugs, head colds and viruses

Post by buksida »

I'm probably not the only one that has been affected by this cold spell - I feel ten years older, my nose is more blocked than Market Village's car park, my throat drier than a bar on election night and my head feels like its full of cotton wool.

Must be the thinning of blood and lowering of the immune system due to acclimatization to tropical weather or something like that.

Anyone else with the same symptoms and what are you doing to combat it? Any secret remedies lurking around?
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Post by hhfarang »

Cuddle up with the wife with a nice warming bottle of wine! :D
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Post by MrPlum »

When you feel a cold coming on there are a couple of unorthodox remedies I use.

1. Take a teaspoon with as much cayenne pepper as I can tolerate and add to a teaspoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of chopped raw garlic and 1/2 cup of tomato juice. Add celery salt to taste. Drink it hot.

2. Drop diluted Hydrogen Peroxide (1-2%) in my ears until the 'champagne bubbles' stop tickling. About 5-10 minutes. I don't use it any stronger than that! Food grade is better but I don't believe anyone has been harmed by the shop-bought stuff. I also gargle a 1-2% solution then spit it out.

3. Have a sauna. Get the body temperature up. I've no fat to keep me warm so definitely feel the cold snap.

4. There are some Qi Gong exercises I use to heat the body quickly. If you have a dog or child, chase it around the dining table. That will warm you up! :thumb:

5. Don't forget aspirin has anti-viral properties.

The usual caveat applies. I am not recommending anyone try this. It's just what I do.
Last edited by MrPlum on Thu Jan 15, 2009 2:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by lomuamart »

I almost always get a bad cold/dose of flu at around this time of year in the cold spell that comes over from China. What buksida says about our immune systems not being as strong as normal because of the weather could well have some merit, although I'm no doctor.
But where do the germs come from? Is it possible that at this time of year with more tourists over here, some of them bring winter colds etc from their home countries and we're simply not used to them any more. Hence, we come down with the bug quickly as well?
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Post by MrPlum »

lomuamart wrote:I almost always get a bad cold/dose of flu at around this time of year in the cold spell that comes over from China. What buksida says about our immune systems not being as strong as normal because of the weather could well have some merit, although I'm no doctor.
But where do the germs come from? Is it possible that at this time of year with more tourists over here, some of them bring winter colds etc from their home countries and we're simply not used to them any more. Hence, we come down with the bug quickly as well?
Good question and I think buksida has it. Germs are everywhere and always have been. I've read from some Doctors that 'it's not the germ, it's the terrain'. (the bodies inner terrain) This is why we get colds when we are run down. Put a cold virus in a room with 100 people. If it was the virus, then 100 people would catch it. No? So, if only 5 get flu, then what is it about those 5 that makes them susceptible?

I think it's global warming myself. The link is undeniable. :roll:
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Post by Babylon »

You can buy some great tablets here, I am not sure what they are called, but they come in a mustard yellow blister pack of 10, and are cheap about 30Tb. They are decogesteant and also make you slightly drowsey (only take at night, before sleep, not before a long road trip!), but not strong like a sleeping pill. Basically take one with 2 paracetamol and it clears your nose and you have a great nights sleep, and wake up feeling alot better.

I realise this advise would be a great deal better if I could remeber the name, but a trip to the pharmacy, you can buy it OTC. I think its A... something.
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Post by buksida »

hhfarang wrote:Cuddle up with the wife with a nice warming bottle of wine!
Nice in theory but Mrs B is off on the golf course most of the time now!

MrP, thanks for the natural remedies, would much rather use those than the chemical types. Number 1 will be worth a look and I can do some Wing Tsun forms in place of Qi Gung (which I'm not too familiar with) to ease those cranky joints!
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Post by redzonerocker »

MrPlum wrote: 1. Take a teaspoon with as much cayenne pepper as I can tolerate and add to a teaspoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of chopped raw garlic and 1/2 cup of tomato juice. Add celery salt to taste. Drink it hot.
wish you would have posted this one a few days earlier, sounds delicious :thumb:
had a real bad bout last week, which has been doing the rounds lately in the uk :(
i don't usually suffer that badly & it does seem the virus's are getting more & more potent.

my usual remedy is 2 of each paracetamol, ibuprofen together, with hot lemonade & loads of lemon slices with honey.
& i carried on working & moving about cos when i was stationary things were a whole lot worse.

:cheers:
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Post by Khundon1975 »

When I feel a cold coming on, runny nose etc, I dose myself up with loads of fresh orange juice or Kiwi fruit just, 3 glasses a day, I find it helps and symptoms only last a day or 2 not the 7 days a cold usually runs for.

Be carefull though as too much will give you the runs.
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Post by Roel »

lomuamart wrote:
Is it possible that at this time of year with more tourists over here, some of them bring winter colds etc from their home countries
Farangs are to blame for AIDS, SARS, any economical, political and/or financial crisis, causing Bangkok nightclub fires by setting of fireworks indoors etc. etc. but never heard this before. :P

However it is plausible. One or two persons on every flight to Thailand will start the chain reaction. Not sure if
we're simply not used to them any more
I recall I was not used to it in Holland either.
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future.
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Post by lomuamart »

Roel,
Good snip of my above post. My question, answered by MrPlum, was genuine.
I thought AIDS originated in Africa? SARS - got no idea. Maybe SE Asia?
The terrible nightclub incident in BKK - I don't think that anyone has apportioned blame other than that the Thai owner and manager are on the run. Maybe I'm wrong? Financial stuff - well that's this planet's fault.
I was certainly "stronger" in the UK when I lived there and my body would fight off colds/flu quicker than I get rid of the symptoms over here.
On the up side, I reckon my stomach has become cast iron :shock: :thumb:
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Post by ozuncle »

Buks.Lomu, RZR,

Smokers by any chance?


:roll:
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Post by lomuamart »

I am. Please don't preach :thumb:
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buksida
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Post by buksida »

ozuncle wrote: Smokers by any chance?
Nope. :roll:
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Post by Toy »

Babylon wrote:You can buy some great tablets here, I am not sure what they are called, but they come in a mustard yellow blister pack of 10, and are cheap about 30Tb. They are decogesteant and also make you slightly drowsey (only take at night, before sleep, not before a long road trip!), but not strong like a sleeping pill. Basically take one with 2 paracetamol and it clears your nose and you have a great nights sleep, and wake up feeling alot better.

I realise this advise would be a great deal better if I could remeber the name, but a trip to the pharmacy, you can buy it OTC. I think its A... something.
The name are: TIFFY and its wery good :thumb:
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