Seven Steps For Stopping The Sniffles (NAPSA)—While colds and flu are nothing to sneeze at—the average American adult gets one to three colds a year and the average child six to eight—there are a number of home remedies you can use to help ward off germs and stay healthy. Here are seven to consider: 1. Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking water or juice prevents dehydration, keeps your throat moist and helps break up congestion. Drink eight to 10 8-ounce glasses of water each day and avoid cola, coffee and other caf- feinated drinks because they may cause dehydration. 2. Drink hot liquids. Hotliq- uids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. 3. Sneeze into your sleeve. Sneezing into your hand means you'll infect the next thing you touch; sneezing into your sleeve helps lessen the chances you'll spread the germs. 4, Sleep with an extra pillow. Elevating your head helps relieve congested nasal passages and the pressure commonly felt in the sinuses. 5. Blow yournose.It’s important to blow your nose regularly when you have the flu or a cold, rather than sniffling mucus back into your head. Blowing gently into a tissue helps remove germs from your nasal passages. Also, be sure to throw the tissues away immediately. 6. Wash your hands. Cold and flu germs live for up to 72 hours, making thorough hand washingcritical. tis De Nasal washing can help minimize your risk of catching a cold or the flu and can keep seasonal allergies under control. 7. Use a neti pot. The teapotshaped device is a mainstay of ancient yoga tradition and is designed to cleanse the nose and nasal passages with warm saline. There are a numberof neti pots around, including SinuCleanse, which is available at most drugstores and made of unbreakable, anti-microbial plastic. Nasal washing helps break up congestion while also removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. It’s safe for children and adults, including pregnant and nursing mothers. The system was created by an ear, nose and throat doctor and is clinically proven to reduce sinus symptoms. It’s also available in a squeeze bottle. Learn More For more information, visit www.sinucleanse.com.
