Cold remedies and Tips here

[Pahchisme Plaid]

I noticed @Capo3tanya commented about her cold effecting her singing right now.  I have similar issues.  Mine seems to be a seasonal cough that doesn't go away.  Usually it starts sometime between February and April.  Its June now and I still have it.  This year is the longest its ever lasted, so I figured maybe its an allergy.  I started taking an allergy pill thinking it might help.  It doesn't seem to, but I still take it daily.

For awhile, I was also having severe heartburn and bloating, even if the only thing I had was just plain water.  If you didn't already know, heartburn can cause a persistent cough.
Round about late April, I gave in and went to see my doc.  (I hate going to the doc).  Hah!  She actually saw me looking so bloated, I looked 3 months pregnant---I had strangers asking me boy or girl?---lol.  How do you reply to that?  Well,  I just said we didn't know yet.  Why make them feel bad.  I REALLY DID LOOK PREGNANT! so I just rolled with it.
So she sent me to a gastroenterologist and he put me on a fodmap diet for 8 weeks to straighten out the flora in my gut.  I'm still doing that and the heartburn is gone as is the bloating, but not the cough.  So in my case, the heartburn isn't causing the cough.

Back to the doc for my cough.  I was exhausted from regular coughing and on account of the fodmap diet, couldn't have certain sugars in cough drops.  It seemed unproductive  and my best friends were  Altoid mints and water, which just weren't cutting it.  If I talked for any length of time or ate, that seemed to set me into a coughing fit.  Funny thing was, I could get through a song better than a conversation, except for when I hit a certain range. 

 

I usually carry the melody and they sing the other harmonies when all female.  When guys are there, too, they also do melody and I sometimes do harmony, so sometimes I could get away with backing off at that range and sometimes I couldn't.  I could feel the urge to cough, but often could make it through the song and would have a coughing fit between songs--go figure.

 

I have discovered unexpectedly that doing vocal warm-ups and breathing exercises  at home (I found some that I like on youtube) before singing helps me tremendously when it comes time to sing with the team.  Its really surprising how proper breathing can get you through the holds when you feel like coughing.

 

It turns out I have some inflammation  that's' causing the cough, so she put me on a 5 day regimen of Prednisone and one of those puffer things, which I don't like to use because, though it soothes the cough, it wipes my energy.

In the meantime, with another type of cough, I have discovered certain things to work for me and I thought I would put those tips here.

- a humidifier next to the bed at night

- drinking lots and lots of water throughout the day

- Altoids

- Homemade Ginger Tea (recipe below) VERY SPICY

 

GINGER TEA

 

Wash a 2 inch piece of fresh ginger root

shred the root, peel and all with a grater (I use a cheese/carrot grater)

bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a 2 or 3 quart saucepan

add ginger (I use a metal mesh strainer with a handle that sits on the saucepan to keep grated ginger in to easily strain ginger later)

turn off heat.  Put the lid on and let steep for 10 minutes

remove the saucepan and strain the ginger

Add honey or real maple syrup or sweetener if desired/lemon -- optional to stir in

If you are using a teapot and boiling water in it, let it steep for about 15 mins.

I find this warms and loosens congestion, but it is a very powerful spice, you may choose to dilute it to your taste if overly strong.  I hope these few tips might help someone to sooth their cough.

There are many different causes of coughs and many different remedies for colds and coughs.

IF YOU'VE HAD TROUBLE WITH CONGESTION, DRY COUGH OR A COLD  OR ANY TYPE OF COUCH, PLEASE  SHARE YOUR COLD/CONGESTION/COUGH TYPE, REMEDIES AND TIPS BELOW.  Maybe we can help each other out.

[Capo3tanya]

Ooo the ginger tea sounds like a great idea, thanks Pahchisme!  I'm sorry you are having difficulties as well.  Mine, is mighty gross!  Shall we say, very productive. Thanks for posting this 😷 hehe!

[Rudi]

You have worked hard to beat this. Thanks for sharing because I feel I've been fighting an infection of some sort for a while also.

I did a small amount of work today, totaling no more than 5 hours and was exhausted. This evening a cold sore showed up. Then it made more sense. It happened just the same way in March.

 

The breathing exercises sound interesting.  Got a link?

[Pahchisme Plaid]

Hey @Rudi this is the only thing I've used to teach me how to breathe.  I'm sure there are tons out there.  Others may already know about this, but this was good for me because I'm pretty sure my breaths are too shallow in everyday life, even.  I found doing this along with vocal warm-ups (which I do cough through), helps prepare me for when I singing with the team.  I suppose it could all be in my head, but I think it helps in breathing through a potential cough.

 

[Pahchisme Plaid]

22 hours ago, Capo3tanya said:

Ooo the ginger tea sounds like a great idea, thanks Pahchisme!  I'm sorry you are having difficulties as well.  Mine, is mighty gross!  Shall we say, very productive. Thanks for posting this 😷 hehe!

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm allergic to my cats.  We got cats a few months ago.

[Rudi]

21 minutes ago, Pahchisme Plaid said:

Hey @Rudi this is the only thing I've used to teach me how to breathe.  I'm sure there are tons out there.  Others may already know about this, but this was good for me because I'm pretty sure my breaths are too shallow in everyday life, even.  I found doing this along with vocal warm-ups (which I do cough through), helps prepare me for when I singing with the team.  I suppose it could all be in my head, but I think it helps in breathing through a potential cough.

 

 

whats curious is that this is essentially what my doctor suggested I do 15 years back. He said my breathing was too shallow. He got this idea from reading about a Tenor's (Domingo I think) breath exercise.

 

Thanks for link. Hope you are rid of that cough soon.

[Capo3tanya]

That'd be a shame if you're allergic to your new cutie pies! Aw!

[Shanethefilmmaker]

My remedies for battling a cold came from trial and error. Now this is for those who don't have access to cold medicine.  Whether you can't afford it or ran out, this is a few things from my own experience that will help you through your cold depending on your situation.

Remedy #1: For when you're sick but you need to be out for the day.  Short Term

Now everyone can tell you, no matter what you take rest is often the most important. However some of you either need to be at work or somewhere important for a certain day it's that or bust.  So the simple solution for that is this: Menthol rich gum.  It's cheaper than Cough Syrup and tablets and it will clear out your sinuses long enough for what you need to do and enough for you to get home and get that well earned rest.

 

Remedy #2: For when you want to destroy this cold once and for all. Long Term

Now this one took some doing and is more time consuming than Remedy #1. But through various trial and error, this is a guaranteed fix if you have the time and patience for it. This comes in 3 Stages and has to happen throughout a month at least. 

 

Stage 1: Lower the inflammation of your throat and sinuses.

This is the easy part.  For what you gotta do is eat and drink certain things that help you lower the inflamed throat and sinuses.  No matter how much mucus you get out of your system. There's always gonna be more so long as those spots are bottled necked through the internal swelling. My recommendation is four fluid based foods and beverages. The First is Tea.  Tea warms the body up and can help you relax, which in turn loosens up all the muscles inside you.  Which in turn would loosen those problem areas. Green Tea is perfect for the job, but to each is own. It's also good for relieving headaches related to colds. The second is Soup.  Now everyone knows the old Chicken Soup for Cold Remedy, so no need to go into detail on how it works.  But I can tell you it's all in the heat and the broth.  Third, Ginger ale. Everyone knows pure ginger has elements that can help, but that ale isn't too shabby in that department as well. However drink it flat. Last but not least, is ordinary water.  Aside from it being mandatory I'll tell you why it's very important in Stage 3.

 

Stage 2: Once Lowered Enough, clear out as much as you can. Those who don't have a strong stomach, don't read.

This stage is easy, but you got to do it fast once you're loose enough. Once those inflamed areas are lowered enough take a tissue and cough and blow as much as you can. Do it gently though as if you do it rough you could risk increasing said inflammation. Once you get out what you can, throw it in the trash and wash your hands thoroughly so that it doesn't try to come back to you. Eventually though, the inflammation will increase over time and swell your sinuses and throat and all you'd have to do is repeat stage one again.

 

Stage 3: Sweat the rest of it off.

Regardless of what you heard, sweating it is just as important. However that doesn't mean you have to throw on coats and blankets and turn yourself into a human sponge. No, what you gotta do is during a sweat is replenish the water you lost. The water you sweat out regardless how long it's been in you is dirty water.  Dirty from the salt you lose with it. Dirty from the natural oils. And especially dirty from the cold virus it caries with it.  Sweat itself does not contain the cold, but as it rubs against your skin which is the main spreader for many diseases including the common cold. Sweating doesn't get rid of it, it washes it off you one bead at a time. And in order for it to keep washing you need more clean water in you. So drink up. Then when all is said and done, sleep.  If you wake up feeling great save for a surprising amount of sweat all over you, you just got rid of your cold. As it also doubles as a sign for when it's over.

[Pahchisme Plaid]

After reading this article and listening to the video within the article, I tried coughing (when I had chronic cough) through my nose and mouth, with mouth closed to see if it helped.  It seemed to.  You'll have to read about the effects of carbon dioxide to discover why. Huh!  Learn something new every day
https://www.normalbreathing.com/cause-of-cough.php 

[Pahchisme Plaid]

Yeah, still having this struggle.  Went to that gastroenterologist because my throat was drying out to the point it was hard to swallow when I was singing.  He said I have gastritis and acid reflux.  He wanted to put me on a proton pump inhibitor.  No way!  I did lots of research because PPI's can cause a reduction in stomach acid and stomach acid is what helps process calcium, vitamin D and Vitamin B and gives you your immunity against illness.  PPI's and some antacids and acid reducers WILL reduce stomach acid.

 

Low stomach acid affects your health and can contribute to osteoporosis, so the last thing I want to do is reduce it.  More research....the symptoms of high stomach acid and low stomach acid are pretty much the same.  I have low B12 and low Vitamin D as is.  That is usually an indicator of low stomach acid issues (no intrinsic factor to convert B12 through food so that it can be used (as a result of low stomach acid)), so I am treating myself accordingly and taking measures to balance out the bacteria in my gut. 

Eating clean, no caffeine and taking in fermented foods to encourage increased "good" bacterial growth in the gut, eating smaller portions, taking probiotics, drinking lots of water (but not with meals as it dilutes stomach acid), taking care with meat protein since my body has difficulty digesting it, eating raw fruits and vegetables, drinking homemade bone broth, reducing stress, practicing breathing correctly, getting the sleep I need and I think it is slowly improving with occasional trouble with acid reflux.  I am now studying microbiomes in the gut, which is fascinating and informative and I am so glad I chose the route that I did.

 

Just a side note:  Rounds of antibiotics kill ALL bacteria in your gut and is oftentimes the beginning of gut issues.  If it is possible to take a different route for healing instead of antibiotics, certainly weigh the benefits with the draw-backs and talk with your medical professional.  If you must take antibiotics consider incorporating foods like yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, sour pickles, sauerkraut, miso or other fermented foods and probiotics to your diet to encourage growth of the favorable kind of bacteria. 

So making the loop, --had a cough and dry throat which effects singing, which was caused by acid reflux which is caused by stomach acid levels, which is why I thought this information might be useful to others.