I lay there, weak and defeated.
Defeated, because this was the semester I wasn’t going to let it happen. This year, I was going to do everything in my power to avoid being taken captive by that most abominable nemesis — the campus cold.
So two Sundays ago, when I woke up unable to speak above a whisper or breathe out of my nose, it was more than crushing fatigue that kept me in bed until 5 p.m. I had adopted a wide array of preventative measures at the first sign of a sniffle. These safeguards had seemed to stave off nascent bouts of illness earlier in the semester. But despite all the best-laid schemes, I was ambushed and taken within a night.
Yet while my precautions ostensibly proved futile, I can’t help believing there was some wisdom to them. Besides, I had let them fall off in the weeks before I was hit, perhaps I grew too confident in my good health. In any case, after falling ill I immediately returned to my regimen, clinging to the rituals like superstition. They obviously aren’t miracle cures — after a week and a half I’m still hacking and dripping somewhat. But I’m absolutely convinced I’d be worse off otherwise. A girl’s got to believe in something.
This is the story of hope and despair, my fall from grace and the road to recovery. May your path keep you healthier than mine. But take note, the methods outlined below do have some scientific support for fighting colds.
My strategies run the gamut from diligent use of hand sanitizer in the Fishbowl to folk medicine. The first, which I employed in early September, was heavy dosages of Alka-Seltzer Plus and SmartWater. My thought was to ward off the ominous tickle in my throat by dissolving all four tablets in a bottle of electrolyte-infused super water to sip on through the day. The concoction tasted like flat Moon Mist and blew up on me in an econ lecture, but I didn’t get sick.
The next time mucus seemed to be mounting an attack, I experimented with a natural remedy on the testimony of a friend. She told me that eating three full cloves of raw garlic the first day you experience symptoms would return you to health by the next morning.
A 2001 study by the Garlic Centre in England produced the first conclusive evidence of garlic’s cold-killing faculties. In a 146-person test group, the subjects who took a daily garlic supplement pill contracted colds less than half as often as the group that did not. And among the garlic-takers who did get sick, the duration of colds was significantly reduced.
The Garlic Centre, which investigates and publicizes the many miraculous medical function attributed to the spice, didn’t provide anything to support the efficacy of a one-time garlic binge. But I bought several bulbs for that purpose, anyway. I had a few misgivings about the treatment — how it would taste and how I would smell. I’m a big garlic fan in general, but no amount of garlic butter will prepare you for a raw clove.
After a bite that burned my mouth, I decided to mix it with something. You can’t cook it without deluding the allicin, the agent in garlic that stimulates your immune system. Ehow.com has an interesting recipe for a tea that requires mincing the cloves and adding them to boiling water, but I opted to add diced bits to a plate of melty nachos.
My nachos were quite good and the next morning I woke up with more energy and less snot than I had had in a while. Although, I did have a moment during a lecture that day when I thought to myself “Ew, who’s the smelly kid?” and then realized “Oh, it’s probably me.” Every time I’ve done the garlic remedy since I felt I had improved the next day. Placebo effect? Possibly.
My most recent method comes from the East, but also CVS. The neti pot. My boyfriend swears by it. I’m new to neti, but from observing him I can describe how best to do it. At least once a day, break a packet of saline solution into a nasal irrigation bottle filled with warm water. Squirt half the liquid into one nostril and watch it spout out the other. Repeat on the other side. Spit out whatever got down your throat by hacking so loudly your roommates will comment. And lastly, take a big, deep breath with the satisfaction only a truly clean nasal cavity can bring.
The neti-pot system originated in India, where I hear nasal irrigation is considered part of daily hygiene and can be done on the street. It sort of feels like jumping into a pool and forgetting to breath out, but less painful. The saline solution nullifies the body’s natural reaction to prevent water from going all the way up your nose. The treatment is touted as the ultimate prevention of sinus problems more than colds. My boyfriend and I have this idea that it sort of swishes out any bad virus or bacteria before it can take hold, but neti more likely just alleviates cold symptoms after you get one.