If you don’t give your body time to heal, you may suffer more severe reactions to future illnesses. After an initial outbreak, your body builds antibodies to deal with your illness. If you go too long without a proper immune response, your body may never recover to its original health. A strong immunity is necessary to protect against illness. The next time you develop a cold or flu, you may not be as likely to feel that the same symptoms are happening again. But the same exposure can also cause pneumonia or tuberculosis, and some other infections. Don’t forget to use sunscreen and other common-sense hygiene to protect yourself from infections. An early response to a cold or flu can prevent you from going in to severe trouble or even an ICU in the hospital. Don’t wait for the symptoms to progress before you begin to use this information to protect yourself. Drinking fluids may actually be a bad thing for you. If you have a cold or other flu, it may be recommended that you stay hydrated by drinking as much as your body requires. But drinking excess fluid can leave your body under-hydrated and your respiratory tract dry. In the worst case, too much water can leave you with serious consequences including severe dehydration. Drinking too much water may even cause dehydration and lead to the need for an intravenous treatment to replace fluids lost. Again, it may be a good idea to see your doctor if you develop severe breathing problems. Your doctor will recommend that you avoid any caffeine during an active case of a cold or flu. While the virus is still active, caffeine can actually make your cold or flu symptoms worse. After your cold is gone, caffeine can be a relief. Caffeine is actually a powerful drug that raises your heart rate and blood pressure, making you more alert and more active. For this reason, a doctor should never prescribe caffeine to patients with a cold or flu. Many doctors agree that the best way to get over a cold or flu is by resting. Sleeping, breathing, and laying down are all activities that allow your body to get the rest it needs to recuperate. Exercise may help you make your colds and flus disappear, but the most important thing is to rest and not exercise. A good remedy to consider is to use a heating pad. Put a moist towel over your eyes and wrap the heating pad around you while you take a long, hot bath. Let the heat soak into you, getting the blood flowing again, and relax your body while it absorbs all of the pain that the cold has been causing you. Many people will choose to have a herbal tea in a cold cup to help boost their immune system and relieve their symptoms. Some herbal tea varieties can help soothe a dry throat as they reduce inflammation and fight infection. It has been confirmed that a nice cup of tea can decrease both inflammation and pain. Some kinds of herbal tea can help with pain-relieving qualities as well. Drinking herbal teas or honey with hot water may actually help fight the bacterial infections that cause the symptoms of a cold or flu. This infusion should not be taken for long periods of time, however. Honey and herbal teas are powerful allies when fighting infections, but they can also weaken your immune system if you take them for too long. Taking antibiotics while you are using teas like these will help to create a balanced level of antibacterial protection in your body. Some people with asthma need to avoid honey, so if you have asthma, make sure you check the labels on the herbal tea. Keep in mind that if you have asthma, you need to avoid long-term use of the same ingredients that help to improve your health. Using tea bags to steep your tea might be a good idea if you have breathing problems. Tea bags will not allow your tea to become discolored when it brews, and the bag itself will prevent the contents of the tea from spilling all over your kitchen. To protect yourself from getting a cold or flu, you should wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom. In addition, don’t forget to wash the soap off. Be sure to wash your hands before and after eating. Your goal is to minimize the transfer of bacteria, viruses, and other viruses through the act of sneezing, coughing, or just coming in contact with those who have the virus. Don’t kiss anyone who has a cold. Kissing the cold, virus, or spit from your infected partner can put you at a risk for catching the cold. The virus can live in saliva and mucus and can be transferred to you through a kiss or touch. You may be surprised to find out that a cold or the flu actually gets stronger while you rest. These two factors—rest and medication—are the cornerstones for getting well after the cold has run its course. You need to rest to give your body a chance to completely recover from the cold or flu. Drinking warm liquids or warm foods may help reduce the congestion you feel due to a cold or flu. A hot mug of water may help you to feel better, especially as you are lying down and resting. You should not drink hot liquids and then go right back to sleep. It is believed that hot teas can improve your condition if you have a cold or flu. Some kinds of herbal teas have proven to be helpful in reducing the inflammation associated with colds and the flu. They can also help ease pain caused by colds and the flu. When it comes to treating a cold, eating well-balanced meals may help you to recover faster. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol, as well as caffeinated drinks such as soda or coffee. Don’t drink alcohol while treating the illness. Taking pain medications, such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol, or any other medication which contains acetaminophen, could cause severe liver damage if you do not drink water while taking them. You need to drink a gallon of fluids every day if you have a cold. Try to drink about 8 glasses of water. You can also drink hot tea, clear broth, or soups. You should know that herbal teas like this may help fight off cold and flu symptoms, but it can also reduce your natural immune system. Use only the lowest dose and for the shortest amount of time possible to see the best results. If you think you might have the flu, you should stay away from anyone else who may be contagious. You will want to stay away from your own children, family, and anyone else for at least a few days while they have the symptoms of the illness. Don’t feel bad if you want to miss work for a day or two when you have the flu. If you are working in a office, take a day off to get healthy. Remember to consider sick leave from work to provide you with a little more rest and a faster recovery. Try to avoid drinking more than two to three cups of coffee per day. Drinking excessive amounts of coffee can result in dehydration. The longer you have been drinking coffee without water, the harder it will be to recover from your flu symptoms. Your best bet is to cut back on your coffee consumption and replace it with green tea or some other antioxidant. If you feel that you may have the flu, you should stay away from others who may have the same virus. It is also best to refrain from contact with anyone who has come into contact with a patient who has the flu virus. Keep your distance and stay away from others who have the same symptoms. If you think you have gotten the flu, you should see a doctor. He or she will help you by checking your symptoms and providing you with advice for recovery. You should know that although drinking herbal tea or honey to ease some of