While common colds are not something that are often associated with the warmer months, that doesn't mean that they don't occur...as we found out ourselves recently when our whole household was struck with a case of severe summer sniffles!
Of course a cold to most adults is nothing more than a minor irritation and we all know that they'll run their course usually quite quickly, but it's often more difficult for a child to deal with.
Our recent bout of summer colds left our three children feeling pretty sorry for themselves and struggling to sleep well at night, which ended up making us all pretty miserable - so I did some research to find some tips that helped us to alleviate the symptoms while waiting for the cold to pass.
Most of the usual tips and tricks for dealing with colds are given with colder weather in mind such as sipping on warm comforting drinks and eating vegetable-rich warming stews, but when the weather is as warm as it has been - nobody wants to do that!
So today I'm sharing my tips and hacks for dealing with pesky colds in the summer time!
1) Drink Plenty Of Fresh OJ
Orange juice is well-known for it's health benefits, including it's ability to boost your Vitamin C levels. Vitamin C is not only a great help in fighting off colds in the first place, but it's also a natural decongestant so can be a big help in clearing those snuffly noses.
There's nothing quite as refreshing as a nice freshly squeezed cold orange juice on a hot summers day, so it's the perfect summer cold solution!
2) Take Advantage Of The Fruits Of The Season
Eating fruits and vegetables is always a good idea, but when they're in season and freshly picked they're all the better - and as well as fruit-picking being a fun family summer activity, eating the fresh fruit will do wonders for your immune system too!
Try to go for fruits rich in Vitamin C such as strawberries and tomatoes!
3) Chicken Soup For The Sniffly-Soul!
Many people think that eating chicken soup when you have a cold is an old wives tale, but there are actually known benefits to it.
Homemade chicken soup contains an amino-acid called cysteine (this is within the chicken and is released in the soup-making process) which is chemically-similar to bronchitis medication and helps to reduce inflammation.
The salty broth also helps to thin mucus in the lungs, and the chicken contains plenty of protein which helps the body to produce disease-fighting antibodies.
Plus soup makes a great light meal option for a sunny day - so winner winner, chicken (soup!) dinner!
4) Breathe Easy Patch
The worst part of a child having a cold is most certainly the struggle to help them enjoy a peaceful nights sleep when they're congested and uncomfortable, so our recent discovery of Colief Breathe Easy Patch has been amazing.
The patches can be placed directly onto pajamas or onto bedding, and contain unique formulation of essentials oils including eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon and rosemary oils to help relieve runny and blocked noses. The patches are effective for 8 hours, and are suitable for use from 3 years +.
We found these patches a lifesaver - they're mess-free and as they don't need to be applied to the skin as some other decongestants do, they're much more comfortable and less intrusive for the child. They remain effective all night long, and really helped my little ones to sleep more comfortably - I make sure I always have a pack in the cupboards now!
You can find out more about the patches here: https://colief.com/colief-breathe-easy-patch/
5) Time Spent In The Sunshine
The one good thing about getting a cold in the summer is that it is much more pleasant to spend time outdoors in the sunshine, and that is a great thing for healing colds faster - The suns UV rays are known to kill cold viruses, so the more time you can spend outside - the better! (Using appropriate sun protection, of course!)
I hope you've found these tips helpful and that your summer is a sniffle-free one!
*With thanks to Colief for collaborating with us on this post
If you enjoy my blog, please consider following me on Bloglovin'
