Hot Showers Ease Cold and Flu Symptoms Clearing stuffy nasal passages with moisture. Warming you up when you have “the chills” Relieving headaches by dilating blood vessels. Relaxing your mind and muscles for better sleep.
Take a Sponge Bath or a Bath with Lukewarm Water
While a cold bath for fever may appear to be a good idea to place a small child in a cool bath to reduce a fever, it is not advised. By chilling the skin and inducing shivering, cold water can raise core body temperature. A hot shower with a fever is not also advisable.
Please note that if you're feverish, a hot shower or bath can have adverse effects, so perhaps run a hot shower, but just use the water to give yourself a sponge bath. If you're just looking for the benefits of the steam without the shower, you can get the same effect with a towel and a container of hot water.
Keep warm. Use a humidifier or take a hot shower for sore throat and cough. Take acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce fever and relieve aches and pains.
Increased humidity can help thin the mucus in your sinuses which is why steamy solutions provide relief for clogged noses. For immediate relief, take a hot shower, or do a facial steamer for 10 to 12 minutes. To enjoy the benefits of humidity all day, use a humidifier at home.
Take it easy and get plenty of rest – Going to bed early and naps are highly encouraged. Rest helps speed recovery. Stay hydrated – Making sure you're getting enough fluids (especially water) helps you get better faster and reduces risks of complications.
Most symptoms go away in 4 to 7 days. The cough and tired feeling may last for weeks. Sometimes, the fever comes back. Some people may not feel like eating.
Adults and children alike could benefit from sitting in a room that's full of moist, warm steam that collects in the room from a running, hot shower. This can help loosen nose secretions, so it doesn't build up causing breathing or cough difficulty.
There's no way to cure a cold—or sweat it out. Breathing in warm, moist air can help alleviate cold symptoms, like congestion. Light exercise can increase blood flow, which also might help with congestion. However, there's no quick fix.
However, experts are of the opinion that it can actually have a good epidermal effect. The warm water leaves the skin moist for a longer time and prevents it from drying up and getting cracked. Hot water increases the body temperature and relaxes the muscles in the body. This soothes us physically and mentally.
Eating fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C is a smart move. Vitamin C boosts your immune system, which is how your body naturally fights off infection. If you're feeling nauseous, following the BRAT diet – bananas, rice, apples and toast – may be your preference.
Best Temperature for Showering
Cold showers can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve circulation, lower stress levels, and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Hot showers, meanwhile, can improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints, and improve sleep.
Caffeine and alcohol can make your symptoms worse (especially stomach-related symptoms), so I'd recommend sipping on water and other clear liquids throughout the day to stay hydrated.
If your immune system is weakened by conditions like HIV, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's, sickle cell anemia or you currently have cancer or had certain types of cancer (such as lymphoma or leukemia) in the past, you are at higher risk for complications from the flu.
Feeling Overly Stressed
Stress can affect your immune system, forcing it to work harder, Taneja-Uppal says. During cold and flu season, you need your immune system to help you return to good health when you get sick. The more stressed you are, the longer a common cold can last.
Fever—Fevers fight influenza viruses. Because viruses are sensitive to temperature changes and cannot survive above normal body heat, your body uses fever to help destroy them. Muscle Aches and Pain—You may experience sore muscles with the flu as it is also a product of your body's immune response.
In general, the important thing is to make sure you wash regularly and do not share towels or sheets with those who are sick without washing them first. Remember, the virus is killed by hot temperatures, so if you do clean your sheets and towels, use the hot temperature setting instead of warm.
Cold and flu symptoms such as a blocked nose or cough usually subside after 7-10 days and the absence of these things is quite an obvious indication that you are on the mend.
Lukewarm Bath or Shower: Other remedies to help you feel better include taking a lukewarm bath or shower. The key is to keep it lukewarm. Don't make it cold, never use ice, and if you start to shiver, warm the water up and then get out and rest.
Having an efficient steamy shower is a good way to cope with an annoying cough that seems to hang around. Breathing in steam helps to loosen the phlegm and makes your cough a little more bearable.