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How to Stop a Cold: The Nip-it Trick

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The flowers are extra, of course, but you might be able to enjoy them again if you have respiratory allergies.

The secret to never having another cold is to do this simple procedure as soon as you notice the first symptom.

You can be prepared by putting together a little “nip-it kit” in advance. No medications are needed. You will only need the following supplies:

One 3 oz. bottle
One fluid ounce of vodka (80 proof=40% alcohol)
Two ounces of filtered or distilled water
One plastic snack or sandwich bag
A dozen or so short cotton swabs

Fill the little bottle with the two liquids and put it in the plastic bag with a supply of Q-tips or other brand of swabs. This can be stored in a medicine cabinet, make-up drawer, glove box, purse, desk, gym bag or anywhere handy when needed.

Your first symptom of a cold might be sneezing, repeatedly clearing your throat or the sudden onset of sniffles. Take action immediately. Moisten a swab, gently run it up one nostril and sniff to coat the upper nostril and possibly get a hint of it in the back of the throat. There will not be enough liquid to allow inhaling it into the lungs. Then treat the other nostril.  Within minutes the symptoms will disappear.

Why not make extra kits for family and friends? You could mix a half-pint (one cup) of vodka with two cups of water and fill eight bottles. You could get creative and add a small drop of peppermint oil to the larger recipe to add a little scent and flavor.

Never substitute rubbing alcohol because it is made from propane.

A child-proof cap should be used, of course, if you have children.

The Nip-it Trick is also effective if you have respiratory allergies due to smoke, pollens or scents.  It can stop the reaction before you get congestion or a headache.

Enjoy!

A new way to think about respiratory allergies

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My expertise on the subject of allergies comes from over fifty years of putting up with reactions to smoke of all kinds, dust, perfume (no matter how expensive), musty paper (no matter how interesting) and many pollens which shall remain unidentified.  I experienced headaches, nausea, congestion, sinusitis, chronic cough, sneezing, earache, various secondary infections, and feeling under the weather for a good chunk of my life.

I tried various over-the-counter and prescription medications, to no avail. They are more likely to cause liver damage than to cure an allergy.  Why use a whole-body treatment for a very small, localized problem?

Secondary infections would usually result in the use of antibiotics, which are now known to affect the balance of thousands of species of microbes which inhabit our bodies–more of which are beneficial than bad.

The remaining professional advice was usually about avoiding the irritants—never mind that pollens can travel hundreds of miles and exposure to most of the other culprits was often beyond my control.

Now I know it was all for no good reason.  No one is really allergic to any of those substances!  Some human bodies just think they are. How unfortunate.

One day in November of 2004, I read an article written by a chemist, explaining how to avoid the common cold.  He said his very inexpensive method would stop the histamine reaction caused by cold viruses.  Just stopping the reaction and preventing congestion would make the cold go away.  It turned out that his technique is also effective against the excessive histamine reactions of the body caused by false alarms about harmless irritants.

The rest is history.  I can honestly say I have not had a cold, a headache or any repercussions from allergies since that time.  If I notice that my nose doesn’t like something, I can help it relax and go about its ordinary business.  No more fake allergic reactions are permitted.

Yes, I know.  If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is–or is that an old wives tale in this instance?

I have no experience with food intolerance, extreme reactions to insect stings or contact allergies that can cause severe inflammatory responses. But if you share fake allergies to substances which are not really harmful, I recommend that you investigate this further.