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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
Sniffing, blowing your nose, these are what generally punctuate our winter and its temperature drops. But is there a way to reduce this phenomenon? Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo, gives us his advice.
Every winter, it’s the same thing. If you manage to get through the various ongoing epidemics, it’s still difficult not to sniffle or have a runny nose from a cold or an allergy. A phenomenon that is not very unpleasant for the person who must constantly blow their nose. How to treat this runny nose? Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, reminds us of some fundamentals.
Blow your nose
First reflex: if you have a runny nose, blowing your nose is obviously more useful than sniffing.
“But we do it in a single-use tissue, which we throw away and we don’t forget to wash one’s hands” reminds our expert. Do you know how to blow your nose effectively? The University of Queensland in Australia carried out a study on it. No need to blow too hard or force too much. For effective blowing, blow gently into the handkerchief, one nostril after the other. And repeat the operation as often as necessary.
Wash your nasal passages
The other reflex to adopt is to wash your nasal passages, with a dedicated solution.
“Washing the nasal passages is important to eliminate irritants and moisturize the mucous membranes” supports our doctor. However, there is no point in overdoing this practice at the risk of irritating your mucous membranes. You rinse your nose in the morning and evening, or even another time during the day if necessary… Without tasting it every hour.
Taking care of the atmosphere
For healthier and less dry air, do not hesitate to open the windows regularly and ventilate your interior. “You can also humidify the air using a humidifier which allows you to hydrate better, says Dr. Kierzek. On the other hand, we will avoid anything that can be irritating, in particular fumes, or the tobaccowhich amplify the runny nose.”
Stay hydrated enough
Improving health during a cold also involves hydration. Even when temperatures reduce the feeling of thirst, it is still important to drink enough. “This can be water but also hot tea, broth, soup… Anything that can be comforting and will bring water to the body”.
Consider antihistamines
Finally, our medical director advises taking an antihistamine if your cold may be allergic, which will reduce your symptoms.
On the other hand, when it comes to medications, it is better to avoid over-the-counter decongestants. “These contain pseudoephedrine, which may increase the risk of stroke according to an alert from the drug safety agency last December” reminds our expert.
Instead, consider inhalers (or a bowl of hot water) which also help to gently clear the nasal passages.
Slide: 10 remedies to naturally treat a cold