PSA

[trixtah]

Probably not applicable to 50% of the population but, hey, I'm all about accumulating useful information: How to hide an unwanted erection. It's notable for the number of synonyms that poms can come up with for "trouser snake". Tee hee.

(Actually, I was on this site looking up gardening tutorials - it's pretty good for all kinds of info, although the "How to fold a shirt" one seemed crap).

While I'm on the topic of PSAs, here're Trix's handy hints on how not to get a cold over winter:

1. Personal hygiene. Wash your hands lots, especially after touching other people (particularly the known germ-infested ones and children), money, doorknobs, things at work, and public transport. I'm not suggesting anyone get all OCD about it, but getting off as many greeblies as you can before touching yourself (especially your face, you filthy-minded people) is good sense.
   
   
2. Breathe through your nose as much as possible. This may sound a bit odd, but the nose has a lot more hair and mucous and suchlike up there designed to trap particles and germs. It's also relatively easy to keep it clean, and it tends to be self-draining anyway when it's a bit chilly. Breathing through your mouth means that any germs have a much more direct path to your lungs, and also the air is not as conditioned as it is when you breathe through your nose.
   
   
3. Common sense - stay away from people who are obviously sick, or smokers. If your resistance is lowered because of the stress cold weather puts on your body, don't add to it by breathing in second-hand smoke. If you're walking around on the street, and someone is coughing and spluttering, give them plenty of room, and remember the nose-breathing (I confess that I tend to hold my breath until I'm well out of the blast zone). If you need to shake hands with someone who's showing symptoms, have a good scrub of the hands as soon as possible.
   
   
4. Eat decent food (lots of veges and protein) and sleep enough. I need 8½ hours minimum myself - know what you need and take it. Also take a vitamin supplement (see below) if you're feeling run down or under physical siege (but I wouldn't take one routinely - it's not a substitute for eating properly).
   
   
5. If you feel symptoms coming on, step up the good food (dose up with garlic, ginger, chilli and suchlike - it may do nothing, but a psychological effect is probably helpful in any case) and the rest. Go home an hour early. Go to sleep earlier.
   
   
6. Finally, if you're surrounded by dying people, or your throat is definitely feeling a bit scratchy or the nose is running, take the magic potion, Blackmore's Echinacea ACE + Zinc. I don't know if it's the echinacea, the vitamins or the zinc, or a nice synergistic effect, but it's clobbered threatening colds each time for me. I take one a day if I'm surrounded by sick people at home or work, or I take three a day with meals if I feel something seriously coming on (I've not had to take it for more than 2-3 days max - I don't think herbs, or anything, should be taken by rote if they're not actively needed).
   
   Eating a hot Asian-style soup, popping some magic potion, and heading off to bed by 9 has helped me avert disaster at least twice this winter, and I hope it continues to work when necessary.

Comments

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the list of ways to avoid the cold - this one is a keeper!