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Author Topic: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?  (Read 13544 times)

G-Flex

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #30 on: September 30, 2009, 09:19:41 am »

The trick behind adding a pinch of salt to watter is that this takes it up to salt concentration levels that are comparable to the one in your body. This prevents it from screwing with the osmotic pressure around your cells. If you wouldn't do this, you could get a salt defict or water poisoning after drinking too much of it.

If you're drinking enough water to get water poisoning, then there is something seriously wrong going on. You normally will never, ever drink that much water. You practically have to try in order for that to happen.

Also, like I said, most people get way too much sodium anyway. As long as you're actually eating, there's pretty much no reason to put the stuff in your water.
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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #31 on: September 30, 2009, 12:21:14 pm »

The trick behind adding a pinch of salt to watter is that this takes it up to salt concentration levels that are comparable to the one in your body. This prevents it from screwing with the osmotic pressure around your cells. If you wouldn't do this, you could get a salt defict or water poisoning after drinking too much of it.

If you're drinking enough water to get water poisoning, then there is something seriously wrong going on. You normally will never, ever drink that much water. You practically have to try in order for that to happen.
Not under normal conditions. But if you're suffering of a loss of osmotic pressure already, due to an excessive amount of sweating for example, then slightly elevated, or in some cases even normal drinking paterns could cause it. In the US or Europe you wouldn't need to worry unless you're running a marathon, but if you're working in extremely hot and humid conditions, it might be advisable to "spice up" your drinks a bit. Do consult a doctor on it though.

The reason they do use isotonic mixes in the hospital is because they're often injecting it directly in the body, which may cause an extreme loss of osmotic pressure at the point where it's added, amongst others. Another reason is because the patients are often already suffering from abnormal osmotic values.
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Also, like I said, most people get way too much sodium anyway. As long as you're actually eating, there's pretty much no reason to put the stuff in your water.
Sure, but there's a difference between average concentrations and spike levels. Overindulging on sodium before a marathon in the hot sun isn't going to help you all that much because the kidneys average out the concentrations.
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AtomicPaperclip

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #32 on: November 09, 2009, 11:23:38 pm »

I lost my voice when I had the flu or something about 2 weeks ago. My doctor prescribed Anti-biotics and that I gargle salt water, from the ocean.

On second thought, this surprises me. Why would a doctor prescribe antibiotics for a viral infection? That seems kind of irresponsible and useless.

Job security, so when the anti-biotic resistant bacteria start to kill you, you'll have to come in more than once.

My friend swears that snorting salt water will get rid of all the nasty snot, but it doesn't sound like a great idea to me. Anyone know if there's any truth to this?
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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #33 on: November 09, 2009, 11:51:54 pm »

I know gargling saltwater helps with sore throats, but I've never heard about snorting it.
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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #34 on: November 10, 2009, 12:01:11 am »

I've done it before.  It works, but it's not something you enjoy.
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Maggarg - Eater of chicke

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #35 on: November 11, 2009, 11:20:24 am »

A slug of brandy helps the sore throat, snorting pepper will at least make you sneeze all the goo out. Not sure if it helps with the constricted sinuses.
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Cthulhu

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #36 on: November 11, 2009, 11:53:27 am »

A slug of brandy helps the sore throat, snorting pepper will at least make you sneeze all the goo out. Not sure if it helps with the constricted sinuses.

Seems like it would make it worse.
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Nadaka

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #37 on: November 11, 2009, 12:41:44 pm »

I lost my voice when I had the flu or something about 2 weeks ago. My doctor prescribed Anti-biotics and that I gargle salt water, from the ocean.

On second thought, this surprises me. Why would a doctor prescribe antibiotics for a viral infection? That seems kind of irresponsible and useless.

Job security, so when the anti-biotic resistant bacteria start to kill you, you'll have to come in more than once.

My friend swears that snorting salt water will get rid of all the nasty snot, but it doesn't sound like a great idea to me. Anyone know if there's any truth to this?

Doctors are not in the business of curing people, they are in the business of treating them. I spent most of my childhood mysteriously and horribly ill. They prescribed antibiotics for everything, even when they thought I had a virus. Eventually the doctors said it must "be all in my head" and that I just didn't want to go to school. I was almost committed to a psychiatric hospital over it. I finally got a doctor to give me a chance, got a cat scan and sure enough I had a sinus infection for 8 years, my skull had been cracked from the inside out, my sinuses had collapsed my skull was being eaten away. A few more years I would have died when my skull would have failed and the pressurized infectious material entered my brain. I was one of the first people diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue and Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome. Now I avoid doctors if at all possible, and I feel I am healthier for it. Ok, so I may be a little bitter.
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Maggarg - Eater of chicke

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #38 on: November 11, 2009, 03:22:07 pm »

The doctors are nice to me ;_;
I guess it's because I don't cause any trouble because I don't get ill.
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sir labreck

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #39 on: November 11, 2009, 06:37:43 pm »

Ahem, I don't say anything on the debate on the salt water. But:

The only thing that work for real;
-Drink a lot's of water, something people forget, that is your body will evacuate the surplus, if you have a problem and drinking water kill you, you was to die... That help the body get rid of trash, like dead cell, and everything else.
-Sleep a lot's, your body is actually fighting invader, don't run a marathon ^^
-Have a healthy diet. If you only take chicken soup and it help you, think about changing some stuff in your life ^^

But the better way to heal a cold is not getting a cold  :D In my life, I don't think I ever get a flu after my 5th year. Just some colds, 2 or 3 by year. When I know I'll be sick (more tired than normal, headache, etc.) I drink a good amount of green tea, get lot's of sleep :p Two day later I am in a really good shape.


For the last thing, all "suppose" medecine:

"I swear I have a cured for the cold, it heal you in only SEVEN day!" (Stargate Atlantis)

You know what I mean :) If you really get a cold, it'll take 7 day before you get rid of it, no way what you are doing. That can be more, if you try hard to keep it  ::)
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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #40 on: November 12, 2009, 01:15:23 pm »

Something really good for a sore throat is pineapple juice. It's really soothing, unlike the harsh orange juice. I might just be weird though.
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Cthulhu

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #41 on: November 12, 2009, 02:33:53 pm »

Fresh pineapples make your mouth bleed.  It doesn't work with processed pineapple like in juice, but it's still a weird thing.
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Nadaka

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #42 on: November 12, 2009, 03:51:19 pm »

Fresh pineapples make your mouth bleed.  It doesn't work with processed pineapple like in juice, but it's still a weird thing.

You should probably try eating the inside of the pineapple. That bunch of razor sharp leaves and woody spiked skin can't be easy to chew.
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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #43 on: November 12, 2009, 04:16:02 pm »

Nadaka;

Are you cured now? God that seems rough  :-\ Sometimes you wonder how these people even got their job  >:(
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Cthulhu

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Re: Does drinking Lightly Salted water help fight Colds?
« Reply #44 on: November 12, 2009, 04:34:10 pm »

Fresh pineapples make your mouth bleed.  It doesn't work with processed pineapple like in juice, but it's still a weird thing.

You should probably try eating the inside of the pineapple. That bunch of razor sharp leaves and woody spiked skin can't be easy to chew.

The inside is what makes it bleed, there's an enzyme that breaks down gum tissue.  Processing it destroys it though, so it only works on fresh pineapple.
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