★★★★☆
Extremely sore throat---Drank cayenne tea (1/4 teaspoon cayenne in 8 oz. cup of hot water), sore throat was gone within the hour, but I had to drink some more cayenne tea at the end of the day and also in the morning of the second day. After that, the sore throat was gone.
Runny nose/Stuffy nose---Nasal/sinus rinse a few times a day (1/4 teaspoon sea salt dissolved in cup of warm water. My ears had started to plug, but I feel the nasal rinse kept me from getting a full-blown ear infection. If you try this nasal rinse, don't do it before going to bed, because sometimes your nose will drain a bit more a short while after doing the rinse. I would also recommend a daily or twice-daily nasal rinse as a matter of routine, just to keep the passages clear and clean.
Fever---I'm not one to get high fevers, so I didn't take anything for the fever. If it had risen above 102F I would have taken aspirin. The fever lasted about 4 days.
Very bad "wet" cough--After a few days, my lungs were congested, so I drank more cayenne tea. This loosened the congestion and I was able to cough it up. I realize that this symptom could have been very severe, but I think the pneumonia vaccine I got last month may have kept that in control.
By the third day, I also started to eat quite a bit of organic soup, to which I added lots of onion and crushed,fresh garlic. And, as always, I drank plenty of filtered water and green tea.
I missed a week of work, and after ten days from the onset of the first symptoms, the only thing I'm dealing with is a very slight, occasional cough. I didn't really regain my strength until a day or so ago, but I don't know if that's purely because of the severity of the virus or because I also have Lupus. I'm just thankful that I didn't end up in the hospital, as so many others have.
My usual diet is 80% organic and I don't have meat or chicken more than once or twice a week, and that is in small amounts. I eat lots of fruit and vegetables, as well as whole grains. Filtered water is a must, as is green tea. I've had very few bouts of illness since I changed to a healthier diet.
Cayenne
★★★★☆
I tried adding cayenne pepper to my coffee this morning- INSTANT RELIEF! It was delicious, too. Now I am sipping on noodle soup with lots of cayenne. It's very soothing. Will try other ideas thru out day. Will report again (won't be as long- lol).
