A cold is one of the most miserable illnesses that can plague you. It slows you down and bothers you with a runny nose and the constant irritation of a sore throat, pun intended.
Colds are the worst.
Usually, when the cold season comes and we end up victims of this seasonal menace, we turn to Nyquil, which has faithfully helped us alleviate the symptoms of this disease for years.
However, doctors have come up with a more interesting alternative suggestion, and it should get many booze lovers giggling with delight.
The next time you get a cold, why not sip on a glass of whiskey instead? This is actually serious.
According to doctors, drinking whiskey while suffering from a cold can help ease many of its symptoms.
I'm sure this is incredible news for lovers of this adult beverage. But here's everything you need to know about this interesting version of cold medicine.
1. How It Works
When you take whiskey, it causes the blood vessels to dilate more. This, according to Dr. William Schaffner, makes it much easier for your mucus membranes to handle the cold virus infection. That is why whiskey can cause a reduction in the symptoms of a cold.
2. Getting A Little High Adds To The Benefits
Clearly, you should not drink until you are wasted to enjoy the health benefits whiskey can give you regarding a cold.
Getting too drunk will actually have a worse impact on your infection since alcohol is a diuretic that reduces the amounts of fluids in your body. Just to be clear, you need more liquids than ever when suffering from a cold.
That said, if you can get a bit tipsy from your whiskey-based cold medicine, it would improve your odds of alleviating the symptoms of this illness further. In any case, cold infections come during the cold season, and whiskey warms up your body, and that's always a good thing when dealing with this infection.
Also, if you are a whiskey lover, catching a bit of buzz from this drink will obviously be a nice bonus for you, helping you pass the miserable days in a more exciting manner.
3. You Can Make A Hot Toddy
For the best outcome, the drink should consist of whiskey, lemon, honey, hot water, and even juice. This is a classic recipe, actually, and the concoction should help get rid of nasal congestion, especially because it consists of hot water, which provides the steam necessary to clear the congestion. That is obviously always a good thing.
4. Take Note, The Whiskey Is Not Actually A Cure
Don't let this whiskey-based cold remedy make you think you will not need any other form of treatment to get rid of your cold. You will certainly feel better after trying this solution, but it will not make the cold go away in an instant. But if you have no other interventions, or if none of them are working out as you had hoped, the whiskey approach might help.
At the end of the day, whiskey has no impact on the virus itself. All it does is help you overcome some symptoms of this illness. As explained earlier, the whiskey causes your veins to dilate more, and that makes your body have an easier time dealing with the cold infection.
Colds suck. But this viral infection is just a burden you have to bear until it's gone. All along, we have used many popular types of cold medications to deal with the problem. But now, knowing that whiskey can also help you enjoy the benefits of reduced cold symptoms, it's time you also gave this treatment option a try.
