Can I wash and massage my feet when I have a cold?

As the seasons change, more and more people will catch colds. After catching a cold, everyone must take cold medicine to recover as soon as possible, because if it develops into a severe cold, the treatment time will be relatively long. And the severity of a cold is related to a person's daily rest and living conditions. Foot washing and massage helps the body's blood circulation. But can you still wash your feet and massage after catching a cold?

You can wash your feet and massage them after you catch a cold. Because there are many meridians and acupoints in the feet, massaging your feet will be very helpful in treating your cold, so you don’t need to worry too much about this issue. Drinking plenty of water can help you recover from a cold as quickly as possible. You can also take cold medicine and anti-inflammatory drugs orally.

How to soak your feet when you often catch colds

1Isn't there a saying that goes: "Washing feet in spring can open up the sun and strengthen the body; washing feet in summer can remove heatstroke; washing feet in autumn can moisten the lungs and intestines; washing feet in winter can relieve dampness and burning in the pubic region."

2 Soak your feet in hot water. Soak your feet in hot water (until the temperature is unbearable) for 15 minutes every night. During the soaking process, you should constantly add hot water to cover the feet. Your feet should turn red after soaking to prevent colds.

3. And if you can constantly massage the Yongquan point and press the Taichong point on the dorsum of the foot behind and outside the big toe while soaking your feet, it can also help lower blood pressure. At the same time, you can also add appropriate Chinese medicine to the hot water. Soaking your feet in Chinese medicine can prevent and treat various diseases.

4 At the same time, you can also add an appropriate amount of salt to the hot water. Soaking your feet in hot salt water can not only drive away colds, but also promote blood circulation, speed up metabolism, and reduce or improve edema.

5 But you should also pay attention when soaking your feet: First of all, you should pay attention to the time not being too long, at most half an hour, otherwise the local blood circulation of the feet will be too fast for a long time, which will cause relative ischemia in other parts of the body.

6 Secondly, if you can add Chinese medicine to the hot water while soaking your feet, it will have a certain health-care effect for some elderly patients with chronic diseases. For those with qi deficiency, you can choose qi-invigorating medicines such as Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, and Atractylodes macrocephala. Patients with hypertension should soak their feet in a decoction of chrysanthemum, wolfberry, mulberry leaves, salvia miltiorrhiza and a little borneol. If you need to promote blood circulation and nourish the kidneys, you can choose angelica, red peony root, safflower, and Chuanduan, etc. If your skin is dry and easily cracked, you can choose Chinese medicine such as cinnamon twig, honeysuckle, and safflower. Take 15 to 20 grams of each of the above-mentioned Chinese medicines, boil them in a casserole, then remove the residue and pour the decocted medicine into a bucket, then add hot water and soak for 30 minutes every day.

7 It is also best to use a deeper wooden barrel with a larger bottom area so that your feet can be placed comfortably and flat, and the water should soak all the way to your calves.

8. Finally, the suitable water temperature is about 40 degrees Celsius. Soaking feet in hot water can also help reduce fever for headaches caused by colds and fevers.