Battling crusader crud? Here are some natural and over the counter medications to boost your armor
Savannah Williamson, Staff Writer
Winter is coming, and with it comes running noses, headaches and aches and pains. Fear not Crusaders, here are some options to make you feel battle ready and confident you can fight off that crusader crud.
You wake up with a runny nose and it feels like your sinuses have endured an overnight battle. What can you do? An effective over the counter option would be a medicated saline spray, such as Arm and Hammer Saline spray or Vicks Saline spray. The effects of the spray is instantaneous, and the prices run from $4 to $12 a bottle, depending on the brand.
A more natural remedy would be a diffuser or humidifier that uses essential oils. This method takes longer than a medicated spray, and wears off much sooner than the spray. Not to mention, this can get pricey. A diffuser or humidifier, with the essential oils included, can run from $30 to well over $100.
It’s the morning and you open your eyes and smile as you get ready to take on the day, but out of nowhere, you develop a headache. An effective over the counter option could be something as simple as Excedrin or Advil. The effects of these medications can take up to thirty minutes to work, and you can’t exceed more than six pills in a 24 hour period. The prices run $10 to $20 per container.
The more natural alternative is once again essential oils, more specifically roll on peppermint and lavender oil. If you want more long term effects, use willow bark. Peppermint and lavender oil take up to an hour to work, and last from an hour to three hours. Willow bark however, can take up to three to fully get in the body system, but it can have pain reducing effects that last for days. The prices for the roll on essential oils can run from $10 to $13, while the willow bark runs around $12 a bottle.
After a restful night of sleep, you wake up sore, stiff and achy. There are plenty of over the counter options for your aches and pains. Such as Ibuprofen, Advil, Icyhot and medicated heating patches. They all take different times to work. The Ibuprofen and Advil takes up to 30 minutes, and the Icyhot and medicated heating patches work as fast as five minutes. For Ibuprofen and Advil, the prices run from $12 to $22 a bottle. Icyhot and the medicated heating patches run from $6 to $12.
More natural alternatives to ache and pain relief are arnica, valerian, frankincense and myrrh. They all work around 15 to 30 minutes after usage and their price range is from $12 to $22 dollars.
