A Filipino Mom’s Guide to Getting Through Cold and Flu Season

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“Tubig?” she says.

Sometimes when she asks me if I want tubig or water, I will say no. Then she proceeds to get mad at me and say, “You need water, I’ll get you water” with her heavy Filipino accent. I have learned over the years that there is no point to say no sometimes, especially when I am sick.

With the upcoming flu and cold season (accompanied by other respiratory viruses like COVID and RSV), it is important to drink plenty of fluids and rest. Now if you are interested in exploring other things you can do from home, check out the advice of what many Filipino mom’s, like mine, suggest.

NOTE: The below is not a substitution for seeking medical attention. So do seek medical attention for any emergencies or health concerns.

Drink lots of fluids. Usually a hot water or a hot tea of some sort is what is recommended, to keep yourself hydrated. For sore throats, a little bit of honey and lemon in hot water goes a long way. Otherwise, if you are experiencing a fever, room temperature water or cool water is the way to go.

Place a cool towel on the forehead. This is commonly when the person is laying down. If they have a fever or are complaining of feeling hot, put a cool towel on their forehead. When the towel has reached room temperature, refresh it with cool water and re-apply.

Rub VICKS VapoRub on. Even though there are clear directions of where they should be applied, she said put it everywhere. But for safety reasons, apply only where appropriate like the neck, chest and back.

Take a shower. If you are not feeling well, take a shower. If you are tired, take a shower then rest. If you are sweaty, take a shower. If you have a runny nose or any other respiratory symptom, take a shower. The gist is… take a shower.

Put your head over a bowl of boiling water and create a seal around you and the bowl with a towel. It works similar to what a sauna would feel like. However, the steam created will affect mainly what is covered which will be your head, neck, shoulders and upper chest. It may help with congestion and feelings of stuffiness.

Apply a plastic bag to your back and apply oil on your back so that it stays in place. This is commonly done at night. So when you go to sleep, wear something you are okay with getting a little bit oily. This is usually done for coughs. If the plastic is not on your body in the morning, this is okay.

Put cotton balls in your armpits with rubbing alcohol. This one… I’m not so sure about where this came from… but she said, do this for when there is a fever…and you are going to sleep.

If there is anything that I missed (which I bet is a lot), do let me know.