How to get over a cold in Japan

    Cold and flu season fast approaches and while that might not be a source of worry for those with over-the-counter options from back home, the rest of us have to make due with what is available. Here are some tips to help you get over a cold in Japan.

The masks

    The masks are great, right? It's a well-known Japanese habit: the use of the facial mask any time one has to be around the germs of sick people or is a sick person themselves. It can keep others' germs from infecting you, keep your germs from getting on others, and generally warn those near you that you are sick or trying not to get sick.
    There is a right way to wear them-- with the metal strip at the top (to hold shape over your nose) and with the pleats opening downward, so as not to trap airborne germs in envelope-style open pleats.

    If you're a regular four-eyes like me, you'll notice an immediate source of frustration with the masks. Your glasses fog up immediately and stay that way as your hot breath is pushed up onto the front of your lenses. The result for the wearer is to either blindness for lack of lenses or blindness for the white fog upon them. Solution? Place the nose-pieces of your glasses on top of the edge of the mask, overlapping just a bit. It's that or put in contacts should you have some available.

    My husband says it looks goofy. I say it looks better than giant white clouds of mist. We both could be right.

Cool Down
    I was always taught that the only way through a cold was by heating yourself up and sweating it out. As it turns out, Japan has a different idea when it comes to how to treat a fever. Instead of getting the patient hotter, they go the opposite direction and cool the patient off until the immune system can do its job. At first, I thought this was nuts and made me feel even more sick than I was, but then I did some research. It turns out that the science on the sweat-it-out method is in and it's not good. The body will fight the things attacking you in heat or cold, so most sources seem to agree that whatever makes you comfortable is the right answer for you.

    Want to try the Japanese way? First, disposable ice-pads for the forehead (and/or back of the neck) these things last for up to 8-10 hours of cool relief. Ice pillows (massive ice-packs you can use as a pillow) are also available and can be nice as well.

Medication    
    You might notice that the over-the-counter section of the pharmacy looks a bit different than those back home. The best part of Japanese OTC meds is the pictures on the box. At least, that's how I pick my medication when I am sick unless I've had a chance to go to the hospital. 

    Can you read the kanji on that box? Don't worry. I can't either. But my symptoms match the pictures, so this one is a good bet.     

    Most Japanese folks who have the time usually prefer going for the doctor's prescription as that usually has more affordable options suited specifically for that patient. If you have the time and fluency, it's a pretty good choice most of the time.

My daughter's morning dose of medicines for her current cold. Best part? All free, and after a few days, she's all better.