Cold Solutions: Warm Compress & Steam Shower

Right now I have a summer cold. I hate colds, but summer colds always seem the worst. So I have a ton of pressure in my head and my chest is rattling.   I have 2 quick little tips: Homemade Warm Compress and Steam Shower Tip

Warm Compress
This first one can be done one of 2 ways...
1) I put water in a dish - a inch or 2, sometimes I add a couple drops of peppermint oil if I am needing to open up my nasal passages and clear my chest, add a hand towel and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.  (I microwave it until it is hot enough to handle with my hands as I will need to wring it out.)  Take and wring out and stick in ziplock and stick that in a pillow case.  Or if cool enough to handle then just use straight ziplock on face across nasal passages.

2) Wet a hand towel, add a few drops of peppermint oil if needing to open up nasal passages and clear chest congestion,  place hand towel into ziplock (do not zip it closed), place in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 min.  Again enough so that isn't too hot to handle.  If it is then use tongs, to take out of microwave and place in pillowcase and allow to cool slightly before laying it across your nasal passages.

DO NOT put anything too hot to handle on your body.  DO NOT keep in one position if it seems to be burning.  If just needing relief from pressure, you don't need to add the peppermint oil. Just the warm compress alone will help give some temporary relief.

Steam Shower Tip
Just add a one or two drops of peppermint oil to your shower. I just sprinkle it in one corner of the shower - where the hot water can hit.  I then turn on the water hot enough for me to be a comfortable temp shower.  Breath in.