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Though there is no cure for a common cold, there are plenty of things you can do to ease the symptoms and speed your recovery. Read on to find ways to boost your natural defense system and quickly return to normal.

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EditSteps

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    Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Both can aggravate your symptoms. Instead, drink lots of water, juice, and warm lemon water to replace fluids lost through mucus and fever.[1]
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    Increase the humidity. Moist air helps ease congestion and coughing, so if you have a humidifier or vaporizer, clean (to prevent bacterial and mold growth) and use it.[1] If you don’t, take a steamy bath or shower.
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    Gargle with salt water. Salt draws excess fluid from inflamed throat tissues, making them less painful.[2] Dissolve 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (1.2 milliliters to 2.5 milliliters) of salt in an 8-ounce (237 milliliters) glass of warm water and gargle to temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat.[1]
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    Use saline nasal drops. Over-the-counter drops are safe and nonirritating, even for children, and, as with gargling salt water, can reduce inflammation to relieve congestion.[1]
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    Eat raw honey. Honey is a natural cough suppressant that has been shown to be as effective as the over-the-counter cough suppressant Dextromethorphan.[3] Eat it by the spoonful or mix it into a cup of herbal tea. Never give honey to children younger than one year of age, which can put them at risk for infant botulism.[3]
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    Take vitamins and minerals. These boost your immune system by assisting your body’s ability to fight infection.[4] Vitamin C is particularly effective for this purpose; taking it at the onset of a cold has been shown to speed up recovery time.[5] Zinc has also been shown to be beneficial in fighting colds; however, avoid zinc nasal sprays, which can inhibit your sense of smell – possibly permanently. [5]
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    Take echinacea. Though results have been mixed, some studies show that echinacea holds promise in fighting upper-respiratory infections, particularly when taken during the early stages of a cold.[5][6] Though echinacea doesn’t usually cause side effects, people who are allergic to plants in the daisy family (ex. ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, daisy) or have asthma or atopy are more likely to be allergic to echinacea.[6]
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    Eat chicken soup. This classic home remedy has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and to speed up the movement of nasal mucus, relieving congestion and limiting your nasal lining’s exposure to the cold virus.[1]
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    Consider taking a pain reliever. Pain relievers like Tylenol that contain acetaminophen can help reduce headache, sore throat, and fever but can also cause liver damage, especially if taken frequently or in larger-than-recommended doses. Don’t give aspirin to children, as this has been associated with Reyes syndrome. Don’t give acetaminophen to children under three years of age. [7]
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    Be wary of nasal decongestant sprays. Adults who use these for more than a few days can end up with chronic rebound inflammation of the mucous membranes – and children shouldn’t use them at all.[7]
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    Be wary of cough syrup. Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines don’t treat the underlying causes of cold and won’t make it go away any faster. Moreover, the active ingredient in cough medicine can double-up with the active ingredient in other medications (ex. antihistamines, decongestants, pain relievers) to cause accidental overdose. As of 2008, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association recommends that you don’t give cough medicine to children under four years of age.[7]
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    Don’t take antibiotics. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections (ex. bladder, sinus, and some ear infections, strep throat), not viral infections (ex. colds, bronchitis, flu). The inappropriate use of antibiotics has created many drug-resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA, so do your part to reduce their overuse.[8]
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    Sleep well. Getting too little sleep increases the time you need to recover from illness. This is because sleeping bodies produce cytokines (which fight infection, inflammation, and stress) and other infection-fighting cells.[9] If you’re having trouble, read How to Sleep Better for tips.
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    Reduce your stress levels. Stress promotes illness by reducing your levels of immunity-boosting gamma interferon and infection-fighting T-cells.[10] Read How to Deal With Stress for more advice.
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EditSources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.01.11.21.31.4MayoClinic.com on home remedies for the common cold
  2. ↑ NYTimes.com on gargling with salt water for a cold
  3. ↑ 3.03.1MayoClinic.com on honey as a cough suppressant
  4. ↑ ClevelandClinic.org on diet, stress, exercise, and the immune system
  5. ↑ 5.05.15.2MayoClinic.com on alternative medicine for the common cold
  6. ↑ 6.06.1NCCAM.NIG.gov on echinacea
  7. ↑ 7.07.17.2MayoClinic.com on treatments and drugs for the common cold
  8. ↑ MayoClinic.com on antibiotics
  9. ↑ MayoClinic.com on sleep deprivation
  10. ↑ APA.org on stress and immunity

Article Info

Categories: Colds and Viruses | Conditions and Treatments

Recent edits by: Gloster flyer, Adelaide, Daniel Bauwens

In other languages:

Français: Comment se débarrasser d’un rhume banal, Italiano: Come Guarire da un Comune Raffreddore, Deutsch: Wie man eine Erkältung auskuriert, Português: Como Curar um Resfriado Comum, Español: Cómo reponerte de un resfriado común, Nederlands: Van een verkoudheid afkomen, 中文: 克服普通感冒, Русский: ускорить выздоровление при простуде

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