Home Remedies For The Common Cold

Having a cold can literally stop you from doing every day task. Here are a few home remedies that will help you get rid of this illness and on to your day-to-day life.

As we trudge through winter, it is very likely that at some point you will catch a cold. Colds can stop you in your tracks and make even the simplest daily task nearly impossible. So what can you do if a cold hits and you can’t get any medication right away? Use a home remedy to help combat the symptoms and get you on the road to recovery.

Common Symptoms

After only a few short days of coming into contact with the virus, you will start to show symptoms. While symptoms will vary from person to person there are many that are quite common. These symptoms include but are not limited to:

·        Nose that is stuffy or overly runny

·         Eyes that won’t stop watering

·         Lots of sneezing

·         Hoarse, scratchy sore throat

·         Dry coughing

·         Coughing with mucus or phlegm

·         Fever that is a low grade

·         Headaches

·         Achy body

·         Sleepy or tiredness

·         Chills

Home Remedies You Can Use

Drink Plenty Of Liquids And Water – During an illness, you don’t want to let your body dehydrate since that will only lead to more complications. Make sure to drink at least 6 glasses of water daily as well as other liquids such as orange juice or chick broth.

Steam Is Your Friend – If your chest or nose is stuffed up filled with phlegm or mucus try sitting in a closed bathroom with the shower running on hot to create steam. You may also want to sit in a warm shower to not only create the steam you need but to also allow the water to beat on your chest. This will help you to be able to breathe better.

Stay Warm – Even if you have a fever you don’t want to expose your body to cold temperatures. Keep yourself warm during this time by wearing several layers or by staying under the covers.

Get Some Rest – When the body needs rest it can be more susceptible to viruses, which is likely one reason you got sick in the first place. Don’t push yourself to do your daily activities, stay in bed and get the rest your body needs in order to help it recover.

Gargle – By gargling with salt water or garlic water you can help add moisture to your throat which will help relieve the scratchiness and “rawness” that you feel. It will also help to keep you from coughing as well as kill some of the bacteria living there which could be causing you to feel even worse.

If your illness last more than a few days or gets worse, contact your physician and make an appointment to see them.