Home Remedies For Colds

Home Remedies for Treating a Cold

You know the feeling.  You get a stuffy nose, sore throat, maybe even a headache or earache.  You’ve caught a cold.  You know that for the next week or so, your head will be congested, sinuses will ache, and you will be coughing and sneezing constantly.  You actually have caught a virus.  The cold is a virus called Rhinovirus and it is easily transferred from person to person.   Unfortunately, there is no cure for the common cold.    The best you can do is to treat the symptoms.  The most common symptoms are a runny nose, sore throat, a cough, and a headache.  Below are some tips for treating these symptoms with things you probably already have at home.

Blow Your Nose

Your first instinct may be to sniffle, but that will only keep the mucus in your body.  Instead, blow your nose often, but make sure to do it the correct way.  Put one finger against one nostril and press while you gently blow out through the other nostril.  Make sure you do it gently.  If you blow your nose too hard, you can cause an earache.   Make sure to wash your hands immediately after you blow your nose.

Get Some Rest

Resting helps the body, in particular the immune system, regain strength.  This is especially important when you have a cold since the body is using a lot of energy to battle the cold virus.

Gargle

A teaspoon of salt in warm water can help soothe a sore throat.  This can be done four times a day to get relief. .  A thick gargle will soothe throat as well.  Honey added to a mixture of lemon juice and hot water is a popular remedy.  Just make sure you don’t give honey to a child younger than 1 year old.  If your throat has a constant tickle, you can gargle with a liquid that contains tannins, such as tea. 

Take a Shower

A hot steamy shower can help ease the cold symptoms in a few ways.  For one, it can moisturize you nasal passages and help relieve congestion.  Also, a shower can help you relax and promote helpful rest.

Use a Salve

Products such as menthol or eucalyptus can be used a salve to be rubbed under your nose.  Inhaling the vapors from this will help open up nasal passages.  This will relive the sinus congestion and help alleviate headaches.  An added benefit is that the salve will have some numbing properties.  This might give your nose a little relief from being rubbed raw.

Drink Up

Colds can cause dehydration, which in turn can cause headaches and contribute to fatigue.  Drinking liquids, especially hot liquids can help soothe a sore throat, alleviate some congestion in your sinuses and keep you from getting dehydrated.

We all know how miserable a cold can be.  Currently, there are no cures for the common cold, so the best you can do is treat the symptoms associated with it.  If a cold lasts more than 7 days, it’s a good idea to see your physician and rule out any underlying issues.