A common cold is something that you can get at any time. Depending on how strong your immune system is, you may get them several times in a year. They can cause several disruptions in your daily life as many symptoms accompany them. However, the good news is that if well treated, it should go away in good time. You may be reading this because you presently have a cold that you want to treat or perhaps someone close to you has one. If you need some tips regarding how to get rid of it naturally, you’re going to find a few in the below article.
Be Sure You’re Treating a Cold
Before using any natural remedies, it’s important that you’re sure you have a cold. This is because if it’s not, you could be using the wrong course of treatment for your illness and end up making your predicament worse. To avoid this, you should first be sure that you know the difference between viral and bacterial infection. While viral infections can be treated with natural remedies, bacterial infections need to be treated with antibiotics. Once you’re sure you have a common cold, you can apply some of the tips below to treating it.
Use an Air Humidifier
To begin with, air humidifiers can be an effective natural remedy for a common cold. In case you don’t know what that it is, it’s a device that adds moisture to the air to prevent dryness that could cause possible irritation. In terms of how this should help you recover from a cold, it could potentially help keep nasal and throat passages moist, thus relieving some of your discomforts.
Drink Enough Fluids
If you happen to be struggling with a runny and stuffy nose, it can be quite uncomfortable. However, by ensuring you drink enough fluids whether it be orange juice or water, you could help moisturize the lining of both your nose and throat, thus making mucus a lot easier to clear. However, don’t forget to avoid both caffeinated drinks as well as alcoholic ones as they can cause dehydration.
Try Warm Salt Water
Another remedy for a stuffy nose is warm salt water. This is because it can help to break any nasal congestion you’re experiencing while simultaneously removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. Regarding how you do it, all you’ll need is ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and 8 oz of warm water. You can then use a bulb syringe to squirt water into your nose, and you can repeat this two or three times.
Take Vitamin C
It’s possible that you’ve heard it before, but vitamins can do wonders for your health, especially when you have a cold. In light of this, try and get a good dose of vitamin C in your diet while you’re sick. Citrus, green peppers, dark leafy greens, and kiwi are great sources of vitamin C. A number of studies show that it can help reduce both the duration and severity of a common cold, so you should definitely see if it could work for you. If you aren’t able to put it in your food, you could always get a supplement instead.
Apply a Hot or Cold Pack Around Congested Sinuses
It can be difficult to cope when you have a cold and all of your sinuses are congested. To help relieve you of this, you can apply a hot or cold pack around your congested sinuses. You’ve got the option of buying hot or cold reusable packs from a drugstore or making your own. If you choose the latter, heat a damp washcloth in the microwave or use a small bag of frozen peas as a cold pack.
Make a Hot Toddy
If you have been around anyone with a cold, it’s likely that you’ve seen them drinking hot liquids. This is because they can help in terms of bringing you some relief for symptoms such as a sore throat or a runny nose. In this case, you should try a hot toddy which consists of herbal tea, honey, and a small shot. When you consume hot drinks, as mentioned above, it helps you stay hydrated, relieves nasal congestion and soothes inflamed membranes around the nose and throat.
In this day and age of people being health conscious, many are looking for natural ways to heal illnesses. When it comes to treating a common cold, the good news is that there are several inexpensive and easy ways that you can do so. On that note, hopefully, this article will come in handy next time you’re treating a cold.
