A bad cold can upset your plans, make you miserable, and keep you bedridden when you might prefer to go out. The best way to recover is to rest for a long time, boost the immune system, follow healthy habits, and relieve symptoms with herbs and medicines. Take all the time you need to take care of your body in the right way. A cold occurs when your immune system is compromised and has to fight off the ongoing viral infection before you can feel better. So, work with your body by providing it with the tools it needs to heal.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Strengthening the Immune System
Step 1. Get plenty of sleep
On average, an adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is even more important when the immune system is compromised. So make sure you get a good night's sleep: don't stay up late and rest as long as you want, whenever possible. This way, you will give your body time to heal.
Consider getting sick at work - or arriving later - so you can wake up calmly. There's no need to stay in bed all day unless you feel like it, but at least try to take it easy
Step 2. Stay hydrated
It's easy to get dehydrated when you're sick, and dry sinuses only make cold symptoms worse. Drink plenty of water, herbal tea, and eat soups to minimize irritation.
- Avoid drinking alcoholic and sugary drinks, as even low consumption can weaken the immune system. Wait to get it back until you feel better and your immune system is ready to fight again.
- Consider using a humidifier in your bedroom to avoid breathing dry air at night. You can purchase an electric humidifier at department stores and pharmacies.
Step 3. Avoid exposing yourself to germs
Your immune system is already compromised, so try to stay away from bacteria that could worsen your health. Avoid hospitals, crowded areas, and contact with other sick people. Also avoid any place where there may be a high concentration of germs. Wash your hands with antibacterial hand sanitizer several times a day.
- Consider bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you. Cleanse them whenever you come into contact with germs or sick people.
- Avoid infecting other individuals, especially children, the elderly, and anyone with a weak immune system. Cover your nose and mouth with your arm, a tissue, or a washcloth when you sneeze or cough. Wash infected pillowcases, towels, clothing, and cutlery to avoid getting infected again once you are healed.
Step 4. Avoid sugar
Consuming sugar weakens the immune system, so eating a lot of overly sweet foods can affect the body's ability to recover from cold symptoms. There is some disagreement among doctors as to whether avoiding the consumption of sugar when cold can actually heal sooner, but it is common knowledge that the immune system is better off avoiding it.
- People tend to get sick when they consume a large amount of sugar, which is when they are stressed and during the winter months. Stress weakens the immune system, so the combination can be dangerous. Consequently, it is best to avoid excessive sugar intake before dealing with these periods, so as not to aggravate the problem.
- Avoid candy, soda, and candy. Fruit juice is sweetened, but typically also has a high content of vitamin C. Therefore, just try to avoid fruit juices that contain a lot of added sugar.
- Many animals are able to turn sugar into vitamin C, unlike humans who do not have that ability. In the human body, in fact, sugar comes into conflict with vitamin C, so there is a risk that the concentration of this vitamin is lowered when the sugar intake is high.
Part 2 of 3: Over-the-counter drugs
Step 1. Use a nasal decongestant to relieve symptoms affecting the nasal passages
Nose decongestion does not reduce the duration of a cold, but it can help you tolerate the symptoms. It is a drug available in pill, chewable and liquid tablet form. Also try to consider using a steroid nasal spray. Generally, nasal clearing products are safe to use as long as you follow the dosage instructions in the package insert. You can buy them without a prescription at any pharmacy.
- The active ingredient present in most of the nasal decongestants on the market is made up of pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. They act on the blood vessels found in the nasal walls, reducing the amount of blood flowing to these areas so that the tissues inside the nose are deflated and air can pass more easily.
- In order for the body not to become addicted, do not use the nasal decongestant for more than 3 days. By becoming addicted to this drug, your nose may feel even more blocked when you stop using it. It is called the "rebound effect".
Step 2. Take a cough suppressant to relieve it
You can buy a non-prescription cough syrup, but also a sedative drop - medicated or non-medicated - at most drugstores. Some cough syrups are designed to help the human body function in everyday life, while others help you sleep when the cough doesn't stop at night.
- Dextromethorphan is the active ingredient present in most cough medicines. It is safe if taken in moderation, but do not ingest more than the recommended dose - especially if the product contains guaifenesin, which produces an expectorant effect - and avoid taking it if you are taking antidepressants.
- Consider taking cough lozenges with you during the day. The syrup lasts much longer than the tablets, but usually the latter are herbal, non-medicated and do not cause drowsiness.
Step 3. Use over-the-counter pain medications to relieve headaches, sore throats, and other pains
They don't help you get over your cold sooner, but they can make some symptoms more bearable. It is best to use them only to temporarily relieve the most severe pain. Therefore, do not take them habitually and be careful not to get addicted.
- The active ingredient in most over-the-counter pain relievers is acetaminophen or one of the many ingredients found in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). While these products are effective in relieving pain, not all people react the same way. So, if one drug doesn't affect you, you might want to try another.
- Make sure you follow the dosage indicated in the package insert. Do not exceed the recommended doses and never take painkillers for a longer period of time than recommended. Drugs that do not require a prescription to purchase can also be toxic. An overdose of acetaminophen, for example, can cause liver failure, which in turn can lead to a liver transplant, if not death.
Part 3 of 3: Home Remedies
Step 1. Try using menthol or honey to relieve cough and sore throat
If you don't want to take an over-the-counter cough suppressant or pain reliever, you can use natural compounds to achieve a similar effect.
- Consider using menthol - the active chemical in peppermint - to relieve cold symptoms affecting the throat. Have a packet of peppermint lozenges available or gargle with a peppermint mouthwash so you can take advantage of the mildly numbing effect of menthol to soothe the pain.
- Consider using honey as a cough suppressant. The researchers compared it to dextromethorphan and found it to be even more effective. This can be especially useful for treating colds in children who cannot tolerate the taste of cough suppressants sold over the counter. However, be careful to overuse it, as the sugar contained inside to quell coughs can also weaken the immune system if taken in large quantities.
Step 2. Try using menthol, eucalyptus and camphor oil to clear your nose
Place a drop of menthol ointment under your nose to open your airways and soothe the sore skin above your lips. Menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor possess mildly numbing properties that can help relieve nose irritation when rubbed repeatedly.
Step 3. Consider taking herbal supplements to boost your immune system
Strengthen the immune system with vitamins, herbs and other natural elements, such as vitamin C, zinc, garlic, ginseng, echinacea and others. Consider taking a multivitamin to provide general invigoration for the body. These supplements do not magically cure a cold, but they can strengthen the body and allow it to fight the infection more effectively.
- You can buy supplements that fortify the immune system at health food stores and pharmacies. Do some research on the effects of herbal supplements before taking them, but keep in mind that herbs and vitamins are generally less harmful than most pharmaceuticals sold without a prescription.
- Echinacea is heralded as an "immune stimulant," but its supposed ability to prevent or reduce cold severity is contested within the medical community. Laboratory tests have shown that garlic works against bacteria, viruses and fungi, although further research is still pending. A series of small studies - and ardent advocates of oriental medicine - suggest that ginseng can strongly stimulate the functions of the immune system.
Step 4. Drink warm fluids to relieve nasal congestion
They help to alleviate the obstruction of the nasal airways, prevent dehydration and calm the inflammation of the membranes that irritates the nose and throat. Any hot liquid, including tea, soup, water with lemon juice, or herbal tea, can give you relief. Make sure it's not hot, or you risk burning your throat and making it more unwell.
If you're so congested that you can't sleep at night, try an age-old remedy: hot punch. Make a cup of hot herbal tea. Add a teaspoon of honey and a small dose (about 30ml) of whiskey or bourbon. Limit yourself to just one punch, otherwise too much alcohol will inflame the nasal membranes and, as a result, could be counterproductive if you are trying to cure a cold
Step 5. Gargle with warm salt water to relieve a sore throat
Gargling, at least once every hour with 5 g of salt dissolved in 240 ml of hot water, helps to reduce swelling and ease the pain. If you produce a lot of nasal discharge - a large amount of mucus running down the back of the nose and into the pharynx - gargle often to prevent throat inflammation from getting worse.
- Consider gargling with apple cider vinegar. A high level of acidity can kill bacteria in the throat. Additionally, apple cider vinegar helps strengthen the immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells, and has a natural expectorant action that kills bacteria and dissolves phlegm.
- Consider gargling with an antibacterial mouthwash. It doesn't necessarily alleviate symptoms, but it kills some of the bacteria inside the throat to slow down their proliferation.
Step 6. Apply warm compresses to the face to decongest the nose
You can buy a reusable hot pack at the pharmacy or prepare it at home. Take a damp cloth and heat it for 30 seconds in a microwave. You can also put it under hot tap water (or pour hot or boiling water) until it is completely soaked. Make sure it doesn't burn before applying it to your face.
Step 7. Blow your nose frequently to relieve congestion
Blow it gently so you don't irritate your sinuses or inner ear. In fact, if you push the air too hard, you could get nosebleeds and ear infections. Try keeping one nostril closed, blowing the other and vice versa.
- Blow your nose using your hands when taking a hot shower and let the water wash away the mucus. This is a great way to completely clear your nose, even if only temporarily.
- Consider using a roll of toilet paper as a less expensive alternative to handkerchiefs. Keep it handy in case you need to clean your nose, blow it, or sneeze.
Step 8. Keep your head elevated to keep your nose from getting stuffy while you sleep
Lay the garment on an extra pillow or two. Make sure they are clean. Your nasal airways may become blocked during the night as secretions flow to the back of your throat, especially if you usually sleep on your back. Consider lying on your side or on your stomach to keep your throat and nose clear.
Advice
- If you blow your nose violently, it may bleed or there is a risk of ear infections. Therefore, do this gently and use good quality tissues to avoid irritation.
- Remember to use a hand sanitizer (or wash your hands the old fashioned way) several times a day to avoid reinfecting yourself or spreading the virus to other people when you are cold.
- Rest abundantly. If you are tired, sleep. Don't surf the Internet until the wee hours of the morning.
