A cold is no laughing matter. It’s an infection of the upper respiratory tract, often caused by viruses, that leaves you feeling stuffy, sneezy and nauseous. And it can be downright miserable. As anyone who has had one will tell you, the standard symptoms are almost unbearable: runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat and headache are just some of the common signs.
However painful a cold may be, there are ways to make it easier to cope with. These home remedies for a cold can help make you feel better faster and get back to your normal life sooner.
Table of Contents
Stay hydrated
When you’re feeling unwell, it’s easy to forget to hydrate, especially if you’re suffering headaches or a sore throat, which can make drinking anything painful. But staying hydrated is essential when you’re ill, not just because it can help with any headaches or a sore throat, but it can also make your immune system function more efficiently, which will help to fight the cold more quickly.
There are also other benefits to staying hydrated, such as having clearer skin, improved energy levels and better digestion. This is because the body needs water to flush out toxins, flush out waste and keep the cell walls healthy. When you’re unwell, your body loses more water as you run a fever and your immune system is working overtime to fight infections, so you need to drink more water.
Moisten
Sneezing or coughing a lot when you’re sick can lead to the tissues in your nose drying out and becoming very irritated – which will make you even more miserable. As a result, it’s easy to end up with a blocked nose. A blocked nose can make it difficult to breathe, as well as make it harder to sleep as you’ll likely have trouble breathing through your nose.
This can affect your productivity as you’ll likely feel unwell and tired as well. One effective way to combat a blocked nose is to moisten it using a saline solution spray. A saline solution spray can help to loosen up any mucus in your nose, making it easier to remove. Using a saline solution spray can help to hydrate as well as sooth irritated nasal passages.
Gargling with salt water
While you’re sick, your immune system is weakened, which means you’re more susceptible to infection, such as an infection of the throat. If the infection affects just the tonsils, it will likely go away on its own. But if it moves down into the vocal cords, it can become a serious problem and lead to hoarseness and difficulty speaking.
A sore throat is a common symptom of a cold, so it’s important to take care of it as soon as possible as it can last up to two weeks. While symptoms may be unavoidable when you’re sick, there are ways you can help to reduce the severity of a sore throat. One effective way is to gargle with salt water. Salt water is effective at killing the germs that are causing your throat to become sore.
Rest and relaxation
While you may want to stay in bed, trying to push through a cold, especially if you have a busy life and deadlines to meet, can make you feel even unwell. You’ll likely just end up feeling more exhausted and frustrated in the long run. Rest and relaxation are the best ways to combat a cold as they help your body to fight the infection naturally.
You can use your downtime to focus on self-care. Use soothing essential oils, drink plenty of fluids, take a hot bath and more. You can also make any rest more productive by staying connected to others while you’re sick. This can help to take your mind off your symptoms, while also building in some rest to your day as well.
Vitamin C remedy
Vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system, which means it’s a good idea to increase your intake when you’re feeling unwell. There are many ways to increase your intake of vitamin C, including eating more oranges or other vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, such as peppers and kiwis. Vitamin C is also found in drinks such as orange juice, tea and coffee. While an orange is high in vitamin C, it only contains around a third of the daily recommended intake.
So when you’re sick, you should try to increase your intake even more to help boost your immune system. One way to do this is to make a vitamin C drink. You can do this by dissolving vitamin C tablets in water, or you can use fresh fruit, such as oranges.
Nasal irrigation: a neti pot of plain old water
One way that can help you to relieve the symptoms of a blocked nose and sore throat is nasal irrigation. This is when you use a neti pot of plain old water to flush out your nose and sinuses. You can do this every day when you’re sick as it’s one of the best ways to open up your nasal passages, relieve the symptoms of a blocked nose and reduce the risk of infections. If you have a cold, your mucus is thicker and contains more bacteria. If it doesn’t drain properly, it can build up, causing a blocked nose. If your body can’t remove the mucus from your nose, it can go into your lungs, causing an infection. A daily nasal irrigation can help you to avoid this and make you feel better much quicker.
Dark room and plenty of rest
When you’re not feeling well, it can be easy to let your mood be affected. When you’re sick, it’s important to maintain a positive outlook. If you allow yourself to feel unwell, you’ll only end up making it worse. You can help yourself to feel better more quickly by trying to get plenty of rest and relaxation while you’re sick.
Also, try to stay in a dark room to reduce your stress levels, as this can make you feel even more unwell. And try to keep your thoughts positive by focusing on getting better, rather than being frustrated that you’re not feeling well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when you’re ill, it’s important to remember that there are ways to make it easier to cope with. These home remedies for a cold can help make you feel better faster and get back to your normal life sooner. Stay hydrated, moisten your nose, rest and relaxation, and use nasal irrigation, to name a few. But remember, it’s important to stay hydrated when you’re sick, as dehydration can make you feel even more unwell.
