Winter starts and you see everyone with cold and flu. Being a viral disease, it spreads around quite easily and very quickly. The viruses which are attached with the mucus irritate the normal cells. Symptoms like sneezing, coughing, sore throat and fatigue are seen when your body tries to fight back with the viral cells. Number #3 below is one of the best cold remedy.
Suffering cold and going through its symptoms is really very tough. No doubt, we have the remedies not actually for cure but to make your cold go away faster and make yourself feel a lot better. So, what would be the best cold remedy? With few very effective remedies for cold, several other remedies are helpful to delay your cold and flu.
Contents
Best Cold Remedies That Works
1. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is very helpful to loosen the congestion and not remain dehydrated. Provide extra fluids to the body by drinking enough fluids like water, juices and lemon water. Avoid alcohol, coffee, caffeinated tea leaves, soda and even chocolates to avoid dehydration. Drink as much hot liquid like chicken soup, hot water, hot lemon, hot herbal teas to help your cold go away faster. Licorice root tea seems very effective as for hot liquids.
2. Inhale steam
Inhaling steam and breathing in hot and moist air helps to loosen your congestion and give you relief. You can add some beneficial oils like eucalyptus and peppermint. (Not recommended for those who are allergic to these oils.) You can also use humidifier to add moisture to the air to loosen your mucus. Or what you can do is take a hot shower and stay in for some time to breathe in the steam.
3. Get a cup of hot ginger tea
A hot cup of ginger tea proves to be a magic potion for cold. Tea itself is good for cold as it provides extra fluids to the body. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties which reduces irritation and inflammation in the throat. So, ginger tea can be a helpful remedy for your cold. You can also add lemon for more effectiveness. But do not make a caffeinated tea. And yes, sip it hot!
4. Onion and honey
Onion has anti-bacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties that reduces the irritation in the throat and makes your cold go away faster. Honey coats the irritating tissues in the throat and soothes the throat. Soaking some crushed pieces of onion in honey and leaving it for 3-4 hours can make an excellent cough syrup and can be the best cold remedy. Sip a spoon once in an hour to get relief. It can help cold with cough, congestion and sore throat.
5. Soothe your cold with heat
Heat can really help to loosen up mucus in your chest and throat and to loosen the congestion in your chest. So grab a hot water bottle or a hot bag with some hot water in it and simply put it on your back or on your chest. Don’t let the water be too hot or you will end up with burn.
6. Let it out
Do not let the mucus or drainage remain inside. Throw it out. But the crucial part is -do it gently. If you feel like the mucus and phlegm is not coming out, let it be. Don’t go too hard in it. Blowing your nose is also an effective method to throw the mucus and phlegm out. Press one side of your nostril with your finger and blow out from the other one gently. Do not blow hard, or the phlegm may enter in your ear passage resulting in earache.
7. Gargle with salt and water
To get rid of a cold, you also need to soothe a sore throat. Gargling is the best method to soothe your sore throat. So mix half teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and gargle with it. It will help your sore throat and relieve you from irritation in your throat. You can also suck on lozenges to soothe a sore throat.
8. Get rest
To heal completely, resting is the best cold remedy. Perform light exercises or household works but do not perform hard jobs. Get a bed rest. It gives your body some time to heal and recover. Save your energy for the body to build up your immune system and fight against the bacteria and viruses.
