Common Cold Cures

We never know when it's going to strike. Somehow, no matter how much Vitamin C we take or how many times we sanitize our hands, we just can't help but end up catching the common cold. It's the biggest stumbling block for an employee who's preparing for a big presentation or a businessman who's about to have an important business meeting. It can also be the worst obstacle for someone who's about to have a date. And, for children, the nasty common cold is worse than the gringe who stole Christmas because it can take away a huge chunk of their play time. Unfortunately, the common cold doesn't have a cure. All you can do is wait until it passes by. It's like an unwelcome visitor that you can't wait to leave. Although you can't cure it, there are some remedies that can help make the symptoms of the common cold more tolerable.

Having a stuffy nose is one of the most irritating symptoms that you have to go through when you have a cold. Clearing up your nasal passage with saltwater drops or saline nose drops can give you a great deal of relief. It will also help you speak more clearly in case you have an important appointment or business call.

The steam from a hot shower can also clear your nasal passages. Taking a quick, hot bath can definitely make you feel better when you have a cold. Finally being able to breathe through your nose can make your cold easier to bear.

Gargling some saltwater can relieve an itchy throat for a few hours. Just mix a glass of warm water with half of teaspoon of salt and allow it to soothe your throat. This will help stop the coughing, giving you enough time to get some sleep.

This is another thing that you should have in your pocket in case you need to leave your home. This will help soothe your sore and itchy throat, giving you the temporary moment of peace that you need to speak with a client or attend to some documents. It can be very difficult to concentrate on anything when you can't stop coughing.

When you have a cold, you should keep on replenishing your fluids. A common misconception is that you need to drink a lot of fluids in order to flush the cold out of your body. Unfortunately, that is not true. You need to drink a lot of fluids when you have a cold because you don't want to end up being dehydrated. Aside from a glass of water, you can have some juice, clear broth or some warm water and lemon. Make sure you stay away from alcohol, coffee and soda because these drinks can cause you to lose more fluids.

For generations, chicken soup has been given to sick children in order to help lessen cold and flu symptoms. Believe it or not, sipping some hot, chicken soup has been proven to be a fantastic comfort food for people who have colds. Because chicken soup contains a substance that can inhibit the movement of cells in the immune system, it can regulate the body's inflammatory response. Another wonderful thing about chicken soup is that it can make the movement of mucus through your nasal passage faster, taking away that stuffy nose.

Large doses of Vitamin C (around 5,000 milligrams) can help lessen the intensity of the symptoms one feels when he has a cold. Smaller doses, consisiting of 200 to 300 milligrams of Vitamin C, can make the cold go away faster.

With these simple household remedies, your common cold will become easier to tolerate. It's too bad we can't use the same remedies for unwelcome visitors!