How to Get Rid of a Common Cold

Have you been experiencing symptoms of a common cold recently? You should know that the symptoms are not just restricted to a runny nose or persistent cough, since common cold is not the result of infection by one particular virus. It may, in fact, be caused by any one of 200 viruses that can infect your respiratory system. So the symptoms range from a sore throat to a mild fever. Persistent coughing, sneezing, congestion, a runny nose, fatigue and a headache – all of these are symptoms of common cold. This makes it harder to treat common colds, because the causative agent is often not easy to determine.

Always prevent yourself from getting an infection by avoiding close contact with an infected person. The infection can be spread through the air while coughing or sneezing. Also, develop a healthy lifestyle in order to strengthen your immune system, which helps ward off infections.

Once you do fall prey to the common cold, the wisest thing to do is to go see a doctor. Your doctor can help you determine if your symptoms are that of common cold, or of flu. Prescribed medicines will help you get better.

The general reaction to common cold would be to pop an Aspirin in. But it would benefit you more if you take an acetaminophen instead. Acetaminophen will not help get rid of your cold, but it will ease the pain that the symptoms cause you. Aspirin is also used to relieve cold symptoms, but acetaminophen will not cause any of the side-effects that Aspirin has been known to cause.

Petroleum jelly also provides the much needed relief for your nose and throat. Apply it using your fingers on your throat, chest and nose, and inhale the vapors.

It will do you good to pop an antihistamine or decongestant in, in case you are experiencing sinus pain or congestion during your cold attack. There are also combination medicines available to relieve your pain, if you are experiencing both of these symptoms. Expectorants, which break up the phlegm in your lungs, help you breathe easier. Once you cough up the phlegm and spit it out, you will feel a lot better.

While using the medicines, also get a humidifier for your home. It will reduce the irritation that you feel in your throat, and you will feel more cleared up.

Fluid intake is important while battling a cold. Sports drinks provide much needed energy for your body, and the electrolytes they contain help you absorb fluids better. It is essential to keep yourself hydrated while you are ill.

Apart from doing all this, you can also try some tested home remedies that are sure to help you get rid of that nasty cold.

Steam inhalation might not seem like the most desirable thing to do, but it works wonders! And it is probably the first thing your mother made you do every time you were hit by a cold, back in the days. Yes, she knew what she was doing!

Gargling with salt water will reduce the irritation in your throat. Make sure you do it everyday, and more than once a day.

If your throat is very sore, it isn’t such a good idea for you to try this. Otherwise, eating spicy food will actually help that runny nose. Spicy food causes your nose to run, which in turn may get rid of the irritant present in your nostril.

Now, it hasn’t been proved that having chicken soup gets rid of your cold, but it still remains known as a popular remedy to this day. It does you no harm, and is quite a delicious remedy too, so you might as well try it!