i have had a head and chest cold for three days. what kind of remedies can i use.?

Question

I cough a lot and only bring up a small amount of mucus. i can hear the mucus rumbling on my chest and when i sleep it makes it difficult to breath. My nose is also congested and I can only breath out of one nostril.

Answer 1

A cold will typically last ten days and the only thing you can do is hunker down with your most comfortable pillow, a box of Kleenex and the television remote until it passes. You might find that NyQuil is good for knocking you out so you, at least, sleep through your suffering, and there is a product called Mucinex (not sure of the spelling there) that will help you get rid of the congestion.

Oh, and drink a ton of fluids. That will thin the phlegm and make it easier for your body to get rid of it.

Answer 2

Head colds and chest colds get better by themselves, without any treatment. Aside from getting enough rest, there is nothing that you can do to speed your recovery. However, while you are waiting for your body to fight off the cold virus, there are some things that you can do to try to relieve your symptoms:

1. A humidifier or vaporizer can temporarily clear your nose and make it easier to breathe.

2. Drinking plenty of fluids may help loosen a tight cough and relieve nasal congestion.

3. Gargling with warm salt water or taking throat lozenges can soothe a sore throat.

4. Placing petroleum jelly (Vaseline®) inside your nostrils can help relieve a raw nose.

5. Saline nasal spray can help ease nasal congestion.

6. Acetaminophen (Tylenol®) can relieve headache and fever.

7. Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant that is present in many cough medicines and multisymptom cold remedies. It can help relieve a bothersome cough.

8. Some people find oral decongestants like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed®) helpful for relieving nasal congestion. Other people find them ineffective, or are bothered by the side effects such as loss of appetite, jitteriness, and trouble sleeping.

9. Some people find decongestant nose drops and sprays such as Afrin® helpful for congestion. Others find these products too irritating. They should not be used for longer than 3 days, since prolonged use can actually worsen congestion.

10. Antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) may help relieve runny nose and watery eyes. However, they can also cause a dry nose and drowsiness. In fact, diphenhydramine causes so much drowsiness that it is also sold as a sleep-aid.

Answer 3

Decongestants will help with the breathing, and antihistamines may also help shrink swollen nasal membranes. These, however, can make the chest congestion worse, or dry out mucus making it harder to cough up. Here's the best course:
- take decongestant at night time to help sleep
- drink lots of liquids to counteract the drying effect
- take Robitussin DM for a hacking cough, or if the cough is not a problem but you just need to break up chest congestion take plain
Robitussin (both have an ingredient that breaks up mucus making it easier to cough up)
- get lots of rest
- use a cool mist vaporizer, if you have access to one, at night to help with symptoms, especially if bronchial symptoms are bothersome.
All colds just need to run their course, and rest plus plenty of fluids helps as much as anything. If you run fever or your symptoms increase in severity, see a doctor.
As the saying goes: treat a cold and it will go away in 2 weeks; if you don't treat it it will go away in 14 days :-)

Answer 4

It seems that other people have listed the cold remedies already...I'm using Tylenol Cold right now. You could also try drinking Goldenseal & Echinacea tea, which is supposed to be great for colds and flu. Hot tea with lemon and honey works well too (for mucus). Also, it may sound gross, but try and purge as much as possible. Drink prune juice in the morning, and try to get as clean as possible in the inside. Having toxins in your body may keep the cold around longer.

Answer 5

Try using Mucinex to break up the mucus and Zicam for your cold. They are a little bit on the expensive side, but they really work, and fast. Both are available without a prescription. If that doesn't work, try Campbells chunky chicken noodle soup. Feel better soon.

Answer 6

It may be too late for this cold. But I swear by ColdFX - taking it copiously at the first sign of a cold. I've had no bad cold since starting to take it in this way the last 18 months and that's unusual for me.

Answer 7

Cough is caused by a number of ailments.
It can be treated by over the counter medicines
or home remedies. More information available
at http://ailments.in/cough.html