Do you know any home remedies for cold symptoms or ways to avoid catching a cold?

Question

I need some inexpensive or homemade remedies for a cold. Help me out!

Answer 1

OK, this may be total coincidence, but I used to get colds as much as anyone, and when I moved in with my husband-to-be, we had one HUGE incompatibility: the temperature in the house. He keeps the house at about 60 degrees in the winter, and 68 in the summer - much colder what I was used to. But guess what? I stopped getting colds? In 20 years, almost to the day, I have gotten maybe 4 colds, honestly. So my advice is turn down the thermostat!

Answer 2

The best thing you can do is rest and drink. It's the oldest advice in the world, but it's really all that works. Colds are caused by viruses, which are not killed by anything except your own immune system. Medications will help control the more miserable symptoms, but they don't make it go away any faster. If you don't want to use them, that's okay too. Warm soup, chicken if you like, vegetarian veggie if you prefer- any soup which is broth based is good. Lay off the dairy because it makes the mucous feel thicker and harder to get off. The tissues with aloe are worth the expense to avoid a sore nose and chapped skin. Warm liquids like tea with honey soothe the scratchy throat, a steamy shower or face over a steamy pot of water will help relieve a stuffy nose for a while. The old rub on Vick also helps you feel less stuffy, if not a bit sticky. Sleep propped somewhat sitting up helps keep the drainage going at night so you don't get woken by coughing and feeling like you are drownding. Otherwise, the cold runs it's course in about a week, regardless of what you do. You tend to feel worse on days 3-5, and gradually feel better from there on. A hot toddy with honey and rum is my personal favorite before sleep beverage, but if you object to alcohol, any warm tea will do.
Pharmacys carry generic versions of cold drugs, just ask the pharmacist to help you out. Cough drops are okay for soothing the throat, but hard candy works just as well and is usually cheaper and tastes better. Strong peppermint drops ease the stuffy feeling, as do some of the lemon drops. Unfortunately, there isn't really anything that will cure you, but if you do happen on a combo that works, be sure to get the patent. The drug companies will beat a path to your door, and the world will be forever grateful to you.

Answer 3

Maybe you don't get enough vitamin C. That is said to ward off colds. I used to travel a lot for my work and noticed that sometimes I'd come down with a cold soon after coming home. I figured out it was a change in my diet plus the winter weather. I eat a lot of fresh hot peppers and when I travelled, I ate fast food. Since then, whenever I travel I try to eat include Vitim in C and hot peppers and rarely catch cold.

Answer 4

When you start getting symptoms of a cold...suck on Zinc lozenges,take Vitamin C with Echinacea,drink plenty of fluids ( OJ is a good source of Vitamin C ) all of this just shortens the cold, it won't take it away.......good luck !

Answer 5

I've heard taking zinc when you first starting getting a cold helps. It makes the cold go away faster and it's not as bad.

Answer 6

taken vitamin C and zinc. also, when your in public places, try not to touch things that are covered in germs too much, like doorknobs or faucet handles. this reduced my number of colds per year from 8 to 2 :)

Answer 7

chicken soup and about 1200 mg of vitamin c should knock the cold right out

Answer 8

It was just on the news that if you walk everyday and get out unstead of sitting in the home your less likely to get sick.

Answer 9

dunno anything except for making sure you get lots of vitamins (especially vitamin C), eating healthy, and exercising regularly.