How can I get rid of this cold, fast?

Question

So I woke up this morning with a terrible sore throat, a headache, neck pains, and a completly cloged and draining nose. I have no energy, and standing up makes me feel dizzy. I'm planning on taking it easy this weekend with lots of rest, but what else can I do to get over this cold faster or at least ease the symptoms?

Answer 1

Hi Maizey, the first and most important thing is to get lots of rest, perhaps up to 12 hours of sleep each day.

You will also want to drink lots of liquids to help clear your congested sinuses. For relief of aches and pains that are accompanied by fever, try taking an over the counter medicine such as Tylenol, and avoid giving Aspirin to children because it can cause the potentially fatal Rays Syndrome.

Also, try adding lots of juice, fruits, vegetables and soups to your diet so you can fight off the infection quicker. Other home remedies that can lessen the symptoms of a cold are ginger, which can be grated and steeped in water for a tea, as well as garlic which as immune system boosting effects.

Hot baths can also make you feel better because they increase your body’s circulation which can help relieve a stuffy head, and congested lungs or nose.

Some people also believe that taking a bit of rum or brandy in a hot drink will help treat a cold or flu because the alcohol will kill off germs in the body.
Jason Homan

Answer 2

Try the Home Remedies.

As much as possible, avoid coming into close contact with infected persons, especially if they cough or sneeze.

A person with a cold is extremely contagious: He or she fills the air with fine particles of saliva or mucous which transport the virus microbe. Even if the person is careful to wipe his nose with tissue or a handkerchief, the microbes will be transported to his hands. And studies have shown that these viruses are transmitted through hand contact. So if you have to shake hands with someone who has a cold, you would better wash soon after!

What can you do if you do catch a cold?
It is useless to take antibiotics: They have no effect on viruses. However, there are certain substances found in alcohol which help decongest sinuses, that is why a good hot toddy can work wonders. But take care of your liver: A toddy is just as good with a little rum as with a lot.

You don’t have to get drunk to get better. You don’t even have to drink it - just sniff some strong alcohol like cognac or brandy and breathe in the fumes.

Hope this helps, Good Luck.

Answer 3

There's an old doctor's joke---but its basically true:
If you treat the symptoms of a cold, it will last 7 days. If you don't, it'll last a week.
Rest, rest rest, drink lots of water, and if you want to breathe easier, take decongestants. But the virus takes 7-10 days to run its course regardless.

Answer 4

In my case, i'd take Fern C, a vitamin C with sodium ascorbate, about 4000mg of it, 2000mg in the morning and another 2000mg in the evening, for 3 days. I feel relieved of cold symtoms in 3 days max. Works all the time for me. And I continued taking it for a few months now. Nice day to you specially if that cold's gone as it should be by now... cougar

Answer 5

Ester C, about 3000 mg/day (with bioflavonoids), colloidal silver,(antimicrobial) astragalus,(antimicrobial) garlic,(antimicrobial, antipyretic, clears the lungs), avoid meat, fats, sugars, starches. lots of fruit and fruit juices. (try goji or mangosteen).
i had good luck with pleurisy root and coltsfoot tea 3x/day -(try an herb shop) tastes awful, but great relief.

feel better soon!

Answer 6

Zycam nasal gel (get at pharmacy) garlic tabs, zinc lozenges, Ester C, Rest & lots of water

Answer 7

Smell menthol or eucalyptus oil.

Answer 8

Airborne works pretty good .

Answer 9

Are you looking for a home remedy? Or do you need a pill to ward off the cold?

According to your symptoms it points out to sinusitis, or inflamed sinuses.

1. Try inhaling dry steam. You can add a cabbage leaf to the boiling water after removing it from the fire.
2. Take one spoon lemon juice+honey mixture.

Remedies
The body should be kept warm - especially the feet, chest, throat and head. Sweating is very helpful.
Take half a teaspoon of ginger juice with half a teaspoon of honey, three times a day (morning, noon and night). In winter, warm the mixture by mixing a teaspoon of warm water in it.
Mix half a cup of warm water with one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey.
Dosage: Take several times a day.
In cases of dry cough (especially during the night), peel a small piece of fresh ginger. Sprinkle some salt on it and chew.
Take equal amounts of cardamom, ginger powder, black pepper and cinnamon (1 teaspoon each). Add sugar equal to the total amount of mixture and grind to make a fine powder.
Dosage: Take half a teaspoon twice daily, with honey or warm water after meals.
In cases of sore throat, a clove or two cardamoms or a few raisins can be chewed.Gargling with warm salty water two to three times a day is also beneficial.

Do’s and don'ts
The food and activities that are to be avoided are as follows:
Cold foods and drinks
Ice cream, sweets
Fried foods
Milk products (cheese, creams, yogurt)
Sweet fruit juices
Breads
Meats
Nuts
Pastries
Sleeping during the day
Taking a cold shower
Exposure to cold wind, fans, air conditioners
Following are the substances and activities that should be taken in cough:
Boiled or steamed vegetables
Vegetable soup
Spice teas
Herbal teas
Hot milk with a piece of crushed ginger
Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder mixed in milk provides relief.

Common Cold Home Remedies

Common Cold treatment using Lemon
Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. It is beneficial in all types of cold with fever. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.

Common Cold treatment using Garlic
Garlic soup is an old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken once daily. The soup can be prepared by boiling three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The oil contained in this vegetable helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the system and thus helps bring down fever. Five drops of garlic oil combined with a teaspoon of onion juice, and diluted in a cup of water, should be drunk two to three times a day. This has also been found to be very effective in the treatment of common cold.

Common Cold treatment using Ginger
Ginger is another excellent remedy for colds and coughs. About ten grams of ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.
Common Cold treatment using Lady's Fingers
Lady's fingers are highly valuable in treating irritation of the throat and a persistent dry cough. This vegetable is rich in mucilage and acts as a drug to allay irritation, swelling, and pain. About 100 gm of lady's fingers should be cut into pieces, and boiled down in half a litre of water to make a decoction. The steam issuing from this decoction may also be inhaled once or twice a day to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough.
Common Cold treatment using Bitter Gourd Roots
The roots of the bitter gourd plant are used in folk medicine to cure a cold. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey or tulsi leaf juice, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for colds.

Common Cold treatment using Turmeric
Turmeric is an effective remedy for colds and throat irritations. Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk, and taken once or twice daily, is a useful prescription for these conditions. Turmeric powder should be put into a hot ladle. Milk should then be poured in it and boiled over a slow fire. This mixture should then be drunk by the patient. In case of a running cold, smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled. It will increase the discharge from the nose and provide quick relief.

Common Cold treatment using Tamarind and Pepper
Tamarind-pepper rasam is also considered an effective home remedy for a cold in South India. Dilute 50 mg tamarind in 250 ml of water. Boil the diluted tamarind water for a few minutes with a teaspoon of hot ghee and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect, and should be taken three times a day. As one takes it, the nose and eyes water and the nasal blockage is cleared.

Common Cold treatment using Vitamin C
Regular intake of vitamin C-75 mg for adults and 35 mg for children-will prevent the common cold. If, however, a cold has already appeared, large doses of this vitamin will relieve the symptoms and shorten its duration. He estimates that one to two grams (1000 mg to 2000 mg) per day is approximately the optimum amount of this vitamin for this purpose. His advice is to swallow one or two 500mg tablets of vitamin C at the appearance of the first sign of the cold and continue the treatment by taking one to two 500 mg tablets daily.