Make Sure to Stay Hydrated
Colds won’t dissipate immediately, no matter which remedy you make use of. One of the most effective natural remedies you can do at home is to simply stay hydrated throughout the course of the cold. Fluids help greatly in reducing the amount of congestion you suffer from and will also keep you from becoming dehydrated. During times when you’re sick with a cold, it’s essential that you drink around 10-12 8-ounce glasses of liquid every day. This will help to expedite your cold. While the best beverage for this remedy is definitely water, there are others that you can drink as well. This includes everything from fruit drinks and sports drinks to herbal tea. Ginger ale will also help to sooth your throat, but you should try to avoid other sodas while sick.
Use a Warm Compress
A warm compress can also be highly beneficial towards easing some of the symptoms that derive from a cold, including any sinus pain and headaches. Make sure to place the compress on your forehead and nose when using it. Do this for a period of 5-10 minutes a couple of times per day. Warm compresses can be fashioned from any number of items. First, take a cloth of any type and run it under water for a minute or so. Once this is done, grab a plastic bag and place the folded cloth inside. Now it’s time to place it into a microwave. It should be heated for around 2-5 minutes and then removed from the microwave. Once the bag has been removed, press all the air out of the bag and close it back up. These compresses are very effective for colds.
Consider Trying Nasal Irrigation
One of the worst aspects of a cold is the nasal drip that’s oftentimes present with one, as well as a general stuffiness that tends to subsist. Nasal irrigation is a way of cleaning out your nasal passages, and can be accomplished by following one of several available methods. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using a Neti pot, which can be purchased at any drug store. A saline squeeze bottle is another recommended method. Both of these methods are designed to send salt water into one nostril, while it comes out of the other. This helps to lessen the congestion in your nostrils. If you don’t want to go out and purchase a product for the remedy, just mix distilled water with salt and you have everything you need. This remedy won’t eliminate your cold entirely, but it does provide some immediate relief from symptoms.
Use Steam as a Remedy
Much in the same way that a warm compress does, steam assists greatly in eliminating congestion and a stuffy nose. Using steam is remarkably beneficial for a cold, and can can be done simply by breathing in the steam through your nose. Make sure that you do this slowly. To create the amount of steam that you need for this remedy, take out a large pot and fill it halfway with water. Place the pot on a stove and heat it until the water starts to boil. When this happens, steam will be created and you can start breathing that steam in. Make sure not to get too close to the pot, as the steam can burn your nose. A hot shower can also help with congestion in a similar manner.
Make Some Homemade Syrup
If you use the right ingredients, a thick syrup that’s crafted with healthy ingredients can be just as useful as cough medicine in easing the symptoms of a cold. The primary symptoms these syrups work with are a cough and sore throat. The most important ingredient in this concoction is honey, which should be organic. Take a cup of this and add in a single tablespoon of ginger, ground cinnamon, licorice root and marshmallow root. Add four cups of chilled water to the mixture and place everything in a saucepan. These ingredients should be stirred and heated until they reach a low boil. Once the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, take the pan off the stove, wait until the mixture has cooled and place it into a large jar. This provides you with enough syrup to last throughout even lengthier colds. Take around one tablespoon of the syrup a few times every day and you should start to see results in just a couple of days.
Make an Epsom Salt Bath
One of the more relaxing remedies on this list is an Epsom salt bath. Taking a bath during a cold is great at making your body feel much better. However, adding Epsom salts into the bath can provide you and your body with even more benefits. For instance, Epsom salts placed into a bath will remove toxic substances from your body, reduce the amount of stress you experience, lessen any current inflammation and improve the circulation of blood throughout the body. When you’re going through a cold, consider using this remedy at least once every other day, preferably once per day. Soak in the water for thirty minutes or so.
Incorporate Lemon Into Your Diet
There are a lot of fantastic substances that can ease the symptoms of a cold. One of the best of these is lemon. Lemon is known the world over as both a great source of Vitamin C and a useful solution for fighting colds. Lemon helps to remove toxins from the body through basic detox. The manner in which you consume the lemon is entirely up to your preferences. You can squeeze the juice from a couple of lemon slices into a cup of water or place a lemon slice on the edge of a glass, allowing the juice to run down into the water. Lemonade will also do the trick. If you’re making homemade lemonade, consider adding a small amount of honey to the mixture for a more potent drink.
Blow Your Nose Often
One of the common mistakes made by people suffering from colds is to let their nose run as long as possible before blowing it, so as to keep the nostrils from becoming sore. However, sniffing the mucus back into the head will only worsen your issues. It’s also important not to blow too hard, as the phlegm can actually travel to your ear passages and cause pain in this area. Blow your nose on a regular basis by placing a single finger on one nostril and blowing out the other. Combining this remedy with steam can really work wonders in reducing the amount of congestion you experience.
Consume Hot Liquids
During the 10-12 8-ounce cups of liquid you should drink every day throughout your cold, make sure that a couple of these cups are filled with hot liquids. Basically, hot liquids can reduce your congestion and relieve the lining of your throat and nasal passages, which are inflamed during the course of a cold. This remedy is especially beneficial when you’re having trouble getting to sleep at night because of a runny nose. Pour yourself a cup of hot tea and add a touch of honey to it. Sip the drink and soon you will find your nasal passages clearing up. The remedy doesn’t last a long time, but will help you get to sleep.
Prop Head Up With Extra Pillow
Trying to get to sleep at night can be very difficult when you’re suffering from congestion. No matter how many times you sniff back a runny nose, the position of your head only worsens the problem. Your congested nasal passages can be somewhat relieved by propping your head up with an extra pillow. Though this might cause you to experience some initial discomfort due to the altered position of your head, it will help to alleviate your congestion. If this remedy is too uncomfortable for you, there are a couple of things you can do to make the position of your head less troublesome. For one, try using a second pillow that’s much thinner than the first for a smaller incline. You can also place the selected pillow between the box spring and mattress, which will only raise your head position a small amount, but can provide a lot of relief.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/treating-flu-at-home?page=2
http://theantidotelife.com/30-homemade-natural-cold-flu-remedies/
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/cold-remedies?page=2