The stubborn common cold catches us when we least expect it. Actually, adults can suffer from the common cold two or three times each year. Young kids, on the other hand, tend to have colds more frequently.
To date, it has no proven cure, but most people recover from colds within ten days. You may make your recovery period shorter by trying remedies such as taking supplements and practicing healthier habits. Restorative practices might not entirely cure you, but at least you’ll have eased the symptoms.
Keep reading to find out ways in which you can get rid of cold fast!
8 Things You Can Do to Get Rid of Cold Fast and Feel Better
Keep Your Body Hydrated
We cannot insist enough that drinking lots of fluid helps fight colds to get rid of cold fast.
When you have a common cold, your airways are inflamed, producing more mucus that clogs it. Therefore coughing becomes hard.
But when you take fluids such as water, a concoction of lemon water with honey, broth, and juice, you keep the airways from drying and the mucus from thickening. Furthermore, it helps replace the fluid lost every time you blow your nose.
Even as you try to keep your body hydrated, avoiding sugary and milky drinks is essential since it worsens the cold. You can take herbal and fresh turmeric teas instead to help with inflammation and ease sore problems. Alcohol and Caffeinated drinks should also be avoided as they actually dehydrate you.
Have Your Vitamin C
This statement might probably have been used over and over again – and it actually makes sense why! Taking up Vitamin C is a great way to fight colds.
So, once you sense that this infectious disease is catching up on you, stock up on your citrus fruits, red peppers, papayas, and berries. They are a great source of Vitamin C and help fight infection.
Also, you can entirely protect yourself from colds by actively including Vitamin C tablets in your daily routine. Taking 8 mg of Vitamin C daily shortens cold by 19%.
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Gargling Salt and Water
Colds come with a painful sore throat. You can, however, relieve the pain by gargling salt and water. Simply mix half a teaspoon of salt with eight ounces of warm water and gargle this mixture without swallowing.
The salt, in this case, sucks out water from the itchy throat reducing the pressure around the lining. This, in return, helps alienate the soreness you feel in the throat.
Kids below six years may find it hard to gargle the salt and water, so alternatively, you can give them sore throat sprays. It also helps do away with the inflamed throat.
Use Saline Drops
Using saline drops when you have a cold helps in the congestion caused by the thick mucus along your nasal passages. Usually, the dried mucus causes you to feel stuffed up since you cannot blow your nose correctly.
The saline drops wash the nasal passages, therefore, moistening the mucus. It will therefore be easier for you to clear it out of the nose, helping you get rid of cold fast.
Use Zinc Lozenges
A 2017 study reveals that zinc lozenges may help fight the cold faster. It has been seen to reduce the period you suffer from the cold by 33%. This means that you get better sooner with a cold sooner than you might think.
You can incorporate zinc-rich foods into your diet to help reduce the severity of the cold. Such foods include spinach, beef, and cocoa. Alternatively, you can take a high-quality supplement daily such as Zinc Citrate. In case you catch a cold, it will help you get better faster.
Take Echinacea
Echinacea is another excellent product that will help yo get rid of cold fast; this is according to some studies in 2014 and 2018. Typically Echinacea is a herbal supplement available in tablet, extract, and tea forms. It is made from purple coneflower.
Taking Echinacea 2400 mg daily for at least four months is essential to realize its full benefits. However, talking to your doctor before taking this supplement is necessary if you have other medications on the side.
Sleep Enough
Yes, sleep will significantly help in getting rid of a cold fast. Usually, failing to get enough hours of sleep weakens your immune system; therefore, it’s hard to fight infections.
According to a study, people who sleep less are four times at risk of catching a cold than those who sleep for more than eight hours. It is, of course, difficult to find sleep when you have a stuffy nose due to the cold. However, you can manage by sleeping on your head supported by a pillow. This helps drain mucus from your sinuses during sleep.
Colds can make us uncomfortable, but luckily many homemade solutions can help fight it quickly. Taking the stated supplements above will help ease the symptoms, and you’ll heal faster.
We hope this article was helpful and will help get rid of colds faster in the future. Keep checking The Glam Lives for more tips and tricks.
Feature Image Credits- Photo by diana.grytsku on Freepik
