How to Stop a Common Cold
The common cold hits all of us, and the worst part about having a cold is knowing that, while you can treat it, there is no miracle cure and you will probably catch a cold many times throughout your life. Here are some instructions for how to ease the discomforts of a common cold and minimize the symptoms.
Required Materials:
The materials you use can vary from home to home
Required Tools:
These can vary from lots of water, to chicken soup, to over-the-counter cold medicines.
Instructions:
Rest. Rest some more. Do you feel like you have gotten enough rest and are now very bored? Is your cold gone? Then you need to rest even more. Resting not only lends all of your strength to fighting the cold, it also keeps you from spreading the cold to other people.
Clean! Wash your hands often. Change your pillow cases and your pajamas every day (or at least every couple of days). This keeps the germs out of your immediate environment which can stop a second cold from developing while you are fighting the first one.
Water is your new best friend. Drink a lot of water and/or juice. The water will keep you hydrated and will ease many of your cold’s symptoms like sore throats and headaches. It might make you use the bathroom more often, but that is also good-it means you are helping to flush the toxins out of your body. Soup is another way to make sure you are getting enough fluids. And laugh as you may, there is some scientific evidence that chicken soup helps!
Only take cold medicine if you really need it (like when you need to breathe while you sleep). Some scientists believe that taking cold medicine does not help cure the cold but basically puts it on pause and makes it last even longer.
Vitamin C. While your body does not need a lot of vitamin C, upping your intake is a great way to boost your immune system and fight the cold. Consider taking a supplement until your cold goes away.
Hot baths and hot showers can help clear up your nasal passages and reliev congestion. If you have long hair, blow it dry to keep from losing too much body heat when you are out of the shower.
Do not smoke. Smoking weakens your immune system and makes cold symptoms worse.
Take zinc-either as a supplement or use a zinc nasal spray as zinc can keep the cold’s virus from replicating.
Honey and Lemon can help ease symptoms: Add some lemon juice and two teaspoons of honey to hot water and drink it in a warm bed or in front of a warm heater. This can bring a meaningful amount of relief for blocked noses and sore throats.
Try not to blow your nose too often and make sure that you blow without plugging either of your nostrils. Plugging a nostril or blowing too often can lead to middle ear infections.
If you have been sick for more than seven day, or if you develop a fever of more than one hundred degrees, go to the doctor immediately.