10 Incredible home remedies for a cold that you should know
10 Incredible home remedies for a cold that you should know
Here you will find the most common home remedies for a cold. Even if it is sometimes difficult to find the right home remedy, it is sometimes not that far away. Most home remedies already have them in their household, as the name suggests.
Every year it is the same: sore throat, dripping nose, cough. The cold is up to mischief in classrooms, at work or at home, persists and makes everyone unhappy.
Treatment of a cold can sometimes be confusing. From free -selling medication to old home remedies that are passed on from generation to generation to generation, everyone has a solution that he believes that it looks like a magic means.
But which treatments are actually successful in a cold? In order to get to the bottom of the matter - and find out the trustworthy options - we spoke to the expert in family medicine Neha Vyas, Md.
Are there home remedies that help with a cold?
It is important to know that there is no patent recipe for a cold. There is no medication or a potion with which you can get rid of your cold immediately. Instead, you should concentrate on the treatment of your symptoms in order to better manage the cold in the course of your course, says Dr. Vyas. “It's about enduring the cold until it has disappeared.
If your symptoms do not improve or worsen after seven to 10 days, according to Dr. Vyas visit your doctor
rest
Your body needs peace to relax and strengthen your immune system. That's why they may sleep more when they are sick. This is not a reason to worry, but a sign that your body combats the infection.
dr. Vyas explains: "If you rest and sleep, your immune system can recover. Your immune system can do your work and help you combat infection in a natural way".
As far as the sporting activity is concerned, this depends on your personal situation, says Dr. Vyas. “Whether you continue to do sports depends on how strong your symptoms are, how your health is and where you train.
If your symptoms are only slightly pronounced, you are healthy overall and train at home where you don't expose anyone to your germs -for example when running, walking or on the home trainer -you should be able to continue if you feel comfortable. "Remember that your resilience is not as high as in a healthy person, so don't overdo it," says Dr. Vyas.
People with more severe symptoms or health problems should slowly take it. And if your sports routine includes courses or training sessions in a gym, you should train at home or take a break so that you do not transfer your cold to your colleagues. You will be there again soon.
drink sufficient fluid
to be as important as it is rested, it is to consume a lot of fluid. "The body generally leaves more liquid when you are sick," says Dr. Vyas. “This is particularly true when you have a fever and sweat.
Many colds occur in winter when the air is drier and the heating contributes to drying out the body, especially in the nose. If you drink a lot and prefer to use a humidifier, you can counteract the drying of the mucous membranes.
Make sure that you do not consume any sugar -containing and caffeinated drinks or alcohol. Water and tea with a splash lemon or honey supply them with liquid and help to relieve the sore throat. And if you feel like something hearty, a light, sodium -free broth can also help, says Dr. Vyas.
Use a humidifier
humidifiers are ideal for colds in winter because they keep the moisture in the nasal passages. This in turn can help relieve constipation. There are not many scientific studies on humidifiers, but Dr. Vyas says: "We believe that they are working because the warm, moist environment that they create contributes to the fact that the mucus is loosening and you can breathe better."
gargle with warm salt water
salt water gurgling can temporarily provide relief for sore throats. Salt water helps to pull water out of the tissue in the throat and relieve the inflammation, explains Dr. Vyas, and at the same time loosens the mucus that has settled in the throat. Just make sure to spit out the water - don't swallow it.
Try a "Neti-Pot" nasal hill
If your cold is associated with a blocked nose, a nasal douche can help to free it a little. The nasal douche lets a warm saline flow through the nose gang, which flushes out the mucus and the allergens that clog the nose.
There are a variety of Neti pots, but it is not so easy to tilt your head and pour the water through the nose canal. If you use a nasal shower, you should note the following:
- Do not use tap water
- Use distilled, filtered, filled or boiled water that has cooled to room temperature.
relief from over -the -counter medication
from syrup to hard drops there are a variety of coughing agents and coughing custody. However, it can be difficult to find the right means for you, so advice with your doctor is essential.
Nasal sprays can also help to eliminate the constipation, but here too you should first advise yourself with your doctor. Since there are so many options, you should choose a remedy that is not only best suited for you, but also does not cause unnecessary side effects or loses effectiveness over time.
And finally over -the -counter pain relievers are well suited to relieve the pain associated with a cold. Just make sure that you follow the instructions in the package insert.
vitamin C and zinc
You have probably heard that vitamin C and zinc can protect against colds - theories that have been in circulation for some time. However, the scientific knowledge has shown that they hardly contribute to the prevention of colds.
Studies have shown that vitamin C can shorten the duration of a cold by around 10 % in some people. Another study has shown that zinc lutable tablets can also shorten the cold duration, but also only here for certain people and even not to a significant extent.
what you should avoid in a cold
just as important as the question of what you can take in a cold is the question of what you should avoid. Food and drinks that cause a certain degree of dehydration or inflammation that we usually do not notice when we are healthy can make your cold worse.
Some things you should avoid:
- sugary lemonades
- alcohol
- sugar
- salty foods
- dairy products
On the subject of caffeine, Dr. says Vyas: "If you are used to drinking a certain amount of coffee, it is okay to keep this amount because a sudden caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches. Just make sure that you don't drink more caffeine than you normally consume.
How long does a cold take?
Most of the colds last between seven and 10 days, says Dr. Vyas, but that can vary from person to person. The same applies to the symptoms. Sometimes you only have slight symptoms such as a slight constipation and sore throat throughout the cold duration. But it may also be that your symptoms are heavier and last for more than 10 days.
If you apply some of the means proposed here and avoid things that Dr. Vyas warns, you can at least prevent your cold from being irritated and extended.
can you get rid of a cold overnight?
No, says Dr. Vyas, you can't get rid of a cold with just one night. "Unfortunately, you have to screw your expectations back, because a cold does not disappear overnight. It can take a few days, so it is best to treat the symptoms," she says.
Some means, especially those that you find in the pharmacy, claim that they help, but nothing looks as good as calm and fluid.
and Dr. Vyas reminds us that it is important to keep vaccinations up to date as soon as the cold is over. “From flu to Covid-19, there are worse infections that occur in the same season as a cold.
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