The Do’s and Don’ts of Easing Cold Symptoms (2024)

FAQs

What are the do's and don'ts of a cold? ›

Whether its tea, warm water with lemon or broth, drinking warm liquids can be soothing, prevent dehydration and ease congestion. Avoid salty foods, alcohol, coffee and sugary drinks, which can be dehydrating. Ice chips are another simple way to stay hydrated and calm a scratchy throat. Gargle with salt water.

So, what's the best way to treat a cold? The first thing you need is plenty of rest and fluids. Water, juice, and clear broth can help replace fluids you may lose during a fever. Chicken soup is another great choice, in fact, it can help relieve congestion.

If you're worried about spreading your cold, stay home to avoid exposing others to the cold-causing virus. However, you don't need to stay home for the entire duration of the cold. Schmidt says to stay home during the first two to three days of symptoms when the cold is especially transmittable.

Blowing your nose can help relieve some of your symptoms. It can make it easier to breathe and can make you feel less congested. However, it probably won't make your cold resolve any faster. Plus, there's evidence to suggest that blowing your nose can sometimes be harmful.

In such cases, it can take 14 days or more to fully recover. When infection occurs, a cold goes through four characteristic stages: incubation, early symptoms, peak symptoms, and recovery. As there is no cure for the common cold, treatment is focused on rest, fluids, and symptom relief.

It's clear that your body needs more sleep when you're unwell, which can help your immune system and recovery. But just how much more sleep should you get when you're sick? “There's no set amount, but the more sleep you can get when you're sick, the better,” advises Brager.

Does sleeping all day help a cold? ›

Cold symptoms will go away on their own over time and rest is one of the best ways to help your body heal, so in a sense, you can sleep off a cold. Sleep helps boost the immune system and can help you recover from a cold more quickly. But sometimes, it's tough to sleep when you have a cold.

Choose the best sleeping position

A better alternative is to layer pillows to form a triangular shape to ensure your neck is supported. Lying on your back may also worsen a postnasal drip – experts suggest sleeping on your side instead and if you wake up with one side of your nose blocked, try switching positions.

In fact, getting fresh air is good for you when you're feeling under the weather. When you're cooped up inside, you're sharing the same air with those around you. So every time someone coughs or sneezes inside, those infected droplets are still in the air.

All employees should stay home if they are sick until for at least 24 hours, both are true: their symptoms are getting better overall and they have not had a fever* (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) and are not using fever-reducing medication (e.g., medicines that contain ...

How can I get rid of a cold in 24 hours? Unfortunately, there is still no known cure for the common cold. However, you can reduce the duration of your illness by taking some promising vitamins and supplements, as well as engaging in good self-care. This includes vitamin C, Zinc, echinacea, and probiotics.

Taking vitamin C every day to try to prevent colds won't protect most people from colds. It only slightly shortens the amount of time that they're ill. Starting to take vitamin C once you already have cold symptoms won't have any effect on your cold.

Most people recover from a common cold in 7 to 10 days. Symptoms might last longer in people who smoke. Most often, you don't need medical care for a common cold. If symptoms don't get better or if they get worse, see your health care provider.

Colds usually last 3 to 7 days, but sometimes they hang on as long as 2 weeks. If you're under the weather for longer than that, one of these things could be to blame.