You’ve got a burning feeling in your nose or throat, a runny nose, and you’re sneezing. In addition, you’re mildly tired and feeling slightly unwell, and you don’t have a fever.
Chances are you have the common cold. You’re not alone. It’s estimated that Americans will suffer one billion colds over the course of a year. Young children average six to twelve colds per year, while adolescents and adults average two to four colds in a given year. More than 200 different types of viruses can cause a cold, with rhinovirus being the leading one.
Getting better quickly is your #1 priority when you’re sick, so here are 9 tips that will help you recover:
- For a runny nose, use an over-the-counter decongestant that contains pseudoephedrine for the first day or two. There are many excellent runny nose products available. Check out https://serp.co/best/runny-nose-medicines/ for some good options. Be sure to check with your doctor before doing this if you have thyroid, diabetes, prostate, high blood pressure, or heart problems, because pseudoephedrine is known to increase heart rate and blood pressure.
- For the first three to four days, take Tylenol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen, or aspirin every 4 hours, then two times a day for the next three days.
- Drink plenty of fluids, such as water, juice, hot tea, lemon water with honey, and iced tea.
- Eat chicken soup. Chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and relieves congestion.
- Use a humidifier to keep air moist, which will help decrease congestion in your nose.
- For a sore throat, gargle with saltwater (use a ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water).
- Take a hot shower to loosen mucus in the airways.
- For a sore throat, take zinc lozenges.
- Take vitamin C supplements – up to 500 mg a day – to slightly shorten the duration of a cold.
Finally, wash your hands, sneeze in your sleeve, and stay away from others to avoid spreading your cold.
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