
The Salt Water Gargle
For most people, a cold
brings along at least a couple of days of sore throat. Anyone who has suffered
before knows just how frustrating a sore throat can be, and it can even keep
you up at night. One of the best remedies for the problem is a salt water
gargle. It is so effective that doctors would recommend it to you. All you need
is the following:
- One glass of warm water (not too hot or
you will burn yourself)
- One tablespoon of salt (Try natural organic sea salt if you can. But table salt will
work as well).
After you have mixed the
salt in so that it thoroughly dissolves, gargle with it for at least 5-10
seconds. Try to go through the whole glass of water. If you gargle two to three
times a day, this can relieve the sore throat.
Vitamin C Supplements
While vitamin C will not
relieve your symptoms of the cold, it will help you to recover more quickly.
This vitamin is a natural immune system booster. Because it is water based, you
can take it in higher dosages while you are sick. The more you can boost your
immune system, the quicker your body can recover from any illness. These
supplements are available over the counter at a grocery store, a supercenter,
or a vitamin shop.
Netty Pot
While the netty pot is
actually a very old concept, it has become more popular in recent years. Often
simply referred to as nasal rinsing, this method involves rinsing your nasal
passages with a saline solution. If you have the iconic stuffy nose from a cold,
the rinse will relieve the congestion without any side effects of decongestant
medication. Some people feel that daily nasal rinsing will help to keep the
cold away since the netty pot will rinse away any germs in the nose.
Zinc Supplements
Back in the 1990s, an
extensive study showed that a zinc supplement can shorten the length of the
common cold. As with vitamin C, zinc will not cure your symptoms, but can make
the illness last a shorter amount of time. The study showed that the common
cold usually lasts almost eight days. In patients who took a zinc supplement,
the cold time was shortened to just over four days.
Chicken Soup
There is a reason why your
grandmother suggests a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup anytime you get sick.
While soup has no medicinal qualities, it can help soothe the symptoms of your
cold. The warmth of the broth will ease inflammation in your throat. Consuming the soothing soup will help you avoid dehydration, which can be a
common problem when you are fighting a cold.
Everyone will suffer from a
cold at least once in their lifetime. The virus is too common. While you
can’t get a medication from the doctor to cure the cold, you can use natural
remedies to ease the symptoms. So try these natural remedies to help shorten the length of your illness so you can get back to your daily
life.
Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.
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I just recently caught a cold, and I am making sure to do all these things listed. Great post!
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