How to get rid of a cold quickly with home remedies and relieve the symptoms in a natural way?

Fall is approaching, and as the temperatures drop, it’s good to know how to get rid of a cold quickly. Dealing with a runny nose and cough can often be a challenge, but fortunately there are some natural products that can help. At the first signs of cold symptoms, you can try to stock up on a number of remedies. But what actually works? While there are no cures for the common cold, some tried and true home remedies have proven to be effective in treating it. Here are some tips that can help you get fit again the next day.

How to get rid of a cold quickly without medication?

Unfortunately, getting rid of a cold overnight is almost impossible. However, if you are wondering how you can counteract the symptoms immediately and effectively, there are numerous options available to you. The first thing you should know is that, regrettably, there is no magic bullet that causes the virus that causes symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose and fatigue, disappears from your system. So then what to do to get rid of a cold quickly? The way to go about this is to alleviate the symptoms mentioned as much as possible while you wait for things to develop. First of all, it is important to recognize what you have been infected with. Both cold and flu are classified as respiratory illnesses and often have very similar signs.

Common cold symptoms usually include a runny or stuffy nose, frequent sneezing, a sore throat and/or cough, headache, and fatigue. In contrast, common flu symptoms include fever or a temperature above 100 F degrees (37,7 C), chills, muscle aches, joint pains, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Actually, these are more acute versions of the cold symptoms above. In addition, there is some overlap, but the main differences between the two states are in intensity. Flu symptoms tend to come on very quickly and usually include fever and sore muscles. The signs of a cold are gradual and mostly affect your nose and throat.

Dos and don’ts for relieving cold symptoms

In order to recover faster, the body must stimulate an immune system response, kill the virus, and repair itself. This takes time and there is no point in rushing the process. But what about cold medicines that claim to make you feel better faster? Luckily, some of these might help ease the symptoms and keep you from feeling so miserable. From a medical point of view, antibiotics will never work for a cold because it is caused by a virus and not bacteria. However, some dietary supplements or natural product treatments may help shorten the duration of a cold.

However, the list of ineffective cold remedies is also very long. For example, some of the most common ones that don’t work include over-the-counter cold and cough medicines in addition to antibiotics. For example, if you want to quickly get rid of a cold in children, then use such medicines wisely. They could cause serious and even life-threatening side effects. It’s best to talk to your child’s doctor before giving your little one over-the-counter pills. Despite ongoing studies, the scientific jury is still out on some popular cold remedies like vitamin C and coneflower (echinacea) extract. Here’s an update on some of these common alternative remedies.

Cold medicines with questionable effect

It seems that taking vitamin C doesn’t usually help the average person prevent the common cold. However, some studies have found that taking the vitamin found in many citrus fruits before the onset of cold symptoms can shorten their duration. Additionally, vitamin C could benefit people who are at high risk of catching a cold due to frequent exposure. These are, for example, children who attend group childcare in winter. Furthermore, study results on whether echinacea prevents or shortens colds are mixed. Some studies show no benefit. Others suggest some reduction in the severity and duration of cold symptoms when echinacea is taken in the early stages of a cold. Different species of echinacea used in different research may have contributed to the mixed results.

Echinacea seems to be most effective if you take it while you’re noticing cold symptoms and continue taking it for seven to 10 days. It appears safe for healthy adults but can interact with many medications. Consult your doctor before taking this or any dietary supplement. What about zinc? As far as health is concerned, several studies have shown that zinc supplements can shorten the duration of a cold. However, most research has produced mixed results about zinc and the common cold. Some research shows that zinc lozenges or syrup can shorten the duration of a cold by about a day, particularly if taken within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of signs and symptoms of a cold. However, zinc also has potentially harmful side effects. In addition, before using zinc, a discussion with your doctor is again recommended.

How to quickly get rid of the symptoms of a cold

Although there is no cure for the common cold, there are things people can do to relieve their symptoms while they recover. The following tips apply to adults:

• Rest and get enough sleep. Make sure you get eight to ten hours of sleep at night. This is also a good opportunity to take a break from strenuous activities and excessive training for two to three days.
• Stay hydrated and drink lots of fluids. Whether it’s tea, warm water with lemon, or broth, drinking warm liquids can be soothing, prevent dehydration, and relieve constipation. Avoid salty foods, alcohol, coffee, and sugary drinks, which can be dehydrating. Ice chips are another easy way to stay hydrated and soothe a sore throat.

• Eat warm soup. This is especially true for chicken soups, as these have been shown to contain substances with anti-inflammatory properties. These help the body and immune system relieve some of the cold symptoms.
• Get a humidifier and turn it on. Cold air contains less moisture than warm air. Dry nostrils are more susceptible to viruses, and if you’re already sick, dry air can make your sore throat worse. So try a humidifier. If you don’t have one, you can set out a shallow bowl of water near a heat source. As the water evaporates, it slowly humidifies the room.
• Treat the cold with a saline nasal spray or drops.

• Gargling with salt water and about 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of warm water can help reduce the pain and swelling of a sore throat.
• Inhaling steam from a bowl of hot water or in the shower.
• Suck on candies containing eucalyptus to relieve a sore throat.
• Relieve the cough with honey and warm tea drinks.
• Children from the age of 1 can also benefit from honey. According to researchers, the natural product improves cough symptoms and the quality of sleep in small children.

Try foods that can potentially help with cold symptoms

Black Elder: The fermented syrup made from this plant is a traditional cold remedy in many parts of the world. Although research is limited, some sources showed that elderberry syrup shortened the duration of colds by an average of four days in people with flu-like symptoms.

Beetroot juice: One study showed that those who drank a small amount of beetroot juice seven times a day had fewer cold symptoms than the control group. In the study, the drug was particularly helpful for students with asthma. Because beetroot is high in dietary nitrate, it increases your body’s production of nitric oxide, which can protect you from respiratory infections.

Probiotic Drinks: Although studies on probiotics and the common cold are limited, some research suggests that daily intake of a probiotic drink containing  Lactobacillus paracasei, L. CASEI 431 may shorten the duration of a cold, particularly when it comes to respiratory symptoms. However, probiotic bacteria vary from product to product, so check the label to know which one you are buying.