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What is the Best Cold Relief?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 10,217
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Many people will rejoice the day scientists find a cure for the common cold, but until that point, the world generates an endless list of suggestions for cold relief. Choosing which of these are the best is really up to the individual. Some families have patent cold remedies and others will go through a series of cold relief suggestions with each rhinovirus, hoping that something makes the cold feel a little less miserable.

It’s appropriate to discuss some methods people routinely believe are cold relief, and which don’t address symptoms. Antihistamines, so good at treating allergies, don’t reduce congestion, unless a person also has allergies. Antibiotics won’t provide relief because colds are viruses; they’re only useful if a person gets a secondary infection from the cold. Over-feeding or starving a cold isn’t considered helpful, and people should simply try to eat a healthy diet.

At the same time, people might reach for the wrong cold relief remedies, they may ignore some of the folk remedies that could be useful. Chicken soup does seem to reduce days of illness slightly, perhaps because it provides the body with needed liquids. Nasal rinsing, which comes from ancient Ayurvedic practices may promote some comfort, and might prevent sinus infections. It won’t necessarily cure a cold any sooner, but many people assert they feel better with two nasal rinse or neti pot treatments a day. The simplicity of drinking lots of fluids is recommended highly because greater fluid intake may help thin nasal secretions.

There are plenty of cold relief remedies at the drug store, including a plethora of cold and cough medicines. Doctors often advise people to use these with caution and to be particularly careful reading labels if they take drugs like high blood pressure medicine, blood thinners, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Oral decongestants like pseudoephedrine may result in reduced congestion and medicines like guaifenesin could help with cough. The general recommendation is to take these if necessary, but to avoid taking unnecessary medicines. Don’t take a cold and cough remedy if only nasal congestion is present, and avoid taking drugs with pain relievers, if no fever or pain is present.

Cold relief can diverge into areas where results are unproven. This is the case with many herbal remedies that are said to shorten the length of a cold. Some of the herbal/natural remedies recommended include zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C. Other candidates are ginger and cinnamon.

One natural remedy that may be of particular use when coughing is honey, which does appear to reduce cough. Another, which many people will find extremely popular, is chocolate. Some studies suggest it tames a cough too, and it’s certainly sweet cold relief.

There’s an old saying that a cold gets better in two weeks with treatment and fourteen days without treatment. Most people won’t find much reduction in days of snuffly suffering, no matter the remedy. Still, any safe treatment that promotes a little comfort may be well worth trying.

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Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

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Discussion Comments
By Animandel — On Nov 16, 2014

My answer to cold and flu relief is to go to the drug store and buy the strongest over the counter product I can legally purchase. This doesn't make me feel any better while the cold lasts, but at least it puts me to sleep for most of the time until the cold is gone.

By Feryll — On Nov 15, 2014

Colds are simply a part of life, so we have to live through them as best we can. I know there are some people who say they never get sick, so I guess they are the exceptions. The rest of us just have to make ourselves as comfortable as possible until our colds clear up and fade away.

Getting in a hot shower is one of the best ways I have found to make myself feel at least a little better when I have a bad cold. The shower has to be hot enough to create a good amount of steam. The combination of the hot water on my body and the steam floating into my sinuses is a big cold relief for me.

Also, if you feel well enough to go to the local health center, getting in the steam room and staying for 30 minutes or so is a great way to combat the congestion and stiffness associated with some colds.

By Drentel — On Nov 14, 2014

The opening of this article says that many people will rejoice when there is finally a cure for the common cold. I'll tell you who will not rejoice when this common cold cure hits the market; all of the companies who make millions of dollars selling treatments for cold symptoms.

Do you have any idea how big of a business treating the common cold is? Not only are companies making money, but a large number of people are also earning decent wages working to make and put these cold relief remedies on the shelves in stores. The economy is going to take a big hit if the common cold is ever really eliminated.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
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