How to Get Rid of a Cold Fast: 12 Natural Cures To Kick Your Cold.

 How to Get Rid of a Cold Fast: 12 Natural Cures To Kick Your Cold.

How to Get Rid of a Cold Fast: 12 Natural Cures To Kick Your Cold.

Section 1: Causes of the common cold

Researchers think colds come from a viral infection (like a cold or the flu). The virus is said to be transmitted when someone comes in contact with the cold-causing microorganisms in another person's respiratory tract. These microorganisms include viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Microorganisms don't typically make you sick. They just cause your immune system to respond by producing antibodies that recognize the microorganisms. Over time, these antibodies create protection against the microorganisms. But sometimes, a problem arises when a particular microorganism makes too many antibodies to your immune system's standard protein.

The result is what's known as a "clinically unidentified infectious disease" (CID).

Symptoms of the common cold

Most people have a runny nose, but not everyone has a full-blown cold. The symptom of a cold can vary from mild, and goes away in a few days, to moderate, and lasts a few weeks. Many people who have a cold experience a fever of 100°F or higher, so getting that fever down may help soothe your symptoms.

How to get rid of a cold faster: 7 natural remedies

Cold remedies and vitamins

Yogurts with live cultures

The practice of using live cultures in yogurt (the yogurt may have live cultures in it or it may not, just that the milk does) is old-fashioned, but there's some research that suggests it may help reduce the length of colds.

The idea is that some of the microbes that live on the skin (often called probiotics) can aid digestion, prevent illness, and stimulate the immune system.

How to treat a cold

Before we get into the treatments, let's remember a couple of things. First, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms below, you should avoid going to work or going out in public. The last thing you want is for the common cold to get you sicker or infect others.

Cold symptoms

For the most part, your symptoms are a cold: runny nose, sore throat, cough, fatigue, sneezing, body aches, headache, earache, and even low-grade fever. (If you're over age 65, you may have what's known as a "hypoparasitic" cough, which is not caused by a cold but by bronchial bacteria.)

How to treat a cold?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that there is no evidence that home remedies or prescription drugs help shorten the duration or lessen the severity of a cold.

Get enough sleep

Getting adequate sleep is an important part of the healing process. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found that poor sleep increases the size of colds in the lungs and increases mucus production. Lack of sleep also has a negative effect on your immune system. Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep each night, especially if you're sick.

Raw garlic

When ingested as a capsule or in powder form, raw garlic, which is a mainstay of cooking, can speed up the digestive process to relieve a sore throat. A study conducted in Japan found that taking a dose of 1,000 milligrams of raw garlic reduced coughing, sore throat, and other symptoms within a day. The Chinese have been using this recipe for centuries.

Drink plenty of fluids

Make sure you're drinking enough fluids. I see so many people who've fallen behind on their fluid intake over the holidays, and all of a sudden their sinuses and lungs start to feel as if they're not getting enough oxygen. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and if you're lactose intolerant, check with your doctor about lactose-free options. When you're sick, you need as much water as your body can handle.

Cough with your nose closed.

Holding your nose and coughing with it shut is a surefire way to ensure your phlegm doesn't end up in your lungs. It will just end up in your throat and out the back of your mouth, never making it into your lungs. Instead, practice the scenerio of holding a tissue to your nose and sneezing.

Use over-the-counter drugs

Since most of us have these handy at-home medicines right on the shelf, it's worth taking a look. If you have no fever or body aches, over-the-counter remedies may be more effective than a doctor-recommended course of antibiotics, says Dr. Alan Hirsch, who is vice chair for research at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. However, antibiotics may be more helpful for people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, or weakened immune systems.

"A lot of people will think 'I have a cold, so I need antibiotics,' and it's probably not necessary," Hirsch says.

If you're unsure, ask your doctor. Even if antibiotics are necessary, these drugs are usually over-the-counter. "Mostly what happens is you get the flu and they give you antibiotics," says Dr.

Natural remedies for a cold

Chamomile tea may help ease the symptoms of a cold. Chamomile tea may help ease the symptoms of a cold.

Chamomile tea, raw honey, and other natural remedies can help fight against a cold.

Some over-the-counter remedies may relieve mild symptoms, but there are some natural remedies that can also help speed up recovery.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile is a tea extract commonly available as an herbal remedy. It is a popular remedy for colds because it can help to relieve symptoms of a runny nose, dry throat, or sneezing.

Dr. Erica Porges, a naturopathic physician and medical writer, says that herbal remedies can be particularly useful for treating colds:

"In terms of natural cold remedies, herbal medicines offer the greatest promise, since they are all biologically active.

Ginger tea

Whether you make it yourself or purchase a bottle of ginger tea from the grocery store, it probably won't hurt you to drink a cup or two to settle your stomach. Ginger has long been a known spice that relieves nausea and helps with upset stomachs, but research shows it has antiviral properties that can help with the common cold.

Ginger tea is a decoction, a blend of a part of a spice and a liquid. Ginger, called rau ram in Indian, is an adaptogen herb that has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticancer properties. It can help with nausea and has been used for centuries to treat colds. As a decoction, ginger is simmered in a pot for at least 10 minutes before adding a dash of honey or lemon, or occasionally both.

Honey and lemon

Most natural remedies won't work for a cold, according to the National Institutes of Health. But a study in 2006 of 400 children ages 6 to 11 found that honey and lemon combined, which is known as "lamin A," were twice as effective as those taken individually.

Lamin A is the same component that makes honey creamy and brightly colored, but it can also aid the immune system. The researchers tested lemon in a liquid form, but many cough syrup ingredients have a lemon flavor.

It's been found that honey is good for sore throats, but doctors aren't sure about its effectiveness against a cold. So if you're suffering with a sore throat and have come down with a cold, experts recommend not taking honey as a remedy.

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Probiotics

It's important to eat a varied and balanced diet to make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. A good source of probiotic is yogurt or kefir. One probiotic found in kefir, called Bifidobacterium longum, can help fight the cold and reduce the duration of the cold.

Tea with honey and lemon

People tend to drink more tea when they're sick. The traditional remedy is to steep 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in hot tea. If you're not ready for dessert just yet, the hot tea will help soothe your throat. This combination is also thought to reduce your sensitivity to the cold virus.

A doctor-recommended alternative is to take an oral dose of 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day.

Conclusion

In short, there's no evidence that any of these "remedies" can really do much to cure your cold, or keep it from coming back in the next day or two. The best thing you can do is get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and use a vaporizer to relieve your symptoms.

And as always, consult your doctor before taking any medication or going on a new dietary regime.

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