If you're suffering from a sore throat, a headache, a cough, congestion and a feeling of general malaise, you may be infected with the common cold. If it's OK with your doctor, you can use home remedies to help reduce the severity of your symptoms, reduce the duration of the cold, and help make the cold more bearable while you are recovering.
Saltwater
A saltwater gargle can help reduce the mucus that collects in the back of the throat due to postnasal drip. The Mayo Clinic recommends gargling with saltwater to help reduce symptoms of a sore or itchy throat. When the throat is irritated, you also may experience a dry cough. To help reduce coughing and soothe the throat, mix 1/2 tsp. of salt in a glass of warm water. Take one mouthful of the saltwater solution at a time and carefully tip your head back while gargling the water. Spit the saltwater out, then repeat until you have gargled the entire mixture.
Water, Lemon and Honey
Honey helps suppress a cough, while lemon may cut the mucus that forms in the back of the throat, causing irritation. The Mayo Clinic suggests boiling a pot or kettle of water, then pouring the hot water into a mug and mixing in lemon and honey to taste. Sip the solution while inhaling the steam from the mug to help loosen congestion in the nasal passages and chest. The Mayo Clinic warns that honey should not be given to infants, as it can cause infant botulism, a type of food poisoning.
Humidity
Inhaling steam or water vapor helps loosen chest congestion and speeds up the movement of mucus in the body. Boil a pot of water, then turn the stove off and carefully place your face over the pot and inhale the steam, recommends Alexander Chester, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. At night, run a humidifier or vaporizer to help prevent coughing. Humidifiers and vaporizers can collect harmful bacteria if they are not cleaned properly. Clean your humidifier or vaporizer several times a week to help prevent the growth of bacteria.
