13 Home Remedies for Cold

Most people generally recover from a cold in about seven to ten days. However, managing symptoms of cold and their severity is key in ensuring that you feel comfortable while the virus runs its course. During cold, people experience symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, body aches, stuffy nose, or a scratchy throat. Remedies for cold focus on managing these symptoms. There are several over-the-counter (OTC) ways that you can use such as decongestant nasal spray, neti pot, or a humidifier that can help with the symptoms and provide relief. Along with this, there are also a range of home remedies for cold that you can go for to feel better. 

Following are 13 home remedies for cold that are simple, effective and cost friendly: 

1. Drink Lots Of Fluids

This is an advice that people get most often when they have a cold. And that’s because drinking lots of fluids is a very effective way of thinning out mucus, thus clearing the nasal congestion or cough faster and more effectively. You can consume fluids in the form of water, juice, soup, tea or broth. However, you should avoid caffeine and alcohol since these can dehydrate you. 

2. Have Chicken Soup

Another one of the effective home remedies for a runny nose or a cold is having chicken soup. Chicken soup is recommended not just because it’s a comfort food but also because soup helps with hydration, and the warm fluid also helps with the sore throat. Over and above this, chicken soup has an amino acid called cysteine, which helps in thinning the mucus and easing the congestion. 

3. Get Plenty Of Rest 

One of the understated and undervalued remedies for cold is getting proper rest. Getting good rest and sleep is important because only then your immune system will be able to fight the virus effectively. Adults should ideally get 7-9 hours of sleep at night and take naps during the day. Kids should sleep for 9-12 hours and teens should sleep for 8-10 hours at night. 

4. Salt Water Gargles 

Salt water gargles help relieve discomfort in the throat when you have a sore or scratchy throat. For salt water gargles, add a teaspoon of salt in warm water and gargle using the water in the back of your throat for about 10 to 30 seconds. Spit out the water when done. This is one of those home remedies for cold that may provide you instant relief. 

5. Drink Warm Fluids 

Having lots of liquids is great and drinking lots of warm fluids is even better. Like mentioned earlier, warm liquids will help in thinning the mucus in the throat and nose and can also provide temporary relief in the throat. You can have warm water, warm lemon water, hot tea or a warm clear broth. 

6. Honey 

Honey helps if you’ve been having difficulty sleeping because of the coughing. Having a spoonful of honey helps soothe the sore throat and also helps ease the cough temporarily. You can also have honey by adding it to warm water. 

7. Take Steam 

Another one of the home remedies for runny nose that is quite affecting is taking steam. Taking steam helps loosen the mucus and the phlegm. You can use a vaporizer or you can use a towel to cover your head as you sit in front of a bowl of hot water to take in the steam. Just make sure to be careful when doing this since there’s a risk of hot water spilling on you. 

8. Have Beetroot Juice

Beetroot has a range of health benefits. It is an antioxidant and has liver protecting properties. It also helps in lowering blood pressure and in stabilizing blood sugar. During a cold, a study suggests, beetroot juice can help with cold symptoms. Especially for people who have asthma, beetroot juice can be very helpful. 

9. Take Vitamin D Supplements 

Studies suggest that when your vitamin D levels are low, you are at a higher risk of catching a cold. Taking vitamin D supplements can decrease your chances of catching a cold and getting upper respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D can help your immune system fight out viruses more effectively. 

10. Use A Cold Compress 

If you are also experiencing the symptoms of a headache or fever during a cold, placing a cold compress over your forehead can help reduce the inflammation and decrease the pain or fever. You can make a cold compress by moistening a cloth or towel and then freezing it for 15 minutes. 

11. Use An Extra Pillow While Sleeping 

Congestion during a cold gets worse at night and can make it difficult for you to sleep. This is because when you lay down, the mucus cannot drain easily. To make sure that the mucus does not get accumulated in your head or throat, you can use an extra pillow at night to get a good night’s sleep. 

12. Zinc 

Some studies show that taking zinc in the form of  lozenges, tablets, or syrup could reduce the duration of cold by about one day, if you have zinc within the first 24-48 hours of having cold symptoms. 

13. Some Useful Kitchen Ingredients

Oregano: So far you may have used oregano only on pizza. However, oregano can be a very useful item in fighting a cold. Oregano has several flu-fighting properties. It is antibacterial, antifungal, and an antioxidant. Consuming oregano during a cold can prove to be very helpful. 

Cinnamon: Cinnamon can be used for a lot more than just for flavoring foods. Cinnamon has antifungal and analgesic properties. Having cinnamon during a cold can help in warming the body and dilating your blood vessels. Infact cinnamon is also used to treat bronchitis. You can consume cinnamon by making cinnamon tea by pouring boiling water on the cinnamon sticks. You can also choose to sprinkle it on your food or latte. 

Garlic: Garlic also has properties that act as antioxidants and that boost the immune system. Over and above this, it is also known to be antibacterial. Adding garlic to your food or soup during a cold can help you reap all these benefits from this ingredient when you’re feeling unwell. 

Ginger: Ginger is also a strong antioxidant and it is known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral properties. Adding a few cut slices of ginger in hot water and having it like tea can help one get relief from the cold symptoms. You can also choose to add some lemon and honey with it to help soothe your throat. 

Even after trying these home remedies for cold, if you still do not feel better or if any of your symptoms are too severe then you can consult a doctor who can guide you on the next steps that you should take.

Doctor At Home in Dubai | First Response Healthcare 

When you’re feeling unwell, even when you know that going to the doctor is the most important thing to do, it can still feel like the hardest thing to do because of your condition, symptoms and fatigue. We, at First Response Healthcare, understand this and thus extend our medical care services right at your doorstep to ensure that you get the right treatment at the right time without wasting time or without too much effort. 

First Response Healthcare (FRH) is a JCI accredited home healthcare company in Dubai that provides high quality and patient centric medical services right in your own home. For its international quality services, FRH has received a gold seal of approval from the Joint Commission International Standards for Home Healthcare. 

FRH has a highly competent team of DHA licensed doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and medical experts who are international trained and experienced and they offer their services 24*7, 365 days a year. We can visit you at any location in Dubai within 30 minutes after you book an appointment with us. Our team of doctors can provide you with diagnosis and treatment for several conditions right from fever, cold, migraines and allergic reactions to respiratory conditions, chronic diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, skin problems among several others.

Benefits Of Choosing FRH:

• Flexible Appointments: We adapt to your schedule and you can book an appointment with us 24*7, even on weekends and public holidays. 
• Quick Services: We can reach you within 30* minutes after you book an appointment with us. 
• Locations Covered: Entire Emirate of Dubai. 
• Place of Your Convenience: Our doctor can visit you at your home, hotel or office. 
• Diagnostics: To make testing more accessible and easier, we also provide the service of laboratory tests at home. 
• Referrals to Specialist: When need be, our doctor can offer a specialist referral or referral to an inpatient facility. 
• Diagnosis for All Age Groups: We offer diagnosis and treatment for patients of all age groups right from children to elderly. 
• Pharmacy Delivery: We also deliver medicines at your doorstep through our 24-hour pharmacy partner services.
• One to one attention: We pay attention to and prioritize your needs and comfort and make sure we are giving you one on one attention. 

To book an appointment at home with a doctor in Dubai, you can call on 0505050387 or 800DIALDOC. You can also reach out to us by visiting https://firstresponse.ae

Content Reviewed by Medical Director at FRH