5 Natural Cold Remedies

The common cold is a tough illness to contract, for reasons beyond the fact that we still haven’t developed a sure-fire cure yet. Colds can be strong enough to incapacitate us, but don’t always feel like they’re serious enough to warrant strong medication, especially for those that don’t tend to enjoy more chemically-oriented solutions to the body’s problems.

Luckily there are a number of natural solutions that can help ease some of your major discomfort when you’ve got a cold. Again, there’s no sure-fire cold buster, but there are a lot of ways that you can manage your symptoms and give your body the chance to relax and heal itself.

ECHINACEA

This fantastic herbal supplement is like a shot of Red Bull for your immune system. You can take it in pill form, or you can go with the medicine dropper under your tongue. The latter is a little less pleasant, but definitely more effective.

Echinacea is going to do you the most good when you start to feel the symptoms of your cold approaching. We all know exactly how it feels: the “I think maybe I’m getting sick” feeling that is quickly dismissed…until it returns the next day because you’re actually sick. The next time you start to feel that creeping ache or slightly sore throat, take some echinacea. You might very well help stop your cold in its tracks, or at the very least make it a bit less severe.

ZINC

Another good solution for when you feel that first indication of approaching illness, zinc is easy to come by and tends to come in convenient lozenge form. As soon as you start to feel that sore throat coming on — and we all know the feeling, that sickly, off sensation right in the back of your mouth — grab about 15 to 30 miligrams of zinc. Lozenge form is best, and this will help take the edge off your incoming cold.

VITAMIN C

If it sounds like one of the oldest tricks in the book, that’s because it works! Vitamin C is conveniently located inside most of your favorite fruits and vegetables, so you don’t have to look super hard to come by it. Like most natural remedies, this is best utilized when you first start to feel your cold approaching. If you get it in time, though, a good amount of Vitamin C has been scientifically shown to reduce your cold’s lifespan by up to 8% — not bad!

CHICKEN SOUP

This is yet another tried-and-true cold remedy whose notoriety is also the result of its effectiveness. A big bowl of chicken soup has both broth and vegetables whose nutrients, vitamins, and minerals help reduce inflammation in your bronchial tubes. It’s loaded with helpful amino acids to boot, and plus it’s warm and tasty. Relaxation is not to be underestimated when you’re sick — giving your body as much energy to fight off your illness is going to get you better as quickly as possible.

STEAM

Another great way to provide yourself with some cold relief is the steam treatment. This can be as easy as closing off your bathroom and running a hot shower. You can also hold your head over a pot of steaming water if you’re concerned about your water (and heat) bills, but be careful and don’t burn your face.

Whatever your delivery method, steam will help clear your head and sinuses, offering you some serious relief so you can catch a nap or get some work done. You can also go online and find the best vaporizers or humidifiers that can help do the same kind of work overnight, while you sleep.

Colds can be rough, but the best thing about them is that there are a number of natural resources that you can turn to which will help take the edge off your illness. Who knows — soon we might even have access to a cure for the common cold. In the meantime, these remedies will do just fine.