It’s that time of year. Midterms are making us stressed, I can’t remember the last time I woke up after the sun rose, and the classrooms are filled with the sounds of people trying to suppress coughing fits while blowing their noses. We all try our best to avoid getting sick in the first place, but, if you’re like me, it happens anyway. There is no cure for the common cold; however, there are ways that you can reduce the symptoms.
1. Rest! Make sure that you get plenty of rest so that your body can focus on its immune response.
2. Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water so that you stay hydrated. Many cold symptoms make it easy for you to become dehydrated. If you have a fever then you sweat, thus losing water. You also lose water by sneezing and coughing. Your body needs water to do its best at fighting off any viruses.
3. Warm liquids. I don’t know about you, but when I’m sick I crave chicken noodle soup. Other warm liquids are very soothing as well like tea or even just warm water with honey and lemon. These warm liquids help relieve nasal congestion and prevent dehydration at the same time.
4. Honey. Honey, which has antibacterial properties, is my go to when I’m sick because it soothes my sore throat like nothing else.
5. Gargle salt water. Although pretty disgusting and quite unpleasant, gargling salt water always helps me to soothe a sore throat.
6. Vapor rub. This was one of my go to solutions as a child, and it still is. Vapor rub helps relieve congestion, reduce coughing, and muscle aches.
7. Steamy shower. A hot shower or bath helps relieve congestion and helps you to feel more relaxed.
8. Spend the extra money for softer tissues. Believe me, it makes a huge difference! You don’t need to make yourself feel worse by having a burning, sore nose because you’ve been using sandpaper to blow you nose. Sure, eventually your nose will hurt anyway no matter which tissue you use, but you can at least prolong it and make it a lot less painful.
9. Sleep with extra pillows. This will help drain your nasal passages and ensure that you don’t wake up feeling like you’ll never be able to breathe out of your nose again.
10. Humidifier. This will help add moisture to the air and reduce congestion.
11. Blow your nose properly. Press a finger over one nostril while you clear the other. This is important because if you blow your nose too hard it can cause an earache.
12. Go see a doctor. If you are having a lot of trouble breathing or are experiencing chest pain and you have a fever that won’t go away, you should go see a doctor.
How do you help relieve cold symptoms? Let us know in the comments or on social media.