Cold remedies: What works, what doesn't (2023)

FAQs

How can I get rid of a cold in 24 hours naturally? ›

While the duration of your symptoms may vary, many people wonder how to cure a cold in 24 hours or even overnight. The best way to tame a cold fast is to stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids, gargle with salt water, take an OTC medication, and humidify the air.

Antibiotics will not help with a cold. Antibiotics help with bacterial infections, not with viral infections such as colds. Most people who have a cold will feel better after a week or two. However, some people who get a cold may develop other illnesses, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

When you have a cold, your body makes chemicals called histamines. That leads to sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes. Over-the-counter antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine block this process and can relieve those symptoms. They can also make you sleepy and dry out your eyes, nose, and mouth.

The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery.

You Aren't Getting Enough Rest

Sleep helps keep your immune system working like it should. Once you have a cold, you need to catch enough Zzz's to help your body fight off the virus. Take it extra easy during the first 3 days. Too little shut-eye can also make you more likely to get a cold.

In adults and older children, they usually last about 7 to 10 days, but can last longer. A cough in particular can last for two or three weeks. Colds tend to last longer in younger children who are under five, typically lasting around 10 to 14 days. Read more about colds in children.

Although many people take Emergen-C to prevent or shorten a cold, the scientific evidence showing it works is minimal. If you're an athlete or physically active, this supplement's vitamin C may help prevent a cold.

Vitamin C does not prevent colds and only slightly reduces their length and severity. A 2013 review of scientific literature found that taking vitamin C regularly did not reduce the likelihood of getting a cold but was linked to small improvements in cold symptoms.

Can some colds be much worse than others? Yes, some colds can be worse than others. This depends on several things, including which virus is causing the cold, the person's age, how capable their immune system is of fighting the cold, and also if they have existing antibodies against that particular virus.

Can you stop a cold from getting worse? ›

Act Fast. If you can't hold off a cold, it'll take for 5-7 days for your symptoms to improve, Carstensen says. Getting an early jump on them on can help you manage them until you're well, she says. Start with over-the-counter medications like antihistamines with decongestants.

There is no way to get rid of a cold fast. A cold will usually go away on its own without treatment. However, a person may experience uncomfortable symptoms while they recover. People can take steps to aid recovery, such as getting plenty of rest.

Kale, broccoli, cranberries, green tea, red onions, blueberries: What do these have in common? All have an antioxidant called quercetin that may help you fight the common cold.

Antihistamines can treat an allergy-induced runny nose, reducing the allergic response and drying up mucus. Decongestants can ease the symptoms of a respiratory infection by restricting blood vessels and reducing the amount of mucus released.

Within 7–10 days , people will usually start to recover from a cold. Symptoms begin to ease up, and people will start feeling better. People may also find that they have more energy and are more able to carry out tasks as usual.

But in a new study, they have found that doing so may actually make a cold worse, because the blow propels mucus into the nasal sinuses. Blowing one's nose creates a significant amount of pressure, according to Jack M.

You may have heard that it's beneficial to “sweat out a cold.” While exposure to heated air or exercise may help temporarily relieve symptoms, there's little evidence to suggest that they can help treat a cold.

If symptoms get worse, rather than better, after 3-7 days, you may have acquired a bacterial infection. These symptoms can also be caused by a cold virus other than a rhinovirus.

A cold will usually go away on its own without treatment. However, a person may experience uncomfortable symptoms while they recover. People can take steps to aid recovery, such as getting plenty of rest. Some studies suggest that vitamin C and echinacea may reduce the duration of a cold.

Taking a hot shower or a bath can really help to quell your various pains. The warmth from the bath can help soothe your lungs, and the steam will moisturize your throat and nasal passages that have been dried out from your sickness.

How can you tell if a cold is viral or bacterial? ›

There is no guarantee that zinc will help you feel better faster. In some studies, zinc did nothing to shorten how long people with colds felt bad. In other studies, zinc may have shortened symptoms by a few days. But the side effects from taking zinc can be uncomfortable or serious in some cases.

Emergen-C Daily Immune Support Drink

But if you already have a cold, it won't actually help shorten the duration of a cold very much (no cure exists for the common cold!) —maybe a day, tops, according to Harvard Health.

Vitamins C and D, zinc, and Echinacea have evidence-based efficacy on these immune system barriers.

Taking vitamin D is not a guaranteed guard against the cold or flu. But vitamin D supplements are inexpensive and might give you a boost. Vitamin D: New studies suggest that people with low blood levels of vitamin D are more likely to get sick. Researchers think that vitamin D may play a role in boosting immunity.

It is much easier to see just how big of a dose these supplements provide. Airborne recommends taking no more than three tablets per day, but this is still over 3000% more vitamin C than you actually need. Emergen-C also cautions against using more than two packets.

The sodium in the recipe helps relieve sore throat pain (the same principle behind gargling warm salt water), the heat helps clear nasal congestion, and can relieve pain and sinus pressure. The vitamins and minerals in nutrient-dense soups can also speed recovery, Bailey adds.

Circulating air from a fan can dry out your mouth, nose, and throat. This could lead to an overproduction of mucus, which may cause headaches, a stuffy nose, sore throat, or even snoring. While a fan won't make you sick, it may worsen symptoms if you're already under the weather.

The average cold lasts about three days to two weeks, so if your cough isn't going away, it could be because the cold medicine isn't cutting it. COVID-19, allergies, pneumonia, sinus infections and acute bronchitis can last for weeks—or sometimes months— rather than days.

Does ibuprofen prolong a cold? ›

Ibuprofen has little benefit for treating cold and flu, according to UK researchers who warn it may even prolong symptoms.

It's a myth!

Because oranges are rich in vitamin C, we believe – falsely – that eating them can help cure a cold. Let us be clear: after the onset of cold symptoms, eating oranges or drinking orange juice is not an effective treatment.

Food to Avoid

Also, try to avoid refined sugar as it is pro-inflammatory and increases the production of mucus. Other foods to avoid include tomatoes (contain histamines), chocolate, cheese, gluten, and fruits like bananas, which can cause congestion.

Antihistamines counteract the effect of histamine throughout the body, and treat a range of symptoms including itching, hives, sneezing, and runny nose.

Your cold has become a sinus infection

If your cold symptoms haven't cleared up after 10 days, but instead persist without improvement, your cold may have morphed into a sinus infection. Sinus infections happen when fluid builds up in the air-filled pockets in the face (sinuses), which allows germs to grow.

Lifestyle factors, such as whether a person gets enough rest or whether they smoke cigarettes, can also help speed up or slow down recovery. Even after the virus is out of the body, some symptoms may linger. For example, stubborn mucus or a cough may last for another week or more after the infection clears up.

Is there anything to make a cold go away faster? ›

There is no way to get rid of a cold fast. A cold will usually go away on its own without treatment. However, a person may experience uncomfortable symptoms while they recover. People can take steps to aid recovery, such as getting plenty of rest.

In adults and older children, they usually last about 7 to 10 days, but can last longer. A cough in particular can last for two or three weeks. Colds tend to last longer in younger children who are under five, typically lasting around 10 to 14 days.

If your symptoms don't improve or they start to get worse, let your doctor know. You might have a bacterial infection that needs treatment with an antibiotic. Fight cold and flu symptoms all year round with Amazon Basic Care. Save your tissues — shop popular products to calm your cough and congestion.

Symptoms of a cold usually peak within 2 to 3 days and can include: Sneezing. Stuffy nose. Runny nose.

The average cold lasts about three days to two weeks, so if your cough isn't going away, it could be because the cold medicine isn't cutting it. COVID-19, allergies, pneumonia, sinus infections and acute bronchitis can last for weeks—or sometimes months— rather than days.