How Effective Are Cold Remedies at Clearing Your Symptoms?
If there's one illness that everyone gets at some point in their life, it's the common cold.
Adults catch roughly two to three colds a year and although it is the most frequent infectious disease among humans, there is still no known cure.
This could have something to do with the fact that there are more than 200 different viral types associated with colds and, in many cases, more than one virus is present each time an individual gets ill.
Therefore, we as humans have to accept that if we catch a cold, that's it.
There is no way of getting rid of it until our bodies fight the virus off naturally and all we can do is try to treat the symptoms to try and make ourselves feel a little more comfortable.
The common cold is a disease of the upper respiratory tract.
As a result, human beings suffer from a runny nose, nasal congestion and, in 40 per cent of cases, a sore throat.
In 50 per cent of cases people will also have a cough, while half of those with a cold get muscle ache.
Some also experience fatigue, headaches and a loss of appetite.
So, these are the symptoms that need to be treated to manage a cold effectively.
But what should you do and which cold remedies actually work? The most important thing is to drink plenty of water, warm lemon water and juices.
These will help to keep your body hydrated and loosen congestion.
It's important to avoid alcohol or too many caffeinated drinks, as these can make you dehydrated and will therefore make you feel worse.
Another effective decongestant is menthol crystals.
These are dissolved in a bowl of hot water and you put a towel over your head before breathing in the vapour.
Like nasal sprays, these can be very strong, but the menthol will help to unblock your nose and will also help to soothe your sinuses.
On top of these, there is also a wide range of tablets and capsules you can take.
While some are simply paracetemol or ibuprofen and help to ease the pain of a headache, others are like hard-boiled sweets and contain menthol to help ease a blocked nose, or anaesthetic to numb the pain of a sore throat.
It is important to remember that these remedies are not going to be a quick-cure solution for your cold.
There is no way of getting rid of the virus and all you can do is treat the symptoms.
You will need to keep taking these medicines on a regular basis throughout the day to ease the symptoms and lessen the pain of a sore throat.
Of course, it is important to never to take more than the recommended dosage.
Finally, you may have heard that chicken soup is a cold remedy and you should try to eat some when you're feeling ill.
It might just seem like an old-wives' tale, but in fact, there could be some truth behind the story.
Not only does chicken soup act as an anti-inflammatory, but it can temporarily speed up the movement of mucus, therefore helping to relieve congestion and limit the length of time the viruses are in contact with the lining of the nose.
So, next time you have a cold, read the packets of medicines carefully to ensure they contain some kind of pain relief and preferably menthol to help clear sinuses.
Complement these with menthol crystals or a nasal spray and a big bowl of chicken soup.
Adults catch roughly two to three colds a year and although it is the most frequent infectious disease among humans, there is still no known cure.
This could have something to do with the fact that there are more than 200 different viral types associated with colds and, in many cases, more than one virus is present each time an individual gets ill.
Therefore, we as humans have to accept that if we catch a cold, that's it.
There is no way of getting rid of it until our bodies fight the virus off naturally and all we can do is try to treat the symptoms to try and make ourselves feel a little more comfortable.
The common cold is a disease of the upper respiratory tract.
As a result, human beings suffer from a runny nose, nasal congestion and, in 40 per cent of cases, a sore throat.
In 50 per cent of cases people will also have a cough, while half of those with a cold get muscle ache.
Some also experience fatigue, headaches and a loss of appetite.
So, these are the symptoms that need to be treated to manage a cold effectively.
But what should you do and which cold remedies actually work? The most important thing is to drink plenty of water, warm lemon water and juices.
These will help to keep your body hydrated and loosen congestion.
It's important to avoid alcohol or too many caffeinated drinks, as these can make you dehydrated and will therefore make you feel worse.
Another effective decongestant is menthol crystals.
These are dissolved in a bowl of hot water and you put a towel over your head before breathing in the vapour.
Like nasal sprays, these can be very strong, but the menthol will help to unblock your nose and will also help to soothe your sinuses.
On top of these, there is also a wide range of tablets and capsules you can take.
While some are simply paracetemol or ibuprofen and help to ease the pain of a headache, others are like hard-boiled sweets and contain menthol to help ease a blocked nose, or anaesthetic to numb the pain of a sore throat.
It is important to remember that these remedies are not going to be a quick-cure solution for your cold.
There is no way of getting rid of the virus and all you can do is treat the symptoms.
You will need to keep taking these medicines on a regular basis throughout the day to ease the symptoms and lessen the pain of a sore throat.
Of course, it is important to never to take more than the recommended dosage.
Finally, you may have heard that chicken soup is a cold remedy and you should try to eat some when you're feeling ill.
It might just seem like an old-wives' tale, but in fact, there could be some truth behind the story.
Not only does chicken soup act as an anti-inflammatory, but it can temporarily speed up the movement of mucus, therefore helping to relieve congestion and limit the length of time the viruses are in contact with the lining of the nose.
So, next time you have a cold, read the packets of medicines carefully to ensure they contain some kind of pain relief and preferably menthol to help clear sinuses.
Complement these with menthol crystals or a nasal spray and a big bowl of chicken soup.
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