Everyone knows the symptoms of the beginning of a cold; when you begin to feel your throat scratch or your nose runs, and you try to stop it before it turns into a full blown cold. Well these are the home remedies that have shown to stop a cold before it begins or to shorten the duration of a cold!
The best thing to do when you are feeling cold symptoms is to increase your intake of liquids. Being hydrated is the best thing for you to do for your body. Drinking liquids that are warm or hot are even better to help you relieve those symptoms. Warm liquids soothe the membranes in your throat and nose and loosen congestion.
Another tip is to gargle salt water to relieve a sore throat. You can do this 4 times a day to relieve the symptoms of a scratchy or sore throat.
Adding moisture to the air in the form of steam or a humidifier will help loosen congestion and moisturize your nasal membranes. Steam can be addressed by taking a hot shower or by filling up a bowl with hot water and putting your face over it.
Other home remedies that can shorted the lifespan of a cold include zinc and vitamin C. Zinc can be found in many lozenges or cough syrups that can be found at your local market. Zinc has shown to shorten a cold by taking it at the first sign of any cold symptoms. Vitamin C will has also shown to decrease the length of time for colds. Vitamin C can be found in fruits and vegetables!
If you are still having trouble with symptoms of a cold including runny nose, sore throat, or dry mouth then it may be due to your nasal anatomy. A deviated septum can lead to breathing issues that can result in all of these symptoms. Make a consultation with Dr. Deepak Dugar at the Beverly Hills Rhinoplasty Center to find out whether you have a deviated septume! Call or text our office at (310) 276-1703!
Deepak Dugar MD
