There are over ONE BILLION cases of colds and influenza (the flu) in the United States every single year. Although there is no cure for the common cold, you can treat your cold symptoms, which last an average of 7 to 10 days. You can also decrease the duration and severity of your cold with over the counter drugs, which are costly and often have harmful side affects, or you can try these top five natural cold remedies for free!

1: Get plenty of rest

Force yourself to stay home from school, work, or other activities and stay in bed! Your body will heal much faster if you give it the rest it needs. A body under stress is less able to fight off a cold or flu.

2: Drink water

The BEST thing you can do when you feel a cold coming on is get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids. Fruit juice with Vitamin C or plain water are the best fluids to ingest when fighting a cold. Drink as much as you can and stay well hydrated.

3: Use a humidifier

If you are feeling congested, using a humidifier at night can really help clear out your nasal passages. If you don't have a humidifier you can turn on a hot shower and stand in the bathroom breathing in the steam for a few minutes.

4: Salt water

A great natural cold remedy for a sore throat is gargling with salt water. This really sooths the throat, although it doesn't taste great. Use approximately one teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and gargle several times throughout the day.

5: Take Vitamin C and Zinc

Zinc and Vitamin C can help reduce both the severity and the length of your cold. Echinacea is also thought to aid in healing from a cold. There are a lot of Vitamin C and Zinc supplements on the market, but most foods contain all you need. Just look at the nutrition label and choose foods that are high in these substances.



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