Good Cold & Flu Remedies

While there is no medical cure for the common cold or the flu, natural remedies can provide you with symptom relief and help you get better faster. Due to potentially unpleasant side effects of prescription and over-the-counter medicine, many people choose to treat these common conditions with home or herbal remedies.

Herbs and Supplements

• Certain herbs and supplements might help shorten the duration of a cold or the flu and might even prevent recurring bouts of illness. Although most herbs and supplements do not cause dangerous interactions or side effects, check with your doctor before adding anything new to your regimen.

  Echinacea is an herb you can purchase in supplement form that can help boost your immune system. While some medical researchers are skeptical about echinacea's benefits for cold and flu symptoms, WebMD reports that a recent study found that patients who took it shortened their colds by 1.4 days.

  Zinc supplements might help shorten the duration of a cold, though there is no evidence to suggest that they help prevent colds. It is believed that zinc helps prevent the formation of proteins cold viruses use to reproduce. The Food and Drug Administration does not recommend the use of nasal sprays or other nasal products containing zinc due to the risk of permanently losing your sense of smell.

  Some studies suggest that vitamin C supplements can help shorten the length of a cold. According to WebMD, one study showed patients who took 8,000 mg of vitamin C on the first day of a cold recovered more quickly than those who did not take vitamin C. Be cautious about large doses of vitamin C, though. Consuming more than 2,000 mg per day can cause kidney stones and diarrhea.

Food and Drink

• When you have a cold, sip on some chicken soup. According to WebMD, lab research has shown that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties, though there is no hard evidence that this transfers to the human body. The steam can help ease nasal congestion and soup provides another fluid option to prevent dehydration. Steam from hot tea also can help with congestion and the warm liquid will help soothe your throat. Green and black teas have antioxidants that help fight disease as well.

  Flavor your food with garlic when you come down with a cold or the flu. Though garlic is not necessarily recommended as a cold remedy, it does have germ-fighting properties. Gargle with warm saltwater four times a day when fighting a cold or the flu to soothe a sore throat. Do not swallow saltwater.

Nasal Remedies

• Steam from a humidifier or a hot shower can help clear your nostrils and provide relief from a stuffy or runny nose. Over-the-counter saline nasal drops and sprays help clear bacteria and viruses from your nasal passages. You can make your own saline solution by mixing 8 ounces of warm water with 1/4 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp. of baking soda. Mix the ingredients well and use a bulb syringe, such as those sold to clear babies' noses, to squirt the solution into each nostril. Consider purchasing a neti pot from your local drugstore to use for saline nasal rinses. Neti pot rinses will thin your mucus, making it easier to drain from your sinuses.