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Care of the Common Cold

A cold will make you feel run down and generally miserable, especially since there is no quick-fix to permanently relieve your symptoms. If you come down with a cold at any point during the year, be sure to take care of yourself so it does not develop into anything more serious.

  1. Rest

    • Though you may not have a fever, a common cold is still your body's way of telling you that it is trying to fight off a foreign body. Give your immune system some help and time to fight the intruder by getting plenty of rest. Go to bed early and take time during the weekend to sleep in and even spend a day on the couch watching movies. You may feel fine, other than a stuffy nose and sore throat, but if you do not rest in the beginning stages of your cold, your symptoms may drag on for weeks.

    Fluids

    • When you have a cold, drinking plenty of fluids, preferably water, will help keep you hydrated and will also assist in thinning mucus buildup. You body cannot function without water, and depriving it of such an important nutrient will only make fighting the cold more difficult. Carry a water bottle around with you when you are away from home and try to drink at least 64 ounces of fluids a day. This correlates to an 8-ounce glass with each meal along with 4 others throughout the day. It seems like a lot, but when broken up throughout the day, is not difficult.

    Vitamins

    • Take your vitamins. Give your body extra doses of supplements like Vitamin C, B-12, B-6 and other such nutrients found in multi-vitamins. Doing this will boost your immune system and help ward off other, more serious, infections like the flu, strep throat or bronchitis, that can develop from a common cold if you don't take good care of yourself.

    Be Sanitary

    • In order to avoid picking up any unnecessary extra germs, remember to wash your hands or use a waterless hand sanitizer after using the restroom, touching door handles or other widely used objects and after coughing or sneezing. This will minimize your potential for accidentally picking up someone else's germs, which may result in a more serious infection. If possible, carry a small, travel size waterless hand sanitizer with you in your pocket or purse so you are prepared at all times.

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