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Cold Remedies and Nasal Sprays

Colds, especially in the dry air of winter, can leave people feeling miserable. Fortunately, there are lots of different remedies that can help relieve the symptoms. Over-the-counter cold medicines are one option and are usually pretty effective at temporarily alleviating cold symptoms. However, if you just can't muster up the energy to get yourself to the store, you can try some of these home remedies for cold relief.

  1. Saline Nasal Spray

    • One effective remedy against sinus congestion is to make a nasal spray out of salt and water. To do this, boil about a liter of water and add a teaspoon of salt. Give the salt a moment to dissolve then remove the pot from the heat. Allow the water to cool and put the solution into a sterile bottle. Using a nasal syringe or dropper, place a few drops of the solution into each nostril and let the saline drip into the nasal passages.

    Honey and Lemon Water

    • A hot beverage made with honey and lemon should help alleviate nasal or chest congestion as well as a sore throat or cough. The steam from the hot beverage should help open nasal passages while the honey soothes soreness and itchiness in the throat. In addition, the lemon juice gives you some immune-boosting Vitamin C. Just add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey to an eight ounce mug of hot water and drink.

    Steam

    • Congestion from a cold can make normal breathing difficult. Steam can help. You can use either a vaporizer or a pot of very hot water. To make this even more effective, you can add some white vinegar, eucalyptus oil, or tea tree oil to the water. These substances can provide extra relief from congestion.

    Spices

    • Spices like cayenne pepper, garlic, and onion can not only add some kick to your food, but they may also help you feel better when you've got a cold. The pungent heat of cayenne pepper is great for opening up congested nasal passages and onion can do the same. Garlic is good to eat when you have a cold because it actually has antiseptic properties, so it can help fight off the infection itself. You'll need to add fresh garlic to your food or take a garlic capsule for this to be effective, however. Garlic salt does not work.

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