How to Naturally Treat the Common Cold

The average adult typically gets four colds every year and for most people, the treatment is as simple as running down to the drugstore and picking up a bottle of cough syrup and a box of decongestant. Unfortunately, if you suffer from certain medical conditions or if you're taking prescription medications, the treatment may not be that simple. Luckily, there are a few ways you can naturally treat common cold symptoms without interfering with your medication or affecting your medical condition.

Things You'll Need

• Hard candies
• Tissues
• Tea bags
• Honey
• Lemon
• Cold washcloth
• Humidifier

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Instructions

Naturally Treat the Common Cold

• 1

  Use hard candies to soothe your sore throat. Keeping your throat moist will help lesson the scratchiness and soreness associated with the common cold.

• 2

  Blow your nose often. Blowing your nose helps to relieve stuffiness that can cause headaches and worsen your sore throat as you try to breathe through the mucus. Use soft tissues that contain lotion to prevent irritation to your nose.

• 3

  Sip a cup of hot tea. A cup of hot decaffeinated tea with a tablespoon of honey and a lemon wedge works wonders for sore throats and stuffy noses.

• 4

  Apply a cold compress to your forehead and sinus areas. Use a cold washcloth to help relieve sinus pain and the dull headache that usually accompanies the common cold.

• 5

  Stay close to a humidifier. A humidifier will help relieve chest congestion by loosening phlegm to make your coughs more productive. Use this step as an excuse to get plenty of rest. While there's no cure for the common cold, adequate rest will make you feel better and allow your body the energy it needs to fight the cold virus.