Tell me your favourite ways to deal with a cold

[Replicon]

I have a cold. It's on its way out now, but I'm curious what methods others have found to help lessen the symptoms... Here are my thoughts: My colds have a very "phased" way of developing. It starts with a little tingle at the back of the nose (most people report a sore throat, but for me, it's usually more like I got chlorinated water into my nose, and it kinda stings). I think as it progresses, how bad that initial sting gets is a good indicator of how bad the rest of your cold will be. I think if you do something that will boost your immune system right when you first feel it, you've got a fighting chance. In fact, there's this certain type of chinese tea I've had before that just clears that right out, if you catch it early enough. I've also read that at that early stage, there's some way to completely wash/flush out your inner nose, and it will get rid of the bulk of it before it spreads any further... That sounds a little shady to me though, and frankly, I wouldn't want to risk getting liquids into my sinuses *shudder* Once that subsides, the stuffy/runny nose part begins. This is the part that is most intrusive to your life. I find that, moreso than any over-the-counter medicine, the best way to help clear out some of the stuffiness is to go for a walk. If you've been sitting for a while, you'll notice that the act of "getting up" will dislodge it just enough that you might be able to clear some of it away. So, if you're at work, get up and walk around like every 10-20 minutes to keep it clear. Not so much to deal with THIS symptom, but more to deal with the NEXT symptom: the coughing. All that "breathing with your mouth open" is going to irritate your throat. So, while there isn't much you can do while sleeping (other than maybe having an air humidifier in the room), you can at least mitigate it during the day. Finally, the last stage, when you know the symptoms are finally backing out, brings the shortest (but easily most frustrating) part of the cold: When I get up in the morning, I can't stop sneezing. I wish I knew a way to fix this, but I just can't. It only lasts maybe 20 minutes, but it's really annoying. I pass the time by saying curse words during the sneeze. I guess this is more of a rambling than anything else. Have fun with your colds! p.s. I caught one just recently (felt it develop on the plane back from Ireland). I hadn't had a cold in over a year and a half until I kissed the damn Blarney stone. Don't do that if you go. You want the gift of the gab? Join Toastmasters!

[Spartiate]

I usually just wait colds out, just the basic stuff (drink lots of fluids, not doing anything that would aggravate the cold...). I used to take really hot, steamy showers when I had a cold, and they helped... Now I have a spa, my next cold doesn't stand a chance .

[Replicon]

Ah yes, good ol' steam - that works great for an irritable throat.

[Michael]

For sore throats I use those cherry luden things. I think that's what they're called. They taste like candy. For the runny nose I take a long hot shower and blow all that junk out in there and take some nasal decongestant. For itchy eyes... eye drops. I don't really do this stuff, unless it's bad... But the absolute most annoying thing for me is having a stopped up nose, or a runny nose. So far the best thing i've found besides medicine for this, is the long hot shower that I said earlier. God I hate stuffy noses.... can't sleep... works a bitch... life sux.

[Clairity]

Try taking Airborne at the first sign of a cold. It's pretty effective and can be found at any grocery or drug store.

[Idec Sdawkminn]

Most of the time I'll only get one symptom. Sore throat or runny nose or cough. It's rare when I get 2 or 3. I just got over a sore throat. For sore throats, the only thing I do is suck on Halls cough drops. Ice cream seems to work well. Even if it doesn't, it seems like it does and ice cream rules anyway. For coughs I do absolutely nothing different. For runny noses, besides "getting up" once in a while, I do absolutely nothing different. For sneezing...well...I like sneezing. When I feel a sneeze coming on, I think "alright!" If I feel it going away, I'll look at the brightest light I can find to help tip it over the edge and make me sneeze. I still eat all the same foods and everything. Still eat lots of junk food and chocolate and ice cream. I don't shower more often than usual. I pretty much just pretend I don't have it and do everything the same as before. I do end up resting more, but that's just because I'm more tired while sick. I usually go to bed when I'm tired. If being sick makes me tired sooner, then I go to bed sooner. In my experience, the colds go way quicker that way than if you nurse it and use less energy and eat healthier or whatever. Living with my parents, my mom would always make sure I took care of myself while sick. Now that I'm on my own and I don't do that, my colds seem to last much shorter. My mom would find out about this and tell me that I should take care of myself while sick. I just tell her, "Well, maybe sicknesses don't last very long in my body because my body's too unhealthy for them to live in." She just rolls her eyes.

[Ardent Lost]

My colds always start with a sore throat. And for me it's really quite simple and basic to avoid the onset of the actual cold completely. I simply make sure i don't exert too much energy throughout the day, i make sure i'm not physically cold, and i drink LOTS of water. The water is the most important thing. No medication, no steam, no tea. If i follow that method as soon as i feel my throat getting sore i'll be feeling right as rain by the next day. Without fail. We're just exiting the cold weather down here in Australia and i haven't had a cold all winter since i've used this method. Which is the first time in a while for me Maybe my immune system is stronger than others, but that's what works for me. Oh, and if i ever feel my nose getting a little sniffly for whatever reason i inhale some peppermint oil through each of my nostrils and it clears up instantly. Doesn't work as well when it's blocked though.

[Goldney]

Be a macho man and wait it out. In the meanwhile, to pass time, how about you bench-press bulls like I do?

[Never]

Possibly the best thing you can do for a cold is to not go to the doctor; even if you get a lung infection; unless perhaps you are dying. As soon as they put you on antibiotics, you are forever obligated to return. Wait it out, and your immunity will get stronger.

[Spartiate]

Antibiotics for a cold? Colds are viruses...

[Never]

Lung infections; bronchitis. *Points* ^

[Replicon]

I once had it bad, and went to a clinic, and it was almost 5pm, and even though there was no sign of... biotics... the guy (who clearly just wanted to go home) wanted to prescribe antibiotics. I told him where he can put them .

[Never]

That doctor should not be able to practice medicine. The problem is that they don't even tell you what they do to your body. They assume you don't care or are too dumb to understand, or too young. It is completely irresponsible.

[Pastro]

Large amounts of sleep and large amoutns of water.

[orange_entity]

This is going to sound like garbage but letting a piece of chocolate bar dissolve in your mouth is good for sore throats. For the stuffy nose I like to eat really, really spicy things (preferrably the hottest I can take without crying). It might not acutally do anything but it certainly makes my mucus run. Drinking or eating dairy products seems to make mucus a little thicker, or maybe that's just me.

[Maniaxe]

Food, drinks, drugs and sleep!

[bro]

Look up a certain nasal spray called "afrin". It works incredibly well and somehow opens your passages within 15 seconds...I promise...though it does make the inside a bit more tended. Aside from that, as others said, hot, steamy showers and hot tea many times will help to keep the sinuses and noise somewhat clear..I hope it goes away soon enough, they can be very frustrating...

[Jeff777]

I...typically just toss chicken bones over my left shoulder and throw salt into the fire while silently repeating molech's name and occasionally I will ...take Benadryll to combat an oncoming cold.

[wasup]

a golf ball wad of wasabi Enjoy.

[bro]

I have noticed that wasabi does clear EVERYTHING but never though of using it for a cold...good idea Wasup!

[O'nus]

Cold remedies: There's a famous saying that goes: “It’ll take you 7 days to get over the symptoms of the common cold or flu, assuming of course that you take your medication, drink plenty of liquid and rest. If you don’t, you won’t get well before a week.” Echinacea: - Does nothing: Annals of Internal Medicine: http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/137/12/939 + Other references show inconclusive results. ie. meta-analysis illustrates common variances amongst participants. Conclusive results are that echinacea may not play a direct part in a cure, but it does not hurt to take. Vitamin C, at the most, reduces cold episodes by a day: Occupational Medicine: http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cg...int/25/3/99.pdf Journal of the American College of Nutrition: http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/2/116 + Here it is shown that Vitamin C reduces cold episodes duration by approximately 20% Zinc: May help a little but has great adverse effects. Zicam manufacturer has paid out millions of dollars to over 300 people who said it made them lose their sense of smell. Cold-FX, Cold-MD, medication: If you read the label, it will say, "Diet supplement - strengthens the immune system. Not intended to prevent or treat any disease." Ginseng: I actually cannot find any study that proves ginseng benefits that is free from manipulated data. Canadian Medical Association has one but the results are considered outliers - the placebo group averaged 16.5 days of symptons for less than one cold and the cold episode was operationally defined as lasting 2 - 14 days. Almost all medical experts agree that cold episodes last about a week - so why is it that this study asserts that it is longer than it and somehow the placebo group is longer than average outside of this study? The National Medicines Comprehensive Database lists the following as "pssibly effective": - Andrographis, echinacea, panax ginseng, great plantain, peppermint oil, white horehound, vitamin C, and zinc. However, nothing is listed as probably effective, effective, or conclusive. Consider Scholars Portal, Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of American College of Nutrition, and Skeptic magazine (Vol. 13 No.3) for my sources. There are many more references available. ~

[Siиdяed]

My right eye leaks when I get a cold. I'm not crying. It's leaking. My usual tactic is to avoid contact with the general public, unfortunately. It works for most of my problems.

[Mrs. Jones]

i usually just carry on like i wasn't sick and infect other ppl. but if it's really bad i LD it off/ do sumthin that makes u happy, u heal faster.