Cold and Flu Home Care

The symptoms and, possibly, the duration of a cold or the flu may be helped by using the following home-care treatments:

• Drink extra liquids (such as juices, water, tea, or chicken soup) to avoid dehydration. Staying hydrated will keep the moist linings of your nose and throat from becoming dry. Mucus will stay moist and flow out of your body. (A runny nose is better than a stuffy nose.)
• Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to alleviate aching and reduce fever.
• Gargle with salt water to soothe sore throat pain. The salt and water will shrink the mucous membranes in your throat and decrease the pain from inflammation.
• Take extra vitamin C, which may shorten the duration of your cold. Vitamin C also may work as a natural decongestant. The best dose appears to be 500 mg taken four times daily. More than 500 mg per each dose is not well absorbed by the body.
• Slow down a little. Rest when you get home from work or school.
• Get extra sleep. Your body needs more rest as it fights off the infection.
• Use a humidifier to keep the air moist. This will help prevent the delicate linings of your nose and throat from drying out. Cool mist humidifiers are preferred because they are less likely to allow fungus to grow in the machine. Presence of fungus in the machine can lead to increased symptoms in people with allergies.
• Take hot showers to relieve nasal stuffiness. Steam will shrink the mucous membranes in your nose and throat and will aid mucus drainage.
• Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly on your nose if it gets red or sore. The nose often becomes chapped from the alternating wet mucus and irritated tissue.
• Take a decongestant to relieve stuffiness and nasal congestion.
• Take cough medicine to relieve a cough. Or, try this natural remedy.
• Take an antihistamine, especially at night or if you have allergies. (Note: Antihistamines may cause drowsiness and should not be taken with sedating drugs, antianxiety drugs, or sleep medications. Use caution if driving or operating any machinery while taking an antihistamine.)
• Use a nasal-decongestant spray for 3 days or less to avoid the rebound effect, which may cause increased congestion later.
• Treat nausea by slowly drinking the thick syrup from a can of peaches, pears, mixed fruits, or mandarin oranges. Chewing any form of ginger also helps relieve nausea.
• If you develop diarrhea, don’t drink any milk products until the diarrhea stops. Any intestinal inflammation reduces lactase (the enzyme for digesting milk sugar). Eat bananas, rice, and applesauce.
• Wash your hands frequently, which will help prevent the spread of your cold or flu to others.
• Use tissues instead of handkerchiefs to avoid spreading germs.