Symptoms of a Cold — Conclusion

How to prevent a cold

The best way to prevent a cold is to wash your hands with warm water and soap. Don’t place your hands on your face, especially if you’ve been around someone with a cold.

Sanitize your workspace. If you share office equipment, a phone, pens, pads, or a computer keyboard, wipe the area with disposable wipes or plain soap and water.

Treatments for a cold

Unfortunately, a cold usually needs to run its course. You can try these remedies that might make you feel better:

• Drink plenty of water, juice, clear broth, or warm water with lemon juice. Staying hydrated helps loosen congestion and prevents you from getting dehydrated.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Gargle with salt water. It will soothe your sore throat. Mix ½ teaspoon of salt into an 8-ounce glass of warm water.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) saline nasal drops and sprays can combat nasal congestion.
• OTC cold and cough medications can ease cold symptoms. They don’t prevent colds or shorten the duration. But by treating the symptoms, they ease congestion.
• Drink hot tea. You can sweeten herbal fruity teas with honey to relieve a scratchy throat.
• Use a cool mist vaporizer or humidifier to add moisture into the air. The moisture can help loosen congestion.

If your cold persists, call your doctor.

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