A chest cold can leave you feeling pretty miserable. Usually accompanied by fever, fatigue and body ache, chest cold is one thing that doesn’t leave you easily. Everyone you meet when you have a cold will come up with their own suggestions on how to treat it. You perhaps also already know that when you’re sick with a cold, you will be in bed for about a week. However, you can definitely try out some very effective home remedies to suppress the chest cold and rejuvenate your system.
Water is one of the simplest remedies for cold and infections. It helps loosen up mucus and flushes out toxins. So help yourself to loads of water and other liquids. Juices, clear broths, soups and warm water with honey will help you get back to your feet in no time. While you are unwell, try to keep away from caffeinated drinks like coffee, sodas etc. Also avoid alcohol since it can worsen dehydration.
Everyday, make a habit of gargling with warm salted water. Simply heat a glass of water and add half a teaspoon of salt into it. This relieves your sore and dry throat.
You can get plenty of saline nasal sprays which are available over-the-counter. You could also make your own saline nasal drops by adding a little unprocessed salt to a cup of warm water and then filling a small dropper with this saline solution. Also they help in decongestion without making the symptoms worsen.
Chicken soup, one of the oldest remedies to beat cold, is still relevant today. For generations, the effects of chicken soup have soothed those suffering from common cold. The soup however works in two ways. It first inhibits the movement of bacteria and causes an anti – inflammatory effect. Secondly, it also boosts the immune system and helps the body fight off infection. In addition to this, it warms up throat and helps the phlegm flow out of the body.
There are many over the counter decongestants that can help relieve pain and reduce the symptoms of the ailment. However, they cannot be used for more than just a few days and they do not help in shortening the duration. In fact if used for a relatively longer duration, these decongestants can actually make the symptoms worse. Some of these contain Tylenol and other chemicals which can be harmful for the liver and can also result in a total liver failure if taken in high doses. These should never be given to young children.