4 Ways to Alleviate the Symptoms of Cold and Flu

No matter how well you take care of yourself, the cold and flu is something everyone gets sooner or later. Of course, the healthier you are, the less impactful these viruses are on your body and daily life.

There are many natural and homeopathic remedies for symptoms of the flu and colds, like these 10 essential oils for cough and chest congestion. However, there is no cure for either of these illnesses.

Here are 4 ways to alleviate the symptoms of the cold and flu.

1. Stay Hydrated

When your body is fighting a virus, it is important to keep your blood flowing and fully hydrated. This allows your cells to fight harder when needed.

Drinking water is the best, however, adding hot liquids, can also be helpful. Drink hot tea with lemon and honey, as they both have healing properties. Drink bone, beef, or chicken broth, which will not only help warm you, it will add to the virus-fighting efforts.

2. Soothe a Sore Throat

Besides medications, use a spoonful of honey to help soothe a sore throat. After taking this homemade tonic, try not to talk. Resting your vocal cords is another way to help heal and avoid pain.

Other ideas to help soothe a sore throat are ice chips, suck on them, don’t crunch them, gargle with warm salt water, and suck on hard candies or cough drops often. Keeping your throat coated and wet will prevent a scratchy, itchy feeling and cut down on coughing, which can have an effect on your entire body.

3. Add Moisture in the Air

Invest in a humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer for the entire home or at least one in the bedroom. Filling the air with moisture helps to loosen congestion and may aid in the production of mucus.

Be sure to change the water daily to avoid reinfecting yourself or others with the virus. You’ll also need to clean these types of small appliances to maintain their integrity and avoid infections.

4. Rest

Most adults and some children do not like to rest. Even if they are very ill, they want to get up and do something, be on the go and run, run, run.

The best thing you can do for yourself if you are run down from a cold or flu is to rest. Your body needs to repair itself from fighting the virus and the only way to do this is with plenty of rest.

There are many ways to combat the effects of a cold or flu, and you may try them all before finding something that helps you rest and feel at least a little better. Remember to always get a flu shot, and to take care of yourself daily. These are the top two recommendations for helping yourself through these common illnesses.  

Exercising, eating healthy, and managing your stress are all things that can help reduce the severity of flu or cold once you have caught it.