How to Feel Better When You Have a Cold

By eHow Health Editor

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Having a cold can be a major nuisance. You can feel tired, cranky and distracted with daily tasks. It's good to remind yourself that whether you take cold medicines or not, the average cold last for 7 to 10 days. Fortunately, during this time, there are several things you can do to help relieve your cold symptoms so you feel better during your cold.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated will help your body fight a cold and will also aid in loosening chest congestion. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day during your cold.

Step2

Get lots of rest. If you normally sleep eight hours per night, go to bed earlier and get at least 10 hours of sleep. Take naps if possible, too. Getting lots of good sleep will help your body rest so it can fight off the virus causing the cold. If you're having problems sleeping at a night due to a cough, taking an over-the-counter cough suppressant can help you get a full night's rest.

Step3

Take daily vitamins and vitamin supplements. Vitamin C and zinc supplements are important in fighting bacteria infection cells in your body. Being diligent about taking vitamins during your cold can help relieve your symptoms.

Step4

Eat chicken noodle soup. Eating chicken noodle soup can help reduce cold symptoms and loosen sinus and chest congestion.

Step5

Drink echinacea tea. Echinacea is believed to stimulate white blood cells thereby strengthening the immune system. If you begin drinking echinacea tea after the first onset of a cold, it is possible to strengthen your immune system enough to have less severe cold symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

Use caution when taking over-the-counter medicines. While they may provide short-term relief, some medicines, like nasal sprays can cause "rebound" effects after five days making symptoms worse. Also, for symptoms like a minor cough or a low grade fever, your body is fighting the virus naturally. Using medicines can actually prevent your body from fighting the cold thus making it take longer to recover from.