How To

How to Get Rid of a Cold Quickly

Member
By maxmonkey
User-Submitted Article
(10 Ratings)
Get Rid of a Cold Fast
Get Rid of a Cold Fast

In order to get rid of a cold fast you must take care of your body the moment you first experience cold symptoms. Your body's immune system is attempting to fight off the bacteria or virus that is making you sick. If you ignore your symptoms you will make yourself more sick. If you help your immune system, you might be able to get rid of the cold much faster than if you did nothing.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Immediately devote yourself to getting rid of your cold fast. If you start feeling sick but spend the rest of the day working, playing, or running around, your body wont have a chance to recover. You must devote all of your energy to your immune system fighting off the cold. Go home and lie down if you want to get rid of your cold fast.

  2. Step 2

    Take a bath. As soon as you get home you want to get yourself clean. This will make you feel better and relax you. The steam of the bathwater will also clear up congestion if you have it.

  3. Step 3

    Wash your hands often. This is probably how you got sick in the first place. Cold germs hide on your hands. When you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes the germs get into your body. You want to avoid reinfecting yourself and exposing others to your cold germs. Also change your toothbrush and keep it away from other peoples' toothbrushes.

  4. Step 4

    Lie down. If you can sleep, you should do as much of it as possible. If you can't, lie down with a book or watch TV. The key is to expend as little energy as possible. Your body will concentrate on getting well.

  5. Step 5

    Eat well. If you are sick you may not feel like eating. You must anyway. Your body is hungry for nutrients to battle the cold. Eat foods that are high in protein but easy to digest. Mom was right. Chicken soup is one of the best food for getting rid of a cold fast. Avoid fried food, sweets, and fatty foods. These are more difficult for the body to digest and hinder your ability to get well.

  6. Step 6

    Drink lots and lots of water. Being sick dehydrates you. Your body needs the water to metabolize your food and fight the cold. Water also cleanses your system. Keep drinking water and keep going to the bathroom. Think of it as washing yourself on the inside. Do not replace water with coffee, soft drinks, or alcohol. These will dehydrate you. Iced tea or lemonade are fine as long as there is not a lot of sugar in them.

  7. Step 7

    Take supplements. This is the controversial part. Many people claim that vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea can get rid of a cold fast. There are conflicting studies on the matter and no conclusive proof that they work. However, they probably wont harm you. The bottom line is that you can take them if you believe they will work. Believing that you will get rid of a cold fast is an important step in achieving the goal.

Comments  

davidv1127 said

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on 7/5/2009 Thanks pal for the tip!

genius2b said

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on 6/11/2009 I hate it when I get the cold!
Thanks for the tips to get rid of it quickly!
:)
5* ( & recommend you! :)

starlet67 said

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on 5/30/2009 Very smart tips for getting rid of a cold! Lots of water!5*

xrayness said

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on 5/17/2009 Wow, maxmonkey, I loved reading this article. I really like the line in Step 4 (your body will concentrate on getting well). It's writers like you that make this an awesome site with reliable and accurate information. They only allow 5 stars, but this article deserved a 9 or 10.

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