20 Effective Home Remedies for Cold for Fast Recovery

Be it excessive sweating, seasonal changes or even being in the direct presence of an air conditioner, common cold doesn’t need a special invitation to affect your health. And the aftermath? Stuffy nose, sore throat and an overall bad immune system fighting off the bacteria. With the increased recurrence of these kinds of colds, it is best to have the remedies for cold sorted with you.

You might often come across a number of people saying, “Oh, it’s just a cold,” but the signs and symptoms of it are definitely something that induces discomfort to great extents. You can never understand the issues with even the “common cold” until and unless you experience the same first hand.

In this article, we are going to steer through some of the common yet very effective methods of treatment for the cold that you possibly can find in the comfort of your own home. The amazing thing is the fact that if you follow them just as mentioned, there are possibilities that you might end up getting rid of the symptoms of cold very effectively.

Home Remedies for Common Cold

Common Cold, for the most part, is a harmless disease that doesn’t cause any kind of harmful alterations to one’s overall health. If you have been consistently fretting about it, it is time to steer clear of these thoughts and opt for an array of home remedies that I am going to be sharing with you in the coming section now.

Grab some napkins and a warm cuppa and scroll up!

Check Out the Most Popular Self Care Tips for Common Cold

1. Drinking Warm Water For Cold

One of the most common sign and symptom associated with cold is the presence of sore throat and stuffy nose which is primarily caused because of the increasing amount of mucus production and deposition in the nasal passage as well as the air pathway.

Warm water is an amazing remedy that not just helps protect the internal organs from wear and tear but is very effective in soothing the scratchiness of the throat (R) as well. Warm water with a bit of honey can actually be a very effective cure for the cold.

What To Do?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. To a glass of the warm water, add 1 teaspoon of honey and mix
3. Drink this multiple times throughout the day

How Often?

• 3-4 times daily till the symptoms of cold subside.

2. Turmeric Milk for Cold

Turmeric for Cold is one of those natural remedies that have been in practice since eternity. Because of its amazing combination of antioxidant as well as antimicrobial (R) properties, turmeric is an amazing treatment for cold at home.

Curcumin, which is the active compound in the turmeric, is what contains these protective properties. The antioxidant properties (R) gets rid of any of the unwanted free radicals from the body, thus boosting immunity, while the antimicrobial properties get rid of any kind of infection in the body which could be a potential trigger for the cold.

What To Do?

1. Boil some milk in a pan
2. Pour some into a cup or glass
3. Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and mix it well into the milk
4. Drink the turmeric milk before bed

How Often?

Once before bed every day.

3. Turmeric and Honey for Cold

As mentioned before, turmeric, because of its active compound, Curcumin, is loaded with antioxidant and antibacterial properties which not just helps boost immunity but is also very effective in treating any kind of infection that could be behind the cold.

Honey, on the other hand, also has beneficial antibacterial properties (R) which helps fight off any kind of infection but the more pronounced benefit of honey in this entire ordeal is the fact that it has beneficial impacts in providing with the soothing feeling to the throat. It relieves the scratchiness and irritation in the throat and soothes it.

What To Do?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. Pour the same into a cup
3. Let a turmeric teabag steep into the cup of hot water for 5 minutes
4. Add 1 teaspoon of honey to it and mix it all together
5. Drink this while it’s warm

How Often?

• 2-3 times a day.

4. Honey and Cinnamon for Cold

The combination of honey and cinnamon is very beneficial for a number of health ailments, the home treatment for cold being one of them.

While honey has soothing properties for the throat along with mild antimicrobial properties, cinnamon is loaded with beneficial antimicrobial (R) as well as anti-inflammatory properties (R) which have amazing effects to treat cold at home.

The only thing you need to ensure is the fact that cinnamon has blood sugar lowering properties, so, if you are someone who suffers from lowered levels of blood glucose, opt for some other treatment for a cold.

What To Do?

1. Fill a glass with warm water
2. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder to it
3. Mix it well
4. Drink this while it’s still warm

How Often?

• Once daily.

5. Garlic for Cold

While the mentions of garlic for cold treatment might make you inquisitive a confused, trust me, it actually does work. The active compound in the garlic, Allicin, has effective antimicrobial properties (R) which is very beneficial in preventing the growth and infestation of the virus or even the bacteria that could be inducing the cold in the person.

Garlic, apart from being an effective remedy for the treatment of cold, is also an amazing preventive measure to keep your immune system in check with its regular consumption.

What To Do?

1. Crush 1-2 garlic cloves
2. Add ½ teaspoon of honey to it and mix well
3. Consume this raw and drink some water to get it down

How Often?

• 1-2 times daily.

6. Ginger Tea for Cold

Ginger for cold treatment has a multifaceted approach, from bringing warmth to the body (R) to clearing out the subdued chest congestion, it does it all.

Cold is often times accompanied with fever which makes the person feel shivers and chills. Drinking ginger tea helps bring in warmth back to the body and helps in getting rid of the chills and cold. Not just that, the smell of ginger is also beneficial a number of times to get rid of the stuffiness (R) in the nose.

The anti-inflammatory properties (R) of the ginger also helps relieve any kind of inflammation caused because of the cold. The pungency and spice level of the ginger helps alleviate the problems associated with chest congestion (R) and helps break down the mucus build up.

What To Do?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. Peel and crush some ginger and add it to the boiling water
3. Let everything steep for 5-10 minutes
4. Add 1 teaspoon of honey for better taste
5. Drink this warm

How Often?

• 2-3 times daily till the symptoms subside.

7. Green Tea for Cold

Hydration and drinking something hot and warm is possibly two of the most important remedies for cold which majority of the people swear by.

Drinking green tea helps combat both of these aspects and has additional benefits as well. Apart from helping soothe the throat (R) and relieving the signs and symptoms attached with the chest congestion the amazing antioxidant properties (R) in the green tea has beneficial impacts in fighting off the excess free radicals in the body. This, in turn, boosts the immunity and helps protect the body against any form of infection inducing cold.

What To Do?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. Pour the water into a cup and add the green tea bag into the cup
3. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes
4. Drink it while its warm

How often?

• 2-3 times daily.

8. Lemon and Honey for Cold

The combination of lemon and honey for cold is primarily beneficial because of the fact that they both posses mild antimicrobial properties (R) (R) and have beneficial impacts in getting rid of the accessory signs and symptoms of the cold and flu.

The Vitamin C in the Lemon has beneficial impacts in boosting one’s overall immunity, thereby aiding getting rid of any kind of cold inducing infection as such. Not just that, the honey is also beneficial in treating the problems associated with irritation in the throat.

What To Do?

1. Pour some hot water in a cup
2. Add some sliced lemons into the water and let it steep for 3-5 minutes. Make sure to keep the cup covered so that it stays warm.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of honey to the mixture
4. Drink this like you would drink tea

How Often?

• 2-3 times daily till the symptoms subside.

9. Salt Water Gargle for Cold

Much like how I mentioned in the first remedy itself, warm water has beneficial impacts as an effective cure for a cold. The water helps replenish the hydration (R) while the salt in the same helps fight any kind of microbial growth (R) that could be contributing to the cold by causing infection.

Be very cautious with the salt consumption if you suffer from problems associated with high blood pressure.

[Read more about Salt Water Gargle]

What To Do?

1. Pour some warm water in a glass
2. Add 1 tablespoon of salt into it and mix till it dissolves completely
3. Gargle with the salt water till you run out of it

How Often?

1-2 times daily.

10. Kombucha for Cold

Before explaining its benefits, let me explain what Kombucha actually is. Kombucha is a slightly fermented and alcoholic drink made out of black or green tea.

The consumption of Kombucha (R) for the home treatment for cold is primarily encouraged because of the fact that it consists of a number of beneficial bioactive compounds along with active antimicrobial properties (R) which have beneficial impacts in fighting the infection that could be the reason behind the aggravating condition of the cold. It helps to detoxify the body and cures the signs and symptoms associated with a cold.

What To Do?

1. Fill a cup halfway with the fermented drink
2. Drink this till the symptoms of cold subside

How Often?

• Once daily.

11. Baking Soda for Cold

Baking Soda is primarily beneficial for curing the signs of cold and cough which is induced because of any form of infection in the body. This specific chemical compound has amazing pH balancing properties along with antimicrobial properties (R) because of its alkaline properties.

What To Do?

1. Mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water
2. Drink this empty stomach, if required

How Often?

Start with drinking it 2-3 times a day for the first day and then minimize the frequency to 1-2 times in the subsequent day.

12. Black Pepper for Cold

Black Pepper has profound impacts (R) in treating the symptoms associated with cold and flu. It has amazing expectorant properties which relieve the pain and scratchiness one feels when suffering from cold and cough.

The pungency of this cooking spice helps warm the inside of the body and thus helps break down any form of mucus buildup that’s been causing congestion. It also boosts the blood flow and overall alleviates the problems associated with this condition.

What To Do?

1. Mix ½ teaspoon of black pepper to a glass of warm water
2. Add 1 teaspoon of honey to the water and mix well
3. Drink this while it’s still warm

How Often?

Drink this once daily till the cold subsides.

13. Elderberry for Cold

Yet another one of the amazing natural remedies for cold includes the elderberries. These small blackish berries are loaded with amazing bioflavonoids (R) which have beneficial properties in boosting one’s immunity to fight off those pesky infections that could be behind the cold and cough.

Not just that, elderberry is also loaded with anti-inflammatory properties (R) which help in getting rid of the swelling and inflammation around the sinuses and the glands that we often witness during suffering from cold.

What To Do?

1. Get elderberry syrup from any local medical store
2. Consume 1 tablespoon of the syrup

How Often?

Once every day.

14. Kadha for Cold

Kadha (R) is nothing but an herbal tea (R) (R) (R) made with the addition of a number of spices and other ingredients. It is very effective in the treatment of cold and cough, primarily because of its combined benefits associated with the antimicrobial as well as anti-inflammatory effects which help alleviate the associated problems.

What To Do?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. To it, add some crush ginger, black peppercorns, cloves, and some holy basil leaves
3. Bring everything to a boil and let it all steep for 10-15 minutes
4. Strain the liquid and add some honey to the cup you are drinking
5. Keep the rest stored in a jar for drinking later

How Often?

• 2-3 times a day.

15. Chamomile Tea for Cold

Chamomile tea is yet another amazing way to treat cold at home. It is not just the hot water that helps soothe a sore throat and relieves the signs and symptoms associated with congestion (R) and stuffy nose, the chamomile actually has amazing benefits in relieving the signs and symptoms associated with cold and cough.

Chamomile is known for its amazing antibacterial (R) as well as anti-inflammatory (R) properties which help fight any kind of bacterial growth causing infection and also keeps the inflammation in check.

What To Do?

1. Boil some water in a pot
2. Steep a chamomile tea bag into the water in the cup
3. Let it steep for 5 minutes
4. Drink this warm

How Often?

• 1-2 times a day.

16. Essential Oils for Cold

Essential Oils are yet another category of remedies for the cold that can provide with substantial benefits. There are a number of essential oils which are not just warming for the body but have expectorant as well as antimicrobial (R) properties as well.

Peppermint oil (R) is one such example which helps clear out the blocked nasal pathway (R ) and helps with any form of chest congestion as well.

What To Do?

1. For the air diffuser, add some essential oils in the air diffuser to help breathe in better to get rid of the blocked air pathways
2. For bathing, add a few drops of essential oils to your bathtub and soak yourself in the water to soak in the benefits
3. For inhalation, apply a few drops of peppermint oil on the underside of your wrist and inhale the smell. It will help get rid of the stuffiness of the nose.

How Often?

Depending on the requirement.

17. Apple Cider Vinegar for Cold

Apple Cider Vinegar and its benefits for health ailments is possibly not an unknown fact. That being said, it is amazing for getting rid of the signs and symptoms of cold that is primarily caused because of any form of infection.

It is loaded with antimicrobial properties (R) as well as the fact that it helps balance the pH which makes the body environment unsuitable for the growth of the microbes, thus being an effective cure for cold.

What To Do?

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water
2. Drink this empty stomach in the morning

How Often?

Once daily.

18. Epsom Salt for Cold

Epsom Salt is considered as one of the most effective remedies for cold because not only does it helps relieve the cold but has beneficial impacts in getting rid of the associated symptoms (R) that accompany the cold.

Cold and cough often leave behind fatigue and weakness in an individual because of the constant infection in the body. A warm bath with the Epsom salt helps in detoxing the body (R) and getting rid of the tiredness. It helps in soothing the stuffed nose and congestion and relaxes the muscles as well.

What To Do?

1. Run a warm bath and fill the bathtub completely
2. Add 1 cup of Epsom salt
3. Let it dissolve completely
4. Soak yourself in the water completely

How Often?

Every other day till the cold cures.

19. Soup for Cold

Soups are considered as one of the staples when it comes to the treatment for cold and cough. The warm broth of the soup is often very beneficial in getting rid of the congestion and also helps soothe the scratchy throat that one often suffers from.

Not just that, study have also shown that the consumption of chicken soup not just helps replenish the lose energy and gets rid of the weakness, it also helps in controlling the chemotaxis of white blood cell production (R) which often tends to make the condition of cold worse.

What To Do?

1. Stew some vegetables and chicken in a deep vessel with some water
2. Add some spices and salt
3. Let it boil and then simmer for a few hours
4. Consume this hot to better results.

How Often?

Consume soup as meal replacements if you feel like eating nothing during cold.

20. Fenugreek for Cold

Fenugreek, much like a number of other remedies for cold, is loaded with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties (R) which have beneficial properties in treating the signs and symptoms associated with cold.

What To Do?

1. Add 1 tablespoon of fenugreek seed to a pot of boiling water
2. Boil till this reduces down to half the liquid
3. Strain the liquid and add some honey to i
4. Drink it warm

How Often?

1-2 times daily.

What Causes A Cold?

For the most part, it is believed that the major reason behind contracting cold is because of the viral infestation.

The common variants of virus that induce cold are:

1. Human Parainfluenza Virus
2. Enteroviruses
3. Coronaviruses Adenovirus
4. Human Metapneumovirus
5. Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Apart from that, the cold can also be communicated via being in close contact with people suffering from this disease.

Sometimes, even the consistent change in seasons and weather affect one’s immunity and cause cold.

Symptoms of a Cold

Now, that we have come to this section, let us discuss about the common symptoms you will experience if you are down with cold.

Some of the common symptoms of cold include:

• Dry and sore throat
• Runny nose
• Stuffed nose
• Difficulty in breathing through because of the blocked air passage
• Cough
• Mild fever
• A mild headache
• Sneezing
• Muscle aching
• Weakness
• Nausea (in severe cases)
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Loss of appetite

When it comes to how long a cold lasts, it depends on the kind of treatments and remedies for cold that are administered along with the kind of immunity one has. On a general note, a cold can last more than a week or so.

Remedies for cold are effective when and only when one adheres to them and do as suggested. It is very important to not forego a cold and cough as trivial and rather opt for treatment to cure them effective. These above mentioned natural remedies for cold are very effective in getting rid of the signs and symptoms very efficiently.