Stop a Cold in Its Tracks
  • Subscribe
  • Health A-Z
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Hepatitis C
    • HIV
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
  • News
  • Fitness
    • 30-Day Core Challenge
    • 30-Day Total Body Challenge
  • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
    • 30-Day No Takeout Challenge
    • 21-Day Veggie Challenge
  • Weight Loss
    • 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
  • Life
    • Home
    • Mind & Body
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Sex
    • Relationships
  • Beauty
    • Style
    • Celebrities
  • Newsletter
  • Breast Cancer
  • TIME Health
  • Subscribe
  • Health A-Z
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Hepatitis C
    • HIV
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Psoriatic Arthritis
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
  • News
  • Fitness
    • 30-Day Core Challenge
    • 30-Day Total Body Challenge
  • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
    • 30-Day No Takeout Challenge
    • 21-Day Veggie Challenge
  • Weight Loss
    • 30-Day Weight Loss Challenge
  • Life
    • Home
    • Mind & Body
    • Family
    • Pets
    • Sex
    • Relationships
  • Beauty
    • Style
    • Celebrities
  • Newsletter
  • Breast Cancer
  • TIME Health
  • Subscription
  • Give a Gift
  • Magazine Customer Service
  • Advertising
  1. Home
  2. Cold, Flu, and Sinus
  3. The A-Z Guide to Staying Healthy

Stop a Cold in Its Tracks

Kimberly Holland
January 25, 2016
1 of 11

Get-well guide

A tickle in your throat. A cloudy head. An achy body. Yep, you’re coming down with something. Again. The average adult gets three colds per year, each lasting an average of nine days, says Jane Sadler, MD, a family practice physician at Baylor-Garland Hospital in Garland, Texas. But you don’t have to surrender. Here’s how to stop a cold before it takes hold—and feel better by tomorrow.

Watch the video: 6 Ways to Prevent Colds & Flu  

Advertisement
2 of 11 Getty Images

As soon as you feel symptoms

Start drinking water or juice

Staying hydrated cuts down on symptoms like a sore throat and stuffy nose, says William Schaffner, MD, professor and chair of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
3 of 11 Getty Images

Gargle with salt water

To combat a scratchy throat add half a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. "The salt draws out excess water in your throat’s tissues, reducing the inflammation, and clears mucous and irritants from the back of the throat," notes Philip Hagen, MD, medical editor in chief of Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies. The rinse also flushes out bacteria and viruses, which may help whether you’re getting a cold or want to prevent one in the first place.
Advertisement
4 of 11 Corbis

Keep your nose clean

Using a saline nasal spray right after cold symptoms first appear may reduce their impact, studies suggest. And take a hot shower: "Warm moisture helps clear nasal passages," Dr. Schaffner says.
Advertisement
5 of 11 Getty Images

Within the first two hours

Head to the drugstore

Grab a pain reliever like acetaminophen to fight off achiness. Over-the-counter allergy meds, like Zyrtec and Benadryl, help with symptoms like runny nose and watery eyes; allergy meds that contain decongestants, like Claritin D or Alavert D, will help clear your sinuses and keep you alert, if you need to be, says Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, Jenkins/Pokempner director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center.

Advertisement
6 of 11 Corbis

Skip the OTC cough medicine

Good old honey works just as well (and tastes better!), says Harley Rotbart, MD, professor and vice chairman of pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Have one to two tablespoons straight from the jar or stirred into tea. And forget zinc lozenges and sprays: There’s just not conclusive proof that they work, Dr. Rotbart notes.
Advertisement
7 of 11 Istockphoto

Over the next six hours

Skip work if you can

Your body can fight off the virus better if you’re well-rested. But if you have to go in, it’s not the end of the world, says Janet O’Mahony, MD, an internal medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. Just steer clear of co-workers as best you can—the first few days of a cold is when you’re most contagious. To keep from sharing your germs, wash your hands regularly or use an alcohol-based disinfectant gel.
Advertisement
8 of 11 Getty Images

Don’t forget the fluids

Keep drinking plenty of water, juice, or tea—and have some chicken soup for lunch. Grandma’s favorite cure-all really does ease cold symptoms, research suggests.
Advertisement
9 of 11 Getty Images

Shake it off

If you’re up for a little activity, "light exercise can actually boost the immune system," Dr. Sadler says. But we mean light: Keep your heart rate just under 100.
Advertisement
10 of 11 Istockphoto

At the end of the day

Last chance for germ-fighting!

A healthy diet can help fuel the immune system, so choose a dinner that includes protein-packed foods like lean meat, fish, or beans, with a whole-grain side like brown rice and plenty of antioxidant-rich vegetables. Take a hot shower before bed if you’re still feeling stuffy. Then get a good night’s sleep.
Advertisement
11 of 11 Getty Images

The next day

All better?

If you feel worse or have a fever, start vomiting, or develop an increasingly bad headache, call your doctor—these are signs you’ve got something other than the common cold (such as flu or an infection), and you may need antiviral medication, antibiotics, or other treatment. Otherwise, keep up the routine for the next few days, just to be sure you kick that cold for good.

You May Like

Read More

HEALTH NEWSLETTERS

Get easy recipes, 30-day fitness challenges, videos, and more.
Sign up

Subscribe & Save

Subscribe today and save 82% off the cover price.
Subscribe Now

HEALTH NEWSLETTERS

Get easy recipes, 30-day fitness challenges, videos, and more.
Sign up
ABOUT US
  • TIME INC CAREERS
  • HEALTH SPOTLIGHT
  • SOCIAL MEDIA TERMS
  • ADVERTISE WITH HEALTH
  • TABLET EDITION
SUBSCRIBE
  • GIVE A GIFT
  • RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
  • HEALTH MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTERS
CONTACT US
  • HELP
  • SWEEPSTAKES
  • CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • SITE MAP
All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. © 2017 Health Media Ventures, Inc. Health.com is part of the Time Inc. Food Collection and the MyRecipes Network. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. See the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (Your California Rights)for more information. Ad Choices