Doctors, like those at the Mayo Clinic, say you can’t cure the common cold, but we don’t have to suffer through it without help. When you catch a cold, you might deal with a cough, feel chilly, have a sore throat, feel really tired, or even have a fever.

While these symptoms can be a nuisance, there’s a wide array of over-the-counter (OTC) products available at your local pharmacy to ease your discomfort. From soothing syrups to pain relievers, these remedies can make dealing with a cold more bearable.

In this article, we’ll explore remedies ranging from traditional chicken soup and hot baths to homeopathic options and the importance of rest, plus when to seek medical advice.

Traditional Chicken Soup

My grandmother often made Chicken Soup for me when I was ill to cure the common cold. It tasted wonderful, and I believe I felt better after consuming it. Over the years, I have turned to chicken soup at the slightest hint of a cold, responding to its mental stimulation for healing cold symptoms.

But is there more to chicken soup? Indeed, numerous studies support its health benefits.

UPMC Health Beat has reported research explaining how Chicken Soup aids recovery. It contains nutrients that support the immune system, such as garlic, a known antibacterial and antiviral agent, and ginger, which stimulates vasodilation to fight muscle and joint inflammation.

Chicken broth provides hydrating fluids and electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, helping the body resist or reduce fever by regulating fluids. Warm soup also helps relieve congestion by opening the throat and sinuses, warming the heart and lungs, aiding the recovery process.

Hot Bath, Salts, and Oils

Colds create inflammation, and hot Epsom Salt baths with menthol help the skin breathe and release tissue inflammation, alleviating body aches. Adding Epsom Salts and essential oils such as menthol, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, tea tree, lemongrass, or a combination thereof, aids breathing and can often help cure the common cold.

Similarly, these salts and oils help move body fluids, speeding up recovery. If a bath is impractical, placing a few drops of essential oils on a face cloth on your pillow can improve breathing. Essential oils are available at natural food markets and conventional pharmacies, offering affordable comfort.

Hot Drinks with Vitamin C and Zinc

Celestial Seasons® offers a variety of herbal remedies. I had the pleasure of visiting their headquarters in Niwot, Colorado, and sampling their herbal immune support beverages.

TEA WELL Immune Support contains Vitamin C and Zinc, along with organic lemongrass, ginger, licorice, green rooibos leaf, lemons, turmeric, and black pepper, enhancing cellular delivery. I am drinking a cup as I write this, hoping to support my immune system and avoid a cold this winter.

Zinc repels viruses, and Vitamin C strengthens the immune system. Lemongrass, my favorite, benefits joints and tissues, preventing aches and pains. This fantastic blend is delightful in taste and can help recovery.

Immune Support TEA WELL is available in most natural food stores’ tea sections, or you can order it from their website.

Home Remedies To Cure the Common Cold

Cold Calm® On The Go Pellets by Boiron® are homeopathic dissolvable pellets that address the multiple symptoms of a cold. They act quickly to relieve sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, minor sore throat pain, and fatigue.

Safe for those on other medications and suitable for children as young as three years, this non-drowsy homeopathic remedy uses pure active ingredients targeting symptoms at every cold stage. The pellets dissolve in the mouth without water, offering quick, easy relief.

ThroatCalm® Spray by Boiron® is a cooling mist for quick relief from sore throat rawness and pain. Each spray delivers a dose of plant-powered active ingredients, including echinacea, to soothe a sore throat and alleviate cold symptoms.

The herbal mint flavor combines well with Cold Calm® On The Go Pellets, providing relief for those who must continue working and cannot rest immediately.

Rest Can Help 

If you live a balanced life, avoid stressful events, take 2000mg of Vitamin C and 5-15mg of Zinc daily, get plenty of sleep, and eat fresh fruits and vegetables, you’re naturally protecting yourself from catching a cold.

However, sometimes a cold is your body’s way of telling you to rest, let go, relax, move on, quit a bad situation, honor yourself, and rejuvenate. Colds can be emotional events, reminding us that we often live too fast.

I advise people to use a cold as an opportunity to treat themselves to good chicken soup, a funny movie, a hot bath, and some much-needed rest.

A cold also allows the body’s immune systems to cleanse themselves, like a spring cleaning, clearing the sinuses, helping the lungs expel particles and mucus, allowing the skin to sweat out impurities, and giving the digestive and renal systems a break to hydrate and absorb nutrients.

Cold Warning

If your cold worsens, the coughing persists for more than two weeks, your fever exceeds 102°F for more than four days, or you cannot consume tea or soup, call your doctor or schedule a telemedicine appointment. You might require more than home remedies to cure the common cold affecting your body.