Drinking warm chicken or beef bone broth is a good way to help you stay hydrated. It helps to loosen and break up nose and sinus congestion. Bone broth is also naturally high in protein and minerals like sodium and potassium.

Drinking broth is a good way to replenish these nutrients while you have the flu. Plus, protein is important for rebuilding immune cells. You can buy ready-made varieties, but be sure to look for those that are low in sodium salt. You can also make your own broth by boiling chicken or beef bones.

You can freeze portions of broth for future use. You can shop online for bone broth. The mineral zinc is important for your immune system. This nutrient helps your body make germ-fighting white blood cells.

Research shows that zinc might help ease cold and flu symptoms. Zinc helps your body fight the flu virus and may slow down how fast it multiplies. You can take a zinc supplement or a multivitamin with zinc during flu season.

You can normally get plenty of zinc from a balanced daily diet. Foods that are high in zinc include:. You can shop for zinc supplements online. A warm water and salt rinse sometimes called a salt water gargle can soothe a sore throat.

It can also help to clear mucous. Do not swallow the salt water. Do not allow children to gargle until they can safely gargle with plain water. Several herbs have natural antiviral and antibacterial properties. Star anise is a star-shaped spice from which oseltamivir was traditionally extracted.

Oseltamivir phosphate better known as Tamiflu is a prescription drug used to speed recovery from or to prevent getting the flu. Other herbs and green leafy teas also have germ-fighting and antioxidant benefits.

An herbal tea may help your body fight off the flu virus. A hot herbal drink is also soothing to your throat and sinuses. Sweeten herbal teas with pure honey.

Honey, royal jelly, and other bee products have been found to have natural antiviral and antibacterial properties. Some types of essential oils may help protect you against certain viruses and bacteria. One study found that tea tree oil helps to fight the flu virus by slowing or stopping the rate that the virus multiplies.

This shows that it may help to block the flu virus from multiplying. In practice, you might add a few drops of tea tree oil to liquid hand soap when you wash your hands or mixed into lotion you use. Some commercially made mouthwashes include it as an ingredient.

Other plant and herbal essential oils may also work as natural antibiotics and antivirals. These include:. Use essential oils only as directed. Do not ingest essential oils, many are toxic. You can add fresh and dried herbs and spices to food to get similar benefits.

Diffusing essential oils into the air with a diffuser may also help against some kinds of viruses and bacteria. Be aware that aromatherapy has an influence on children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and pets.

The flu virus survives longer in dry indoor air. This may make the virus spread more easily. Colder, outdoor temperatures generally lower humidity in the air. Indoor air can get dry from heating and air conditioning use.

Using a humidifier to add humidity in your home and workplace might help reduce flu viruses in the air. Breathing in steam from a warm pot of water can help soothe your nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs.

Steam inhalation or steam therapy uses water vapor to help loosen mucous congestion. The warm moist air may also relieve swelling in the nose and lungs. Steam inhalation might help to soothe a dry cough, irritated nose, and chest tightness.

Whether dry or chesty, coughing fits are customary when flu or the common cold is involved. But what causes us to cough?

We investigate. A head cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. It is usually a mild illness, but it can have a significant impact on everyday…. One folk remedy for cold and flu is to put an onion against the sole of the foot, inside a sock.

Find out why people do this, and whether there is any…. Flu is a respiratory illness that a virus causes. It is highly contagious and can be life threatening for some people.

Learn more about how to…. A viral infection is responsible for the common cold. While the effects can be unpleasant, people tend to recover within around 1 week.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Eight home remedies for treating a cold. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.

Home remedies Duration Prevention. How we vet brands and products Medical News Today only shows you brands and products that we stand behind. Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?

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We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. Read more about our vetting process. Was this helpful? Home remedies. Share on Pinterest A common home remedy is to gargle with warm saltwater or honey and lemon juice.

Share on Pinterest A humidifier may help to decrease cold symptoms. Share on Pinterest Frequent hand-washing may be one of the best ways to avoid getting a cold.

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Share this article. There are many types of viruses that can cause a cold. Depending on what virus you have, your symptoms may vary. Mild symptoms of COVID may be similar to those of the common cold.

Always check with your provider if you are at risk for COVID Treating your symptoms will not make your cold go away, but will help you feel better.

Antibiotics are almost never needed to treat a common cold. Over-the-counter OTC cold and cough medicines may help ease symptoms in adults and older children. Many cough and cold medicines you buy have more than one medicine inside.

Read the labels carefully to make sure you do not take too much of any one medicine. If you take prescription medicines for another health problem, ask your provider which OTC cold medicines are safe for you.

Wheezing can be a common symptom of a cold if you have asthma. Many home remedies are popular treatments for the common cold. These include vitamin C, zinc supplements, and echinacea. Try treating your cold at home first. Call your provider right away, or go to the emergency room, if you have:.

Cohen YZ. The common cold. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Lopez SMC, Williams JV. In: Kliegman RM, St.

Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Updated by: Linda J.

A sore throat can make it difficult to eat, drink, sleep, talk and generally function. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to soothe it. Over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen , can relieve throat pain and reduce fever. A comforting cup of warm broth is one of Dr.

You can also try sipping warm tea with honey and lemon juice. Honey acts as a demulcent, meaning it calms down irritated tissues by coating them.

The lemon can help loosen congestion and offers a boost of vitamin C. Gargling with saltwater is another great option to reduce pain and swelling and remove irritants, such as bacteria and viruses, from your throat. Control a cough. Honey is also great for suppressing a cough. Several studies show that honey can reduce airway inflammation in your lungs and help break up mucus that is making it hard for you to breathe.

Honey should not be given to children younger than age 1, though, because of the risk of a rare type of food poisoning known as infant botulism. When it comes to over-the-counter medications, Dr. Neison recommends avoiding combined cold and cough preparations advertised as multi-symptom medications.

While none of these are a magic remedy, they might offer some symptom relief and keep you from feeling miserable.

Neison says. Learn more about flu ; get the latest health and wellness news, trends and patient stories from Sharp Health News ; and subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking the "Sign up" link below.

The Sharp Health News Team are content authors who write and produce stories about Sharp HealthCare and its hospitals, clinics, medical groups and health plan. Angie Neison is a board-certified family medicine doctor with Sharp Rees-Stealy.

She is also a Sharp Health News contributor. Cupid brought Drs. Frank and Young Tsai together in medical school. Today, they both practice at Sharp Rees-Stealy. The expansion includes a new two-story medical office building with an urgent care center, advanced imaging technology and expanded services.

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What are medical groups? Majd explains that a warm saltwater gargle can soothe the sore throat and reduce inflammation. The use of vitamin C is one of the more popular home remedies. While plenty of OTC vitamin C options exist which are typically manufactured versions of the vitamin , Majd also recommends natural sources.

Yes, these are typically found OTC, but zinc lozenges are still an alternative way of boosting the immune system and shortening the duration of your cold. A remedy that smells good and works to ease congestion? Majd suggests adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to hot water and inhaling the steam to help with congestion.

If garlic can keep away vampires, it can keep away a cold, right? Kind of. This beautiful flower has healing properties. Majd mentions that it boosts the immune system, specifically as a preventive measure.

Skeptical about the efficacy of home remedies for colds? Most modern medicines are formulated based on the understanding of the function of the active ingredients of the natural products.

But the other weird, unexplainable things that jump out during spooky season? You might be left to handle those on your own. These quick tips from our expert will help keep lower back pain at bay. These help thin the mucus in your airways and help you get rid of that unpleasant phlegm.

Decongestants: Drugs like pseudoephedrine can help to decrease the amount of swelling in your sinuses to help you breathe a little better. Antihistamines: Drugs like diphenhydramine can help relieve sneeziness; itchy, watery eyes; and a runny nose.

Zinc lozenges Yes, these are typically found OTC, but zinc lozenges are still an alternative way of boosting the immune system and shortening the duration of your cold.