Summer is winding down to a close and the Fall season is upon us.

Bye bye lighter clothes; hello jackets that keep as nice and warm.

Unfortunately however, as the year winds down to a close, so does the incidence of the common cold.

And as advanced as medicine has become in the last 100 years, there is still no cure for a cold.

But there are things you can do to help you or your elderly loved one get over a cold quicker.

For your senior loved ones who have a generally weaker immune system, every little bit of help when it comes to preventing and fighting a cold is important.

In this post, we will go over ten home remedies for the common cold that you can try this season.

10 home remedies for the common cold that work

Break out the chicken soup

In a research study that was published in Chest, a journal which is put out by the American College of Chest Physicians, scientists showed that chicken soup is helpful in fighting the cold.

In that study, they showed that chicken soup prevented the movement of a type of immune cell that supports inflammation called neutrophils. By inhibiting the movement of neutrophils, chicken soup prevents inflammation and helps you fight off the cold faster.

If there ever was a reason to drink more chicken soup, here it is!

Ginger

Ginger has long used in traditional medical practices of many cultures. I remember back in the day, my grandmother would actually give me raw ginger to chew when I had a cold. I don’t recommend it but it sure was effective!

Ginger contains a chemical called 6-gingerol. According to a study published by the Natural Products Communications Journal, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

This means that drinking ginger tea or consuming something with ginger in it when you have a cold will help your immune system better fight off the cold virus.

Citrus

You have probably heard the advice to drink orange juice when you have a cold.

This is accurate. Citrus plants like oranges, lemons and limes are rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin C is excellent at boosting your immune system which is exactly what you need to fight off a cold.

Blow your nose regularly- but in the right way

Blowing your nose to get rid of mucus that is blocking your airways is helpful in helping you recover quickly from a cold.

It is however important that you blow your nose the right way.

If you/your elderly loved one has recently had surgery, blowing your nose too hard is not advisable.

Go to bed early

Getting adequate sleep is important to your overall well-being; and especially during a cold.

Getting to bed early when you have a cold can be a game changer.

Honey

We will forever be grateful to bees for providing us with honey.

Honey contains several antimicrobial agents that will help you fight off your cold. Additionally, it is well known in research to be a cough suppressant.

But not all honey is created equal. Some brands of honey are 50% sugar syrup!

Make sure whatever you buy is 100% pure honey so you can get all the benefits.

READ A RELATED POST: How to get ready for flu season

Use salt water as a nose rise

Salt water helps to break up the congestion and removes mucus, bacteria and viral particles from your nose.

To prepare your own home nose rinse, mix a quarter teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda in water.

Using a bulb syringe and holding one nostril closed, rinse your open nostril 2-3 times.

Repeat for your other nostril.

Stay warm

As I mentioned above, cold weather brings the cold along with it.

Keeping warm during this time will help you recover faster.

Drink hot fluids

Still with the theme of keeping warm, drink hot fluids.

Hot fluids also can help with breaking up mucus and relieving congestion.

Hot tea and hot chocolate are excellent choices.

Try over the counter cold and cough medications

Last but not least, there is no rule that says you cannot pop into your local pharmacy and grab some over-the-counter medication to help with your cold.

A lot of the over-the-counter cold medications typically contain acetaminophen which helps with all those aches and pains. It is also likely to contain an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine which helps with congestion and suppresses any cough you might have with the cold.

Antihistamines also help with sleep- which as we discussed above is important to helping you heal.

Closing Thoughts

The common cold is annoyingly uncomfortable.

But at least once this season, they may be a few days you come down with it.

In this post, I have armed you with 10 home remedies for the common cold that are proven to work.

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Share it with someone else as we draw closer to Fall!