How to shorten a cold?

Question

My young son often catches cold, so I am looking for some remedies to help him or at least shorten the duration of his sickness.

Answer 1

Just give him plenty of rest and sleep. The different viruses that cause common cold have their incubation period, after that the symptoms such as runny nose and cough will slowly go away. Most doctors will not recommend any medication unless there are symptoms that point to infections, so avoid taking antibiotics and over the counter cold medicines. A person suffering from cold usually feels fatigued and tires easily, so let him stay in bed longer and if necessary, let him skip school for a day or two.

Answer 2

IMO, greasy foods cause the production of more mucus that can lead to a worse case of stuffy nose. So avoid fatty foods when you are suffering from colds. Instead, eat healthy foods and consume lots of liquids. People who eat right seldom catch cold and even when they do, their stronger immune system fights the cold virus better so they get better faster.

Regular exercise also helps strengthen our body’s defense against cold and different illnesses so teach your kid to have an active lifestyle. Try to minimize his time in front of the TV or playing video games. It will be much better if you introduce him to sports to strengthen his body.

Answer 3

Give your son vitamin supplements to help strengthen his immune system. Zinc and vitamin C are among the over the counter supplements whose effectiveness in shortening the duration of a cold is proven by doctors. They are available in most drugstores in pill and lozenge form. Just give your kid one of those everyday and you can save him a day or two from further suffering.

And of course, always make sure that your kid has plenty of liquid to help loosen the phlegm build up inside his respiratory track. You can add more fruit juice and plain water to his usual diet. Soup, especially warm chicken soup also helps in making someone suffering from cold feel better. Avoid soda and other drinks that are loaded with sugar. Sweet drinks are the perfect breeding ground of bacteria and may even cause sore throat. For stuffy nose, you can use the over the counter spray to provide relief. If not available, steam inhalation is a free and effective alternative.

Comments

Great answer to how to shorten a cold!