Don’t run to your medicine cabinet just yet.

It starts off with just a sneeze. Then you might have a runny nose and a headache. You’ve been a victim of the common cold. Most people don’t rush off to their family practitioners to seek help for the common cold. But there are some things you can do on your own to fight a cold naturally.

When you want to fight a cold naturally, your goal should not be to simply kill off your cold. Your goal should also be to stop the germs before you develop the flu.

Treating the Common Cold

If you are looking for some new ways to fight your cold during cold-and-flu season, you should try some of these techniques. Don’t mix too many of them. Try them one at a time and figure out which one works best for you. You don’t have to be left holding the tissue box and the headache medicine all winter and spring.

Zinc

You can get your hands on some zinc in a number of different ways. Zinc gluconate lozenges are sold in most drug stores. You can also get Zicam, which is a nasal spray that contains zinc. If you suck on a lozenge every two hours during your cold, some studies have shown that you can shake your cold three or four days faster than if you don’t.

Zicam is found to be even more effective. If you use this gel spray, you can resolve your cold in fewer than three days, according to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Astragalus

Taking a 250-milligram capsule of astragalus, an ancient Chinese herb, twice a day can stimulate your immune system and is deemed a highly effective remedy against the common cold.

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Goldenseal

This is another one of many germ-fighting health food supplements you should own. Goldenseal kills viruses and expands your immune system. If you take 125 milligrams of Goldenseal five times a day for five days, you can perhaps completely rid yourself of your cold.

Vitamin C Tablets

You want to buy the vitamin C tablets that have added bioflavonoids. This added ingredient can increase your immune system by about one third. Take 500 milligrams of vitamin C about five times a day, and your immune system will thank you.

 

Warm Water and Salt

If you find yourself with a sore throat, you’ll want to try this natural remedy. Drink eight ounces of warm water and mix it with a teaspoon of salt. Gargle this concoction, and you’ll be surprised at how much your pain is relieved. Salt is a pain reliever for throats. You can also add a squeeze of lemon to your gargle. This might sting at first, but it will work well because the lemon’s natural acids fight off viruses and bacteria.

 

Garlic

If you’re a fan of garlic, you’ll be in heaven. Eat a bit of garlic if you have a virus, because garlic is a natural antiseptic and will kill viral germs. Even simply by sniffing a garlic clove and breathing the scent into your throat and lungs will do a number on any virus in your respiratory system.