Avoid salty foods, alcohol, coffee and sugary drinks, which can be dehydrating. Ice chips are another simple way to stay hydrated and calm a scratchy throat.
Being exposed to cold won't worsen your symptoms but staying home in bed is the best way to avoid passing your illness on to others. And resting will help you to recover sooner.
How much sleep is best when sick? When people are sick, they are not likely to wake up feeling particularly rested. One recommendation is to try to add 1 hour of sleep a night to usual sleep times, along with at least one, if not two, naps during the day.
Although not super exciting, very plain and bland foods can help ease symptoms. Try pasta, dry cereals, oatmeal, bread and crackers. But bland doesn't mean you can't add protein or veggies into the mix if you're feeling up for it! Try eating rice and baked chicken breast or cheese and crackers.
Rest : This is the time to recharge your body's immune system. Rest and sleep are the best ways to do that. Make sure you're sleeping between eight to 10 hours at night. This is also a great chance to take a break from strenuous exercise for two to three days.
You may have heard that it's beneficial to “sweat out a cold.” While exposure to heated air or exercise may help temporarily relieve symptoms, there's little evidence to suggest that they can help treat a cold.
A hot shower won't make your cold or flu disappear, but it can help you treat the uncomfortable symptoms. Benefits of hot showers include: Loosening chest congestion by breathing in steam. Clearing stuffy nasal passages with moisture.
Sleeping can be challenging when you have a cold. Symptoms like a stuffy nose can make it difficult to breathe, while coughing and muscle pain can keep you awake. Yet, quality sleep is essential for recovery. Your body needs rest to get better.
During sickness, cells are under stress, and organisms experience sleepiness to promote sleep and recover from the cellular stress.
In adults and older children, they usually last about 7 to 10 days, but can last longer. A cough in particular can last for two or three weeks. Colds tend to last longer in younger children who are under five, typically lasting around 10 to 14 days.
Try foods such as bananas, rice, applesauce, dry toast, soda crackers (these foods are called BRAT diet). For 24-48 hours after the last episode of vomiting, avoid foods that can irritate or may be difficult to digest such alcohol, caffeine, fats/oils, spicy food, milk or cheese.
Orange juice is a yummy way to hydrate, but there's conflicting research on whether it can help your cold. The acid can irritate a sore or inflamed throat. Many store-bought orange juices are also high in sugar, which is not recommended for treating cold symptoms.
A few hours of bed rest can do wonders for your body. Drink plenty of hot fluids: Hot drinks or a cup of hot herbal tea can make you feel better. Hot liquids may relieve your nasal congestion, prevent dehydration and soothe discomfort due to a sore throat. Try sipping herbal tea, lemon water, or warm broth.
"One restorative process that runs in the background while you're asleep is your immune system," says Dr. Ram. "For instance, if you're ill or injured, skipping sleep may slow your recovery." But studies also show that your immune system may do important work while you're asleep even when you're not sick.
Create an Optimal Sleep Environment
A common mistake that cold sufferers make is cranking up the heat when they go to bed. A cool bedroom temperature (around 60-68F) will help reduce sweating and waking up at night, which is particularly important if you're experiencing a fever.
Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a common cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.