Does anyone have any good cold remedies.I have a horrible cold.My ears hurt,my throat hurts,it hurts to swallow,I have that nasty liquid comes up cough,a stuffy nose,and a bad headache.I feel wasted.I know medication works best probably,but I want some alternitivs too.I need something that can get rid of my cold quick.Thanks in advance.

~SomeGuy

Obvious, but stay in bed dude, sleep as much as possible. And don't hang around those penguins all the time, they're used to the cold, and you're clearly not. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Sounds like what I had a couple of years ago. When I went to the doctor, she said I had an ear infection and a mild case of strep throat. I had to take 2 different prescriptions. You should check with your doctor just in case it's not a regular cold or flu.

sleep sleep sleep sleep and drink a LOT of water

Put some vapour inhalent into a bowl of steaming water. This helps clear the nose so you don't sniffle.

Drink LITRES of hot tea, preferably with honey and gingerpowder. Drinking a lot will make it easier for your body to cleanse itself, and ginger with honey helps against colds and sore throats. Try to stay in bed and sleep as much as possible, sleep really is the best medicine. Vitamin C pills (1000mg) are good as well.
I hope you'll feel better soon SomeGuy, I really feel for you. A bad cold's only a small thing but it can sure make you feel awful.

Paracetamol or aspirin will ease fever, sore throats and general pains. A full dose four times a day helps to keep fever and pains away. If your throat is sore, dissolve soluble aspirin in some water and gargle for a few minutes before swallowing. The local effect of the aspirin on the throat adds to the pain relief. Many cold remedies sold at pharmacies contain aspirin or paracetamol as one of their ingredients. NOTE: Children 12 and under should not be given aspirin to swallow or gargle. They can be given paracetamol liquid (Calpol, Disprol, etc).

As Gokuzool said nose congestion may be relieved by steam inhalations. A traditional routine is to add a couple of menthol crystals to a bowl of steaming water. Bend over the bowl and put a towel over your head and bowl to capture the steam. Breath the steamy vapour for 5-10 minutes, 3-4 times a day. The menthol crystals are not essential, it is the steam that does the trick. Decongestant sweets, nose-sprays, vapours, drops or medicines may ease a congested nose. Ask your pharmacist for advice. They should not be used for more than 5 days at a time. If used longer they may cause a swelling inside the nose causing it to be more congested. Some cold/decongestant medicines also contain ingredients that can make you drowsy. They may help with sleep if taken at bedtime.

And as Mel said drink plenty of fluid. A fever may cause extra body fluid to be lost by sweating. Having low body fluids (mild dehydration) can make you feel more tired and may cause a headache. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Hot drinks are often soothing too.

Most colds do not cause complications. Occasionally the mucus can travel to the chest, sinuses or ears which may lead to chest infections, sinusitis or ear infections. Consult a doctor if cold symptoms do not ease within a week or if you suspect a complication.

[ 01-10-2003, 07:20 AM: Message edited by: Donut ]

should be obvious, drink chicken soup.

oh yeah I got that still but it was really bad about 2 weeks ago: My advice is Tylenol Cold.. and drink lots and lots of stuff, flavored stuff if you have to, just dont drink sodas. 7 up and Sprite are Ok though...

Mel had some good advice.

As others have said, drink LOTS of water. I would like to contradict some people and say avoid ALL soft drinks and teas. Tea, coffee, and most soft drinks are diuretics, and dry you out. Soup is ok when you're hungry, but won't be enough to help your system flush itself out.

As for other cold remedies, Buckleys tastes like....well I don't know what it tastes like, but it's awful. :D It does work, though.