Dealing With a Cold? Here’s How to Get Through It

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A cold can certainly be a nuisance, causing us to feel miserable and exhausted. It’s an unwelcome guest that can linger for days or even weeks and it can be hard to deal with. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help cope with having a cold and make yourself feel a bit better.

From making sure we get plenty of rest to staying hydrated and eating healthy foods, there are a variety of ways we can help our body fight off the cold. Additionally, there are some natural remedies we can use to reduce the symptoms and make the experience of having a cold a bit more bearable. IV therapy can be helpful, too, so if you’re asking yourself, “is there IV therapy near me,” you may be in luck!

With the right approach, we can make it through a cold with minimal discomfort and get back to feeling our best in no time. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can get through having a cold.

What Is a Cold?

A cold is a viral illness characterized by a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, and fever. Cold symptoms are usually mild and last for about a week. However, if the symptoms are severe or last longer, a visit to the doctor is recommended. Cold viruses are especially common during winter months. When it’s cold outside, your nasal and respiratory passages are more likely to dry out and become infected.

Ways to Get Rest

Having a cold is exhausting and fighting off the infection is more difficult if you don’t bring your activity levels down. It’s important to rest when you’re sick and avoid stressing about things that can wait. Rest will help your body fight off the infection and recover. Additionally, eating healthy and staying hydrated is important when you have a cold and can help you recover more quickly.

The Importance of Staying Hydrated

When you have a cold, dehydration is one of the main causes of feeling fatigued and having a low immune system. Staying hydrated will help boost your immune system as well as help your body fight off the infection. If you drink only water, you’ll also be missing out on essential electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium which are important for staying hydrated.

One of the fastest ways you can rehydrate, get electrolytes, and top up on vitamins and minerals is with IV therapy. No longer just for serious hospital stays, an IV therapy treatment absorbs quickly into your bloodstream with 100% efficiency with the effects felt almost immediately.

Over-The-Counter Medications

If you have a particularly stubborn cold, you may want to seek out over-the-counter medications to get relief. These can make symptoms like a sore throat, runny nose, and coughing more tolerable. Cold and flu medications are the most common type of OTC treatment and work by lowering the amount of mucus in your throat and nasal passages.

These medications are available without a prescription and are taken as needed. They can help to relieve symptoms, but time is the only cure for a cold. Medications won’t cure it and they won’t prevent you from getting sick. They’re most effective when taken immediately after you first start feeling sick to get ahead of your symptoms.

How to Prevent a Cold in the Future

It’s important to prevent a cold in the first place by boosting immunity during the cold and flu season. Stay hydrated and eat healthy foods to boost immunity. Additionally, make sure to get plenty of rest and keep your environment clean so you don’t spread germs. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, exercise, eat a healthy diet, and maintain a balanced lifestyle to give yourself the best shot at staying cold-free.

Another way of keeping yourself cold-free is by practicing some of the habits learned during the COVID pandemic. Wearing a mask may help protect against colds and flu just as readily as it helps against COVID, as they’re all viruses. Social distancing and handwashing remain important tools to prevent the spreading of germs as well.

Out in the Cold

A cold can be annoying, painful, and unpleasant overall. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make it easier to fight off a cold and recover more quickly. Stay hydrated, rest, and eat healthy foods to boost your immune system. You can’t cure it, but you can take some of the edge off and keep it from wearing you down too badly while you wait it out.

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