Ugh, colds are the worst. Like seriously, you wake up with a stuffed nose and sore throat and just wanna be better already. I get asked a lot if there’s some magic trick to cure a cold overnight and honestly, there’s not really a real cure, but there’s stuff you can do to make it better faster or at least not feel like garbage.
So here’s what I do when I wanna kick a cold ASAP. Might help, might not, but hey worth a try right?
1. Drink Lots of Water and Tea
You gotta drink water like crazy when you have a cold. All the blowing your nose and sweating makes you super dehydrated. If you don’t drink enough your mucus gets thick and nasty and it feels worse.
Hot tea with honey and lemon is the bomb. It helps your throat feel less scratchy and kinda stops coughing. Ginger tea too, if you got it. Just don’t drink coffee or alcohol cause that makes it worse, trust me.
But also don’t chug a gallon in 5 minutes or you’ll feel sick, just keep sipping water or tea all day.
2. Sleep as Much as You Can
This is like the most important thing but people never do it. When you’re sick your body fights the cold while you sleep so if you stay up late or do stuff, it takes longer to get better.
Try to get like 8 or more hours of sleep. If you can nap during the day, do it too. I know it sucks but sleep really helps. Also try to prop your head up with pillows so you can breathe better at night cause if you lie flat your nose clogs more.
3. Use Steam or Humidifier
Dry air is the worst when you have a cold. If you have a humidifier, turn that thing on in your room while you sleep, it really helps. No humidifier? No biggie just take a hot shower and breathe in the steam or put your head over a bowl of hot water with a towel over it and breathe in. But be careful don’t burn yourself lol.
Steam thins out the mucus so you can breathe better.
4. Gargle Salt Water for Your Throat
If your throat hurts gargling warm salt water works. Just mix half a teaspoon of salt in warm water and gargle for like 30 seconds then spit it out. Do it a few times a day and it should feel less sore.
5. Take Some Medicine for Your Symptoms
If you got fever or headache, take stuff like Tylenol or Advil. For your nose, some decongestant sprays help but don’t use nasal sprays more than 3 days or your nose will freak out and get worse.
And read the instructions carefully don’t just pop pills like candy.
6. Vitamin C and Zinc
People always say vitamin C or zinc cures colds but honestly it’s kinda a maybe. Some say if you take zinc lozenges right away it might help a little but vitamin C won’t make you better overnight.
Don’t eat too much of them or you might get an upset stomach.
7. Don’t Smoke or Drink Alcohol
Smoking makes your lungs worse and slows healing so if you smoke try to stop while you’re sick. And alcohol dehydrates you and messes with your immune system so skip the booze.
8. Eat Some Light Food
Even if you don’t wanna eat try to have something like soup or fruit. Chicken soup is the classic cause it gives you fluids and nutrients without making you feel gross. Stay away from junk food cause it won’t help you heal faster.
9. Natural Stuff You Can Try
Honey, garlic, elderberry syrup or ginger might soothe your throat or calm coughs but they’re not magic cures. Still if they make you feel better do it.
What Doesn’t Work (But People Still Believe)
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Antibiotics do nothing for colds since it’s a virus not bacteria.
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Cold weather doesn’t cause colds, viruses do.
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Taking mega doses of vitamin C won’t cure you overnight.
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Skipping sleep won’t help, it makes things worse.
So Can You Cure a Cold Overnight?
Nope. Sorry to say but your body needs time to fight it off. But if you do all the stuff above you’ll prob feel better faster and maybe get over it sooner.
If it’s worse or lasts more than 10 days go see a doctor cause maybe it’s something else.
Best thing is just rest, drink, and treat symptoms.