As the single most common viral affliction striking people today, the common cold is always looking for new victims. If you are 10 years or older and have never had a common cold, be thankful for that miracle. Most people get them once or more a year. Because there is no ‘cure’ for the common cold, cold remedies are a thriving industry across the world. I’m sure you’ve already noticed that there are entire shelves devoted to cold remedies in supermarkets and drug-stores everywhere. Most of these products aim at treating specific symptoms you are having. Since every cold virus is unique, a cure is impossible and the symptoms of the common cold vary.. by cold and person affected. Fortunately, there are a lot of general and common symptoms that can be treated. Coughs, running nose, sore throat, sinus congestion, watery or dry eyes, and headache are among the more common symptoms. Some cold remedies are effective to a degree, but none will completely make you feel better. I get annoyed when I see commercials showing some poor woman lying in bed debilitated by a cold, only to suddenly bounce out of bed and tackle the day grinning like a loon the moment she takes a pill. Even the best cold pills will only help you go from feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck to feeling like you’ve been hit by a car. While the symptoms of a cold are hard to alleviate completely, I have found some remedies for colds that help reduce the longevity of the virus. Most doctors advise drinking plenty of fluids, and this definitely helps. Some people swear by Vitamin C. In addition, I’ve found that zinc lozenges are an excellent remedy for colds. They taste bad, and leave a funky feeling in your throat, but my colds tend to go away much faster when I use them regularly. Even better, my cold never seems to get as bad if I use zinc lozenges right after noticing the first symptoms. Zinc lozenges may not help everyone, who knows, maybe a placebo effect is really what 'helps' some, but if you have recently been exposed to someone who is sick, taking zinc lozenges might help lessen or even help prevent a cold.
© 2006 Vitamin-habit.com