Cold And Flu Remedies: 7 Ways To Feel Better Fast from ivillage.com

Eat Chicken Soup It's true, chicken soup is a   legitimate remedy for cold and flu symptoms: Chicken soup mildly reduces congestion.   In Chinese medicine, spicy hot soups are recommended to treat upper respiratory   infections to promote mucus drainage.

Get Some Rest A cold or the flu can make you feel   miserable, miss work and put your life into disarray. Stop stressing about it   and instead, sleep it off. Rest is one of the best ways to combat either illness.

Stay Hydrated Colds and the flu usually bring   on dehydration, so drinking water is a crucial part of your recovery. Juice,   broth, lemon water and herbal teas also help.

Drink Hot Tea Warm, non-caffeinated beverages,   like tea, fight dehydration, soothe a sore throat and break up congestion. Hot   liquids help to loosen secretions in the chest and sinuses, making them easier   to expel.

Don't Overdose on Vitamins The jury is out on   whether vitamin C can help cure a cold, but experts agree that it can help reduce   inflammation, which will help you feel better faster. Most vitamins, including   C, promote an overall healthy immune system. You won't do any harm by taking   them as recommended, but taking too much of any particular vitamin could lead   to diarrhea, which will lead to more dehydrating.

Go Gargle Have a sore throat? No need to run to the drug store -- instead, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a 1 cup of warm water and gargle. While it doesn’t taste great, it helps soothe a sore throat and should make it easier to swallow. Salt attracts water out of the swollen cells, thus reducing inflammation. And since this remedy is not medicinal, "it can be used as often as the patient likes.”

Steam It Out Congested? Breathing in steam is   a quick way for relief: Steam helps decrease congestion of nasal passages.