How To Get Rid Of A Cold Quickly

What is the quickest way to get over a bad cold?

Prevention is easier than getting over it. Once the virus has gotten into your respiratory system it's up to your immune system to defeat it. The best thing you can do is support your immune system. DON'T take aspirin or remedies that hide the symptoms (decongestants, cough suppressants, etc.) unless the symptoms are preventing you from sleeping. Suppressing the symptoms will make you forget you're sick, so you won't take care of yourself. Also, the symptoms serve a purpose. Coughing and a runny nose help your body expel the mucus, and a fever creates an inhospitable environment for the micro organisms. The Best over the counter remedies to use when you feel a cold coming on (IMHO):1) Sambucol. (Elderberry syrup). 2) Zicam...which is pretty much just zinc, if you want to go the less expensive route, buy a generic zinc supplement. But Zicam really seems to work faster. 3) Wellness Formula (a combination of herbs) 4) Vitamin C .Emergen-C fizzing drink is awesome because it replaces fluids too. 5) Master Tonic. A mixture you can make at home, not sold in stores. Contains many hot spices like horseradish, cayenne pepper and garlic, steeped in vinegar for a month. You can Google the recipe easily. (All except the Master Tonic are available at almost any health food store).With any of these remedies, you need to take moderate doses, several times a day. If you start taking it in time, the cold might not manifest, and you'll be fine in a day or so. I've avoided colds with each of these remedies at different times. Plan B,  if you don't have access to any of the above, is water. Yes straight water. If you drink about half a gallon of water within the first few hours of feeling a cold coming on, it's my theory that you can basically flush the virus out of your system. In this case, the virus has not had time to multiply in your body yet, so the population is still small ..by drinking water you're helping circulate lymph efficiently (lymph= fluid containing immune cells) which plausibly can defeat the cold virus before it gets established. My experience: When I was pregnant I felt a cold coming on (scratchy throat, body aches, sneezing, fever). I didn't want to take any drugs for it, so I drank a LOT of water immediately and continued for several hours. The cold never manifested. If you drink plenty of water with the above remedies, you are helping your immune system to battle the virus as quickly as possible.