Natural treatments for common cold

The common cold is a viral infection of your upper respiratory tract – your nose and throat. A common cold is usually harmless, although it may not feel that way. If it’s not a runny nose, sore throat, and cough, it’s the watery eyes, sneezing, and congestion – or maybe all of the above. In fact, because any one of more than 100 viruses can cause a common cold, signs and symptoms tend to vary greatly…

How do colds spread?

In general, a person becomes contagious from a few days before their symptoms begin until all of their symptoms have gone. This means most people will be infectious for around two weeks.

You can catch the virus from an infectious person by:
Touching an object or surface contaminated by infected droplets and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes touching the skin of someone who has the infected droplets on their skin and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes inhaling tiny droplets of fluid that contain the cold virus – these are launched into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes

Colds spread most easily among groups of people in constant close contact, such as families and children in school or daycare facilities. They're also more frequent during the winter, although it's not clear exactly why.

A number of different viruses can cause a cold, so it's possible to have several colds one after the other, as each one may be caused by a different virus.

To lower your chances of getting cold:

Always wash your hands. Children and adults should wash hands after nose-wiping, diapering, and using the bathroom, and before eating and preparing food.
Disinfect your environment. Clean commonly touched surfaces (such as sink handles, doorknobs, and sleeping mats) with an EPA-approved disinfectant.
Choose smaller daycare classes for your children.
Use instant hand sanitizers to stop the spread of germs.
Use paper towels instead of sharing cloth towels.

Most people recover from a common cold in about a week or two. If symptoms don’t improve see your doctor.