How to Get Rid of a Cold Fast

Rest, drinking fluids, and medicines can help you recover from a cold. Other remedies, such as vitamin C, zinc, and probiotic drinks, may also help relieve symptoms earlier.
There’s no cure yet for the common cold, but you may be able to shorten the amount of time you’re sick by trying some promising supplements and practicing good self-care.

Stroll the aisles of any drugstore, and you’ll see an impressive range of products claiming to shorten the length of your cold. Few of them are backed by solid science. Here’s a list of remedies known to make a difference in how long colds last:

۱. Vitamin C
Taking a vitamin C supplement isn’t likely to prevent a cold. However, studies show that it may reduce the duration of colds and make them less severe.
You can also get vitamin C through food.
Here’s the key: Don’t wait until you feel the symptoms coming on: Take the recommended dose every day. Taking vitamin C when a cold starts may not have much effect on how you feel or how long the cold hangs on.

۲. Zinc
Close to three decades of research on colds and zinc have yielded mixed results, but a 2017 review of studiesTrusted Source indicated that zinc lozenges might help you get over a cold faster than you would without it. On average, the length of cold duration was cut down by 33%, which could mean at least a couple of days sooner.
You can start taking these lozenges when you first develop symptoms.

۳. Black elderberry syrup
Black elderberry is a traditional remedy used to fight colds in many parts of the world.

۴. Beetroot juice
Because beetroot juice is high in dietary nitrate, it increases the body’s production of nitric oxide, which may help protect you against respiratory infections.
If you’re prone to kidney stones, watch out for beetroot, which contains oxalates. These are known to contribute to kidney stone formation.

۵. Meditation
According to the NCCIHTrusted Source, reducing stress and improving mental health through regular meditation may help protect against colds and other respiratory infections.

۶. Probiotics
Your gut health can affect your immune system. One 2021 placebo-controlled studyTrusted Source found that in adults who are prone to getting colds, taking a daily probiotic supplement reduced the number of colds and repeat colds participants had over a three-year period. The participants in the probiotic group also used cold medication less when they were sick.

۷. Nasal irrigation
Clearing your sinuses with a nasal rinse may help relieve symptoms of the common cold, according to the NCCIHTrusted Source.

۸. Rest
While it can be tempting to try and boost your immune system with exercise, it’s probably best to take it easy for a few days. In fact, if you don’t get enough sleep day to day, you may be increasing your vulnerabilityTrusted Source to colds, according to 2015 research.