Getting a cold can almost be said to be an annual rite of passage. Despite your best efforts to avoid catching a cold, it seems that you are bound to catch a cold in winter. In today’s fast-paced world, it is not easy to slow down in the event that you catch a cold. This is the reason why we try as much as we can to work through the cold and hope that the symptoms will go away quickly with minimal effort. Even though this may at times be the case, it also can happen that the symptoms of cold leave us feeling drained for a period of time that usually seems like eternity.
Cold symptoms can't go away in two days. A greater percentage of people (about 70%) who catch a cold, take about a week to feel better. This is according to a medicine specialist in New York. It is, however, not unusual to suffer symptoms of common cold for two weeks.
Cold That Won’t Go Away—Why?
1. Lack of Adequate Rest
Sleep plays a very important role in our immune system. Research found that people who did not get enough sleep (less than seven hours per night) were three times more likely to catch a cold than people who got eight hours of sleep or more. It will also take longer for your cold to clear up if you are not getting enough rest. The ideal thing to do when you are sick is to stay at home and rest.
2. Lack of Adequate Fluids
Fluids have a very important role in the healing process. If you notice that your cold persists, consider drinking more Gatorade, water or juice. Lack of fluids can cause dehydration and discomfort, especially because your body demands more water when you are sick. Lack of adequate fluids is a major contributor to cold that won't go away as water helps to flush congestion from your system.
3. Taking a Lot of Drying Medicine
Most people take drying medications when they have a cold. All these drying compounds tend to suck out the water of the mucus, helping you breathe better. Overdoing the drying medication removes moisture from your system, which makes it harder for the body to drain what is there. As your body is drained of water by the drying medicine, then a host is created for other symptoms.
4. Treating the Wrong Illness
Common cold can lead to and be confused with other sicknesses such as allergies or sinus infections. People who think that they have been suffering common cold for a week are not likely to realize that the reason why they are not getting better is because they have been treating the wrong sickness. Quite often, many people confuse allergies with the common cold, as allergies have symptoms that are very similar or the same to symptoms of a cold.
5. Relying on Herbal Remedies
We have all heard the stories of popular herbal remedies for cold. Many of these claims are nothing more but claims. Bear in mind that just because the bottle says “herbal” doesn’t mean that what is contained in it cannot harm you.
6. Exercising Too Hard
In the middle of suffering with a scratchy throat and stuffy nose, there are still some people who won’t stop exercising just because they feel sickly. Even though it is advisable to exercise when suffering from the common cold, you are advised that you do it on a lower level than what you are used to. You may interfere with your immunity if you do it at the same intensity as you’re healthy thus causing cold that won't go away.
How to Get Rid of a Cold That Won't Go Away
1. Fluid Intake
Sometimes when the symptoms of cold persist, it is for the simple reason that our bodies are dehydrated. This is especially so if we have fever. The fever will burn the fluids that are contained in the body and leave us very thirsty.
How can you tell that it is time to hydrate? If your skin appears to be itchy or dry, and when you look at the mirror and your tongue appears red and dry or even has some cracks, then you should increase the amount of fluid that you take which might probably help you get rid of a cold that won't go away.
2. Take in More Protein
Protein is a very important nutrient in the body. It plays an important role in providing the body with building blocks that are needed for a healthy immune system. This means that if we are not taking the required amount of protein, our immune system goes down.
3. Reduced Refined Sugars Intake
Viruses and any other microbes love sweets. Many organisms are fueled by glucose. Cutting down on sugar intake is one of the helpful approaches to beating a cold.
4. Take Enough Rest
A cold is due to a break down in the natural defenses of the body. This can happen because we are too overworked, too busy, or too stressed to take a break and nourish ourselves. Other than taking a cold as a big hassle, look at it as a gift, a chance to detoxify rest and rejuvenate. The body takes time to get rid of unwanted toxins when you rest. The more rest you get, the more easily you will be able to get rid of a cold that won't go away.
5. Relieve Stress
the secretion of stress hormones weakens good immune function and makes us vulnerable to invasion of microbial and other forms of chronic disease.
6. Keep Warm
In most body functions, temperature is critical. Walking in the cold when your neck is not well covered allows cold wind invasion. Keeping your head and neck covered and generally keeping warm helps to get rid of cold.
7. Expose Yourself to More Sunlight
Human beings get vitamin D from the sun, and it helps in supporting the immune system and at the same time helps to eliminate or prevent common colds as well as cold that won't go away.
Below is a video to show you how to get rid of a cold without using any medication
