Home remedies: colds

A cold usually just has to run its course, but a few simple comforts may help you feel better while your body does its work:

• Rest, and let yourself sleep in.
• Sip warm fluids all day: water, herbal tea or broth.
• Stir a teaspoon of honey into warm water with lemon and fresh ginger. Research suggests honey may help calm a cough (never give honey to babies under one).
• Gargle with warm salt water for a scratchy throat.
• Breathe in steam from a hot shower.
• Use a saline rinse or spray for stuffiness.

Most colds pass in 7 to 10 days. Call your doctor if you have a high fever, trouble breathing or symptoms that get worse after a week.

Try this: make a pot of chicken vegetable soup so it's ready when you need it.