Ditch the antibiotics: By all means consult your doctor if the cold is associated with another infection, but don’t go thinking they can hand out cure-all pills. Colds are viruses and antibiotics don’t work on viruses.
Get as much rest as you can: If you only have a cold, and not flu, it’s unlikely that you’ll get away with cancelling everything and curling up in bed for the week. Even so, the more rest you can afford yourself the quicker your recovery should be. Sleep is your body’s downtime, after all, and it uses this opportunity to run system checks and make essential repairs.
Inhale: Breathe in steam, from a hot shower, a bath, or a basin of hot (but not boiling) water. This can ease blocked or stuffy noses and even a sore throat. Adding a few inhalant drops such as menthol crystals or eucalyptus oil can also help, available from your local pharmacist.
Keep your strength up: Eat well, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Illness can rob your body of essential nutrients and vitamins; something you can effectively restore with a decent diet.
Make friends with the pharmacist: They can advise you what over-the-counter products are most likely to help make you feel better, and get you on your feet when it really matters.
Natural cold recovery: If you feel the early signs of a cold, start taking echinacea drops or capsules immediately, which helps to dispatch white blood cells to fight the infection. If you’re too late for that, make sure you are dosed up with plenty of vitamin C and drink hot water infused with slices of fresh ginger. Garlic has antifungal, antibiotic, antiviral and antibacterial properties that help the immune system to fight infection and it is excellent at boosting the immune system, so consume as much as possible (it’s ok to be antisocial when you are ill!).
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