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There are many techniques that people can use (aside from drugs) to alleviate the symptoms associated with colds. For example, people with colds are urged to drink plenty of the right types of liquids (e.g., water, juice, clear broth, warm lemon water). Eight glasses of water and/or juice per day are recommended to help keep the lining of the nose and throat from drying out. This will keep mucus moist and easier to clear from the nose. In contrast, dehydrating fluids should be avoided. These include alcohol and drinks that contain caffeine (coffee, tea or soft drinks).

People with colds also are urged to avoid smoking and to stay away from others while they smoke. Inhaling smoke further irritates the throat, causing increased coughing. Other techniques for reducing symptoms related to colds include:

• Humidify the air. Dry air causes mucus to dry out and thicken and provides an atmosphere in which cold viruses thrive. A humidifier can help prevent this process from occurring. It is important to change the water in a humidifier daily and to wash it out according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This helps prevent the growth of mold. In addition, a humidifier should not be positioned in a way that mist gets into a person’s bedding, causing it to moisten. It is especially important to avoid moistening a baby’s bedding.
  
  
• Use saline nose drops or saltwater spray. These can help loosen thick nasal mucus and remove irritants from the nasal passages. It also can moisten dry tender skin inside the nose. Unlike nasal decongestants, saline drops and sprays do not cause rebound congestion. A rubber-bulb syringe also can be used to keep a baby’s nasal passages clean. In using the syringe, parents should first squeeze the bulb to expel any trapped air. Then, they should:
  
  
• Insert the tip of the bulb into the baby’s nostril no deeper than one-fourth to one-half of an inch. The bulb should be pointed toward the back of the nose.
  
  
• Release the bulb so that it suctions mucus from the baby’s nose.
  
  
• Remove the syringe and empty contents onto a tissue by squeezing rapidly while holding the bulb upside down.
  
  
• Repeat if needed.

When finished using the bulb, it should be washed with soap and water. All of these products are commonly available in pharmacies.

• Saltwater gargle. This can help relieve the sore throat that sometimes is associated with a cold. Saltwater solutions are made up of one-half teaspoon of salt mixed into an 8-ounce glass of warm water.
  
  
• Hand washing. Washing hands frequently with soap and water helps prevent exposure to cold viruses. Regular washing of commonly used surfaces, such as a phone, will also help to prevent the spread of germs.

Usually, colds do not require the care of a physician and will disappear on their own within a week or so. Nonetheless, more people visit physicians in regard to colds than for any other illness, according to the American Lung Association. Many people also visit a physician if their symptoms are unusually severe or persist for long periods of time. Even so, there may be little a physician can do. Medications such as antibiotics have no effect on the common cold because colds are viral infections, and antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria – not viruses.