Your hourly guide to overcoming a cold

Uh oh, there it is: That sore throat or pressure behind the eyes, a bit of stuffy nose or some kind of cough. Everyone has their own telltale signs that a cold virus is showing up, and as much as we’d like to banish them, it’s best to listen to your body. If you do this and act now to take care of yourself, you may be able to prevent a prolonged battle against the cold of the year. There are a few things you can do to control how long a cold lasts. Here’s how experts say you should tackle your first day and beyond when you’re feeling sick.

7:00 am Call in sick if you can

The first morning you wake up feeling like you’ve got a cold—you’re stuffy, a cough is brewing, and your brain is far from focused—you need unlimited access to rest. Don’t think you’ll be a hero dragging yourself to work; You’re probably going to feel bad for longer, says Chris D’Adamo, Ph.D., research director at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. And you’re spreading your germs: for the first two to three days, you’re most contagious when you sneeze and cough.

7:15 a.m Test for COVID

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting a home test as soon as you develop symptoms that could indicate COVID-19, such as a sore throat, constipation, cough, fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and diarrhea. If the result is positive, stay at home for at least five days and isolate yourself from others. Tell everyone you’ve been in close contact with and tell your doctor if you’re over 50, have an underlying condition, or if your symptoms are getting worse. If it is negative and you still have symptoms, stay home and test again within 24 to 48 hours.

7:30 a.m Steam, rinse

Step into a hot shower. Warm, moist air helps moisturize the linings of your nose and throat so mucus can drain better, says Andrew Weil, MD, founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. When you get out, you can use a neti pot of sterile, distilled or previously boiled water that’s cooled to dilute and flush away anything that’s still clogging you, as well as some of the germs that might be in it, he says.

8:00 am Take your time for tea

Pour yourself a steaming mug of just about anything — it can help with that stuffy feeling, and tea can help with a sore throat, too. It is especially good to fill this mug with echinacea tea, which can help relieve the symptoms of a cold. Follow that with a bite to eat.

8:30 am Consider supplements

You might want to chase down breakfast with a probiotic supplement. One review found that people who took probiotics or drank probiotic yogurt drinks containing strains of Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium got over their cold faster. Also, try popping zinc lozenges: research has shown they can shorten a cold if you take them within the first 24 hours of symptoms. Just get the ok from your doctor first, as zinc can interact with medications, and take it with food to prevent an upset stomach.

10:30 am go back to bed

Without rest you cannot recover so well. Fatigue is nature’s way of telling us to dedicate energy to the immune response instead of running around, notes Christopher Coe, Ph.D., director of the Harlow Center for Biological Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

10:45 a.m Tackle traffic jams

Can’t sleep because your nose is blocked? Try opening things up with a saline nasal mist, or consider a medicated nasal decongestant spray, says Stacey Curtis, Pharm.D., a community pharmacist and clinical associate professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. These sprays relieve nasal passage swelling faster than pills.

If you’re constipated but need to stay up — say, you need to do some work — look for a decongestant medication that contains pseudoephedrine, Curtis says. This can only be purchased at a Pharmacy where it is kept behind the counter.

12:30 pm Have some lunch

Don’t say no to chicken soup, even if you don’t have much of an appetite. The hot broth helps relieve congestion, and the saltiness makes you thirsty, so you hydrate with other fluids, says Joan Salge Blake, Ed.D., RDN, clinical professor at Boston University and host of the nutrition and health podcast Spot !

14:00 clock Walk it away

If you have symptoms only above the throat (congestion, mild sore throat, runny nose) without fever, swollen glands, or pain, take a short, quiet walk. Experts believe that moderate cardio exercise, like walking, helps antibodies and infection-fighting white blood cells circulate more quickly throughout your body. Don’t get too ambitious though: avoid intense workouts and make sure to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

3:00 p.m Cue some fun videos

Pretty bored, right? Gearing up for some fun stuff might give your immune system a boost. (If you’ve been struggling through work, put on your earbuds and treat yourself to a quick LOL session.) Research shows that laughter can stimulate the production of antibodies that destroy bacteria and viruses. Besides, you deserve a smile right now.

6:00 p.m Have dinner

You might not feel like eating, but you need energy — especially when you have a fever, since your body uses a lot of energy to fight that thing, D’Adamo says. Consider making a quick stir-fry with thinly sliced ​​beef (for zinc), mushrooms (they contain potential immune boosters called beta-glucans), and crushed garlic (for antimicrobial allicin).

8:00 pm Set the stage for a better night

For most people, cold symptoms worsen at night, says Dr. Because, especially when they first lie down. You’re likely to cough more because of mucus dripping down the bridge of your nose and down your throat. So before bed, take all that sniffling and chopping down a notch with a mini steam room. First, boil some water and pour it into a large bowl. Drape a towel loosely over your head as you bend over the bowl (not too close!) and breathe deeply for a few minutes. If you have a humidifier, then keep hydrated throughout the night.

9.00 Take medication that relieves ZZZ

To avoid being woken up by symptoms, choose nocturnal formulations of medicines. Or try a natural sleep aid: D’Adamo recommends 1 mg to 3 mg of melatonin (a sleep hormone) 30 minutes before bed. Opt for a time-release formula, he says, so the effects last all night.

9:30 p.m Hit the lights

Yes, it’s early, but that’s the point. “Rest is what will really help speed up the recovery process,” says D’Adamo. Rearrange the pillows to comfortably elevate your head and neck; this will relieve pressure in the sinuses and help you breathe.

Day 2 and beyond

Get more rest than you think you need. When you go to work, that should be all you do — cancel evening plans and leave super early. “If you took zinc or echinacea, continue until you’re fully recovered,” says D’Adamo. Decongestants and cough suppressants? “You’ll probably have to keep going for a few more days, but after day two try using them less frequently.” After day three, make sure you stop using the nasal sprays; it’s hard to wean yourself from them afterwards.

Make sure you’re taking the right medication

Viruses cause colds, the flu, and COVID-19, so antibiotics won’t fight them. However, your doctor may recommend an antiviral such as Tamiflu for influenza, Paxlovid for COVID-19, or an antibiotic if you are battling a bacterial infection such as strep throat. If you’re sticking with OTC drugs, buy a formula that targets your worst symptoms, since combination products make it easy to double up on ingredients, says Stacey Curtis, Pharm.D. Fight multiple symptoms? Ask the pharmacist (or better yet, your doctor) what medications are safe to mix.

• Chest congestion: Consider an expectorant like guaifenesin to help break up phlegm.
• A persistent cough: A cough suppressant like dextromethorphan might help. It basically shuts down the cough center in your brain, says Curtis. Some products also contain ingredients that soothe the throat.
• A really stuffy nose: If a saline product doesn’t work, you can try an oxymetazoline nasal spray. These sprays force nasal blood vessels to close, but limit use to three days or you could get rebound congestion.
• A stuffy nose plus sinus pressure: Curtis recommends a decongestant containing pseudoephedrine. The downside: it makes some people feel a little nervous.
• Sore throat: Cough drops, lozenges, or sprays with a numbing agent such as benzocaine or phenol can help. For mild scratch resistance, look for pastilles with pectin. If your sore throat is due to postnasal drip, consider taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine.