Did you know that the average adult gets between two and three colds every year? While the common cold symptoms are pesky, the illness can usually be remedied with some basic common cold self-care habits.

Our weather in the Mid-South can swing wildly during the winter months, even from day to day. Because the temperatures are typically colder than at other times of year, we spend more time indoors close to others.

"That means that contagious illnesses, like the common cold, can spread more easily this time of year," says Regina Goulder, a nurse practitioner with Methodist Medical Group – Primary Care. "That's why it's called the cold and flu season, after all."

Getting the common cold is often more of an annoyance than a severe illness. No one wants to deal with symptoms like a stuffy nose for long, though. Knowing some common cold self-care basics can help you get back to feeling like yourself again soon.

Making Sense of the Common Cold

The common cold is caused by any of several types of viruses. While a rhinovirus most often causes it, more than 200 different viruses, including coronaviruses, can cause a cold.

Because the common cold is a viral infection, it's very contagious and can spread easily from person to person.

"The particles responsible for spreading cold viruses can pass through the air or through personal contact with someone else," Goulder says. "You can also pick up the common cold by touching something with the virus on it and then touching your face."

You're likely all too familiar with the symptoms of a cold, which can include a runny or stuffy nose, a sore throat, a cough, sneezing and a headache. You may also experience post-nasal drip and watery eyes. A fever is rare with the common cold, but it can occur.

Cold symptoms usually go away within a week, but some symptoms, like a runny nose, may linger for several weeks.

The Basics of Common Cold Self-Care

There is no cure for the common cold. Because the illness is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not an effective treatment option. Treatment for the common cold is designed to help ease the individual symptoms and help you feel better faster.

If you're dealing with a cold, try these self-care tips:

Add Moisture to The Air

Use a humidifier or cool mist vaporizer to increase the humidity level in your home, which can help ease several cold symptoms. Having moisture in the air can make it easier to breathe and soothe a cough.

Ease a Sore Throat with Salt Water

If a sore throat is one of your symptoms, gargling with warm salt water may help you find relief. Drinking warm liquids, including plain warm water, can also be soothing.

Have a Big Bowl of Chicken Soup

Chicken soup isn't just for the soul! Research has shown that drinking or eating a bowl of chicken soup can help ease the symptoms of respiratory illnesses, including the common cold. That's because the steam from the soup can help with congestion, while the warm liquid can help thin mucus and prevent dehydration.

Keep Your Nasal Passages Moist

When you're constantly wiping a runny nose with a tissue (or even the occasional paper towel), your nose can quickly become sore and inflamed. Use saline nose drops or spray to lubricate the nasal passages and relieve soreness.

Rest Up

It's best to stay home and burrow under the covers when you're under the weather. Getting plenty of rest and quality sleep will help your immune system fight off the illness.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated at all times is important, but it is especially important when you're sick. As your body fights off illness, you may sweat out extra fluids, so you need to replenish those fluids by drinking water and other liquids.

Try Over-The-Counter Cold Medicines

There are many different products available to alleviate symptoms of the common cold for older children or adults, such as a cough suppressant for a cough or pain relievers for a headache. It's best to talk with a pharmacist or a medical provider about what medication will work best for your symptoms. Keep a close eye on the medications you choose, since many contain acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ingredients may overlap.

Consider Other Remedies

If your symptoms have just begun, you may want to try zinc. Zinc supplements, when taken within 24 hours of symptoms emerging, can help shorten the duration and intensity of the common cold. 

If you try these remedies and still aren't feeling well after a week, check in with your primary care provider. In some cases, other illnesses, like bacterial sinus infections or pneumonia, may masquerade as the common cold but require different treatments.

It's also important to seek medical attention promptly if your symptoms worsen, if you have a lingering fever, if you become dehydrated or if you have any difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

How to Keep the Common Cold to Yourself

Have a cold? You may not be able to prevent spreading the common cold to other family members, but you can certainly try!

While you're sick, do your best to steer clear of others as much as possible. This may mean spending more time in your bedroom for a few days as you recuperate.

You'll also want to wash your hands regularly — and have your family members do the same. Be sure you're washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.

During your illness, have someone else prepare meals for the family. You can easily spread illness when cooking for others, so putting your cooking skills on hiatus for a bit is best.

Once your illness has run its course, clean the house well! Disinfect commonly touched surfaces, like doorknobs and light switches, and wash your sheets and towels.

Battling the common cold and still not feeling your best after a week? Check-in with your Methodist Medical Group primary care provider to confirm your diagnosis! Find a provider.