There are several methods you can employ to get relieved from a cold without going to the doctor. But before you begin, you should know that most of them will provide relief from the cold and will not offer any magical cure. The first thing is to drink hot water all day. This will be of maximum help. It will keep you warm and will also work towards melting any jammed mucus in your insides. If you can stomach it, drink the water with a pinch of turmeric powder added to it. This will help to get you a speedier recovery. Turmeric powder has excellent healing powers and can help with almost any problem of any kind. Eating raw onions is also beneficial. An old wives tale dictates that if you keep raw onions in your armpits, you can actually get rid of your cold in a day! The veracity of this claim is yet untested, however. Make a cup of tea with 10 peppercorns, 10 cloves, 10 cardamoms, a half inch piece of cinnamon and a half inch piece of fresh grated ginger added to it. You need to boil this in the water till it is reduced to half, so begin with two cups of water. You can also add a pinch or more of tea leaves to it if desired. This tea can be sipped all day to help with relief. If you find the taste too spicy, you can add a teaspoon of honey to it. Make sure you add no milk, however. Milk should also be avoided when you are suffering from a cold. The reason for this is that milk has a tendency to clog your sinuses even worse than they are already clogged. However, in some cases, milk may be used for medicinal purposes. For example, a glass of milk taken each night with a teaspoon each of turmeric powder, honey and ginger juice will make you as good as new by morning. Make sure you sleep in a warm place when you have this, as cool temperatures will aggravate your condition.
As a rule, you should eat light when your body is fighting off your cold. Although a cold does not make you feel like eating too much, it is extremely important to eat nevertheless. This is because if you starve, you will most likely fuel a fever. So make it a point to eat properly, if lightly.
answered by M W