Choosing an effective common cold treatment may be frustrating. Common cold symptoms can vary and finding a product that works to relieve all of your symptoms may be difficult, if not impossible. Busy adults often look for common cold treatments that will relieve their symptoms without making them drowsy, but according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) bed rest is good for you, when you have a cold. In fact, adequate rest is important at all times for maintaining a healthy immune system and general good health.In addition to bed rest, the NIAID recommends drinking plenty of fluids and gargling with warm salt water as common cold treatments. Scratchy or sore throat may be relieved by using sprays or throat lozenges. Petroleum jelly may relieve a raw nose and using soft tissues or those treated with lotions may be more soothing than regular paper tissue. Another common cold treatment, which the NIAID recommends is aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve headache, fever or body aches. However, research indicates that aspirin use for common cold treatment increases the amount of virus in nasal secretions, meaning that transmitting the virus to others is more likely.
