How to prevent getting sick when you feel it coming

Parade.com has an extensive editorial partnership with Cleveland Clinic, consistently named as one of the nation's best hospitals in U.S. News & World Report's annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Click here to learn more about our health reporting policies.

You know the feeling: There's a slight scratch in your throat, your nose starts to run, and you feel more tired than usual. While the first thing you should do is take a COVID test, if that comes back negative, you may be dealing with a cold. So how can you prevent a cold when you feel it coming?

"The 'common cold' is a viral infection of the upper and lower respiratory tract (the nose, sinuses, throat and chest)," says Dr. Cory Fisher, DO, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic. "There are hundreds of types of viruses that cause the common cold, but most commonly Rhinovirus."

If you feel a cold coming on, you're probably feeling one of the following symptoms. "The most common initial symptoms of a common cold are a scratchy or sore throat, nasal congestion with a runny nose and a fever," says Dr. Fisher. "Later symptoms often include sinus pressure, headache, and cough."

Unfortunately, they don't resolve super quickly.

"They typically last five to seven days and are self-limiting, meaning they go away on their own," says Dr. Tania Elliott, MD, internal medicine physician at NYU Langone Health.

How to stop a cold when you feel it coming

Unfortunately, once a cold starts, it’s difficult to fully stop it, Dr. Fisher says.

"It’s best to manage the symptoms while your immune system does what it needs to do to clear the virus," he says. "Especially with the COVID pandemic, when you're sick with cold symptoms, you should stay home and isolate yourself from others."

He notes that it's important to follow standard recommendations like drinking lots of water and getting rest.

"It’s important to stay hydrated, so drinking alcohol while sick is not a good plan," he says.  "Also, smoking can really irritate the throat can lungs, so laying off the cigarettes when you’re sick is also a good idea."

Plus, you may want to eat a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"A small study did show that chicken soup can actually mobilize neutrophils, which are a key component of your immune system to fight infection ... so there might be something to that old adage!" adds Dr. Elliott.

But instead of letting your cold play out, you might want to take some supplements that may help you overcome your cold quicker and get you back to your 'normal' life. Here are four tips and supplements to try to help you feel better.

Related: Six Ways to Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

Start oral zinc lozenges early

"Start oral zinc lozenges early—within 24 hours of symptom onset—but stay away from intranasal zinc," says Dr. Melinda Ring, MD, internal medicine physician and executive director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University. "Clinical research suggests a significant decrease in the duration of symptoms of the common cold when adults take zinc gluconate or zinc acetate lozenges, each containing 9-24 mg of elemental zinc per dose."

She adds that you should take a dose every two hours while you're awake, starting within 48 hours of symptom onset for a total daily dose of at least 75 mg–and don’t take it for longer than two weeks. Intranasal zinc has been linked to permanent loss of smell (anosmia), so avoid that form."

Stock up on vitamin C

"Vitamin C is best known for its effects as an antioxidant and its role in maintaining proper immune function. Evidence favors a beneficial effect of high doses of vitamin C orally by cutting down the duration of cold symptoms by one t one-and-a-half days," says Dr. Ring. "Take 2000 mg daily. Vitamin C is generally considered safe; however, high doses can cause digestive disturbances such as diarrhea and nausea."

Related: 25 Best Vitamin C Foods and Drinks

Take elderberry (sambucus nigra) syrup or capsules

"Elderberry can decrease both the duration and severity of symptoms. It has traditionally been used in folk medicine for the treatment of colds and flu for its known immune system stimulation," says Dr. Ring. "A 2019 meta-analysis of four studies found that supplementation with black elderberry (sambucus nigra) effectively cut the total duration and severity of upper respiratory symptoms, compared with the placebo. A study on elderberry capsules in air travelers also showed a two-day reduction in the duration of colds and 58% reduced the severity of colds compared with placebo."

Take the adaptogenic herb Andrographis

"The adaptogenic herb Andrographis may lessen symptoms of the common cold when started within 72 hours of the onset and may also help with prevention," says Dr. Ring. "Known as 'king of bitters,  it is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. Andrographis has health-boosting effects ranging from antiseptic, analgesic (pain-reducing), antipyretic (fever-reducing), anti-inflammatory, and expectorant. Start it early and take for at least four to five days of treatment for maximum symptom relief."

Next up: 66 Immune Booster for Flu Season

Sources

• Dr. Cory Fisher, DO, a family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic
• Dr. Tania Elliott, MD, internal medicine physician at NYU Langone Health
• Dr. Melinda Ring, MD, internal medicine physician and executive director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University