Have a cold? Fight it with fluids

By Mayo Clinic Staff

You can't flush a cold out of your system, but drinking plenty of liquids can help. Try water, juice, clear broth, chicken soup or warm lemon water with honey. The fluids will loosen congestion and keep you hydrated. Avoid alcohol, coffee and caffeinated sodas, which may make dehydration worse.

June 27, 2020 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Antibiotics: Are you misusing them?
  2. Avoid rebound nasal congestion
  3. Breast-feeding and medications
  4. Can chicken soup cure a cold?
  5. Chicken soup: Can it treat a cold?
  6. Cold and flu viruses: How long can they live outside the body?
  7. Cold or allergy: Which is it?
  8. Cold remedies
  9. Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm?
  10. Common cold
  11. COVID-19: How can I protect myself?
  12. Cough
  13. Vitamin C and mood
  14. Does zinc work for colds?
  15. Exercise and illness
  16. Fatigue
  17. Hand-washing tips
  18. Have a cold? Common sense rules
  19. Have a cold? Fight back with humidity
  20. Headache
  21. Honey: An effective cough remedy?
  22. How well do you wash your hands?
  23. Humidifier care 101
  24. Humidifiers
  25. Is antibacterial soap a do or a don't?
  26. Nasal Cleaning
  27. Nasal congestion
  28. Neti pot: Can it clear your nose?
  29. Plugged ears: What is the remedy?
  30. Runny nose
  31. Stuffy nose? Try saline spray
  32. Symptom Checker
  33. Vicks VapoRub: An effective nasal decongestant?
  34. Vitamin C: Can it prevent colds?
  35. Warm-mist versus cool-mist humidifier: Which is better for a cold?
  36. Watery eyes
  37. What is MERS-CoV?
  38. When to Take Your Child to the E.D.
  39. Do zinc supplements shorten colds?