Cold is a common viral infection which results in the inflammation of the lining within your nose and throat, leading to a blocked up and running nose, cough and a headache. The majority of colds disappear within 1 to 2 weeks and there is not much you can do to relieve a cold although you can take measures to reduce the risk of contracting one in the first place.
Eating a healthy and well balanced diet is a good place to start avoiding colds. The general rule of thumb is to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day given they are full of vitamins C and additional antioxidants which will help maintain and enhance your immune system. Smokers will tend to only absorb around 70% of the vitamins C contained within foods therefore if you are a smoker you may wish to consider vitamins C supplements. General personal hygiene can help reduce the risk of catching a cold. Simple measures such as washing your hands to help prevent the spread of the virus considering the majority of the cold virus is passed through hand-to-hand contact.
The herbal remedy Echinacea has been shown to help reduce the period of cold symptoms and is therefore worth taking. Echinacea has been shown to cause liver problems and therefore if you are taking any other additional medicines particularly liver-based medicines, always consult your doctor or medical physician first. Vitamin C supplements taking twice a day along with the compound zinc may also help to reduce the duration of your cold.