This is a great article, with fantastic takeaways: How to understand cough medicines.
Supplementing vitamins C and D might help prevent the common cold, and taking zinc might help shorten its duration. Staying well-hydrated will help with your symptoms. Drinking honey-and-lemon or glycerol syrup will help. If honey and lemon proves insufficient, reach for pseudoephedrine if your nose is blocked or you have a sinus headache, paracetamol if you’re experiencing pain and fever, guaifenesin if you want to cough up more mucus, or pholcodine or dextromethorphan if you’d like to suppress a cough. Antihistamines may be worth a shot if you’re sneezing lots or have red runny eyes. If you want your nose to unblock right now and don’t mind the chance of a rebound later, use a nasal spray containing oxymetazoline or xylometazoline. I have listed the active ingredients here; anything containing those active ingredients will work, and generic medications will work just as well as brand-name products.
The best run-down ever.
Do not, under any circumstances, take antibiotics and/or heroin for your common cold. I am not a doctor. Don’t take anything which your doctor or pharmacist tells you not to take.
Lame.
Strongly consider wearing a face mask when you are indoors with other people, especially in poorly ventilated areas.
If only a lot more people had done THAT lately.
Also, go read the rest of the article it’s great.