It happens to everyone, sometimes multiple times a year. That's why it's called the common cold, right? But while we're all familiar with the common cold, we may only know of one or two ways to fight it, which usually involve some sort of over-the-counter medication, or the folk remedy, a bowl of chicken soup. But there are much better ways to prevent and treat the common cold, using traditional non-drug remedies and good solid nutrition.

The first step in fighting the common cold is to make sure you have a cold. For some, it can be pretty easy to confuse the common cold with the flu (until symptoms get a lot worse), or to not know when a cold has progressed into bronchitis. "The common cold is a viral infection of the upper-respiratory tract that attacks the nose and nasal passages, and can spread to the chest," writes Earl Mindell in Secret Remedies. "We all know and dread those first symptoms: the scratchy throat, sneezing, headache, aching muscles, and congestion." But when should we know that the cold has gone too far? The authors of Smart Medicine for Healthier Living say that if a cold gives you a persistent fever, a hacking cough or a rash, you might have a more serious viral infection. The common cold itself is a viral infection, so things like antibiotics, which are often mistakenly prescribed for colds, won't help.

The first thing that comes to mind when treating a cold is that taking vitamin C will help, and this instinct is correct. Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling first found the connection between vitamin C and colds. Though doctors still debate the clinical studies that have since repeated Dr. Pauling's original findings, most naturopaths would say this is a good first step in fighting off a cold. Dr. Michael T. Murray, in Natural Alternatives to Drugs, writes, "While the vitamin C studies have consistently demonstrated results superior to over-the-counter cold medications, manufacturers of vitamin C products are prevented from making any claims for their product, while the makers of OTC common-cold medications spend hundreds of millions of dollars brainwashing the American public into believing these products are the answer to the common cold." Zinc is also recommended for those just beginning to come down with a cold. "Zinc is not only seen to be an important regulator of immunity, but has also been found clinically to be an excellent mineral to take in the event of viral illness, such as the common cold," writes the Life Extension Foundation.

Homeopathic medicine also offers a range of treatments to try. A homeopath can recommend treatments like eyebright, monkshood, wild hops and belladonna, among others. Echinacea, cinnamon, elder flower, ginger and licorice are all on the list of what a naturopath might recommend to those fighting off a cold. The great thing about these items is that they help improve your immune system, not just cover up symptoms, so you can decrease the actual duration of your cold. Echinacea in particular has been popularized as a cold treatment, so much so that you can even find it in many regular drug stores. "I have found that echinacea can help prevent the common cold as well as reduce the symptoms and shorten the duration – but results differ. Some people respond almost miraculously, while others get no benefits at all," writes Mark Stengler in Natural Physicians Healing Therapies. "Overall, though, echinacea is more effective than over-the-counter medicines, which only help to reduce some of the symptoms of a cold and do nothing to assist the immune system or battle the infection."