We all know how miserable the common cold can make us feel, but rather than reach for a cardboard box why not let nature takes it course and just try to relieve the symptoms with a natural cold remedy.

Having a cold is known as a contagious illness that affects our upper respiratory tract. There are 200 different types of viruses which can cause a cold. When this infection occurs in the respiratory tract it causes swelling in the walls of the upper respiratory tract and produces excessive mucus.

You can easily catch a cold through person to person contact, overcrowded places where the risk of infection is high, and by picking up used tissues of another person.

Symptoms of a cold may range from watery eyes to hacking cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, headache and fever. Most colds have an average duration of one week. If your cold is recurrent it may indicate that you have a lowered immune capacity, there is too much stress, or you don't get enough sleep.

Here is a list of 10 natural cold remedies that you can try:

1. If you feel a cold coming on then try this natural cold remedy to stop it in its tracks. Crush a teaspoon of sea salt and mix it with a small amount of warm water (until dissolved). Gargle six or seven times a day with this solution. The sea salt will generally kill any germs that are lurking at the back of your throat and you can avoid going through the discomfort of having a cold.

2. If you have already caught a cold, try drinking hot liquids because it can relieve nasal congestion. Also drink at least eight glasses of water a day as this will prevent you from suffering from dehydration. It can even soothe your inflamed membrane that lines in your throat and nose. Drinking fresh fruit juices like pineapple, which is less acidic in the stomach and less allergenic than citrus, is a great help because it is richer in vitamin C. This will help in breaking down mucus and at the same time boosting the immune system to help in fighting infection.

3. If you have already caught a cold, don't eat less nutritious food. Rather, you should stay away from processed food because it will only make your body's resistance weaker due to the lack of essential nutrients. The best thing that you can do is to eat nutritional meals that are complete with vitamins and minerals which will aid your body in fighting the infection.

4. Eat garlic that is chopped, chewed or crushed because it is great for preventing and reducing the symptoms of a cold. The reason for this is because it contains a substance called allicin which helps the immune system fight infection.

5. You can also eat lemon because it increases the body's resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of your illness.

6. If you are looking to make a natural cold remedy at home just blend together a 1/4 cup of honey with