• Avoid dwellings having rooms too warm and dry
• Avoid tobacco smoke
• Take in sufficient liquids such as water or fruit juices
• Other general measures include:
- Inhaling steam 2 - 4 times a day is extremely helpful, costs nothing, and requires no expensive equipment. The patient should sit comfortably and lean over a bowl of boiling hot water (no one should ever inhale steam from water as it boils) while covering the head and the bowl with a towel so the steam remains under the cloth. The steam should be inhaled continuously for 10 minutes. A mentholated or other aromatic preparation may be added to the water. Long, steamy showers, vaporizers, and facial saunas may be an alternative
- A nasal wash can be helpful for removing mucus from the nose. A saline solution can be purchased in a spray bottle at a drug store or made at home. Perform the nasal wash several times a day.