interesting topic Tinna, thanks. even after all I am not a doctor by profession, but anyway I will suggest only 2 things for the cold. It is upto you to apply it or not, I am not stressing that you must apply, but you may apply if you do not want to take medicines. 1. are you spending number of hours in air conditioner!, if the answer is yes, then keep in mind sometime the cold starts when you leave the ac room or hall. if not but during a rainy season or in damp climate and who is sleeping under the "full speed fan" above head may persist cold problem very often. few people are having some alergies like a closeness in one nostril eighter left or right, may be there is a deviation in the nostril and due to it, synositis may occur in which one can experience headache and uneasyness too.

what to do:

Take a full glass of water into one pot, boil it on the gas especially before sleeping time, boil it till it gets bubbles into it rapidly, then keep the pot on the table, keep off the gas, later take one full lemon, cut it into two pieces, add it into the warm water, later just drink it by keeping it in one soccer, don't drink this water too hot, and not too cold, but try to take hot water as far as you can bare (you know we drink hot coffee/tea). Then complete the one glass water course. later you are not allowed to go outside of the home, and do not use any fan for atleast one hour, you will experience quite good later, if you do this thing for consistant 2 days, then your cold problem will be cure.

I use this simple therapy at my home in India.

sunil