Home remedies for common cold

A common cold is rightly termed so because of the multiple kinds of colds that an individual goes through in his/her lifetime. The common cold is probably the most common type of infection seen across the globe, and children, especially, are more susceptible to this type of viral infection as their immune system is not fully developed.

Home remedies for common cold are cures made or created at home from natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables and herbs. Home remedies for common colds are very sought after as they are equally if not more effective than medication. A common cold results from exposure to the virus. Its intensity, however, depends upon the state of health of the person and environmental factors.

Why should I be aware of this?

A common cold is a mild viral infection that is extremely ubiquitous in nature. The virus is released into the atmosphere in the form of tiny droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or blows his/her nose. Exposure to cold weather is often cited as one of the causes for a common cold.

A common cold has to run its course before the individual feels any better. Most over the counter medications for the common cold simply provide temporary relief from the discomfort caused by the symptoms of the infection. As the infection is viral, there is little that medications can do to actually cure the condition. For this reason home remedies for common cold are extremely popular. Natural remedies for a common cold can help to facilitate recovery and provide relief from most symptoms. Because of the recurring nature of coughs and colds most people prefer to rely on home remedies for coughs and colds.

• Home remedies for common cold provide immediate relief.
• They have no side effects.
• Research shows that more than 200 different types of viruses are responsible for common cold. Because so many different viruses can cause a cold and because new cold viruses constantly develop, the body never builds up resistance against all of them. For this reason, colds are a frequent and recurring problem.
• Children in preschool and elementary school can have three to 12 colds per year while adolescents and adults typically have two to four colds per year.
• If they can get relief from natural substances, there is no point in interfering with their natural system by medicating them unnecessarily.
• There is no cure for common cold.
• Home remedies for common cold provide immediate relief from many symptoms.
• They also build resistance against common cold.

All about home remedies for common cold

• Prepare a tea by adding 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 shot of lemon juice, 1 shot of whiskey and little water. Sip it to relieve from cold.
• Add juice of one lemon and a teaspoon of honey to a glass of warm water and have it twice daily. Lemon is rich in vitamin C and increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness.
• Boil 10 gms of lady's fingers in 500 ml of water and inhale it twice daily to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough.
• Take 3-4 tsp onion juice with 3-4 tsp honey daily to prevent yourself from severe cold.
• Boil three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water to make garlic soup. This has antiseptic and antispasmodic properties and should be taken once daily.
• Mix ½ tsp cinnamon oil with ½ tsp honey for quick relief from common cold.
• Mix five drops of garlic oil, a teaspoon of onion juice in a cup of water and rink it two to three times a day.
• Boil an inch of ginger in a cup of water and add a teaspoon of sugar to it. Drink the clear soup while it is hot to relieve symptoms of cold.
• Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.
• A teaspoonful of ginger juice taken with equal quantity of honey brings relief from common cold.
• Mix half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk, and take it once or twice daily.
• Mix a teaspoon of paste of the roots of the bitter gourd plant with an equal quantity of honey or holy basil leaf juice and give it once every night for a month.
• Tie a tablespoon of crushed carom seeds (ajwain) in a piece of cloth. Inhaling it will give relief to blocked nose.
• In case of a running cold, smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled. It will increase the discharge from the nose and provide quick relief.
• Dilute 50 mg tamarind in 250 ml of water and boil it for a few minutes with a teaspoon of hot clarified butter and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect, and should be taken three times a day.
• Mix natural apple cider vinegar and water in equal parts and boil this solution in a pan. When the fumes rises lean over the pan and inhale the fumes. *Prepare a solution using 4 drops of lavender oil and pine oil, 3 drops of peppermint oil and 7 drops of eucalyptus oil. Inhale vapors of this solution by putting it on a cotton ball or an aromatherapy diffuser.
• Prepare tea by adding 1 tbsp of pepper powder in a cup of milk along with a pinch of turmeric and little sugar. It is very common natural remedy for cold.

Herbal Remedies for Common Cold

1. Take a cup of water and boil it with ginger powder till it becomes half. Add some honey to it. Drink it at night. It is an effective natural herbal cure for cold.
2. Take Goldenseal herb to fight against cold. It acts as a natural antibody and is very beneficial in the treatment of common cold.
3. Mix 1 tbsp of fresh gooseberry juice with 1/2 tsp ginger. It helps to prevent recurrence of cold.

What can I do?

• Have fennel seeds and jaggery daily. It has shown to increase resistance from common cold.
• Drink hot liquid such as herbal teas and vegetable soups.
• Avoid smoking and breathe fresh air.
• Avoid meat, fish, eggs and carbohydrate rich food.
• Sip hot chicken soup with lots of garlic in it.
• Take a vitamin C rich diet.
• Gargle with a strong solution of table salt and warm water two or three times a day.

Readers' Corner

Share your thoughts here

References

• Home Remedies for common cold]
• Home Remedies for Common Cold
• Natural Home Remedies for Common Cold
• Home Remedies for Common Cold]
• Common Cold