Some home remedies for Common Cold

In this article, I will be discussing about certain ways in which we can adopt some home remedies for common cold. It is quite imperative to know or get the knowledge regarding the treatment of common cold.

It is also important to differentiate between flu and common cold and how it is helpful in combating these respiratory illnesses. In essence, home remedies for common cold would also apply to flu and coughs.

General inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory routes or passages are known as colds.

Symptoms and Causes of Common Cold

The following are the symptoms of common cold ever known. They are:

1. Throat and nose irritations
2. Headaches
3. Watery eyes
4. Muscles aches
5. Temporary loss of smell and taste
6. Fever and chills

However, a heavy cold may be or take form of acute or chronic infections such as tonsillitis, bronchial catarrh, sinusitis, grippe, chronic cold or the ones related to virus-type infection.

It is somewhat imminent among infants and those with frequent occurrence of colds or flus may have thyroid malfunction. It is important to take note of the symptoms and how often they come.

It is imperative to know the difference between a cold and flu. As it is, here is the difference.

Headache – it is quite prominent in flu and very rare in a cold

Fever – it is often sudden and frequent in flu, but rare in a cold

General aches – often severe Inn flu, but slight in a cold.

Fatigue – quite extreme in flu, however, only mild fatigue with a cold

Sore throat – sometimes it associates with flu but quite common with a cold

Runny nose – in flu it is occasionally, but common with a cold

Cough – very common with flu but mild in a cold.

Causes of Common Cold

A variety of viruses cause cold, especially, when a person has allowed himself to become rundown, and so the virus was able to take hold.

In essence, there are factors responsible for lowering body’s resistance to virus infection.  They are:

1. Overexposure to cold
2. Fatigue
3. Recent or present infection
4. Allergic reactions
5. Inhalation of irritating gas or dust
6. Sugar consumption
7. Last or rest
8. Wrong eating

The common cold is not an infection that comes out to attack any one and it is not a disease but a cure of a predisposed condition. In order to understand how to go about the home remedies for common cold, you should understand the following:

1. That a cold is always in the upper respiratory tract such as nose, throat, mouth, upper bronchial. However, if congestion occurs in the chest, the cold has aggravated into something far more serious.

Here are Home remedies for common cold

First of all, if in the acute stage, one should not ignore the cold. It is better to go to bed, drink fresh lemon juice in water and settle down so as to get well.

Another one regarding home remedies for common cold is that, the treatment should include as much vitamin C as you can take, however, without developing diarrhea.

In acute cases as mentioned above, 1,000 mg of C every hour is recommended. It is good to take bioflavonoids (200- 600 mg).

With vitamin C, take small amount of garlic because it is an excellent germ fighter.

Another one is calcium lactate or gluconate (6 tablets) as recommended by natural remedies encyclopedia. Brewer’s yeast is a natural antihistamine and it also provides helpful protein.

Vitamin F (unsaturated fatty acids) helps to reduce the frequency and duration of colds.

When fever is present in acute stage, avoid all kinds of solid foods and only drink fresh fruit and vegetables juices and also herbal teas.

One of the proper methods of treating colds is to ensure elimination through all channels so as to avoid overworking only one channel (sweating, bathing, bowel and urine).

Gargling three times a day with saltwater, that is, 1 glass of warm water with 1 ½ teaspoon of salt mixed in, is one of the home remedies for common cold.

Avoid aspirin because it causes internal bleeding, especially in children.

Don’t get depressed, and that means to avoid anything that may get you depressed.

Herbs for Home Remedies

The following are the herbs one can use for home remedies for common cold.  They are:

1. Chamomile
2. Goldenseal
3. Slippery elm
4. Ginger
5. Peppermint
6. Rose hip
7. Eucalyptus oil and desert tea.

Herbal teas or herb teas may include the herb I just mentioned, such as peppermint, goldenseal, slippery elm, rose hip, chamomile etc.

Put 5 drops in a hot bath or 6 drops in a cup of boiling water. Put a towel over your head and start inhaling it.

Another herb is Licorice root tea which soothes an irritated throat and relieves coughing. Hop tea is also good because it helps to get you to sleep at night.

One of the home remedies for common cold is echinacea which greatly strengthens the immune system and it is one of the powerful antibiotics. However, after drinking the tea, the tongue may become numb and tingly for a period of time, but this is quite harmless.

For ginger, pour a cup of boiling water over 2 tablespoons, fresh, shredded ginger root, allow it to cool, then drink it. This is quite helpful because it contains antiviral compounds.

Goldenseal tea helps to increase the blood supply to the spleen which serves as a center of our immune system. As it is, goldenseal contains barberine, which helps in activating the white blood cells which will destroy bacteria, viruses and fungi and tumor cells.

Other home remedies for common cold include water therapies.

They can be done this way:

1. Take a hot mustard footbath to increase eliminations and reduce sinus and head congestion.
2. Take a hot Epsom salt bath while you drink sweating teas.
3. Take a hot ginger chest compress.
4. Apply a trunk pack. You also have to apply a full cold trunk pack every evening. This helps to stimulate elimination and brings about perspiration.
5. Take a steam inhalation, using pine needles, eucalyptus, cloves or thyme
6. Apply a cold compress to the back and leave it for 1 – 3 hours.
7. Use also a saltwater nasal douche, to open the sinuses.

The best way to prevent cold is to eat right, live right, get enough exercise, strengthen the body and also get enough rest.

Don’t share food with someone who has a cold and ensure you dress warmly when it is cold. Don’t go outside with a wet hand and don’t sit in a draft.

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