Home Remedies For Common Cold

The common cold is one of the most frequent illnesses that we generally hear about that’s why it’s called the common cold!  Is there always someone around us or maybe ourselves, mourning a cold? Grownup gets a moderate of 2 to 4 colds and adolescent 6 to 8 colds every year. A cold is a smooth upper respiratory tract epidemic of the throat, nose, and sinuses. Viruses belonging to the Rhinovirus group are mainly to blame for this, but it can be begun by other viruses too. It is substantially harmless.

The virus goes inside our body through the nose, eyes, and mouth. It spreads through the air containing infected droplets, direct contact with infected people through handshakes, and contaminated objects like towels, doorknobs, telephones, and keypads. The symptoms generally surface for 2 or 3 days upon becoming infected with the germs and last for 7 to 14 days.

Symptoms include headache, runny nose or blocked nose, sneezing, cough, high fever, itchy eyes, sore throat, body aches, and so on. Being out in the cold weather does not cause a cold, but the rhinoviruses that mainly cause the cold, survive better in the cool climate.

Although they say there’s no cure for the common cold, there are cures for the symptoms that come with a cold. Over-the-counter prescriptions like cold medicines can be used to ease your symptoms, but you don’t need antibiotics normally to treat a cold. Plus, you may need to take steps to treat your common cold before it leads to other infections like sinus or ear infections, cough, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other complications.

Note: If the common cold continues for more than two weeks, It’s suggested to visit a physician!!!

HERE WE GO…………..

Garlic

Garlic’s antibacterial and antiviral properties can be very helpful in getting rid of cold symptoms. The organosulfur compounds present in garlic are mainly responsible for their medicinal properties. Garlic boosts the immune system, helps open up respiratory passages, and flushes toxins out of your body.

Allicin is a compound found only in freshly crushed/chopped/chewed garlic and is inactivated upon cooking. It has antiviral properties against rhinovirus and certain other viruses.

According to a study published in 2001, a high dose of allicin had the ability to prevent colds.

Another garlic product called Aged garlic extract or AGE (produced by aging garlic) has been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms, the number of days of illness, and also the occurrence of colds and flu.

Here is how it is prepared.

• Mix together 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red chili powder. Consume it daily until the symptoms subside.
• Boil 4 or 5 chopped garlic cloves in 1 cup of water. Mix in 1 teaspoon of raw honey. Drink it 2 or 3 times a day.
  You can also eat raw garlic chopped in salads or along with warm milk.
• Mix together 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, and a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red chilli powder. Consume it daily until the symptoms subside.

Raw Honey

Honey can be of great help in soothing an irritated throat as well as shortening the duration of a cold. Nutrients and enzymes in honey help kill bacteria and viruses that cause colds.

The results from a randomized study done in 1998 concluded that antibiotics were not of much help in fighting upper respiratory tract infections like colds in children.

There is increasing evidence to show that honey decreases the secretion of mucus and thereby cough in children. Recommendations made by the World Health Organization suggest that honey might have a role in treating cough and cold in children.

Always use raw organic honey.

• The simplest home remedy is to consume a mixture of 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of honey. Take it every 2 hours to get immense relief from your cold and flu.
• If you prefer, you can simply swallow a spoonful of raw honey.
• Children with cough and cold can be given ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) of raw honey before bed.

Note:  Avoid the use of honey as a remedy for children below 1 year of age.

Ginger

You may be unknown of the fact ginger has many key medicinal properties keeping the body warm is important properties? Ginger can be helpful in treating the common cold and its symptoms due to its antiviral, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Eat raw ginger or drink ginger tea up to 3 times a day. To make ginger tea, boil 2 cups of water, add 1 tablespoon of chopped ginger in it, cover and let it simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes. You can now give pressure on the tea and add a little lemon juice and honey to it to enhance its health effect.
• You can also make a paste of ginger, cloves, and a little salt. Eat a ½ teaspoon of it 2 times a day if we are suffering from a runny nose, the mixture of equal amounts of dry ginger powder clarified butter (ghee) and jaggery (gur), a natural sweetener. Eat this mixture daily in the morning on an empty stomach. Jaggery is the unrefined sugar from raw concentrated sugarcane juice and is beneficial for respiratory problems as per Ayurveda. Date palm and palm sap are other sources of jaggery. You can buy jaggery from Indian grocery stores or online. Ghee is clarified butter. You can make it at home or you can buy it from Indian stores or online.

Chicken Soup

Eat chicken soup when you have a cold is not an old granny’s superstition! But really studies have shown that chicken soup is superior to cold or hot water in treating a cold.

It also provides relief from common cold symptoms through its action on white blood cells that play a main role in fighting infections. It is having the important nutrients and vitamins that help treat the common cold and its symptoms along with other infections too. The high antioxidant properties of vegetables present in chicken soup speed up the healing process.

So, chicken soup is highly recommended for its nutritional benefits, relieving dehydration and is best for promoting speedy recovery from the common cold.

Also, Read; Home Remedies for cold during pregnancy 

Black Pepper

Black pepper is the “king of spices” and has a lot of health-promoting properties. It is rich in many compounds that are responsible for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and protective effects on stomach effects.

Black pepper contains a compound called piperine that makes it pungent and is also responsible for many of the medicinal properties of black pepper. Piperine is known to cure a cold, cough, and throat problems by improving breathing and reducing cough.

It is one of the easily available natural Home remedies for the common cold ( includes various symptoms of the common cold) along with others too.

• If you are suffering from a runny nose, add pepper to your food when you eat a meal.
• You can also take 1 teaspoon of it mixing in a glass of warm water.
• If you cannot or are afraid to eat or drink black pepper,

We can get its benefits by smelling it throughout the day.

Turmeric Milk

It is popular for the treatment of cold as a home remedy throughout the world. The combined mixture of turmeric and ginger powder helps to treat the cough, headache, body aches, and other symptoms of the common cold.

Contrary to popular misconception, milk does not increase mucus production. Turmeric is a very potent spice with antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties.

1. Boil milk and add ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and a ½ teaspoon of ginger powder or you can also use fresh ginger for better result.
2. Allow the milk to cool to room temperature so you can drink it without burning your mouth. Try to drink it 2 times a day, especially before going to sleep.

Cinnamon

It has the power to fight against the common cold and help to calm the pain of a dry or sore throat. Cinnamaldehyde is the major constituent of cinnamon bark. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Cinnamaldehyde have been demonstrated through many studies.

• Mix 1 tablespoon of powdered cinnamon and 2 cloves in 2 cups of boiling water and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. Mix and drink it while it is not the too hot nor too cold for better result you can mix some honey too, and Drink this tea at least 1 to 3 times a day.
• If you can and likes, you can smoothly take a few drops of cinnamon bark oil with honey.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is also known as ascorbic acid. It gained significance with respect to its role in preventing scurvy-related deaths among ancient sailors. You can find it abundantly in fruits and vegetables especially citrus fruits.

Although this vitamin has been debatable in the research circle regarding its role to cure colds, it has many functional properties. It plays a vital role in many processes of the body like wound healing, iron absorption, and collagen formation.

Vitamin C improves the glucose metabolism of your body. It also helps the body produce a chemical substance that is important for proper signalling of the nervous system. Vitamin C also plays a very crucial role in strengthening your immune system.

Fruits rich in Vitamin C:

• Indian gooseberry or Amla
• Cantaloupe
• Orange, grapefruit, limes, lemons
• Kiwifruit
• Mango
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Berries like strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, cranberries

In conclusion

People may find that above home remedies help relieve symptoms of the common cold and make it pass more quickly. Another way to treat symptoms and recover from common colds are:

• Rest
• Getting plenty of sleep
• Staying warm
• Drinking plenty of hot water and other hot fluids
• Taking over the over-counter analgesic (pain killer), such as ibuprofen, to lessen aches or pain

Remember serious conditions such as sinusitis, bronchitis, meningitis, strep throat, and asthma, look like a common cold. If you have serious symptoms or don’t seem to be getting better, visit your doctor.