The common cold is an ailment that affects us not just during the winter, but also at other times of the year and it can be quite a draining experience. There are a few natural remedies that you can use as soon as you feel a bout of flu or cough coming on so that you do not suffer too much.
Keep garlic handy
With its powerful antioxidants, garlic is one of the best protective against cough and cold. If you feel a mild earache, it could be a result of congestion due to the cold. For such conditions, lightly crush a clove of garlic, wrap it in clean cotton and place it in the ear but not so far in that it accidentally gets pushed inside.
For cough and cold, take about 4-5 cloves of garlic, lightly crush and sauté in a little ghee and consume. Alternatively, you may also juice four cloves of garlic, two tomatoes, and a lemon to make a delicious antibacterial and antiviral drink. Some people combine these same ingredients in a blender to prepare a tomato and garlic soup with a little rock salt if necessary.
Treat with turmeric
Turmeric is rich in curcumin and volatile oils that have a protective as well as therapeutic action in persons suffering from cough and cold. As soon as you feel a scratchy sensation in your throat that indicates the onset of a sore throat or cough, make it a practice to use turmeric to avoid aggravating the problem. The easiest way of using turmeric is to drink hot milk into which you have mixed in a little quantity of turmeric.
Some people also prepare a tea using turmeric. Boil 4 cups of water, mix in 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder and keep for 10 minutes. Strain using a fine strainer if necessary, and then mix in a little honey and lemon – your medicinal turmeric tea is ready.
Drink protective herbal tea
Besides the turmeric tea mentioned above, there are other herbal teas that also help people who suffer from frequent cough and cold. These teas combine the beneficial effects of different ingredients such as pepper, ginger, tulsi and cinnamon and thus help keep the flu bugs away.
Mix in 4 pods of cardamom, 4 corns of black pepper, 4 cloves, a few small slices of fresh ginger and a small piece of cinnamon in water. Allow the mixture to boil, turn the flame to low, cover the vessel and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then strain the tea, mix in a little milk or honey and drink it hot.
You can also prepare a simple tea of tulsi by adding about 15 washed leaves of tulsi into 1.5 cups of water and boiling. After about 10 minutes, strain this liquid, mix in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and drink while still warm. Lemon juice contains vitamin C and this, in combination with the medicinal ingredients of the tulsi will improve your immunity against the cold.
Some people prepare a throat gargle at home using neem and honey. Take about 3 leaves of neem with a medium-sized glass of water and boil. When the liquid has cooled, mix in one teaspoon of honey and gargle with this liquid to get relief from a sore throat.
Homemade medicinal lozenge
Much before the time of Halls and Strepsils, homes in India used to have their own lozenge-like remedies for cough and cold. Here is a simple remedy you can easily prepare. Chop a small quantity of ginger and extract the juice from it; roast and powder a few corns of pepper. Mix the ginger juice, pepper powder, a pinch of turmeric and add a little honey to make small balls of the paste. Place these inside your mouth like you would a lozenge and keep sucking slowly for about 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat two or three times in a day for faster relief.
Remedies for productive cough
If you develop a productive cough (cough that causes phlegm), you can help your body expel the sputum with these simple home remedies. Take a few peppercorns with a little cumin and jaggery. Add a little water and keep boiling until you get a concentrated decoction. Cool and drink to cough out the phlegm blocking your throat.
Take a few betel leaves and crush to extract the juice; take about 2 teaspoons of this juice, mix in 1 teaspoon of honey and consume the mixture twice a day about half an hour after food. This will provide relief in case of productive cough.
Along with the home remedies, you could also try some OTC cough formulations meant for your cough type in order to get relief from some of the symptoms which may be keeping you ‘under the weather’. However, if you find the cough and cold persisting beyond a week, make it a point to consult a doctor to find out if there is some other underlying health issue.
