The common cold is almost always accompanied by a cough and can be quite an irritating condition to deal with. While, medication can help reduce the symptoms you experience, a cold has no cure and it takes about seven days to resolve. So, instead of loading your body with all those chemicals why not try something natural to beat the discomfort you feel. Here are 5 natural remedies that work to not only keep a cough and cold at bay but also help relieve the symptoms.
Keep garlic handy
Garlic is packed with antioxidants and is perfect to protect you against a cough and cold. Apart from that garlic contains a compound known as allicin, which is known to have great anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.
How to use:
Tip#1: If you have been suffering from an earache, it could be a sign of an infected throat or eustachian tube. This can later lead to a cough and cold. So in order to thwart its progression into one, crush a few pods of garlic and wrap it in a clean cloth. Now place this in your ear, making sure you do not push it in too deep.
Tip #2: If you have a cough and cold, take about 4 to 5 cloves of garlic, lightly crush and saut it in a little ghee. Have this as an easy remedy. Alternatively, you can also juice four cloves of garlic, two tomatoes, and a lemon to make a delicious antibacterial and antiviral drink. You can also combine these ingredients to prepare a tomato and garlic soup with a little rock salt if you prefer.You may like to read about 9 causes of cough.
Treat your cold and cough 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. Haldi also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial activity that can help beat the infection.
How to use:
Tip#1: The best way to use turmeric is as soon as you feel a scratchy sensation in your throat that indicates the onset of a sore throat or cough. Turmeric can help prevent the infection from worsening. The easiest way to use turmeric is as haldi doodh. To make this drink take a teaspoon of haldi and add it to a glass of milk. Now boil the mixture and drink it while it is still hot. You can add some honey to the mixture too, in order to sweeten the drink and add to its antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Tip# 2: You can also have some turmeric tea to treat the condition. All you need to do is boil 4 cups of water, mix one tablespoon of turmeric powder to it and boil the water. Once done allow it to stand for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture using a fine strainer, and then mix in a little honey and lemon your medicinal turmeric tea is ready. You can add some tulsi to the tea to make it a better natural remedy.
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 to help relieve the symptoms of cold and cough and keep the condition at bay.
How to use:
Tip#1: 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 allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then strain the tea, mix in a little milk or honey and drink it while it is still warm.
Tip# 2: You can also prepare a simple tea with 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 one tablespoon of lemon juice and drink it while it is 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.
Tip# 3:You can also prepare a gargling solution at home using neem and honey. Take about 3 leaves of neem with a medium-sized glass of water and boil the mixture. When the liquid has cooled, mix in one teaspoon of honey and gargle 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. Not only does this remedy help reduce the irritation you feel in your throat, but it is also a natural way to treat a cough.
How to use:
Here is a simple remedy you can easily prepare. Chop a small quantity of ginger and extract the juice from it. Also, 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 it a thick paste. Now roll it into small balls to make it into toffees. Place these inside your mouth like you would a lozenge, and keep sucking on this for about 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat two or three times in a day for 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. A productive cough can be a symptom of various conditions right from an infection in the chest to serious ailments like bronchitis, pneumonia and even TB. So if you rcough persists for more than one weeks, visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
How to use:
Tip#1: Take a few peppercorns with a little cumin and jaggery. Add a little water and keep boiling the mixture until you get a concentrated decoction. Cool and drink it to help expel the phlegm blocking your airways.
Tip#2: Take a few betel leaves and crush them to extract their 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.
Tip# 3: 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. You may like to read about medicines for cough and cold.
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Wan't to know how allergies can lead to cough? Here's some expert advice on the same:
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