Get relief from your cough and cold with these natural remedies

A change in season always brings with it a host of health problems and cough and cold are the most common ones. Try our natural remedies for relief.

Even if your cough and cold condition is not too serious, it can still have some drastic impacts in your life. Constant coughing can take a toll on your health. In severe cases, a sore throat can cause chest pain and breathlessness. You can't sleep comfortable at night and always feel tired. A running or blocked nose can give you a heavy head and cause social embarrassment. You must always consult a doctor to avoid secondary infections. But most cold and cough medicines contain anti-histamines, which can make you drowsy and affect your daily life. Here are some natural remedies you can try at home to treat your cough and cold.

Gargles

Gargle with salt dissolved in warm water as soon as you feel soreness in your throat. The salt in the water can help drain excess fluid from inflamed areas in the throat. Gargling also removes irritants in the throat and thins the mucus.

Vaporubs

Children above 2 experiences symptomatic relief with vaporubs. This is because of ingredients like menthol and camphor. Other substances like eucalyptus may also have a role in relieving congestion.

Warm beverages

Drinking warm water is a good way of soothing inflammation in the throat. A warm soup is recommended as is a glass of hot herbal tea. It will not only soothe your throat but is also good for your entire body.

Honey

Honey can help soothe irritated throat linings. It can be used as an ayurvedic remedy for cough and also to help you sleep better. A mixture of honey with juice from grapes is a great remedy for dry coughs.

Garlic

Garlic is an effective anti-microbial and expectorant, which makes useful to fight cough. It melts away the thick mucus and makes it easier to cough out the phlegm. Garlic can be crushed and added to ghee in various dishes or also added to soups or rasam.

Turmeric

Turmeric is great in reducing cough and also has antibacterial properties. Having turmeric powder with a spoon of honey a few times a day can help with dry cough. Other options include gargling with turmeric, turmeric tea or turmeric with milk.

Ginger

Ginger promotes salivation and mucus secretion, which helps to relieve cough symptoms. Having a piece of fresh ginger sprinkled with some salt provides relief from dry cough. The combination of ginger and tulsi is also an effective remedy for cough.

Jaggery

The buildup of sputum can lead to a feeling of congestion in the chest and entire respiratory tract. Jaggery can help expel this sputum and provide relief from cough and congestion. Having a decoction of pepper, cumin and jiggery is also a great option.

Pineapple

Pineapples contain bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory and mucolytic properties. This helps in breaking down mucus. Drinking pineapple juice can also reduce mucus in the throat and suppress coughing.

Steam

Steam can prove to be especially helpful in case of dry coughs. You can take steam from a large bowl of hot water and add some essential oils to reduce congestion. Other options of taking steams include cool-mist humidifiers or steam vaporisers.