Home Remedies for Colds: 7 Popular Home Remedies for the Common Cold
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For many people, the common cold is just one of those annoying illnesses that you get once or twice a year that makes your life miserable for a short time. Colds are spread by germs that you come into contact with while going about your everyday business. Cold germs can be lurking on doorknobs, desks, phones and other common items. If someone with a cold sneezes in your vicinity, then those cold germs become airborne and you risk catching the same ailment.
While there is no cure for the common cold, you can certainly reduce its effects on you with some wonderful home remedies for the common cold. You may find that some of these remedies work better for you than others.
Vitamin C
It’s a well known fact that vitamin C plays a strong role in keeping colds from wreaking too much havoc with your body. Vitamin C is a natural immune system booster that helps fight off those nasty cold germs when they attack. When you have a cold, you can take vitamin C in tablet form, or drink plenty of orange juice. If you enjoy drinking tea, don’t forget that lemons also have a fair share of vitamin C - you can fix yourself a cup of tea and add some real lemon juice.
Chicken Soup
One of the most popular home remedies for the common cold is a bowl of hot, steamy chicken soup. Chicken soup has been prescribed for colds for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians believed that chicken soup could cure a cold. In modern times, the curative effects of chicken soup has been studied with mixed results. While not a cure, chicken soup does have some anti-inflammatory nutrients, which temporarily eases the symptoms of a cold. Most importantly, a bowl of chicken soup sure is comforting when you’re sick.
Echinacea
Echinacea is used by many people who want to lessen the duration of a cold. Althouogh Echinacea has been used for many years as a natural remedy, it’s popularity in curing the common cold has soared in recent times. Many people swear by Echinacea’s curing benefits, however, its benefits depends on whether you can obtain the correct form of the herb. In studies, certain parts of the Echinacea plant seem to have curative powers, while other parts are completely ineffective.
Echinacea can be found in pill capsule form, dry form or alcohol based tinctures. Alcohol tinctures can retain their potency for up to seven years, while dried herbs will lose their effectiveness over time. Freshness is something you need to be aware of when purchasing Echinacea. Also, even though this is a natural herb, there are some side effects that can happen in certain cases. Some of the side effects are: dizziness, nausea, and rash.
Vaporizers and Personal Steamers
There may have been a time when you remember having a cold as a child and your mom or other caretaker put a vaporizer in your room. As the room slowly filled up with warm mist, you began to feel better and soon your eyes closed and you drifted off to sleep. The steam created by vaporizers and personal steamers work quickly to unclog stuffy noses and break up congestion.
The most popular brand of vaporizer is Vicks and people still use them today, as in years gone by, to relieve cold symptoms naturally.
Spicy Food
Got a cold?
Grab a bowl of hot, spicy chili, or other spicy food that contains cayenne pepper, garlic and onions. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which is a known natural antioxidant. Garlic is a very powerful food item and healer of the body. Onions are also great immune boosters. You may need a mint after downing a spicy dish, but it’ll be worth it because of the health benefits of eating your favorite spicy foods.
Hot Toddy
Sitting down in a comfy chair sipping a nice hot toddy when you’ve got a cold just feels really good. Hot toddies are a warm drink made by adding lemon juice and an alcoholic beverage like brandy, whisky or rum to hot water (you can also use tea). A natural sweetener like sugar or honey is usually added as well. You can substitute an orange for the lemon if you like. Some folks like to add spices to their hot toddy drink like cinnamon and cloves.
Does this really work?
Well, they sure taste good, but when it comes to curing the common cold, they are more of a comfort remedy than anything else. The alcohol will help you fall asleep. However, the American Lung Association doesn’t recommend drinking alcohol during colds. Alcohol will dehydrate the body and can actually cause your cold to last longer. If you still want to drink a hot toddy, simply leave out the alcohol and go for the citrus and honey. The vitamin C in the lemon juice mixed with soothing honey will definitely make your feel better.
Steam Bath
Taking a nice, hot bath that generates a good amount of steam will certainly do wonders for breaking up all that congestion in your chest and nose area. Make it extra potent by adding a few drops of peppermint or camphor oil to the water. Keep in mind that you should never give a steam bath to a toddler, but an older child can certainly benefit from this natural cold remedy. A hot shower can also substitute for a bath.
