Cold and flu can completely ruin your day making you sleepless at night and tackle runny nose all through the day. Although there are plenty of medicines available at the chemist’s counter but natural remedies can be way more effective and also speed up the healing process. The natural remedies are ages old and thus tried and tested though many generations. Opt for these methods to ease cold and flu if you want to avoid taking too many medicines and want to get well soon.
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C does not fight the cold it just shortens the duration of the common cold. It is thus suggested to eat food product rich in vitamin C to combat the cold quickly. You can also take vitamin C supplements during the cold prone days. Do not consume more than 2,000 mg of vitamin c as the same might lead to conditions like kidney stones and diarrhoea.
2. Chicken Soup
Chicken soup helps in curing cold in more than one way – inhaling the steam can clear nasal congestion, whereas sipping it helps avoid dehydration. Chicken soup also has anti-inflammatory properties. Drink a lot of chicken soup as it is a delicious way of bidding goodbye to cold and flu.
3. Hot Tea
Hot tea has the same benefits as chicken soup – it clears congestion and keeps you hydrated. Drinking hot tea also helps in soothing the throat. You can also go for green or black tea which is loaded with disease fighting antioxidants thereby healing you quickly.
4. Hot Toddy
Hot toddy is one age-old cold remedy. The recipe is simple – make a cup of herbal tea, add a spoon full of honey, a shot of whiskey and in the end squeeze a lemon into it. This will help you sleep peacefully easing congestion and soothing the throat. Do not take more than one dose of hot toddy as too much of it can harm your immune system.
5. Garlic
Garlic has great germ fighting abilities and is a credible way for curing cold and flu. Include a lot of garlic to your meals when you are suffering from cold or flu. It will make the cold heal faster .
6. Steam/Humidifier
Steam helps in clearing congestion. You could heat some water in a pan and inhale the steam or use a steamer. Do not forget to cover your head with a towel so that the steam does not escape from the sides. You could also take a steam bath if you like.
7. Saline Drops
Remove bacteria and viruses from your nose by dripping salt water into your nose. This will help reduce congestion. Prepare a mix by taking 1/4 teaspoon of salt and baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water and use this for your runny nose. Repeat this 3-4 times to cure cold and flu. You could also use saline drops available in the market.
8. Menthol Ointment
Use a menthol ointment over the chest, throat and back. The vapors from the ointment will help in healing cold and flu. Do not use this remedy for children below 2 years of age. Wiping and blowing nose repeatedly will make the skin around nose sore and irritated.
9. Saltwater Gargle
Use saltwater to gargle, this will help to cure sore throat . Do this daily for at least four times to get relief from cold and flu. This will also help keep the throat moist.
10. Nasal Strips
You can use nasal strips to relieve night time congestion. They help in opening up clogged nasal passage creating space for air to pass easily. This will help you sleep comfortably through the night.