The common cold can have symptoms that range from "an irritating nuisance" to "a miserable inconvenience." Natural remedies for the common cold work to relieve the symptoms and kill the actual virus causing the cold. Home treatment can nip colds in the bud and the earlier the treatment begins, the faster the results are seen.
Symptoms of a common cold include stuffy and/or runny nose, headache, sore throat, cough, stuffy or painful ears, and malaise. Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics do not kill viruses and most over the counter remedies only treat symptoms. Simple herbs and vitamin supplements can actually kill the cold viruses and reduce the duration of the cold.
Colds Versus Allergies
Colds often start with a sore throat, headache and stuff nose. While these symptoms are common with allergies as well, colds usually start suddenly. Oftentimes with colds your symptoms begin a day or two after being around someone else who was sneezing and coughing but came to work anyway.
Colds Versus The Flu
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between a cold and the flu. Cold symptoms are usually more mild. Usually with a cold, there is little to no fever. Bed rest is ideal but it is usually possible to push through with work or school. When you have the flu you usually have a fever and body aches as well. With the flu it is very difficult to carry on with work or school and bed rest is usually unavoidable. For remedies for the flu, see this page.
Five Quick Steps to Stop Your Cold Dead in its Tracks!
The sooner treatment begins for a cold, the better. Head for the kitchen cabinet and get some salt for a good old fashioned gargle. This will begin to kill the germs in the throat and bring pain relief. You may wonder if this penny remedy is worth the bother. But remember, salt does kill germs. Think of how salt was used to preserve foods before refrigeration. Consider the dead sea (where nothing can live) which is a salt lake. Great grandmothers recommended this for good reason!
1. Salt Water Gargle
Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt (preferable sea salt) to 1/4 cup very warm water. Gargle deeply.
For the stout-hearted - add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the salt gargle. This will be a spicy concoction but will make it more powerful. Cayenne kills germs and relieves pain as well.
Skeptics can view this video to see the cayenne pepper gargle in action.
The next step is to kill the germs in your nose with salt.
2. Salt Water Sniffing
Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 1/2 cup of warm water, not quite as warm as is used to gargle with.
Pour a bit of this into the palm of aclean hand and snort it up into the nose. Or use a straw or eye dropped to drip it into the nose. (Lie down and tilt the head back to do that.)
Have a box of tissues on hand, this will immediately begin to clean out the sinuses.
Again, if you are feeling brave, follow the treatment with a bit of cayenne pepper. Dip a q-tip into water and then into the cayenne pepper to get a bit of cayenne onto the end of the q-tip. Use the q-tip to apply the cayenne inside each nostril. (No need to go very far into the nose.) This is going to sting and cause. It will clear out the sinuses in a hurry.
3. Hot Healing Tea
Now it is time to brew a mug of healing tea, so put the kettle on.
Use regular black tea or green tea, or make apple cider vinegar tea.
Use one tea bag or 1 Tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar per mug of tea.
Sweeten with honey, blackstrap molasses or raw sugar. Do not sweeten with artificial sweetener.
While the kettle is boiling or the tea is steeping, stop by the bathroom and get the hydrogen peroxide and grab a cotton ball.
4. Clean Out Germs in Your Ears
Pour a cap full of 3% hydrogen peroxide into each ear. This will kill germs in the ears and help to prevent an ear infection. Use the cotton ball to absorb excess hydrogen peroxide.
5. Rest!
Get back to the mug of tea. Sit down with feet up and enjoy the tea.
Tempting as it is to keep up normal routines when suffering with a cold, rest will allow the body to use its energy to fight the cold virus.
Repeat the salt water gargle, salt water sniffing, hydrogen peroxide in ears, rest and tea every few waking hours.
The above cold cure is in most homes. It is very inexpensive and carries few side effects.
At the same time, there are many more wonderful natural remedies for colds, so choose what suits!
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw and organic apple cider vinegar is a quick an easy cold cure. It breaks up congestion and helps to alkalize the body. It can be added to a glass of water and taken as a tonic, or added to a mug of hot water with some honey as a tea.
7. Garlic
Raw garlic has antiviral properties and is a great quick cold cure. It can be added to soups, eggs, rice or any number of dishes. It can be spread on toast with butter or honey. Ideally, take at least a clove of garlic four times daily until your symptoms resolve.
8. Baths
Baths are a relaxing way to relieve cold symptoms. Add 1 cup of baking soda or 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the bath water and soak. The baking soda will help to alkalize the body. The hydrogen peroxide will help to oxygenate the body. Add 1 drop of eucalyptus essential oil to the bath water help with nasal congestion.
9. Vitamin Supplements for Colds
Vitamin C
Vitamin C can be taken several times a day when fighting a cold. In fact, the body needs more vitamin C when sick.
Zinc
Zinc is important for the immune system. Zinc supplements are usually taken once daily with a meal. Studies suggest that zinc reduces the duration and severity of cold viruses.1
Vitamin D
Often colds come along in winter months when the body has less sun exposure (and therefore fewer opportunities to make its own vitamin D.) A vitamin D supplement can help the immune system to fight a cold.
10. Diet
Eat nutritious foods to provide the body with energy and nutrients to fight the cold. Avoid sugars and processed foods. Avoid dairy as it will make congestion worse. Warm soups, broths, teas and juices are ideal.
Do you have a natural remedy for a cold? Or perhaps a home treatment that you learned from your grandmother? We would love to hear from you! Continue reading to learn the interesting natural remedies our readers have used to cure their colds fast!
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15496046
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