With the environmental change in weather, every human body experiences the changes differently as respect to your area. Cold let human bodies to shiver and teeth to chatter, but one cannot prevhent of it. Whether you live in a western region or eastern region, cold and flu are the most common illnesses every human body goes through. Cold is rightly named as a disturbing illness that has capability to cause dry cough, sore throat, and stuffy head and will make human body suffer greatly miserable. The common cold is a viral infection that goes on with one person to another. The most common symptoms of cold are runny nose, scratchy throat and nasal congestion. Over 200 viruses are reported to cause common cold illnesses. Several other conditions for being allergic is another symptom that relates with cold. Cold temperatures are also responsible for causing blood vessels to contract and give rise to shallow breathing, with congestion in chest.
As the human body caught severe cold, every one rushes straightly to expensive hospital treatments and go through time taken long procedures to cure the disease whereas there are several natural home remedies that are more feasible and protective. By adopting simple home preventive measures, cold remedies, one can feel stressed free from spending huge amounts on hospital fees and medicines. Home remedies for cold is an effective prevention to take adequate care of your health and make you enjoy the winter season actively. To cure you from severe cold and sore throat, we provide a list of easy home remedies to uplift your drowsy cold body and make you feel comfortable relaxed without a runny nose and serious headache in the winter season.
20. Chicken Hot Soup
As the body gets cold, chicken soup is found to be a comfortable meal that cold affected people can easily have.
With the presence of cold fighting ingredients cooked in the soup, it is always curative to have hot sizzling soup in meal. The real benefit is the hot steam we inhale while sipping the soup and breathing helps the human affected bodies to clear the chest congestion temporarily. With adding slight sauces taste in the chicken soup, you can have a perfect blend of taste and cure in form of soup sitting at a cozy sofa in your home. Mothers and grandmothers have been using the secret recipe of soups to cure cold in the season and it works magically. You can call it one of the best common cold remedies you can try at home. Later on, science has proved the same. Some important benefits of having chicken soup while you caught cold are:
- Chicken soup provides ingredients as salt, heat and hydration to overcome the presence of cold virus in the bodies.
- Some laboratory experiments also show that the vegetable oil ingredients present in the soup helps killing the viral cells and prevent them from expanding in growth.
- The hot soup that you take is also responsible for providing an anti-inflammatory effect in the upper respiratory tract that cure body from cold and moderates the temperature of the body.
- It is regarded as one of the safest remedy to prevent cold.
- It also comes up with no illness side effects.
- It soothes the affected body with a comfortable digestive meal.
19. Vitamin C And Citrus Fruits
Absence of vitamin c in body is one of the common causes of cold. If your body is not sufficiently provided with vitamin C supplements then it is most probably caught by cold. One can take up to 2000mg four times a day to ensure proper intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C is considered as one of the important vitamin that ensures strong health in a human body. Many research studies have found vitamin C as the best remedy to prevent cold.
One of the beneficial citrus fruit is lemon; fresh squeezed lemon is a good way to supplement vitamin C levels in human body. Lemons are easily available in your refrigerator and there are many instant benefits of having fresh lemon juice than artificial flavors. Make lemons a must buy when you go for preparing a do list for your daily meal. Fresh lemon intakes aid the body in cleaning the lymphatic system, which is an important factor for preventing cold.
- Squeeze a fresh lemon in a half glass of warm water.
- Have this energetic drink three or four times a day to ease common cold symptoms.
- Grape fruits and oranges also functions the same to cure cold.
- By regular consuming of vitamin C in adequate amount can help in reducing the chances to catch cold in a body.
- There are some of the common foods that contain excessive amount of vitamin C and are easily available at homes. These are; strawberry, citrus fruits, kiwi fruits, broccoli and tomato juices.
- The proper use of vitamin C is helpful in boosting immune system, aids in fighting infection and helps in improving general health disorder.
18. Ginger
Likewise lemon, ginger is also one of the easily available remedy, you can find in your home. It is one of the effective prevention against human respiratory syncytial virus. Garlic has long been used as an edible herb to cure health conditions. Some of the benefits of using ginger in cold are listed below:
Quick link = Health benefits of ginger
- Ginger acts as a cough suppressant. The use of ginger can help you to ease the symptoms. It also helps in decongestant and you can relax your body without cough or lesser cough.
- Ginger is ananti-viral herb that helps in overcoming the bacteria and illness that causes cold.
- To make you pained free from headache and throat pain, an effective use of ginger is necessary.
One can use ginger in many forms but this is one of an effective drink you can have in common cold. You can make this effective remedy for common cold treatment by following the steps:
- Take a sugar spoon of grated ginger in teapot and make it to boil for few minutes.
- Add 1 cup of boiling water into the teapot and allow it to boil for more 3 to 5 minutes.
- With that, take a mug with one fresh squeezed lemon and a tablespoon of honey.
- Add ginger tea into the mug containing honey and lemon juice.
- Stir well to dissolve lemon and honey.
17. Massage Your Nose
When human body caught cold, it mainly affects the nose and throat. A soft massage helps to get rid of runny, stuffy nose in cold. Human bodies get frustrated after excessive use of drugs and medicines to cure illnesses. You can make feel comfortable with the massage by following easy to do steps.
- You can have 10 pressures on a cavity at the corner of the nostril.
- While doing round movement, you can close or open the nostril.
- You can also do the same procedure with ears and eyes.
- Massage three times a day.
- Quick link = Home remedies for ear infections
16. Gargle With Warm Water
Another effective measure to take while cold is gargling. When your body caught cold, it is most likely that you have sore pained throat also. Sometimes a sore thought can be the first prominent sign of clod. Gargling with warm water instantly soothe scratchy throat and you start feeling better and comfortable. It is one of the easiest common cold remedies to prevent pained throat and cold. By doing three times gargle, you can prevent chances of getting cold by throat. Gargling is also recommended by experts and doctors to cure cold and its symptoms.
You can just follow easy steps to avoid sore throat at once.
- Take a glass of water with a tablespoon of salt and let it to boil for a minute.
- Allow it to settle at normal temperature.
- Gargle the warm water for few minutes.
- Do not swallow or intake.
- If you do not like the taste, add a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten the water.
15. Fluids Intakes
Any drink that is warm and energetic can help your body to prevent cold quickly. Your body needs an adequate amount of liquid intakes especially when you face illness. Drinking lots of water can help your body to keep hydrated and energized. To beat cold and it symptoms, experts also suggests drinking plenty of water and juices. Some of the common benefits of taking fluids are defined below:
- Plenty of water intakes is necessary for speedy recovery in cold.
- Staying hydrated with excessive intake of water and healthy fluids is an effective prevention.
- Human body needs to have sufficient intake of liquids with time to time.
- With runny nose and sweating in fever and cold, a body loses water in different forms so it is beneficiary to drink liquids more ease common cold symptoms.
- Healthy juices of fresh fruits also help in boosting immune system.
- Following drinks are found to be more compelling and useful;
- Ginger tea.
- Herbal tea.
- Fresh juices.
- Purified water.
14. Organic Turmeric
Organic turmeric is another useful and preventive measure that you can find in your kitchen. So easy! The beneficial properties of turmeric helps in treating of anti-viral and bacterial infections that is always a root cause for cold and common cold symptoms. According to many researchers and experts, turmeric is considered as an effective herb that treats cough actively. The proper use of turmeric is one of the common home remedy for cough and cold. You can use turmeric in the following ways:
Quick link = Turmeric benefits
- If you have severe cough associated with runny nose, take a glass of hot water with turmeric.
- Keeping a small piece of turmeric in the mouth for the entire night can prevent the body from chronic cough and cold.
- Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder in boiling water and inhale the vapors. This process can help in sinus congestion and cough, which is a better relief from cold.
13. Raw Honey
Honey is rightly called as a blessing for all human beings. Proper use of honey can overcome the effects of common cold and make you feel little comfortable. Honey is of great use when it comes to sore throat infections. A tablespoon of honey on daily basis can prevent your throat from various bacterial infections. Honey helps to provide relief irritation from sore throat and improves immune system.
You can use this effective common cold treatment with honey in following ways to cure cold:
- Take a teaspoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder, mix it well. Have the mixture three dime a day for effective results.
- You can take a full tablespoon or two-tea spoon whenever you feel cold or suffer sore throat.
- Take ginger tea with lemon and honey. It works for sure.
12. Garlic
Regular use of garlic can cure several diseases including cold and sore throat. Garlic is known to be a powerful antioxidant with anti-bacterial properties. It appears to be a helpful agent to provide decongestant and expectorant effects. One of the persuasive uses of garlic is in raw form. Eating garlic has also been found effective for blood pressure diseases and several infections. Importantly garlic is easily affordable and available which make it one of the best common cold remedies you can find.
- Have a full teaspoon of crushed raw garlic cloves to cure cold.
- The use of raw garlic does an instant magic to your cold.
- Just take a clove of fresh raw garlic and suck it on 15 minutes, let the juices treat the sore throat - Avoid garlic if you have sensitive stomach!
- Another advantage of garlic is fresh garlic tea that shines as immune system strengthener. You can sweeten the tea by adding teaspoon of honey.
11. Steam Inhalation
As the human body catches cold, it gives birth to respiratory problems instantly. Among all the natural common cold remedies, steam inhalation turns out to be an effective preventive measure to cure cold and its pained affects. Steam inhalation is a process of inhaling warm vapors into the lungs via throat and nose.
- The process is helpful to overcome nose blockage.
- The process involves boiling a pan of water, as it gets boil add Vicks or essential oil and cover the lid. Cover your head with a towel and inhale the steam carefully.
- The hot steam moistens the nasal passages and opens up congested sinuses.
- Steam inhalation helps you in breathing more comfortably.
10. Time To Rest
A body requires lots of rest when it is in state of coldness. All the other illnesses (fever, cough, flu, headache, sore throat, congestion) affect the body within no time. To prevent the long lasting effects of cold, human body needs enough rest through the day. Rest your body in a cozy environment at home and boost your immune system.
- Get plenty of rest and prevent yourself from cold.
- Do not set an alarm and enjoy a comfortable sleep to ease common cold symptoms.
- Rest will ensure you to overcome the duration of cold.
9. Proper Hygiene
The easiest way to cure cold and seasonal flu is to adopt proper and good hygiene. If you are sick, it is better to stay at home and relax. Try not to interact more often with your friends or colleagues.
- To avoid infection and bacterial diseases, use proper hygiene.
- Avoid coughing or sneezing without covering your mouth.
- Take precaution while eating meals.
- Researchers found that many infections are caused for the reason of interactions.
8. Red Onions
Prevention of common cold is just at a doorstep of your kitchen. No worries now! Onions are considered as naturally anti-bacterial and anti-viral. You can make natural homemade syrup from red onions, which will relief you from flu viruses and cold. This is very simple and easy to make remedy for common cold treatment. The quick procedure to make red onion syrup follows these steps;
- Wash, peel and slice the onions carefully.
- Place the slice of onion in an empty bowl and add honey. You can replace honey with brown sugar also.
- Repeat the process for a completely sliced onion.
- Keep it for around 12 to 15 hours or overnight.
- Next day, you will have a cup of syrup.
- Take a teaspoon of red onion syrup rich with nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
7. Wash Your Hands
Washing your hands often help you from preventing germs and bacteria. Hand washing proves to be easy and affordable measure to cure several diseases. Although hand-washing challenge is a tough task, but it needs to maintained in view to ensure proper hygiene.
- Adopt hand-washing habits to ensure that your hands are clean.
- Use a medicated soap that kills bacteria.
6. Cure The Chill
What are chills? Chills are basically those initial indications of getting cold or fever or some illness. It may result into severe headache, cough, flu and other body aches. Both, the young and the adults, faces the effects of chills and should start taking home remedies at the very beginning.
- The mostly adapted traditional remedy in cold is sponging. It is to rub a warm wet cloth or towel over the body for few minutes to retain the body back to normal temperature.
- It is the best cure to prevent shivering. Keep on adding warm water in the bowl.
5. Take Warm Bath
Sometimes, when your body feels cold, it is curative to take a bath with warm settled water. As you feel little comfortable, go and get a refreshing bath. After sweating and body aches, a warm bath soothes your body.
- Add an antiseptic product in the warm water to have proper hygiene.
- Taking bath is also one of the acceptable common cold remedies to prevent further body aches and fever.
4. Basil Tea
Basil leave is an herbal treatment to cure cold and fever instantly. Many women from ages have been using decoction made from basil leaves to cure cold. It is the most acceptable remedy used by many of the women. With anti-bacterial and antibiotic properties, it is one of the effective home remedy to overcome severe fever caused by common cold. Make sure to use it 2,3 times if you’re feeling common cold symptoms.
- Some tender basil leaves boiled with tea are considered as the best treatment to reduce fever instantly.
- Basil tea is also used to relax the body.
3. Blow Your Nose
It is of great importance that you blow your nose properly when caught cold. It helps in clearing the nasal passages of excess mucus, resulting more easy breathing. Although bowing nose too hard or too soft can cause adverse effects. The method involves;
- Close one nostril with a finger and start blowing carefully with the other nostril.
- Repeat the process with the other nostril. That is right!
2. Vapor Rub
As over-counted medications have adverse side effects, it is recommended by many doctors to use old-fashioned vapor rub as a curative. Traditional home remedies always work. It is one of the best remedy for infants to reduce chest congestion. Vapor rubs are found to be better for kids at night. Make sure to have vapor rub in your home to use it as an effective common cold treatment.
- If your child or family member is suffering from chest congestion and cold, it is required to apply vapor rub on the chest and throat.
- It helps in reducing headache and coughing.
- Old-fashioned ointment, vapor rub can also be helpful in steam inhalation.
1. Humidity
Diseases often fade away with the change in climate. In the same manner, by adding a cool-mist humidifier in the bedroom can be helpful in making the affected person to feel more relaxing and illness-free. If you follow proper prevention methods, you don’t need to find any common cold treatment. Humidity helps in proper breathing and it can reduce nasal inflammation.
- Remember to change water in humidifiers to avoid fungus.
- It helps to provide soothing environment.
Do’s:
- Always eat healthy meals to boosts immune system.
- Use soft handkerchief while blowing your nose.
- Take plenty of rest when you caught illness.
- Remember to wash your hands.
- Proper intake of liquids is must to ease common cold symptoms.
- Have positive vibes.
Don’ts:
- Do not forget to take bath with warm water.
- Do not go for unhygienic meals.
- Do not be careless in regular intakes.
- Do not use chilled water.
- Do not eat junk foods.
- Do not let cold let you feel down.