With the first colds of fall or winter, colds do not wait and generally do not spare almost anyone. Once the cold has settled in your body, the only thing you can do is shorten its duration and alleviate the annoying symptoms.
In this article I will show you a list of 10 home remedies for colds and sore throat that children and adults can use. You can try these remedies before buying expensive drugs that can make symptoms worse in the long term..
The first thing you need to do to quickly heal from a cold is to stay home and rest. If it bothers you to be in bed, at least settle comfortably on the sofa with the control of the TV or laptop within easy reach.
The cold is a viral condition, and the body's defenses can fight the virus more easily if you stay home and rest..
Dr. Phillip Tierno Jr. of New York University assures that rest is essential so that the body can dedicate more energy to fight the disease.
One of the main and most annoying cold symptoms is a stuffy nose. A very good solution for this problem is to apply a small portion of camphor and eucalyptus ointment on the entrance of the nostrils..
The steam that emanates from the cream helps to relieve congestion of the nasal mucosa and to open the airways. In addition, camphor can relieve pain and skin irritation that occurs when you clean your nose many times..
Drinking plenty of fluids is also an excellent remedy for colds and flu states. Ginger tea has analgesic, antipyretic and antimicrobial properties that can make you feel much better, according to the Archives of Family Medicine.
To prepare the infusion, take a tablespoon of minced fresh ginger and add it to a cup of boiling water. You can also add lemon and honey, if you wish..
Lemon provides vitamin C, which has a known defense-stimulating effect. Honey helps to relieve irritation in the respiratory tract and also has an expectorant effect.
Caffeine can make you feel better because it stimulates the nervous system and prevents the feeling of down. This is why some over-the-counter flu medications contain caffeine, in addition to other substances..
To lift your spirits if you have a cold, a rich, hot coffee can help. But be careful, don't go overboard, because caffeine also has a dehydrating effect and can cause sleeping problems..
A study from the University of Nebraska showed what grandmothers already knew intuitively: Chicken soup is good for colds because it helps reduce airway congestion and lubricates the throat, relieving irritation..
Much more recent research, published in the American Journal of Therapeutics, found that a compound in chicken soup, called carnosine, helps the immune system fight the virus in the early days of the cold..
Chicken soup also reduces inflammation and in this way helps to decongest the nose, which is one of the main and most annoying cold symptoms..
In addition to this physical effect, without a doubt a delicious homemade chicken soup, piping hot, also helps you feel better from a psychosomatic point of view..
Many people take echinacea supplements to fight early cold symptoms.
A study whose results were published in The Daily Telegraph indicated that taking an echinacea supplement can reduce the duration of colds by 26%, compared to another group of people who received only placebo during the study.
Like what happens with echinacea, the intake of vitamin C is able to reduce the duration and intensity of the symptoms of the common cold.
An analysis carried out in 2007, which reviewed the results of 30 clinical studies with a total of 11 thousand participants, found that taking vitamin C regularly reduces the duration of the cold and also helps prevent its appearance, especially in patients exposed to great physical stress or intense cold.
One of the best ways to naturally incorporate vitamin C into your regular diet is by consuming citrus fruits, such as oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits..
There are also very good dietary supplements with vitamin C and even certain over-the-counter cold medications include it in their formula..
Did you know that zinc can also help fight colds? Various scientific investigations have shown that the administration of zinc within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms can reduce the duration of the cold with healthy people.
Another good way to decongest your nose is by spraying with fresh eucalyptus leaves. This will moisten your airways, relieve irritation and also have an expectorant effect..
To prepare the vaporization, pour very hot water into a wide-mouthed container, and also add some eucalyptus leaves or essential oil. Then lean over the container having placed a towel over your head, to be able to breathe all the steam that comes out of there.
A good home remedy to decongest the nose are instillations with water and salt. To make them, take a teaspoon of sea salt without iodine and a teaspoon of baking soda, and place them in a cup of warm water.
Then, using a dropper, pour a couple of drops into each nostril, with your head tilted back. Then you lean forward to let it drip a bit and wipe your nose gently with a tissue.
At the first symptoms of a cold, you can also go to the various over-the-counter medications that include analgesic and anti-inflammatory substances in their formulas, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen..
Regardless, and without prejudice to the effect that these medicines may have, the 10 cold remedies mentioned in this article will undoubtedly help you feel better in no time..
What other remedies do you know for a cold?
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