Home Remedies for cough and cold

What is Cough?

A cough is one of the most common problems in human. Coughing occurs due to viral infection, common cold, flu including asthma, tuberculosis and lung cancer. Gastroesophageal may also cause a cough.

Symptoms

• Itchy throat
• Chest pain
• Congestion

How to prevent coughing

1. Avoid contact with a person who is sick
2. Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or a cough.
3. Clean your common areas in the home including your mobile phones, toys etc.
4. Wash your hands frequently after coughing, eating, going to the bathroom or caring for someone who is sick.

Simple tips

1. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
2. Blow your nose gently ie.press a finger over one nostril and blow gently to clear the other.
3. Breath some steam in to loosen up your stuffy nose and also you can relief using humidifier in your bedroom
4. Dissolve half teaspoon of salt with a small amount of warm water and gargle
5. You must stay calm and rest because it helps your body direct its energy to fight off the infection.
6. You can use a small dab under your nose, it helps to open up breathing passages.
7. Take a washcloth and heat it for 30 seconds in a microwave and then check whether it is right for your temperature

Remedies

1. Saline water or Salt water rinse

• Take 3 tsp of iodine free salt and 1 tsp of baking soda and mix it.
• Place in an airtight container.
• Add 1 tsp of this mixture to a very little amount of lukewarm boiled or distilled water.
• Fill a bulb syringe with this solution or use a neti pot.

Directions: Lean your head over a basin and then gently squirt the salt water into your nose.Hold one nostril closed and then apply a slight pressure when squirting the mixture in the other nostril.

2. Drink hot drinks

• Make a cup of hot herbal tea
• Take 1 tsp of honey and a little amount of whiskey or bourbon(Only for adults)

Note: the Very large amount of alcohol is not good for health.

3. Turmeric

Method 1

1. Take a little amount of water and then add 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of black pepper(also you can add cinnamon sticks if needed)
2. Boil this for about 3 minutes.
3. Add 1 tbsp of honey and drink it 4 times a day.

Method 2

1. Make a herbal tea using 1 tsp of turmeric and 1 tsp of carom seeds to a water.
2. Boil it until water reduces to half amount.
3. Add some honey and drink it 3 times per day.

Method 3

1. Roast the turmeric and grind it to a smooth powder
2. Mix it with water and honey and drink it twice a day.

4. Ginger

Ginger is one of the healthiest spices and a folk medicine.

• Make ginger into small slices and then crush it
• Add some water and boil it
• You can also add some honey and lemon to it.
• Drink it 4 times per day.

Note: Also you can Chew fresh raw ginger throughout the day to reduce a cough.

Uses

1. Cures your sore throat
2. Non-stop congestion
3. Coughing

5. Lemon

Lemon helps to reduce inflammation and provide a dose of infection-fighting vitamin C

Method 1

Take 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp honey and then drink it.

Method 2

Also, you can blend lemon juice with a little honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper and drink it.

6. Garlic

Garlic is an antibacterial and antimicrobial component to cure a cough

Method 1

1. Take 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and boil it with a cup of water and then add a tsp of oregano
2. Allow it to cool and then add some honey and drink it

Note: This helps you to breath and alleviate other cough symptoms

Method 2

1. Take a clove of garlic and crush it
2. Add some honey and few drops of clove oil and eat it.

SEE ALSO: Home remedies for nasal, Chest congestion

7. Onion

Onion is one of the simplest home remedies for a cough. Breathing the vapors of onion helps to stop coughing

Method 1

Make a cough syrup using baked onion juice, comfrey tea, and honey then drink daily

Method 2

1. Mix one-half tsp of onion juice and 1 tsp of honey.
2. Swallow it twice a day to alleviate a cough and soothe your throat.

8. Hot milk with honey

• Hot milk with honey reliefs your dry cough and reduce chest pain. For a better result, drink it before going to bed.
• Swallow a tsp of honey in an empty stomach.

Use

• Clear the mucus
• Soothe the throat.

What is Cold?

A common cold is a virus or viruses over 200 that attaches itself to mucous membranes of the nose and throat

Symptoms

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Congestion
• Mild fatigue

Remedies

1. Hot ginger tea

Ingredients

1. 6-8 tsp of grated ginger root
2. A squirt of lemon juice(optional)
3. A pinch of cinnamon(optional)
4. 4 cups of boiled water
5. Dash of honey(optional)
6. A glass jar.

Method

1. Take a ginger in 1-quart glass and sprinkle some cinnamon
2. Take water to the rolling boil and then pour it into the jar to cover ginger
3. Soak for about 30-40 minutes and cover your jar
4. Reheat it slightly
5. Add honey and lemon and then drink
6. Breath in the steam

Note: You can store the rest of the tea in fridge and reheat it and drink for twice a day

2. Simple syrup

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp of licorice root
2. 1 tbsp of marshmallow root
3. 1 tbsp chopped ginger
4. 1 tbsp ground cinnamon or 6 cinnamon sticks.
5. 4 cups of Water
6. 1 cup of honey
7. Glass jar with a sealing lid
8. Strainer.

Method

1. Take a saucepan and then add cinnamon, ginger and all herbs along with water
2. In a low heat allow it to reduce to half
3. Then strain the herbs out and pour liquid into a pot
4. In a low heat stir it in honey and settle for about 10 minutes
5. Take out from the heat and label the date
6. Take a maximum of 1-2 tbsp 3 times daily

Note: You can keep it in a refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks.