Home Remedies for Common Cold

The ins and outs about curing common cold

Common cold natural remedies has been passed down from generation to generation. Our grandmothers and mothers have their own beliefs about treatments for curing our nasty colds and surprisingly it works! Get rid of it instantly with natural common cold remedies.

A common cold is one of those respiratory system viral infections that come unexpectedly every now and then. It starts off when your eyes become sore and watery, your nose gets runny, your throat hurts and you start having a little cough. A common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system that deals with your nose and throat. This isn’t a dangerous illness because it comes and goes from time to time depending on your immune system. There are more than 100 viruses that a person can obtain that can cause a common cold.

Colds could last from a week to a couple weeks depending if the common cold is being treated accordingly. Since it is a viral infection it is said to be “self-limiting.” That means that taking medicine for the actual virus won’t work too well. Although there are different types of medicine and treatments to prevent or lessen the symptoms it is accompanied by.

Here are a couple ways that a common cold could be transmitted from person to person:

• Touching a person with this viral infection and then touching your eyes or nose could cause a common cold.
• A cough or sneeze from an infected person -since it could be transmitted through the air, the people around could get the virus.
• Exposure to frequent cold air outdoors
• Stress

People at risk in acquiring a common cold are:

• Young children (pre-schoolers) –usually come in contact with other children that have colds and pass it to their playmates
• Children with smoker parents
• Smokers and those who are exposed to second-hand smoke
• People with low immune systems or medical conditions that may lower their immune systems such as HIV, AIDS or cancer
• Certain medications that may also lower the immune system (corticosteroids)
• People that are under a lot of stress

Let us recall the home remedies for cold that our grandmothers and mothers have known effective.

Home remedies for common cold:

1. Vitamin C. The common cold treatment that works even before you get the virus. Vitamin C is known to boost a person’s immune system. When taking vitamin C for a common cold, there are 2 things you need to remember: First, vitamin C helps in reducing symptoms and their duration once those symptoms begin. Second, for an effective treatment dose take at least 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day –to two or four 500-mg doses. (Take caution in taking more than 3,000 mg a day or more because it could cause diarrhea as a side effect)
2. Decongestant vapor. When to comes to deep-down congestion, steam can work wonders. You can use eucalyptus, made from gum tree (an essential oil). Try boiling one quart of distilled water and remove it from the heat. Add 5 to 10 drops of eucalyptus oil, stir and pour into a large pot. Make sure you test the heat with your hand to make sure it’s not too hot. Once the water has cooled to a comfortable temperature, drape a towel over your head to trap the steam as you breathe in the decongesting vapors.
3. Cayenne pepper. This is one of the home remedies for common cold that could drain stuffy sinuses. All you have to do is sprinkle powdered cayenne or a drop or two of liquid extract onto your favorite soup for super spicy therapy.
4. Goldenseal. Loaded with berberine (a botanical antibiotic) good to fight off the viral infection that causes the common cold. Make an infusion with a teaspoonful of dried goldenseal and hot water. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes before straining. Drink three cups a day until you bounce back to full recovery.
5. Echinacea. At the first sign of the sniffles or a stuffy feeling in your head. This herbal cold remedy stimulates the immune system to fight an infection before it causes congestion and chills. Take one to three capsules every 2 hours for best results as soon as symptoms start.
6. Garlic. Chew and swallow a whole clove every couple of hours.
7. Eucalyptus essential oil. If you have problems with smelling that goes along with a common cold, try out this home remedies for common cold. You can sprinkle a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil onto a cotton ball and store it in an old pill bottle. When you feel congested, uncap the bottle and take a few deep breaths of the mentholated oil. (Also an effective natural bronchitis remedy)
8. Fuel up on liquid. This remedy for the common cold works miracles. Make sure to drink lots of liquid. With this treatment, it could stimulate the body’s ability to drain the lungs and sinuses. Drink at least 8 glasses a day such as herbal teas, water and fresh fruit and vegetable juices.
9. Ginseng capsules. To fight off that sluggish feeling during a common cold, take three 500 mg doses of ginseng daily. Look for American ginseng because it stimulates the immune system that could give you that energy boost you need in battling the infection.

These are the most common and effective natural common cold remedies. Some you might have already known but others might be new to you. Try it out and see if the new natural home remedies for common cold could be added to the list of “hand me down” home remedies in your family.