How to Treat a Cold Naturally. Help with Colds, Coughs and Flu.

 How To Treat A Cold Naturally

This is the time of year when coughs, colds and ‘flu are all too frequent, even though Spring is at last on the way! So if you or any of your family are suffering, you may want to know how to treat a cold naturally.

Of course, we all know that there is no cure for the common cold as yet, but there are several methods which you may choose which will alleviate the symptoms and will help your body to get rid of the virus which is causing them.

Boost your Immune System with Echinacea

Echinacea has long been used as a booster the immune system.

The best way to do this is by using Echinacea Extract.

Simply take half a teaspoon of the extract every day for up to ten days. You can take it in water if you would find that easier.

You can also take Echinacea in tablet form if you prefer.

Echinacae is completely harmless for everyone except people who may be suffering from a condition in which the immune system is compromised, for example, Multiple Sclerosis. In that case, Echinacea must not be taken.

Garlic

Garlic is good for you in so many ways, and it can definitely help to treat a cold naturally.

You should eat one clove of raw garlic each day, The best way to eat raw garlic is to immerse it in boiling water briefly, as that will help to prevent burping and will help with digestion

If it is cooked, its effect will be considerably lessened.

Inhalation

Inhaling is a great help as a decongestant. If you are anything like me. when you have a cold you quite often wake up with a blocked nose and sinuses, which can also cause a headache. I find that inhaling as described below can quickly alleviate those symptoms.

In order to inhale, you need a bowl containing at least two pints of boiling water.

Add two drops of Tea Tree Esential Oil and two drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil. If you only have one of those oils, then use four drops. Olbas Oil is also very effective when used for inhaling.

Olbas is also available in the form of pastilles and as a nasal inhaler.

Use a large towel which will cover both your head and the bowl, taking great care not to put any part of your head too close to the boiling water, and breathe deeply over the bowl.

If you can manage it, it is best to inhale for up to ten minutes at a time, and repeat as often as you feel necessary. After you have been inhaling you should find that your nasal passages are much clearer, allowing you to breathe more easily.

It is of course possible to use just boiling water for your inhalation, and although the addition of Essential Oils will make the inhalation more effective, inhaling with boiling water alone is far better than not doing it at all!!

I would not recommend the use of inhaling for young children. However, any Essential Oil can safely be used in an Electric Diffuser, which is perfectly safe for use with children of any age as wells for Adults.

Drink Frequently!

It is especially important to make sure that you keep up your intake of liquids when you have a cold.

Drink plenty of water of course, preferably hot water, as this helps as a decongestant, as do Herbal Teas which also have added benefits.

The best teas to use are Ginger, Peppermint and Elderflower. All of those are very good decongestants.

You can buy them ready to use in tea bag form, or you can make your own.

Here is a recipe using all three of those, which you can make yourself

• You will need 2 teaspoons of fresh Ginger Root, grated, with one teaspoon of dried Elderflowers and one teaspoon of dried Peppermint. Of course, you can use fresh Elderflower and Peppermint if they are available.
• Seep those in 8 fluid ounces (250 ml) of boiling water and leave for ten minutes.
• Sweeten with honey if you wish, and drink whilst it is hot.
• This tea will also help to reduce a temperature, and may be taken up to six times a day.

A Recipe for Ginger and Lemon Tea

• Use 3 teaspoons of freshly grated Ginger, 2 tablespoons of fresh Lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of Honey.
• Simmer them in 500 mls of water for about 10 minutes, then strain.

You can also find a ready-made tea if you like.

Sore Throats

You often get a sore throat when you have a cough, cold or flu, and they can be very uncomfortable!

Again, drinking is a help with a sore throat – lots of water, and the Ginger and lemon Tea will help to, as Ginger is great at relieving sore throats.

Another help is Gargling. Gargle with fairly hot water, to which you can add some Tea Tree Essential Oil, about 5 drops. Tea Tree has anti-septic qualities which definitely help.

If you have Flu                                                                                                        

Elderberries are a traditional remedy for treating Flu. They are very good at fighting the virus and at preventing it from spreading, and at boosting the immune system.

The products which I recommend also have added vitamins and minerals.

The best way to take them is in the form of Elderberry syrup. Take one tablespoon of the syrup three times a day for as long as you need it.

Homeopathic Tissue Salts

Whenever I or any of my family have a cold, we always take a Tissue Salts Combination.

Tissue Salts are a homeopathic remedy. They are made from the minerals which are essential for a healthy body, rediced until they are micro-doses. They are quite natural and may be taken by adults and children alike, and will not in any way interfere with any medicines or vitamin supplements which you may be taking.

Combination J is for Nose, Throat and Chest disorders, and Combination Q is for Catarrh and Sinus disorders.

The dose is four tablets every half hour whilst you have symptoms. It is very important that you should not touch the tablets with your fingers, as that will degrade them. They will dissolve on the tongue so they are very easy to take.

Tissue Salts are completely harmless, and it is impossible to overdose on them.

Personally, I always have them in my medicine chest.

You can find Tissue Salts to help with most everyday ailments, and I find them to be most effective.

Hot Baths

Hot baths can be very relaxing at any time, but are very helpful during a cold, especially just before bedtime.

Obviously the bath should be no hotter than you are comfortable with!

Add a good handful of Epsom Salts, which are a great muscle relaxant, and you may add 3 or 4 drops of Ginger Esssential Oil but do not use too much! Ginger has a warming effect, so it is great if you have a chill.

At bedtime                                                                                     

If you sprinkle 2 or 3 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil or Olbas Oil on to your pillow before you go to sleep, you will find that it makes it easier to breathe overnight.

Also, 2 or 3 drops of Lavender essential oil sprinkled on to your pillow will relax you and help you to sleep at any time. Lavender also acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Take great care to put the drops where they will not come into contact with your eyes.

For a young child

To help with sleeping for a child aged 6 months to two years, it is probably better to put two drops of lavender onto a piece of material and tie it to the side of the bed or cot.

 

I do hope that these tips will help you to treat a cold naturally, and that you will get a speedy recovery!

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Please Remember
If any of your symptoms persist longer than you would think was normal, or if you have a persistent fever then please do consult a Doctor, and if by any chance you are uncomfortable using any of these remedies, then of course you must stop using then at once.

Many thanks for reading this, and I do hope that you find these tips helpful and that you now know how to treat a cold naturally. I hope that you will check back here from time to time for other tips using Natural Remedies.

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I would love to hear any Comments which you may have, and if you have any questions I will try to answer them as soon as I can – please leave them in the Comments box below.

Thanks for dropping by, and see you soon 🙂

 

 

 

Acknowledgments.

I want to thank all the people who have given me advice on the use of natural remedies over the years, and particularly my daughter Sally, who is extremely knowledgeable in this field.

I have used the Readers’ Digest “1000 Home Remedies” in order to check that my information is correct.