Home remedies for common cold

Cold is one of the most commonly encountered conditions that is not a serious ailment but is very irritating and disturbs the daily routine work of a person. It is caused by the viral infection and is commonly known as influenza.

1. Lady's fingers

Lady's fingers are highly effective in treating irritation of the throat and constant dry cough. This vegetable is rich in mucilage and acts as a drug to allay annoyance, swelling, and pain. About 100 grams of lady's fingers cut into pieces and boiled in 1/2 litre of water.

The steam from this decoction may also be inhaled once or twice a day to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough. And it works a lot of the time!

2. Bitter Gourd Roots

The roots of the bitter gourd or karela plant are used in folk medicine to cure a cold. A tablespoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey or tulasi leaf juice, given once every night for a month, acts as a wonderful medicine for colds. A bitter tasting but effective remedy!

Picture credit: Sailu's Kitchen

3. Turmeric

Turmeric or haldi is a great remedy for colds and throat irritations. Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk and taken once or twice a day is a useful prescription for these conditions. Just a head's up– turmeric stains fabric and skin.

4. Tamarind and Pepper

Tamarind-pepper rasam is also considered an effective home remedy for a cold practiced in South India . Dilute 50 mg tamarinds in 250 ml of water. Boil the diluted tamarind water for a few minutes with a tablespoon of hot ghee and 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper powder.

This steaming hot rasam (soup) has a flushing effect, and should be taken thrice daily. The result: your eyes will water and any nasal blockage clears instantly!

Picture credit: lifeline.net.au

5. Amla

Regular intake of amla (grape-looking berry) is an Indian gooseberry, and helps with preventing the common cold. If, however, a cold has already appeared, large doses of this vitamin C will relieve the symptoms and shorten its duration. This a good home remedy for cold.

6. Garlic

Garlic soup is an age old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken at least once daily. The soup can be geared up by boiling 3 or 4 cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal qualities. The oil contained in this vegetable aids or facilitates to open up the respiratory passages.

In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the respiratory system and helps bringing down fever. 5 drops of garlic oil combined with a teaspoon of onion juice, diluted in a cup of water, should be drunk 2 - 3 times a day. This has been found to be a potent common cold treatment!

7. Ginger

Ginger is another excellent root that is a good remedy for colds and coughs. About 10 grams of ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and1/2 a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot.

Ginger tea, arranged by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiling water before adding the tea leaves, is also a robust remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice a day.

Source: https://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/home-remedies-for-cold-common-cold-treatment-tips-333586.html