6 Natural Remedies For Treating A Cold

The family and I took a pre-christmas break to Centre Parcs. We enjoyed seeing it all covered in snow, meeting Father Christmas and his reindeer in his grotto and taking in a panto. The holiday was great and just what you need to relax yourself before the main event. However, on the last day, the children’s ‘hot water’ pool was teeming with people (among other things) that all the chlorine in the world couldn’t clean. As the water soaked into my every pore I knew I would regret that last swim.

Sure enough, over the following days, each of the family members were struck with the dreaded lurgy which we in-turn gave to our family.

As usual we plied our children with all the drugs that was allowed but we found that many ‘natural’ remedies help just as much They were easy to do, cost-effective and worked well. For all those looking for more natural remedies, have a read of this.

Drink lots of water

Drinking lots of water and other fluids will help to decrease your congestion, as well as flushing out any harmful toxins. It will also help to prevent dehydration and will keep your mouth and throat moist.

If you or your child are suffering from a cold, make sure that you are drinking lots of water, and other fluids eat day. The best fluids for helping a cold are water, sports drinks and fruit juices. A bowl of homemade vegetable soup will help too – the more vitamins you get into your body, the better.

Inhale steam

To help reduce your congestion and blocked nose, you can inhale steam. You can either do this by filling you sink with hot water, putting a towel over your head and inhaling the steam through your nose. Make sure to be careful that the steam doesn’t burn yours or your children’s skin though. Alternatively, you can also use a humidifier or vaporizer to get the same result. To find out more about the uses of vaporizers you can visit the vaporizerblog website.

Blow your nose

Instead of sniffing mucus back into your head, make sure to blow your nose regularly. You may not know this, but blowing your nose too hard can cause pressure to carry germs back into your ear passages, causing you to get an earache or ear infection. When blowing your nose, it is best to press one finger over one nostril whilst you blow gently out of the other.

Gargle

Gargling can help to soothe and moisten a sore throat, bringing some much-needed relief from the pain. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, gargle it for two or three minutes being careful not to swallow it. Gargling salt water is not recommended for young children, in case they drink it by mistake.

To create a child-friendly gargle, opt for one made with honey. Mix a teaspoon of good quality honey with hot water, lemon juice and a few drops of vinegar. Let the mixture cool down before giving to your child to gargle.

Eat honey

You may not know this, but honey is a natural antibiotic, so is excellent for helping coughs and colds. To help yours or your child’s cold or to help soothe a sore throat, take a teaspoon of honey three times a day. For best results, good quality honey like Manuka honey or local honey should be used.

Drink hot drinks

Whilst a mug of hot Ribena makes an excellent cold treatment, natural remedies can work just as well. Drinking hot liquids will help to relieve congestion and soothe the lining of the nose and throat.

If you or your child is so bunged up that you struggle to sleep at night, you could give a hot toddy a try. A hot toddy is an old recipe that can be used to bring relief from coughs and colds. Mix half a squeezed lemon into a cup of warm water, add in two teaspoons of honey, a couple of drops of vinegar and a small shot of whiskey. For young children, leave out the whiskey and swap for a shot of orange juice instead.