Herbal Cures for Cough & Cold!

Herbal Cures for Cough & Cold!

Coughs and colds are the most common and frequent of all health ailments that usually develop due to seasonal changes. While cough may be caused by inflammation of the larynx or the pharynx, the common cold  is caused by the infections of the respiratory tract. Common symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, pain in the joints, fatigue and fever. These symptoms are extremely troubling because of the irritation and discomfort they cause. Natural remedies along with some changes in diet and lifestyle prove to be effective in relieving the condition of cough & cold. Here are some of the time-tested traditional folk remedies to treat this ailment effectively:

• Take equal amounts of powdered cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and mix well. Sniffing this formulation induces sneezing, thus, opens blocked nose due to cold.
• To cure cough and cold, mix turmeric powder and salt in equal amounts and take a tsp of the same with warm water.
• While preparing tea, add powdered 2-3 black pepper, ginger, a clove bud and a few basil leaves to the preparation.
• A tsp of turmeric with a 1/4 tsp of carom seeds & honey can be taken with hot water to treat cough and cold.
• Take 1/4th tsp powdered black pepper and add sugar to it. Have it with clarified butter to treat all types of cough.
• Boil about 5 clove buds in a cup of water. Make it into decoction and have it with honey thrice a day as an expectorant.
• Mix a few drops of clove oil and garlic in honey. Take this formulation before retiring to bed. It is said to be beneficial in spasmodic coughs during asthma, bronchitis and tuberculosis.
• Chewing a clove with common salt is said to provide relief from cough.
• For bronchitis, mix powdered clove buds, ginger and black pepper in equal proportions. Half tsp of the same should be administered with honey twice a day.
• For cough, crush betel leaves and make its paste in water. Apply the same topically over the chest.
• Grind together equal amounts of ginger, dried basil leaves & black pepper. Add a little honey so as to have a consistency to make it into pellets. Suck these pellets thrice daily to treat cough and cold.
• To treat cough and cold, massage the chest with warm clarified butter (ghee) with a pinch of salt for few minutes followed by a steam inhalation.
• Having a tbsp of onion juice with equal amount of honey taken twice a day is said to treat cold.

Eat Right to Strengthen the Body's Defense Mechanism

Eat Right to Strengthen the Body's Defense Mechanism

The patient should eat a light diet, avoiding rich fatty and processed food. The meals should include lots of fresh fruits, green and leafy vegetables and grains. Vitamin C rich fruits such as lemon, orange, sweet lime and strawberries are extremely effective in treating cold and cough. The high vitamin C in these fruits boosts body's immune system helping it to fight more efficiently against infections. Eat fresh and fibrous foods. The intake of fluids should be increased to keep body hydrated. This would keep the mucous and secretions from causing congestion and help to dispel them faster from the body.Salt water gargles prove to be quite effective for soreness of the throat.

The person suffering from cough and cold must cut down the intake of sugar, pickles, spicy, canned food, candies, chocolates, cold drinks and ice-creams. Consumption of nuts such as cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds, ground nuts and pistachios should also be avoided.

Source: Garima Sancheti, Traditional Folk Remedies for Cough and Cold, Nov 10, 2011, suite101.com. http://suite101.com/article/traditional-folk-remedies-for-cough-and-cold-a396163