HOME TREATMENT FOR COLD

 Remedies to Kick the Common Cold

Winter arrived early and disoriented in Minnesota this year, and while the snow has weirdly melted now, cold season is still well on its merry way. It’s like the instant those first few snowflakes touched the ground throats started getting sore, noses got stuffed up, and all of sudden there was a mass shortage of tissue in the state (not really, but it gets the point across.)


The common cold is a virus, or rather, lots of viruses-over 200, to be more specific. As a virus it is not curable, and since there are so many strains there’s not a way to make a vaccine like there is with the flu. When you catch a cold the virus attaches itself to the mucous membranes of the nose and throat and essentially hijacks the cells that live there, forcing them to replicate more virus cells. It’s all quite sinister really. When your body tries to fight off the virus the symptoms pop up, like coughing, sneezing, a sore throat, general congestion and mild fatigue. Remedies are aimed at easing these symptoms to help keep you comfortable while your stalwart immune system battles the virus away. Many of the home remedies for colds listed below can be altered to fit your preferences (e.g. a different essential oil, more or less spiciness in the decongestant, etc. etc.) 

1. Hot Ginger Tea

This is one of the best teas to sip when you’re feeling stuffed up and yucky. The ginger is delicious, warming, a just a little spicy. Aromatic constituents such as capsaicin (found in chilies) or piperine (found in black pepper) are part of a family of compounds that provide numerous healing benefits. In ginger the compound of that family is called gingerol (original, right?), and it helps relieve congestion in a couple of ways. First, it lessens inflammation of mucous membranes that line the nasal passages and the sinus cavity, and this inflammation contributes greatly to the buildup of pressure and congestion. When the swelling goes down, mucous can flow out instead of getting all jammed up. Although slightly less scientific, there’s also the fact that its spiciness has enough of a kick that it can just perfectly loosen up built up phlegm. The tea itself is wonderful for you because you’re getting extra fluids, which your body needs desperately when fighting off an illness, and breathing in the steam vapors can also help loosen up any congestion you may be expecting. The below recipe is for an infusion, rather than a decoction (which is when you actively steep the herb in simmering water), but you can do either or.

2. Essential Steam

One beautiful almost instant fix for a stuffy nose is to steam it out. This is a favorite remedy of mine and worth repeating in numerous remedy lists. You can glean the benefits of steam by breathing it in from a mug of hot tea, taking a hot shower, or filling a bowl with a hot water and adding an essential oil. The best essential oils to use for this are the strong ones like tea tree, peppermint, or eucalyptus (tea tree and eucalyptus being the best in my opinion.) The anti-bacterial/anti-viral properties of tea tree oil can be carried via the steam, which will help fight off any bug that you’re battling. Both tea tree and eucalyptus are, of course, rather strong smelling, which also helps dislodge congestion.

3. Go with a Classic Cure

I love old time home remedies-the ones that we don’t need to question on chemical level, picking apart why they work or why they don’t work. They simply are, just as they have been for generations, and just as they will be for years to come. One of these classic home remedies for colds is comprised of three familiar ingredients-garlic, lemon, and honey. You can combine them in more involved ways if you wish, but this recipe is about as simple as it gets. It’s particularly useful for a cold that is accompanied by a sore throat and a dry cough.

4. Make a Honey-Onion Syrup

This recipe is great for cold that come with a nasty cough. The honey is wonderful for healing a sore throat while the onion works its wonders through antibacterial and anti-inflammatories actions. It can also help loosen up phlegm deep in the chest.

6. Make a Simple Syrup

No…not the kind that’s just sugar and water, but truly medicinal healing syrup that is wonderful and tasty and oh-so satisfying to make. Syrups are great for kids as they are much more inclined to take them rather than trying to get them to drink a bitter tea. Syrups are, actually, just a boiled down extra strong medicinal tea with some honey. They are one of my all-time favorite things to make and are easy to take, even when your throat is aching and you have no appetite. This particular syrup includes marshmallow root, licorice root, cinnamon, and ginger. Ok so this syrup isn’t the sweetest of examples, but it is effective! Marshmallow root and licorice root are infamous for helping soothe racking coughs and sore throats, as they are rich in mucilage which provides a soothing coating for the mucous membranes. Cinnamon and ginger help with congestion, flavor, and pain-relief

7. Make Your Own Healing Inhaler

DIY inhalers may sound a little…sketchy, but I love them. They’ve saved my tush on more than one occasion when I got bogged down with a bad cold, and they are a fabulous way to utilize essential oils. They also allow you to bring the benefits of your essential oils pretty much everywhere you go. This cold and flu inhaler is perfect when traveling or for use at home.

9. Loosen Up With Heat

A good old fashioned hot water bottle can help loosen phlegm and really deep congestion in the chest. The gentle steady warmth will loosen up your muscles, and soften up the phlegm to help it come up. It’s a very simple, non-invasive home remedy that is very soothing. If you like, rub a little of the above salve on your chest to increase effectiveness..