It’s flu season. Sometimes, a little remedy can be the help you need. But remember that nothing would beat consulting a doctor and going to a hospital.
Steam inhalation: Clear a stuffy, runny nose by filling a bowl with hot water and leaning over it with a towel over your head. The steam helps break up congestion in your nose.
Garlic: Garlic has long been known to contain antimicrobial and antiviral properties. These support the immune system in fighting viral infections and the common cold. Purchase in capsule form rather than eating it raw, unless you don’t mind losing your friends for a few days!
Vitamin C: Stocking up on vitamin C is a great bet. It boosts your immune system and can relieve upper respiratory tract infections and other ailments.
Gargling with salt water: Gargling with a saline solution is a simple but effective way of beating a cold. Salt water reduces phlegm and mucus in the back of the throat, which can lessen the need to cough.
Eat spicy food: This may not be to everyone’s taste, but consuming spicy foods that contain hot peppers may be effective in treating colds and flu: cayenne pepper, for example, works as a decongestant. It should be noted, however, that cold symptoms are usually only temporarily quelled, and that hot spicy food can induce gastrointestinal symptoms.
Chicken soup: Don’t knock it! This traditional remedy has among its fans the most cynical of medics. A bowl of hearty chicken soup with vegetables helps loosen up mucus and also keeps you hydrated. Take grandma’s advice!
Get all hot and steamy: A hot shower cleans and revitalizes the body. But for those with a cold, the steam created by a shower moisturizes nasal passages and can help you relax.
Apple cider vinegar and honey: The acid in apple cider vinegar thins out mucus in the throat and helps loosen phlegm. Mixed with honey, this drink can also relieve coughing.
Hot or cold pack: Decide what works best and apply around congested sinuses when necessary. A hot towel is a useful DIY alternative, as is a packet of frozen peas.
Ginger root and salt: Cut some raw ginger into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle with salt, and enjoy. The anti-inflammatory gingerols and shaogals in ginger root will help with relieving a sore throat quickly. Salt, meanwhile, helps clear clogged nasal passages.
