During the monsoon season, a typical viral syndrome grips the region. The symptoms include fever, burning in eyes, running nose (coryza), sore throat, loose motions, etc. It is a self-limiting disorder and the symptoms will reduce on its own within five days. There is no need to take any antibiotics, as it will only aggravate the problem.
rains work as the breeding ground for various kinds of viruses and bacteria that increases the occurrences of influenza, flu, colds and fever and taking over the counter pills and antibiotics is not always the best option as antibiotics often do more harm than good. Therefore, it is best to stick to age old grandmother’s home remedies that actually help in curing the diseases without taking a heavy toll on the body.
Monsoon is the time when we are more vulnerable to illness. Change of weather, drinking cold water or cold eatables, inhalation of aerosolized particles are responsible for activation of this viral fever. A fever(pyrexia) is a part of the body’s defense against infection. It is a self limiting disorder and the symptoms will reduce on its own within 5 days .If the fever is mild general opinion suggests that you just leave it to run its course naturally. In case of high fever the aim should be to reduce it and not eliminate it immediately. Do not panic if any member in the family has fever , just keep a strict watch on his behavior and activities to monitor the severity of the illness. Fever is a natural response of the body to destroy viral or pathogens in the blood. Always remember that a fever is fighting for you not against you.
Viral Fever Symptoms and Signs
If you come down with a fever, it is a good idea to find out its cause by visiting the doctor and getting yourself checked. A virus spends some time incubating before the body shows symptoms, and one of the first signs of a viral infection is the chills, at which point it's a good idea to take your temperature. If the thermometer reads somewhere between 100 to 103 degrees F (37.77-39.44 C), then this may be a sign of a viral fever.
In addition to fever, here are some of the other common viral fever symptoms:
Chills
Itchy Throat
Sore Throat
Runny Nose
Watery Eyes
Red Eyes
Sneezing
Headaches
Fatigue
Body Aches and Muscle Pains
Cough
A high fever is not by itself an illness. It's usually a symptom of an underlying condition, most often an illness or an infection.
Although there are many non-infectious causes of fever, but a fever is one common symptom of a viral infection. A viral infection is a disease caused by one of many types of viruses: influenza (flu) is the most notorious. A viral infection can affect many different areas of the body–intestine, lungs, airways, etc.–but no matter what's infected, you'll often experience a fever. Other symptoms of a viral infection include headaches, runny nose, sore throat, hoarseness, cough, muscle pains, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or vomiting.
When you have a fever, it means your body's temperature has increased as a response to an illness or infection. Experts agree that fever is a natural bodily defense against infection, your body's way of "burning off" the infection.
Antibiotics will have no effect on viral infections.
Most of the ingredients used in the natural remedies are easily available in the pantry or the kitchen and can be used effectively to treat colds and fever, and the best thing is unlike mainstream prescription medicines these remedies don’t have any harmful side effects
Common cold is one of the most commonly occurring health sickness during the monsoon season in India. As the name implies common cold is very commonly suffered by people of different age groups when there is a change in the weather. And in general there is no particular medication is needed for common cold and normally it takes three days to twenty-one days in some cases regardless of the intake of medicines to get completely cured from common cold. It is quite common for children to suffer from common cold at least for five to six times in a year. And it is well known and experienced as well that when you happen to suffer from common cold you feel distressed due to the nose blockade and difficulty in breathing.
Causes of common cold
The most common cause of common cold is that when you happen to be near an infected person and when the person happens to sneeze or cough, the virus gets transmitted from the infected person to the healthy body through air. And even a direct physical contact with the affected person or by using the napkins / kerchiefs of the affected person might lead to infecting the healthy body
First of all have home cooked food without spices .You must avoid outside food when suffering from viral fever.
you can follow these simple home remedies for getting relief from common cold and thus fight back common cold.
*Though you find it difficult to each due to soreness in the throat, yet it is always better to consume a healthy and balanced diet for getting rid of the sickness immediately as a healthy diet helps in improving providing sufficient resistance to the body and thus you won't feel fatigue.
*Similarly, though find it difficult to drink water, yet it is advisable to drink plenty of water as this would help in replacing the lost water from the body and thus keeps the body hydrated
*For a quick relief from the running nose you can add half a spoon of crushed black pepper / pepper powder in a glass full of milk and take it hot. However crushed black pepper is more effective
Similarly you can also add little turmeric powder in milk and consume it hot
*If you happen to consume tea, it is better to add crushed ginger in the tea, if possible, it is better to consume black tea and this gives much relief from cold
*In case of nose blockade you can have steam inhalation which is an excellent method for getting quick relief from nose block. For this you need to add either Vicks Vaporub or little eucalyptus oil in steaming boiling water. You need to fully cover yourself with the container inside and keep inhaling the vapors / steam that comes out of the boiled water in which the menthol / vicks vaporub is mixed. And such a steam inhalation would also give you a soothing and cooling effect as well
*Taking enough / extra resting at this time is very important as this would be helpful in making the body fight back the infection
*Another important thing to be kept in mind is to have a positive attitude as this helps in the quick recovery of the body from sickness and also such a positive attitude even helps in improving the immune system of the body
*In case of a mild fever, it is advisable to take a paracetamol tablet but in case of severity of fever, it is necessary to visit and consult a physician
*You can even take a spoon full of ginger juice mixed with little honey which helps not only in curing the illness but also helps in developing the immunity of the body
*Take boiled or steamed vegetables, vegetable soup, soft fruits, boiled rice, whole grain bread, khichdi, Dalia (oats).
*Take a lot of fluids . Drink water (preferably Luke warm) frequently throughout the day. Viruses and bacteria grow better in dehydrated cells . Toxins are removed more easily when the body is well hydrated. If you have loose motions also , then don’t take fruit juice and raw food like salad etc. How can you be sure that you are getting enough fluids? Your urine should be pale yellow, almost colorless.
*The juice of Tulsi mixed with ginger and honey is good in viral fever . Take 1 spoon of this 3-4 times in a day (this mixture should be made fresh daily).You can add 1 tsp of Tulsi juice in hot water & sip it very slowly.
*Gargling with salty water and steaming will cure the throat and nose infection.
*Take Few pieces of soaked Munakkas (large currants) in the morning .
*Have bananas and apples as these are rich in calcium, iron and electrolytes.
*Have energy booster foods – the carbohydrate and glucose rich food provide energy to the body .
*Have vitamin C rich food for increase your immunity (lemon juice with honey immunes and strengthens the body to fight diseases).
Although there are many non-infectious causes of fever, but a fever is one common symptom of a viral infection. A viral infection is a disease caused by one of many types of viruses: influenza (flu) is the most notorious. A viral infection can affect many different areas of the body–intestine, lungs, airways, etc.–but no matter what's infected, you'll often experience a fever. Other symptoms of a viral infection include headaches, runny nose, sore throat, hoarseness, cough, muscle pains, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or vomiting.
When you have a fever, it means your body's temperature has increased as a response to an illness or infection. Experts agree that fever is a natural bodily defense against infection, your body's way of "burning off" the infection.
Antibiotics will have no effect on viral infections.
Most of the ingredients used in the natural remedies are easily available in the pantry or the kitchen and can be used effectively to treat colds and fever, and the best thing is unlike mainstream prescription medicines these remedies don’t have any harmful side effects
Common cold is one of the most commonly occurring health sickness during the monsoon season in India. As the name implies common cold is very commonly suffered by people of different age groups when there is a change in the weather. And in general there is no particular medication is needed for common cold and normally it takes three days to twenty-one days in some cases regardless of the intake of medicines to get completely cured from common cold. It is quite common for children to suffer from common cold at least for five to six times in a year. And it is well known and experienced as well that when you happen to suffer from common cold you feel distressed due to the nose blockade and difficulty in breathing.
Causes of common cold
The most common cause of common cold is that when you happen to be near an infected person and when the person happens to sneeze or cough, the virus gets transmitted from the infected person to the healthy body through air. And even a direct physical contact with the affected person or by using the napkins / kerchiefs of the affected person might lead to infecting the healthy body
First of all have home cooked food without spices .You must avoid outside food when suffering from viral fever.
you can follow these simple home remedies for getting relief from common cold and thus fight back common cold.
*Though you find it difficult to each due to soreness in the throat, yet it is always better to consume a healthy and balanced diet for getting rid of the sickness immediately as a healthy diet helps in improving providing sufficient resistance to the body and thus you won't feel fatigue.
*Similarly, though find it difficult to drink water, yet it is advisable to drink plenty of water as this would help in replacing the lost water from the body and thus keeps the body hydrated
*For a quick relief from the running nose you can add half a spoon of crushed black pepper / pepper powder in a glass full of milk and take it hot. However crushed black pepper is more effective
Similarly you can also add little turmeric powder in milk and consume it hot
*If you happen to consume tea, it is better to add crushed ginger in the tea, if possible, it is better to consume black tea and this gives much relief from cold
*In case of nose blockade you can have steam inhalation which is an excellent method for getting quick relief from nose block. For this you need to add either Vicks Vaporub or little eucalyptus oil in steaming boiling water. You need to fully cover yourself with the container inside and keep inhaling the vapors / steam that comes out of the boiled water in which the menthol / vicks vaporub is mixed. And such a steam inhalation would also give you a soothing and cooling effect as well
*Taking enough / extra resting at this time is very important as this would be helpful in making the body fight back the infection
*Another important thing to be kept in mind is to have a positive attitude as this helps in the quick recovery of the body from sickness and also such a positive attitude even helps in improving the immune system of the body
*In case of a mild fever, it is advisable to take a paracetamol tablet but in case of severity of fever, it is necessary to visit and consult a physician
*You can even take a spoon full of ginger juice mixed with little honey which helps not only in curing the illness but also helps in developing the immunity of the body
*Take boiled or steamed vegetables, vegetable soup, soft fruits, boiled rice, whole grain bread, khichdi, Dalia (oats).
*Take a lot of fluids . Drink water (preferably Luke warm) frequently throughout the day. Viruses and bacteria grow better in dehydrated cells . Toxins are removed more easily when the body is well hydrated. If you have loose motions also , then don’t take fruit juice and raw food like salad etc. How can you be sure that you are getting enough fluids? Your urine should be pale yellow, almost colorless.
*The juice of Tulsi mixed with ginger and honey is good in viral fever . Take 1 spoon of this 3-4 times in a day (this mixture should be made fresh daily).You can add 1 tsp of Tulsi juice in hot water & sip it very slowly.
*Gargling with salty water and steaming will cure the throat and nose infection.
*Take Few pieces of soaked Munakkas (large currants) in the morning .
*Have bananas and apples as these are rich in calcium, iron and electrolytes.
*Have energy booster foods – the carbohydrate and glucose rich food provide energy to the body .
*Have vitamin C rich food for increase your immunity (lemon juice with honey immunes and strengthens the body to fight diseases).
*Drink herbal teas.
*Protein intake is also to be increased due to loss of tissue proteins , so have milk and moong dal.
Glucose water, coconut water, custards are good in viral infection.
*Take ½ cup of water. Add 20-25 pieces of raisins . Let it soak for 2-3 hours. Grind the mixture, sieve it . Add few drops of lemon juice and drink it once in a day.
*Crush a clove of garlic and eat it. You can mix it with honey to make it more palatable.
Glucose water, coconut water, custards are good in viral infection.
*Take ½ cup of water. Add 20-25 pieces of raisins . Let it soak for 2-3 hours. Grind the mixture, sieve it . Add few drops of lemon juice and drink it once in a day.
*Crush a clove of garlic and eat it. You can mix it with honey to make it more palatable.
Garlic:
When it comes to fighting cold and fevers the natural way, there is probably no better medicine than garlic. Well known for its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-protozoal properties, it helps in relieving stubborn coughs and clearing mucus that blocks the lungs. The anti-viral and anti-bacterial property of garlic is attributed to the compound “Allicin” found in it that also provides the hot and strong flavor. The best way to use garlic for treating colds is to crush 5-6 cloves and consume it raw. But it can also be consumed mixed with a cup of yogurt. In addition to all this, garlic also helps in lowering high blood pressure, cholesterol and reducing the chances of heart attack and stroke.
Holy Basil:
Holy Basil or “Tulsi” is of great religious significance to the Hindus and has been used for ages as a medicine for relieving stress and anxiety in Ayurveda. The leaves of basil have powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties that work effectively for the treatment of fever, flu, swine flu, bronchitis, malaria, headache and sore throat. The herbs help in clearing phlegm and unclogging the respiratory system. It also works as an effective natural remedy for arthritis. The best way to sue holy basil for colds is to wash and boil 8-10 leaves with tea and sip it slowly
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is a highly flavorful spice that is widely used in Asian and Mediterranean cooking and was considered of great value in Ancient Egypt. The anti-bacterial and natural warming property of cinnamon helps in treating sore throat, colds and cough and a nice warm cup of cinnamon tea can heal throat irritation, itching and can prevent the approach of an impending cold effectively. It also acts as a natural cure for bloating and gas, arthritis and reduces the symptoms of PMS. The best way to use cinnamon for treating cold and sore throat is to mix one table spoon of honey with 1/2 table spoon of freshly ground cinnamon and take it 2-3 times a day for 3 days.
Ginger:
Ginger is one of the key medicines of Ayurveidic treatment and it has been used for centuries to treat various kinds of aliments. It helps in treating infections of the respiratory tract, persistent cough and bronchitis. The compound “Ajoene” present in garlic helps in controlling infections by bacteria, viruses and microbes. In addition, it also works as anatural preventive measure for cancer, more specifically colon cancer. It is also used for treating muscle cramps and muscle pain. Prepare delicious ginger tea by boiling water in a pan, grate one inch of fresh ginger and add it to the water along with 2 table spoon and lemon juice and one table spoon of honey and enjoy this soothing drink while relaxing in your bed.
You can also try out the following home remedies:
*Take in a lot of fluids, not milk. In cases of diarrhoea, do not take any fruit juices, salad or raw food.
*Eat garlic and onions, both raw and in the form of soup.
*Take three teaspoonfuls of honey, two teaspoonfuls of fresh limejuice and a teaspoonful of brandy or ginger juice.
*Mix this and take a teaspoonful of the mixture three to four times a day. This mixture should be made fresh daily.
*Vitamin C in limejuice increases resistance, reduces toxicity and cuts down the course of the illness. *Honey is quickly absorbed and gives instant energy.
*The juice of holy basil (tulsi) mixed with ginger and honey can also be used for fever, cough and cold.
*For diarrhoea in children, put a pinch of black pepper in tea and give a few teaspoonfuls for stopping the bowels.
*Warm orange juice is a nutritious drink to take in fever. It provides energy, increases the urine output and helps to flush out toxins from the body naturally.
Red Cayenne Pepper:
Red hot cayenne pepper salsa are not only the perfect dip of chips and crackers it is also a great way of clearing nasal congestion and respiratory passages, sinuses and stimulating sweating to lower high body temperatures and fever. The source of this fiery heat lies in the compound “Capsaicin” found in majority of peppers. In addition, it is also an effective ingredient for natural weight loss, helps in lowering high blood pressure and reducing cholesterol in blood. The best way to use cayenne pepper for treating colds and fever is to mix it in tea with a table spoon of honey. Pour boiling water in a cup and dip a tea bag into it, mix a table spoon of honey and 1/2 tea spoon of dry cayenne pepper powder and sip slowly.
Lemons and Oranges:
Vitamin C is a universally accepted remedy for common colds and the best natural source of vitamin C is citrus fruits like oranges and lemons that are loaded with this health benefiting nutrient that improves the body’s natural defense mechanism and fight virus and bacteria. Lemon helps in thinning mucus, reducing phlegm and clearing the chocked respiratory system. Enjoy a glass of fresh homemade orange juice or a nice warm drink prepared by mixing 2 table spoon of lemon juice and 1 table spoon of honey in a glass of warm water. In addition, lemon also helps in improving digestion and acts as an effective natural remedy for removing sun tan.
Dr.Dayaram Aalok M.A.,Ayurved Ratna,D.I.Hom(London), Blog Writer,caste historian,Poet(kavitalok.blogspot.com),Social worker(damodarjagat.blogspot.com),Herbalist(remedyherb.blogspot.com,healinathome.blogspot.com),Used to organize Mass marriage programs for Darji Community. founder and president Damodar Darji Mahasangh