Home remedies for cough and cold

The common cold is almost always accompanied by a cough and can be quite an irritating condition to deal with. While, medication can help reduce the symptoms you experience, a cold has no cure and it takes about seven days to resolve. So, instead of loading your body with all those chemicals why not try something natural to beat the discomfort you feel. 

Generally speaking, coughing is perfectly normal. A cough can help to keep your throat clear from phlegm and other irritants.When there is a blockage or irritant in your throat or upper air passages, your brain thinks a foreign element is present and tells your body to cough to remove that element. However, sustained coughing can also be symptomatic of a number of conditions.
Coughing can also be due to a viral infection, common cold, flu, and smoking or health problems such as asthma, tuberculosis, and lung cancer.

Some of the symptoms of a cough are itchy throat, chest pain, and congestion. Instead of using over-the-counter cough syrups, you can try some natural cough treatments using readily available ingredients in your kitchen.

A lot of these home remedies have their roots in Ayurveda and you'll find that some of the ingredients like ginger, turmeric and honey have been named in ancient texts as natural healers. Traditional medicine is still being practiced in many of our homes and is a testament to the phrase 'old is gold'.

Garlic tea

A well-known immune system strengthener, garlic shines as an antibacterial and antiviral herb for fighting colds, coughs and the flu. One of the best ways to take advantage of garlic's healing properties is by drinking fresh garlic tea. Sweetened with a little raw honey, it's delicious and helps to heal what ails you. Peel 2 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic and lightly crush them with the side of a wide knife blade. Add them to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain the garlic and allow the tea to cool to mouth temperature. Add raw honey, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Drink as much as desired.

Honey is a time-honored remedy for a sore throat. According to a 2007 study, it can also relieve coughs more effectively than over-the-counter medicines that contain dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant.
You can create your own remedy at home by mixing honey with herbal tea, or warm water and lemon. The honey does the soothing, while lemon juice can help with congestion.

Turmeric

Turmeric is rich in curcumin and volatile oils that have a protective as well as therapeutic action in persons suffering from cough and cold. Haldi also has anti-viral and anti-bacterial activity that can help beat the infection.The best way to use turmeric is as soon as you feel a scratchy sensation in your throat that indicates the onset of a sore throat or cough. Turmeric can help prevent the infection from worsening. The easiest way to use turmeric is as haldi doodh. To make this drink take a teaspoon of haldi and add it to a glass of milk. Now boil the mixture and drink it while it is still hot. You can add some honey to the mixture too, in order to sweeten the drink and add to its antibacterial and antiviral propertiesYou can also have some turmeric tea to treat the condition. All you need to do is boil 4 cups of water, mix one tablespoon of turmeric powder to it and boil the water. Once done allow it to stand for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture using a fine strainer, and then mix in a little honey and lemon – your medicinal turmeric tea is ready. You can add some tulsi to the tea to make it a better natural remedy

Steam

You can loosen up your stuffy nose if you breathe in some steam. Hold your head over a pot of boiling water and breathe slowly through your nose. But be careful. Don't let the heat burn your nose.
You can also get some relief with a humidifier in your bedroom. Also try to take in some moisture from a hot shower with the door closed.

Blow Your Nose

It's better than sniffling mucus back into your head. But make sure you do it the right way. If you blow hard, you'll send germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, which can lead to an earache.

The best technique? Press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other.
*Take a few peppercorns with a little cumin and jaggery. Add a little water and keep boiling the mixture until you get a concentrated decoction. Cool and drink it to help expel the phlegm blocking your airways.

Peppermint leaves and the oil of eucalyptus are both well known for their healing properties. Menthol in peppermint soothes the throat and acts as a decongestant, helping to break down mucus. You can benefit by drinking peppermint tea, or by inhaling peppermint vapors from a steam bath. To make a steam bath, drop three to four drops of peppermint oil mixed for every 150 milliliters (mL) of hot water. Drape a towel over your head, and take deep breaths directly above the water.
Red onion and raw honey cough syrup
*A wonderful home remedy for adults or kids suffering from a cough uses brown cane sugar, raw honey or stevia and red onions to make a soothing and tasty cough syrup. Wash, peel and slice the entire onion horizontally. Starting with the base of the onion, layer the slices in a bowl alternating with layers of raw honey or brown sugar. Stevia powder works well for this home remedy too; however, it is extremely sweet. Continue adding layers of onion and sweetener until the entire onion is reconstructed in the bowl. Cover and allow the sweetened onion to remain in the bowl on your counter for about 12-15 hours or overnight. The next day, there will be about a cup or more of sweet syrup in the bowl. The cough syrup contains a range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the onion and the honey to help fight infection and soothe sore throats and quiet a cough. Take a spoonful as needed. Has no onion-y taste.

. Lemon

Lemons can be used in a variety of ways for curing coughs. Lemons have properties that reduce inflammation and also provide a dose of infection-fighting vitamin C.A simple cough syrup can be made by combining two tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey. Drink this healthy syrup several times a day.
Another way to use lemons is to blend lemon juice with a little honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper and then drink it.

Hot Milk with Honey

Hot milk with honey can relieve a dry cough and reduce chest pain you may be experiencing from continuous coughing. For best results, drink it before going to sleep. For added benefits from the analgesic properties of honey, swallow a teaspoon of plain honey on empty stomach. This will help clear the mucus and soothe your throat.. 

Thyme

Thyme is used by some for respiratory illnesses.One study suggests that the essence extracted from thyme leaves mixed with ivecan help relieve coughing as well as short-term bronchitis. The leaves contain compounds called flavonoids that relax the throat muscles involved in coughing, and also lessen inflammation.
You can make thyme tea at home using two teaspoons of crushed thyme leaves and one cup of boiling water. Cover the cup, steep for 10 minutes, and strain.

Chicken soup antiviral

Chicken soup really does act to knock out a cold or the flu and hasten healing. As long ago as the 12th century, the Jewish physician Maimonides recommended consuming chicken soup to fight colds and flu. Take advantage of the high antioxidant properties and nutrients found in organic vegetables and chicken. Although non-organic chicken soup may relieve some cold symptoms, it also supplies the body with pesticides, growth hormones, herbicides and antibiotics that are not recommended for well being. Go organic all the way and get well quickly.*Boil in 150 ml of water on a slow flame 1/2 inch ginger, 2 sticks of cinnamon, 3cloves, 2 pepper cons, 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, pinch of cummin seeds, 8 leaves of holy basil( tulsi) and a sprig of pudina let the water reduce to half . When warm strain the mixture in a cup mix it with 1/2 lime juice and 1 tablespoon of honey have it 2 times a day for 3 days