Eight home remedies for treating a cold

[rangerrebew]

Eight home remedies for treating a cold
Written by MaryAnn de PietroReviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, PhD, MSN, RN, IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT
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Last reviewed: Sat 11 March 2017
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At some point, almost everyone gets a cold. Colds are caused by a virus, which means an antibiotic is not an effective treatment.

Colds are so common that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults can expect to get about two colds per year. Although a cold is usually not dangerous, it can leave a person feeling awful.

There is currently no cure for a cold but there are several home remedies that may reduce symptoms. Symptoms of a cold include a sore throat, nasal congestion, coughing and aches and pains.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316302.php

[Applewood]

Keeping away from stupid people with colds who continually spew their germs all over the place is a good preventive measure. 

As for home remedies, my mother swore by Vicks Vapo Rub. She would slather it all over my chest and back, then use clean old rags to cover up the chest and back, with safety pins to hold the rags in place.   Stunk up the whole house, but it helped with congestion.   This article recommends adding drops of eucalyptus oil to steam.  Since Vicks Vapo Rub is made of eucalyptus, a few spoonfuls in steam works well. 

[Gefn]

My mom swears by chicken soup.

[Applewood]

@Freya

My Mom also believed in soup. Once I had a bad case of the flu.  Mom said I should come over to my parents' house to recuperate, but I declined.  It was the middle of January, snow up to our eyeballs and bitter cold.  Mom dispatched my Dad over to my apartment with a carton of 12 containers of homemade wedding soup (Mom was Italian). 

I guess hot soup (or any hot food or beverage) loosens congestion.  But soup also has the advantage of being a comfort food.  When I'm sick, I don't want to cook anything that requires a lot of effort.     In fact, I don't really want to eat, period.  But soup is light, easy to heat up and it invokes some psychological feeling of well being.  It brings about memories of childhood when moms wold fuss overy us when we were sick.    Plus soup has nutrition to help in the healing process. 

[the_doc]

Over-the-counter Umcka helps better than anything else I have run across.  Start it as soon as ANY symptoms appear.

[Free Vulcan]

Been taking this all winter. Not even a sniffle.

[roamer_1]

Vinegar honey tonic
or
fire cider tonic.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I go with the better living through chemistry route:


12 hour sudafed (the real stuff) for congestion
Mucinex for cough
Ny-Quil at night to sleep

[EC]

One of the down sides of not drinking any more is I can no longer take whiskey Macs for colds (double shot of whiskey in a mug. Tbsp honey, juice of one lemon, touch of cinnamon and fill with boiling water). Works like a charm.

[roamer_1]

One of the down sides of not drinking any more is I can no longer take whiskey Macs for colds (double shot of whiskey in a mug. Tbsp honey, juice of one lemon, touch of cinnamon and fill with boiling water). Works like a charm.

Yeah, Western Americans have something similar: Drink a 5th of Tequila, wrap yourself tightly in a blanket, and sweat it out...

But, a shot of fire cider twice a day, and you just won't get sick.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvUjw9AE7mk

[TomSea]

Over-the-counter Umcka helps better than anything else I have run across.  Start it as soon as ANY symptoms appear.

My neighbor recommends this.  It is effective.  I've tried it. I'm not sure if regular drug stores always carry it but the drug store at the local health clinic had it.

[TomSea]

Fire Cider Health Tonic, hadn't heard of this but I see there are even some brands out there. I've used apple cider vinegar, should probably get some more soon, just that daily probably keeps one in better health.

. It was a savoury liquid infusion with an amazing balance of tangy raw apple cider vinegar, horseradish, garlic, onion, ginger, and citrus with just a hint of honey.
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/fire-cider-health-tonic-and-homeopathic-remedy/

Sounds like great stuff.

[TomSea]

Been taking this all winter. Not even a sniffle.

Homepathic like Umcka. Sounds good.

[roamer_1]

Fire Cider Health Tonic, hadn't heard of this but I see there are even some brands out there. I've used apple cider vinegar, should probably get some more soon, just that daily probably keeps one in better health.

Sounds like great stuff.

If you make some, make SURE to use an apple cider vinegar that has the 'mother' in it... I've made it both ways, but it just doesn't have the same torque without it.

Most folks add lemon, honey and some sort of (hot) pepper to the basic mix....

It really does work. My grandsons were on it through the cold season this last fall (for the first time) and they got nary a sniffle all winter... Which is an incredible testimony, since this year was the second year for them all going to public school... Their first year is what convinced their mother to take precautions.

[the_doc]

My neighbor recommends this.  It is effective.  I've tried it. I'm not sure if regular drug stores always carry it but the drug store at the local health clinic had it.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has even given Umcka a qualified endorsement.  (I knew about Umcka before the AAFP got interested in it.  It's good stuff.)