11 Effective Home Remedies for Cold & Flu

Cold and flu are common diseases but they can cause many annoying symptoms including runny nose, blocked sinus, sore throat, coughing, headache, body ache, fever, and chills.

Try Home Remedies: 

There are so many home remedies for cold and flu that can help you to feel better. You can treat yourself by using these home remedies in all four seasons of the year.  They are very beneficial.

1- Chicken soup:

When you are suffering from cold and flu, try the chicken soup. It may not help you to get rid of sickness but it will give you enough Placidity. You can say that chicken soup is the best choice in sickness.

According to a study, chicken soup is particularly effective for reducing the symptoms of upper respiratory infections. To make chicken testier, add vegetable and corn in it, which can be helpful in slowing down the movement of neutrophils in your body.

Neutrophils are basically a common type of white blood cell, which protects the body from any kind of infection. When they move slowly they stay more concentrated in those areas of your body where there is a need for the most healing.

2- Honey:

Drinking honey in tea with lemon can give you relief from flu and sore throat pain as it contains many antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Research has proven that honey is also an effective cough suppressant. Giving 10 grams of honey to children at bedtime is helpful in the reduction of the severity of the symptoms of their cough.

3-Vitamin C:

It has been scientifically proven that Vitamin C has many health benefits.  There are some fruits and vegetables that include limes, oranges, grapefruits, leafy greens, and lemons are a good source of vitamin C.

If you are sick, then add fresh lemon juice to hot tea with honey that will help in the reduction of phlegm. Drinking hot or cold lemonade can also help you to feel better in Cold and Flu. These drinks will help you to get the sufficient amount of Vitamin C which will increase the immune system of your body. A study says that taking enough amount of vitamin C can give you relief in the upper respiratory tract infections and other illnesses.

4- Ginger:

In cold and Flu, put a few slices of raw ginger root in boiling water. It can give you the soothing effect in a cough or sore throat. According to a study, this drink is also effective in nausea. It has been proven that 1 gram of ginger is helpful to alleviate clinical nausea of diverse causes.

5- Garlic:

Some research says that adding garlic supplements to your regular diet can reduce the severity of cold symptoms. Garlic contains antimicrobial properties that might help you to avoid getting sick in the first place. That’s why we’ve added it to our list of best home Remedies for cold and flu.

6- Saltwater:

In flu, gargling with salt water is beneficial in the prevention of upper respiratory infections. It is also helpful in the reduction of the severity of cold symptoms. When you do gargles with saltwater, it reduces and loosens the mucus. Mucus contains bacteria and allergens. Saltwater also gives you relief in sore throat pain and nasal congestion.

In order to try this remedy you need to add 1 teaspoon of salt in a full glass of water and dissolve it properly. Swish it around your mouth and throat and spit it out.

7- Vapor rub:

While talking about the home remedies for cold and flu, we can’t ignore this one. Vapor rub gives you relief in cold and flu. It reduces the symptoms of a cold. Especially in children older than 2, it appears to reduce cold symptoms drastically. Before going to your bed, the application of vapor rub works better.  Just one or two applications will be helpful in opening the air passages in order to combat congestion. It also reduces coughing and improves your sleep. Some doctors also recommend it in order to avoid the side effects of medicines.

8- Warm Baths:

Warm baths are very beneficial to reduce cold and flu symptoms in adults. You can reduce the body aches by adding Epsom salt and baking soda to the water. Moreover, if you add a few drops of essential oil, such as tea tree, juniper, rosemary, thyme, orange, lavender, or eucalyptus in warm water, it will give you a soothing effect.

9- Menthol:

Menthol can help to give you relief from blocked sinuses and congested airways which are the common symptoms of a cold. According to a 2013 research, inhaling menthol gives relief in the reduction of coughing that is caused by environmental irritants.

Menthol contains antibacterial and pain-relieving effects. It is also an important ingredient of many vapor rubs.

Other than that, you can also add menthol to hot water for steam inhalation. Some research has proved that vapor rub containing menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor are helpful in the reduction of cold symptoms and improves sleep in children and adults as well. It is also important to note that in some cases menthol can sting and irritate the skin.

10- Spiced Tea:

Spiced Tea is considered one of the best home remedies for cold and flu. Mix tulsi, ginger, and black pepper while you are making your tea. This spiced tea plays an important role in fighting a common cold and cough.

11- Carrot Juice:

This interesting drink is great to fight the common cold and cough symptoms.

12- Zinc: 

Zinc boosts the immune system of your body. Zinc is helpful to shorten the length of a cold, especially it works better when you take it within 24 hours of onset.

Colds and flu are caused by viruses and there are no medications or antibiotics available in the market that can cure them properly. These home remedies have been proven to shorten the duration of a cold or flu. They are useful to ease the severity of symptoms and make you feel better when you are sick.

These were the home remedies for cold and flu that you can try if you ever feel sick with a cold. I hope this article will help you. If you want more home remedies and safe treatments you should check out this page.