Home Remedies for Cold and Flu
Cold and flu makes anyone miserable. Most of the people tend to go through this misery at one time or another, and quite a number of times in their lifetime. This combination of fever, body ache, and nasal congestion is no fun. There is multiple home remedies which can help you get back to your routine. Intake of fluids and plenty of rest are definitely essential for recovering from this misery. Besides this, you can try out the many home remedies listed below.
*Ginger:
Ginger is known to be effective in a number of ailments. This is definitely the first choice of a home remedy you can choose for helping you with the cold and flu. Boil a few slices of ginger in 1 cup of water. This needs to be sipped so that it helps in managing the symptoms of flu and also tackle the nausea, if any.
*Intake of Zinc:
Research has proved that zinc is helpful in tackling the cold and flu symptoms as this help the body make the white blood cells which can fight off germs. You can either take a supplement or even a multi-vitamin which contains zinc. Foods which contain zinc are beans, nuts, lentils, shellfish, eggs, dairy, chickpeas and seeds. Ensure you include these in your daily diet plan.
*Drinking Herbal Tea:
There are many herbs which are known to have anti viral and anti bacterial properties. This tea made of different herbs can help minimize the symptoms of flu. You can make this tea with star anise or other herbs like fresh garlic, ginger, green or even black tea, cloves or turmeric.
Use honey for sweetening the tea as honey is said to have anti viral and anti bacterial properties.
*Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is an essential requirement for your body. This has multiple health benefits. You need to add limes, grapefruits, oranges, Leafy greens or even lemon juice to your diet plan. Adding a teaspoon of honey along with a few drops of lemon juice to your tea can help you in dealing with the cold and flu. Drinking lemonade which is cold or hot can also help to a large extent.
Vitamin C is essential for dealing with respiratory tract problems and other ailments.
*Warm Baths:
Warm baths can bring down the symptoms of cold and flu in adults and also children. Adding baking soda and Epsom salts can bring down the body-ache you are suffering from. Essential oil like rosemary, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus added to the bath water is also soothing.
*Salt Water Gargle:
Gargling with salt water brings down the severity of the cold and discomfort. This loosens and reduces the mucus which contains allergens and bacteria. In one glass of water you need to add 1 teaspoonful of salt and gargle with this for 3 to 4 times a day.
In case the flu symptoms do not subside after 3 to 4 days it is advisable to consult your doctor as you might require a course of anti-biotic for tackling this.
Home Remedies for Cold and Flu:
