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Home remedies for cold and flu beat taking over the counter medicines any day!
With over the counter medications, you will be able to conquer the cold but you could end up with other complications.
While there are no immediate fixes or miracle cures, these home remedies for cold and flu work really well to quell those nasty symptoms, so you do not feel so miserable.
1. Do Regular Steam Inhalations
The steam that emanates from a hot bath or bowl of boiling water works wonders for clearing your nasal packages so you can breathe more easily.
To get the benefits of steam inhalation, stand under a steaming hot shower for a few minutes or sit in a warm bath for at least 15 – 20 minutes. The steam that builds up in the bathroom will moisturize your nasal passages and help you feel refreshed.
If you want to get the benefits of steam inhalation several times a day, inhaling the steam while placing your face over a bowl of steaming hot water can work just as well. For faster relief, add 2 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to the steaming hot water and create a tent with a towel to trap the steam and prevent it from escaping.
If you are allergic to eucalyptus essential oils, add a few drops of any of these essential oils for cold and congestion into the bowl of steaming water.
2. Use a Heat Pack
Applying a heat pack on your forehead will reduce the congestion in the sinuses and stop that headache and the stuffy feeling. There’s no need to buy anything expensive for this purpose. A simple facecloth will suffice.
Soak a clean facecloth in hot water and place over the forehead for immediate relief.
Adding a drop of eucalyptus oil to the water will help you get relief much faster.
3. Consume more Garlic
Garlic supports the immune system and can help fight the infection present in colds and the flu.
Garlic contains several key ingredients that have antiviral properties, and when combined with other remedies, particularly honey, it can prevent a cold turning into full-blown flu.
4. Increase Your Intake of Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps boost the immune system so you can help fight the flu faster. You can increase your intake of Vit C by eating plenty of citrus fruits, drinking fruit juice or taking Vitamin C supplements.
Citrus fruits help to loosen mucus in the nose and sinuses, moisturize the nasal passages and increase the body’s level of Vitamin C. This is essential to help increase the body’s reserves so you can effectively fight off the infection.
5. Gargle with Warm Salt Water
Gargling with salt water will not cure your cold or flu but it will help soothe that irritating dry throat.
Fortify Your Bath to Treat the Cold or Flu
Relaxing your body and giving yourself time to rest is essential if you want to treat the flu or a common cold properly.
This begins with taking a nice warm bath, which is great for sore and tired muscles, fatigue, headaches, and many symptoms of both the cold and flu.
Here are a few different ways to take a healing bath that doubles as one of the soothing natural remedies for cold and flu.
Use Healing Bath Salts
The first way to really benefit from your bath is to add some healing ingredients that detox your body and also help with some of your symptoms of the cold or flu.
To start with, you might do better with a lukewarm bath instead of a steaming hot bath, especially if you are already dealing with a fever from your illness.
To make your own bath salts to add to the bath, combine Epsom salt and a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. The Epsom salt provides more magnesium to your body and the eucalyptus essential oil works as a decongestant.
Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt Soaking Solution already contains eucalyptus and spearmint essential oils. If you buy this pack, you do not need to add any additional essential oil.
Use Bath Bombs
Another DIY product you can make for the bath when you are trying to deal with illness is with bath bombs. These can be beautiful, scented, and soothing for your body at the same time.
Bath bombs are primarily made with citric acid, corn starch, and baking soda. You can find many recipes that tell you exactly how much of these ingredients to use, and how to make the bath bombs.
When you want to use them for healing your body, you should also add in some other natural ingredients, including Epsom salts, coconut oil, witch hazel, and essential oils like peppermint and eucalyptus.
Take a Healing Detox Bath
Bath salts and bath bombs are not the only way you can have a relaxing bath that also detoxes your body of toxins.
This detox bath solution is actually great at preventing illnesses, not just treating a cold or flu you already have. Try to make a habit of taking a nice detox bath at least once a week.
For this bath, you once again want to start with Epsom salts in the bath. Other ingredients to add include baking soda, fresh ginger root, and a little sea salt.
You can mix these together and put them in a container, then add to your bath after you start the water.
When it comes to any type of illness, prevention is always better than cure. See how you can Stay Fighting Fit This Cold & Flu Season: Prevention Tips.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to serve as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before using any natural medication or if you experience any unusual symptoms. See Full Disclaimer here.