12 Easy And Natural Home Remedies For Cold That Really Work

Blow Your Nose Frequently

This is one of the best and most overlooked remedies for colds. When you have a cold, you should blow your nose frequently instead of sniffling mucus back into the brain. But, a forceful blow might force germ-laden mucus back into the ear canals, which can cause ear pain. The ideal approach to blowing the nose is to cover one nostril with a finger and softly blow to empty the other.

Rinsing Nose With Salt Water

Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp baking soda to 8 ounces of purified, sterilized, or already boiled water. Use a bulb syringe or a nose irrigation kit to clean your nose. Splash the sterile saline solution into the opposite nostril while keeping one nostril closed with mild finger pressure. Let it drain. Switch to the other nostril following two to three repetitions.

Relax and Stay Warm

Gargle

Gargling can moisturize the throat and provide momentary relief from a sore throat. [1] Gargle four times every day using warm water and salt. However, for tightening the mucous membranes and minimizing the itching in your throat, consider an astringent substance to gargle. 

Another option among the home remedies for cold is to gargle with a viscous, thick mix of honey or honey and apple cider vinegar. For this, a tablespoon of lime juice or raspberry leaf should be steeped in 2 glasses of boiling water together with a teaspoon of honey. Let the mix recess to room temperature before gargling.

Apply Salve to Your Nose

A small dab of mentholated ointment can be used to soothe the irritated skin at the base of the nostril and open the breathing passages. The slight numbing effects of menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus all can potentially lessen the irritation of a sore nose. Apply it only on the outside and beneath your nose to prevent getting it inside.

Use Cold or Hot Packs to Relieve Sinus Congestion

You can get reusable cold or hot packs at a pharmacy or prepare your own. Heat a damp towel in the microwave for 55 seconds (check the temperature beforehand to ensure it's not too hot) to make your hot pack. A little bag of frozen peas is a great cold pack. These are one of the best home remedies for cold that relieves your discomfort quickly.

Put a second pillow Under Your Head

This one among the home remedies for cold works perfectly almost for everyone. If you raise your head, the nasal passages will be less congested. Try putting cushions between the mattress to create a more progressive slope if the slope is too uncomfortable.

Take Only Necessary Flights

It makes no sense to put more strain on your upper respiratory system, which is already under pressure from the change in air pressure. Because of the pressure fluctuations experienced during takeoff and landing, flying while congested with a cold or the flu might temporarily damage your eardrums. Use a decongestant if you must fly, and bring a nasal spray for use right before landing and taking off. 

Utilize Garlic

Garlic is one of the well-known home remedies for cold and sneezing. Whether it's a recipe for chicken soup, a beverage prepared with raw crushed garlic, or simply eating garlic as part of a meal, many cultures have a home treatment for a cold that utilizes garlic.

Allicin, an antibiotic and antifungal component of garlic, is believed to be the element that prevents colds. [2] The spicy flavour that distinguishes garlic is due to allicin.

Eucalyptus

The health advantages of eucalyptus may include relief from cold symptoms. No wonder it’s regarded as one of the best home remedies for cold. For instance, eucalyptus oil steam inhalation can facilitate the thinning of respiratory tract mucus.

Menthol

Menthol can ease the symptoms of a cold, including blocked sinuses and clogged airways. Wide varieties of mint plants are used to make menthol. It is a common element in vapour rubs and has pain-relieving and antibacterial properties.

Consume Hot Fluids

Hot beverages ease the throat and nose's painful inflamed membranes, refresh you, and lessen nasal congestion. Also, if the obstruction in your nose is severe that it keeps you up at night think about having a hot drink.

FAQs

How can you get rid of a cold fast?

If you are wondering how to get rid of a cold fast, some remedies mentioned below will help you:

• Stay hydrated
• Vitamin C
• Sleep
• Tea and honey
• Chicken soup
• Aromatherapy
• Hot shower
• Gargling with warm salt water
• Sleeping with an additional pillow

When should I call a doctor if I have a cold?

Is it okay to have a hot shower while suffering from a cold?

Home remedies for cold work excellently and help you cure your colds quickly, alongside restoring your overall health. But, there are risks with utilizing natural remedies, and they may interfere with other prescribed or over-the-counter medications you are taking. Book an online appointment to get a doctor consultation and learn more about home remedies for colds from the experienced doctors at Bajaj Finserv Health.