As they say, "whether or not you take the medication, it goes away only in 7 days.". There is a famous dialogue in the tamil movie "Chandramukhi" told by Rajnikanth. "You take the medication the cold goes off in a week; and you don't take medication it goes off in 7 days".
But with these home remedies you are sure to reduce the severity and feel much much better.
- Honey - In a glass of warm water, add 1-2 tsp of honey and have it several times a day. Gives good relief.
- Lemon and Honey - It is said that increasing the intake of Vitamin C helps in fighting colds. So what more best than having it the natural way? In a glass of warm water, add lemon juice squeezed from 1 lemon . Add 1-2 tsp of honey. Mix well and drink it couple of times a day.
- Turmeric and Milk - This has been given by my mother since my teens. This works perfectly for cold and throat infection. Boil a glass of milk with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp coarsely powdered pepper. Boil it over sim and make a thick concoction. Drink it once in the morning and once in the night before sleep. This can relieve you of cold to a larger extent. If you are unable to have the concoction without sugar, just add a little. Works better without sugar.
- To clear the nose - Nasal sprays work to clear your nasal passages. What best than making your own spray at home? Salt is known to fight the bacterial infection and reduce the inflammation in the nasal passage. Boil 1 glass of water. Cool the water and add 1-2 tsp of salt. Mix well. Spray 2-4 drops of the mixture into both the nostrils and blow. Repeat for a couple of times. If you cannot find a sprayer, hold the salt water in your palm and inhale with the nostrils. The salt water would enter the nostrils and then blow hard. This way the nasal passage remains clear atleast for 2-3 hours. I do it a couple of times in the night so that I don't find difficulty in breathing while asleep.
- Vapour Inhalation - This is the first thing anyone would suggest you for getting relief from cold. In the vapourizer, add 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil and inhale the vapours. Remember to cover yourself in a bedsheet. This will enable the concentration of the vapours. You can even use zandu balm or amrutanjan if you do not have eucalyptus oil. If you do not have a vapourizer, boil the water in a container and add the oil/balm. Inhale the vapours the same way.
- Balms - You can also rub vicks over your nose, the throat and chest. This will also help.
- Hot water bath - People think that not taking bath will help in reduction of the cold. But I've found that hot water bath helps you feel much much better.
