Cold and flu season is here, so you might get your home ready with some simple cold remedies that can relieve your symptoms and get you on the road to rapid recovery. Over-the-counter medication can provide some relief, but many people prefer holistic healing strategies to clear congestion and ease a sore throat. Here are a few of the tried and true ways to remedy your cold at home.
Get plenty of rest
Sleep is the best way to boost your immune system and fight off a cold. You might want to grab some extra blankets to keep warm if you find yourself shivering, which is your body’s way of producing heat to increase your temperature. So if your teeth won’t stop chattering, don’t resist wrapping up in a blanket – but once you have an established fever consider ditching the covers, as blankets will hold in heat and likely make you feel worse. If you feel like you are too stuffed-up to fall asleep, you can relieve congestion by sleeping on your back with your head elevated under a supportive pillow.
Eat throat-soothing foods
When you are sick, you might not have a huge appetite, but there are some foods that provide quick relief for a sore throat. Hot soup, fruit-juice popsicles, and scrambled eggs are all great foods to reduce inflammation without irritating the throat. You will want to avoid highly acidic fruits, so stick to bananas or boiled carrots instead. As you eat these foods, stay hydrated by drinking herbal tea and plenty of water. Another great drink for cold relief is hot water steeped with ginger, lemon slices, honey and mint leaves. Proper hydration with these beverages will break up your congestion and speed your recovery.
Take a hot shower
The steam of a hot shower can soothe your nasal passages and help you relax. If you feel too weak to stand in the shower, turn on a humidifier or breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water. A warm, wet cloth can also relieve your sinuses and clear up your congestion.
