It is called a common cold for a reason! Though it is harmless, it can be annoying to have a runny nose, a constant cough and seasonal allergies with perpetual sneezing. Here are a few symptoms that indicate cold and flu:
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Fever or fever chills
- Cough
When it comes to Ayurveda, an imbalance in any one of the three doshas—vata, pitta, or kapha— will cause illness or ailments. If you’re struggling with nasal congestion and a cough, it is the excess of pitta and kapha in the body. This exploration will help you tackle the cough and cold with natural home remedies. Let’s dive in.
- Tulsi
Tulsi is called “Mother of medicine” and “Queen of herbs” for a reason. It improves the body’s ability to fight against the cold and helps in relieving cough. It also clears the airways by pushing out the mucus when you cough. How do you take Tulsi? There are multiple methods to take this, which includes
- Eating the leaves directly in the morning
- Boil it in a glass of water with added ginger.
- Tulsi tea with a few drops of lemon also helps.
- Saltwater gargles
Saltwater gargle is a commonly used home remedy. This particularly helps in relieving sore throat and throat irritation. Since salt has natural antimicrobial properties that prevent the bacteria from growing in the throat. This method also removes mucus, allergens, etc., providing temporary relief from irritation and soreness. This is what you should do!
– Add half a teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water, take a sip, look up and gargle for a few seconds and spit it out.
- Dry ginger/sukku
Dry ginger, popularly known as sonth or sukku, is one of the main ingredients of herbal cough syrups. Sonth, when taken with honey, acts as a soothing remedy for cough and cold because of its anti-inflammatory properties. There are different ways to take it.
- Mix 1/4 teaspoon of dry ginger and 1 teaspoon of honey and take it twice a day.
- Take 2-3 tbsp in a pan with a low flame, add 2-3 teaspoons of jaggery, and let it melt. Then add 2-3 tbsp of dry ginger powder and mix well and let it cool. Shape them into small balls and take them twice a day.
- Steam therapy
Inhaling steam is one of the commonly used home remedies for managing cold symptoms. This helps with easing nasal congestion, making breathing easier, especially with a stuffy nose. This can be done in several ways:
- Steam inhalation
- Warm showers
- Humidifiers
- Mulethi/Adhi Madhuram/Licorice
An effective Ayurvedic herb, which is also known as sweet wood, is known for managing sore throat, cough and excessive production of mucus in the airway. But how? It thins the mucus inside the airways, which reduces congestion and eases out the coughing. Here are a few methods to intake this:
- Add 1 teaspoon of mulethi powder to a glass of warm water and drink it twice a day.
- Prepare Mulethi tea with mulethi root and grated ginger in hot water along with a tea bag and drink it twice a day.
- Mulethi Kadha is where you add a pinch of black pepper and cinnamon powder along with mulethi powder and a few tulsi leaves to a cup of boiling water, simmer it, add 1 teaspoon of honey and drink it.
- Pippali/Thippili
This herb is known for its effectiveness in managing coughs and colds; it also relieves headaches and congestion. This herb also loosens the mucus and supports coughing it out, which lets us breathe freely. This is how you should take it:
- Take one small piece of pippali and swallow it with 1 teaspoon of honey. Repeat this 1-2 times a day until the symptoms decrease.
- Essential Oils
There are a lot of essential oils that have anti-inflammatory and decongestant properties like eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, oregano oil, lemon oil, thyme oil and rosemary oil. Here are a few ways to ease your symptoms using these oils:
- Adding a few drops to your warm water bath.
- Add a few drops during steam therapy.
- Rubbing an essential oil on your chest.
A patch test is advised before applying the essential oil to avoid allergic reactions.
The common cold is just another mild illness and can easily be managed using the above-mentioned remedies, but it is still important to be informed and know when to seek medical help. If the symptoms persist and are severe, it is advised to get professional help.
