It is quite common to have a cold and cough. You can get it for a common cold, influenza, COVID-19, or more. So, once you are sure your cold and cough can be treated at home and do not require any specific medication, try out the natural remedies. Wondering what they are? Well, start scrolling down below to the effective natural home remedies for a cold and cough!
12 Home Remedies for a Cold and Cough
All these home remedies below are easy to do and can alleviate your cold and cough symptoms quickly. However, if you feel even sicker and have breathing trouble, seek medical help immediately.
But if you are sure it is a common cold, you can easily use remedies to get rid of a cold and cough.
So, let us quickly check out what the home remedies for a cold and cough are:
Drink Hot Soup
Drinking a bowl of hot soup can give you immense relief. It helps you loosen your congestion and also relieves your scratchy throat. Try making your soup with chicken and lots of veggies to provide yourself with all the nutrients.
Some experts say that drinking chicken soup with a lot of veggies in it can help in slowing down the neutrophils in the body.
Neutrophils are types of white blood cells inside your body. So, when you drink soup, you are slowing their pace. All of which helps them to get accumulated in specific body areas, and this can help your body heal quickly.
Another study suggests drinking soup to reduce upper respiratory infection symptoms. But it is always best to make your soup at home or purchase the ones that are low in sodium. Soup not only provides you with a lot of nutrients but also helps in hydration. So, you can consider drinking soup as one of the best home remedies for a cold and cough.
Ginger
You can vouch for the benefits ginger provides your health. It is a common remedy that has been in use over the years. However, numerous studies and scientific studies show how ginger benefits our health.
Pop in a few ginger slices freshly cut into a cup of water and bring it to boil. After about four to five minutes, pour it through a sieve and sip it hot. It is a great way to cure a cold and cough.
Some research suggests you have ginger to get rid of nausea which is a common symptom you get during the flu. So, when looking at the natural ways to cure cold and cough, do not miss out on ginger on the list.
Honey
Honey possesses a lot of antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. So, you can have a spoon of honey in your tea or plain relieve your sore throat.
Some experts say that honey can work wonderfully as a cough suppressor. A study was done on sick children and was given ten grams of honey before bedtime. It was seen that after a few days, the cough severity in the children reduced massively. Moreover, it was seen that the children could sleep well and had reduced the cold too.
So, you can rely on honey as a home remedy to cure cold and cough. However, always keep in mind not to give children less than one years of age honey. That is because honey is said to contain botulinum spores that are harmful to young children and infants. Adults and older children have a strong immune system that can fight off the botulinum spores.
Garlic
Another effective one among the list of home remedies for a cold and cough is garlic. A compound known as allicin is present in garlic that contains antimicrobial properties.
You can add them into your curries or soups, and be sure to relieve yourself from a cold and cough. More so, a few types of research suggest that consuming garlic can even protect you from several illnesses.
Garlic can either be eaten raw or in supplements. But it would help if you took advice from your doctor before consuming garlic supplements.
There is ongoing research that needs to prove the benefits of fighting off cold. However, consuming a few garlic cloves can be helpful to you.
Echinacea
The Native Americans used the echinacea roots and herbs for over 400 years to treat infections.
Echinacea contains active compounds that can provide a therapeutic effect on your body. It contains flavonoids that are great to boost up the immune system and inflammation reduction.
However, the effect of the herb to fight off cold and cough is contradictory. But a review says that by having the echinacea, you can reduce your chances of the common cold by over 50%. More so, it can also be useful in reducing the duration of the cold.
So, if you are healthy and do not have any preexisting ailments, try consuming one or two grams of the echinacea herb or root in your tea. You need to have it at most three times in a day but not more than a week.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C can supply you with several health benefits. You can get vitamin C from a variety of fruits and veggies. Some of vitamin C-rich foods are lemons, limes, grapefruits, oranges, leafy greens, and more.
You can try adding some lemon juice to your tea with a spoon of honey and be sure to reduce the phlegm in your throat. Also, a hot lemonade can help reduce a cold and cough. It is always best to avoid consuming cold lemonade when you’re sick.
However, it would help if you kept in mind that consuming lemon tea or lemonade might not cure your cold and cough. But it can indeed be beneficial in boosting your immune system.
More so, researchers say that vitamin C can cure upper respiratory tract infections and many more ailments.
Probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that are present inside your body, supplements, and few foods. It helps in keeping your immune system and gut in good health. Some researchers suggest that probiotics can help reduce the chances of upper respiratory infection.
One of the most nutritious and tasty ways to supply yourself with gut-friendly bacteria is by including yogurt into your daily diet. Apart from keeping your immune system and gut healthy, yogurt can supply you with large amounts of calcium and protein. But always purchase the product that contains live bacteria in them.
Gargle with Saltwater
One of the most effective home remedies for a cold and cough is gargling with lukewarm water and salt. It helps in reducing the chances of upper respiratory infections and soothes your throat. More so, it helps in clearing the nasal and throat congestion and also reduces throat pain that is common when you get a cough.
When you gargle with lukewarm water and salt, you can loosen or reduce the mucus that contains allergens and bacteria. To try out this effective home remedy, you need to mix a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water. Then, swish it in your mouth and push the water back to your throat. Go as far as you can but remember not to swallow it. After a few seconds, spit out the water and then repeat.
Take warm baths
As you know, a humidifier can help you in reducing a cold and cough. Similarly, warm baths can help in easing out these symptoms. You can stay in the shower for a long time and get a steamy effect inside the bathroom. It will loosen your nasal and chest congestion and also reduce any body aches. You can try adding some baking soda and Epsom salt to make the warm bath more effective in reducing body aches.
Also, adding any of your favorite essential oil can help clear your nasal congestion. You can try out essential oils like eucalyptus, lavender, orange, thyme, rosemary, juniper, or tea tree.
Increase the Humidity
When you get the flu or common cold and cough, it tends to spread more quickly in a dry environment. So, if you increase the humidity of your room or house, you are less likely to expose yourself to the flu virus.
More so, you can reduce any inflammation in your nasal and allow yourself to breathe easily by increasing the humidity.
All you need to do is add a small mist humidifier in your room to allow yourself to be more comfortable and reduce cough symptoms. Winters can aggravate your problems as the heat intensifies your cold and cough symptoms.
Always try to purchase that humidifier that allows you to change the water regularly. You need to ensure this to make sure you are not allowing any fungi or mold to grow.
Consume Peppermint
Peppermint contains all the healing properties that can help you cure a cold and cough. The menthol content in peppermint works wonderfully to soothe your throat and works as a decongestant as loosens the mucus.
Try adding a few peppermint leaves into some boiling water and make a tea to relieve yourself. You can even try using peppermint as vapor in your warm steamy bath.
If you wish to take peppermint in your steam bath, then you need to add around four drops of the peppermint oil in five ounces of warm water. Place a towel over you and take in the vapor from the water. Remember the proportion for every five ounces of water will have four drops of peppermint oil.
Consume Marshmallows
Marshmallow is a product made from the Althaea Officinalis. It is a perennial plant that only flowers during the summer months. People have been using its roots and leaves over the years to treat cough and sore throats.
However, you must keep in mind that the herb has no evidential studies that prove this herb to treat cough. But it is considered to be safe to consume.
Experts say that marshmallow contains mucilage that creates a layer inside your throat that helps in soothing your irritation.
You can either consume the marshmallow in your tea. All you need to do is add a root in boiling water and pour it through a sieve. Sipping onto this tea will help you soothe your cough and cold. There are many marshmallow capsules readily available for you to use too.
Keep in mind that marshmallow is not safe for children.
Thyme
Thyme is considered to treat numerous respiratory problems. A study shows that thyme leaves extract with ivy helps in reducing cough and bronchitis.
The thyme leaves possess compounds that are known as flavonoids. These help in reducing inflammation and relax the muscles of your throat.
To enjoy the benefits of thyme, all you need to do is take two teaspoons of thyme leaves crushed. Add it in boiling water and turn off the heat. Let it steep for about ten minutes, and then pour it through a sieve. Gradually sip onto it to relieve your cold and cough.
Add Capsaicin to your diet
Adding some spice is one of the easiest home remedies for a cold and cough.
Chili pepper contains a compound known as capsaicin. It is seen that this compound in potential in reducing cough and cold.
There are several ways you can add capsaicin into your diet. You can add the capsaicin capsules in your tea. More so, you can even make a tea out of warm water and cayenne pepper sauce.
You can add only a few drops, in the beginning, to see if you can manage the spiciness. That is because cayenne can be spicy and cause other irritations if you are not used to it. Another way to make a spicy drink is by adding whole chili peppers into your warm water.
But remember this home remedy is not for children as it is incredibly spicy that can cause other health problems in the kid.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know so many home remedies for a cold and cough, so treating yourself when you are sick will be easy. You can incorporate all these home remedies into your regime while you are on medications. But it is always safe to consult your doctor before including the ingredients into your diet.
