15 Cold and Flu Home Remedies

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There is no cure for a cold or the flu, but a bowl of chicken soup or a cup of hot ginger tea with honey can help manage the symptoms. Some home remedies — such as vitamin C — may slightly reduce the length of time you are sick.

Body aches, fever, chills, and nasal congestion can make you feel miserable.

While home remedies can’t cure a cold or the flu, they can help relieve symptoms — such as body aches, fever, chills, nasal congestion — during your recovery.

But, if symptoms don’t improve or you have trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, faintness, or any severe symptoms, it’s best to seek medical help.

Here, find out what cold and flu remedies you can try at home.

There is no scientific proof that chicken soup can cure a cold or flu or speed up recovery, but its ingredients contain nutrients that support your immune system. It’s also a comforting food that provides hydration and may help you feel better overall.

There is also some evidence that the nutrients in chicken soup may slow the movement of neutrophils in your body.

Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help protect your body from infection. When they’re moving slowly, they stay more concentrated in the areas of your body that most need them. This may contribute to healing.

Try this recipe for chicken soup. You’ll need chicken, carrots, celery, and an onion. Alternatively, consider bone broth, which may also have health benefits.

If you’re using canned soup, opt for low-sodium soup varieties.

Ginger has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Uses include reducing muscle pain and managing nausea.

Make tea by simmering a few slices of raw ginger root in boiling water.

As well as providing hydration, it may soothe muscle pain, ease a sore throat, and reduce nausea, if present.

Is ginger water good for you?

Honey has a variety of antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Drinking honey in tea with lemon can ease sore throat pain. Research suggests it may also act as a cough suppressant.

You should never give honey to a child younger than 12 months, as it may contain botulinum spores. While they’re usually harmless to older children and adults, infants’ immune systems aren’t able to fight them off.

Should I try raw honey?

Garlic contains the compound allicin, which has antimicrobial and possibly antiviral properties.

Adding garlic to your diet might reduce the severity of cold symptoms. According to some research, it might even help you avoid getting sick in the first place.

More research is needed into the potential cold-fighting benefits of garlic, but adding more garlic to your diet probably won’t hurt.

Can you eat raw garlic?

Native Americans have long used the herb and root of the echinacea plant for medicinal purposes.

Its active ingredients include flavonoids, chemicals that have many therapeutic effects on the body. For example, flavonoids can boost your immune system and reduce inflammation.

Evidence indicates echinacea may help prevent a cold but is unlikely to shorten it. One 2020 study suggests that taking echinacea may help treat common cold symptoms in children.

Learn more about how ecinachea can help fight a cold

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that plays many important roles in your body, including supporting the immune system.

Good dietary sources of vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits
• red peppers
• green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli

Adding fresh lemon juice to hot tea with honey may reduce phlegm when you’re sick. Drinking hot or cold lemonade may also help.

Vitamin C in the diet or as supplements is unlikely to prevent a cold, but some evidence suggests it may improve symptoms and it may slightly shorten the time a cold lasts.

Can vitamin C prevent or cure a cold?

Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria and yeast that are present in your body, some foods, and supplements.

They can help keep your gut and immune system healthy and may reduce your chance of getting sick with an upper respiratory infection as well as how long the infection lasts. However, more studies are needed.

Probiotic yogurt may benefit your immune system as well as providing protein and calcium. Look for products that list live bacteria on the label.

Gargling with salt water may help preventupper respiratory infections. It may also decrease the severity of cold symptoms, for instance, by easing sore throat pain and nasal congestion.

A saltwater gargle can reduce and loosen mucus, which contains bacteria and allergens.

To try this remedy at home:

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a full glass of water.
• Swish it around your mouth and throat.
• Spit it out.

What other uses are there for a saltwater gargle?

Using a saline spray or a neti pot may help relieve nasal congestion with a cold and it might help with some symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection.

However, be sure to use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water water and to wash a neti pot thoroughly between uses. Not doing so could introduce microbes that could lead to potentially serious infections.

Get some tips on using a neti pot safely

Ointments containing camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol, such as VapoRub, may reduce a nighttime cough.

One or two dabs before bed can help open air passages and help improve:

• congestion
• sleep
• coughing

Use it up to 3 times in every 24 hours. VapoRub is not suitable for children under 2 years.

Learn about the many possible uses of VapoRub here

Some essential oils can help manage the symptoms of a cold, flu, and other respiratory conditions. This is due to their microbial, pain-relieving, or anti-inflammatory properties.

Examples include:

• eucalyptus
• peppermint (menthol)
• Frankincense
• thyme
• tea tree

Use a diffuser or add a few drops of essential oil to a warm bath.

How can essential oils help when you have the flu?

While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. It’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before you begin using essential oils and be sure to research the quality of a brand’s products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil.

Increased humidity may help reduce dryness and inflammation in the nose and throat.

A humidifier in your bedroom or elsewhere in your home may help you feel more comfortable. Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil might also help relieve congestion.

For the same effect without a humidifier, take a long shower or linger in a steamy bathroom.

Remember, the water used in humidifiers needs to be changed daily to stop mold and other fungi from growing.

Learn more here on the types and safe use of humidifiers.

Some studies suggest that elderberry supplements may help relieve the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and flu.

However, more research is needed.

Sometimes you can reduce a child’s fever by giving them a warm — but not hot — sponge bath. Warm baths may also help reduce cold and flu symptoms in adults.

Adding Epsom salt and baking soda to the water may reduce body aches.

Can you treat a cold with a detox bath?

Boosting your immune system probably won’t help if you already have the flu, but it can protect you from other bouts and more severe symptoms in the long term.

Tips include:

• getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night
• following a varied and nutritious diet
• getting regular exercise
• follow guidelines for flu vaccinations

Read more about habits that can help boost your immune system.

How do you cure the flu or a cold quickly?

It’s not possible to cure the flu or a cold, but rest, hydration, and home remedies — such as drinking ginger tea, using a humidifier, and diffusing essential oils — may help relieve symptoms.

What are some natural remedies for the flu or a cold?

Natural remedies that may help ease flu symptoms include honey, ginger, echinacea, elderberry, and probiotics.

Can you cure the flu in 24 hours?

There is currently no cure for the flu. It usually passes in 3–7 days with rest and home or over-the-counter remedies.

There is currently no way to cure a cold or the flu, but various dietary choices, supplements, and other home remedies may help relieve symptoms.

A small amount of evidence suggest some remedies may shorten the duration of the illness, but more research is needed.

To reduce the risk of getting a cold or flu, take steps to strengthen your immune system, such as eating healthy, sleeping well, and exercising. Having all recommended vaccinations is also an essential step.

Detox Bath for Cold: Does It Work?

A detox bath is considered a natural way to help remove toxins from the body. During a detox bath, ingredients like Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), ginger, and essential oils are dissolved into warm water in the bathtub. You can soak for 12 minutes to an hour at a time.

One possible use of a detox bath is for the treatment of a cold. However, evidence is limited about the benefits of detox baths for a cold. Detox baths may help with certain cold symptoms by calming the body and easing muscle aches, but the results will vary for everyone.

Read on to learn more about the use of a detox bath for managing cold symptoms, plus tips for how to use a detox bath.

Studies are limited on the efficacy of a detox bath to treat cold symptoms. But a cold, cough, or the flu may lead to symptoms including muscle aches and soreness, and detox baths may help with these symptoms.

Adding essential oils, such as lavender and chamomile, to your bath may have some benefits for cold symptoms. That’s because essential oils may help you relax and calm down.

One small study of 19 participants found that adding Epsom salt to a bath raises magnesium levels in the body. This may help the body dispose of lactic acid, which, in turn, may rid the body of aches and pains. It may also help relax the muscles.

Some limited research shows that certain essential oils may have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Eucalyptus, for example, may be therapeutic for upper respiratory viruses and help ease congestion. But more studies are needed to confirm the benefits and the use of essential oils for detox baths.

Can a bath help to treat a fever?

While scientific evidence is limited, a warm bath is still considered an age-old remedy for cooling down a fever. Aim for a temperature of lukewarm water (80°F to 90°F or 27°C to 32°C), and don’t take a bath if you’re feeling dizzy or unsteady. If you start to shiver, you’ll need to increase the temperature of your bath. Shivering means your body is trying to raise its temperature, which can make a fever worse.

Check with your doctor to see if detox baths are safe for you to try. Pregnant women, children, and people with impaired kidney function should not take detox baths. (Your body may not be able to rid itself of excess magnesium if your kidneys are impaired.)

Always drink plenty of water before, during, and after a detox bath. Also, get out of the bath immediately if you’re shivering, or feel dizzy or faint.

There are different recipes for detox baths, depending on your symptoms. You can take detox baths once a week to start. Watch for signs such as dry skin or dehydration.

Start out with a shorter period of time in the bath (12 to 20 minutes) to see how your body reacts to the detox bath. If you find them relaxing and don’t have any additional negative reactions, you can increase the time of your detox baths and work up to three baths per week.

Epsom salt bath

Potential benefits: Reduce muscle aches and pains, relaxation

1. Fill your tub with warm water. As it fills, you can also add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and up to 5 drops of lavender oil, if you choose.
2. Once there’s enough water for you to soak, add 2 cups of Epsom salt. Use your foot or hand to move the water around to help dissolve the salt.
3. Soak for at least 12 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Ginger bath

Potential benefits: Promotes sweating, which may help your body rid itself of toxins; may help with muscle aches and pains.

1. Mix 1/3 cup of Epsom salt, 1/3 cup of sea salt, and 3 tablespoons of ground ginger. You can also add 1/3 cup of baking soda, if you choose. Pour the mixture into a warm running bath.
2. As the bath fills, add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar.
3. Bathe for up to 45 minutes and drink water as you soak. Get out of bath if you start to shiver.
4. Dry off immediately after leaving the bath.

This bath can be extremely dehydrating. It’s important to drink water before, during, and after the bath to replenish your fluid intake.

Sea salt and eucalyptus bath

Potential benefits: Ease congestion, help with inflammation and muscle aches

1. Add 1 cup of sea salt, 1 cup of Epsom salt, and 10 drops of eucalyptus oil to warm running water. You can also add up to 2 cups of baking soda, if you chose. Mix well by moving water around with your hand or foot.
2. Soak for 12 minutes up to an hour.

See your doctor if your cold symptoms don’t improve in a week to 10 days. Also, seek medical care when:

• your fever is above 101.3°F (38°C)
• you’ve had a fever for over five days or more
• you experience shortness of breath
• you’re wheezing
• you have a severe sore throat, headache, or sinus pain

To manage a cold, you can also try other home remedies.

• Tea with honey may help soothe a sore throat. Add fresh ginger and lemon to hot water for a homemade cold and sore throat remedy.
• A neti pot can help rinse debris or mucus from the nasal cavity with a saline solution. Use it to treat sinus problems, colds, and nasal allergies.
• Chicken noodle soup has anti-inflammatory properties to help ease cold symptoms. Fluids also help keep you hydrated when you have a cold.

A detox bath won’t cure your cold, but you may find it soothing and calming. It may also help to temporarily alleviate your symptoms including congestion, muscle aches and pains, or a fever.

Other home remedies, such as sipping tea with honey, may also be beneficial for cold symptoms. If your cold worsens or doesn’t improve after 7 to 10 days, see your doctor.

Folk remedies for the treatment of colds

Autumn, SARS and acute respiratory infections season. When we, or our loved ones, get sick, it is very unpleasant, and we want to get rid of an unpleasant illness as soon as possible.

Most people go to the doctor when they feel unwell, but there are those who prefer to be treated on their own, using a variety of folk remedies.

There is an opinion that the treatment of influenza or other acute respiratory viral infections with various infusions or decoctions of herbs, even if it does not bring the desired effect, it certainly cannot harm health. However, this opinion is erroneous. Many plants or herbal preparations have a very strong therapeutic effect, sometimes even stronger than a drug of synthetic origin in the form of tablets or granules.

Therefore, treatment with folk remedies can both alleviate your condition with a cold, and cause serious harm to your health.

In order for the treatment of folk remedies to bring the desired effect, you should adhere to the following rules:

remember the main thing – first you need to consult a doctor, and only then start treatment with folk remedies.

Indeed, unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people who fall ill on the advice of their friends, or after reading on the Internet about an effective way to treat a cold with folk remedies, do not take into account the characteristics of their body and the side effects of folk medicines, end up in a hospital bed.

2. If your doctor has approved the use of a folk remedy for the treatment of colds, do not exceed the recommended dosage or frequency of taking the drug.

3. If your condition worsens during the treatment of a cold with folk remedies, you should immediately stop taking this remedy.

As a rule, for uncomplicated colds, you can use such general strengthening folk remedies as:

Chamomile tea or decoction . Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory effect, and in combination with linden and natural honey, it is a good cold remedy. You can also add cranberries or lemon to a decoction or tea from chamomile.

Ginger root tea . Ginger root is rich in vitamins and minerals, and also has a weak anti-inflammatory effect.

Dried fruit bowl . This vitamin remedy for colds also has a tonic effect. Good for uzvar with dried apples, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, strawberries .

Rosehip infusion. An infusion of rose hips is a well-known adjuvant for the treatment of colds.

If desired, honey can be added to this infusion.

If the body temperature is not elevated, then inhalation with eucalyptus or mint leaves .

A solution of aloe juice can be used to combat the common cold. Aloe juice has anti-inflammatory and tonic properties, and also helps to moisturize the nasal mucosa.

Herbal preparations with expectorant action for coughs include infusions of licorice root, plantain leaves or coltsfoot leaves .

There are many folk remedies for the treatment of colds, but even the best of them will be ineffective if you do not follow the bed, drinking regimen and other recommendations of your doctor.

Therapist told what folk methods are effective for treating colds

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09/29/2022

There are many folk methods for the treatment of SARS, although not all of them are safe for health.

What popular folk remedies for colds are effective, and which ones should be avoided? What medications can be taken to relieve symptoms? When do you need to take antibiotics and how to do it right? – answered these and other questions Ivan Romasov, INVITRO therapist.

Autumn is the time for SARS and other colds, of course, many have their own, “tested” recipes. But which of them can be meaningless or even harmful?

There are really many folk methods of treatment. Most of them are not scientifically substantiated, and have only a weak physiotherapeutic effect, which can even be harmful in the active stage of a cold. Alcohol can immediately be attributed to the category of prohibited substances, tk. using it during a cold can increase intoxication and lead to bad consequences.

It is best to pay attention to the ways that found the evidence base:

• full sleep, plenty of water, rest – this is the fight against intoxication, recuperation and optimization;
• chicken soup / broth will help restore strength and add the necessary substances for the normal functioning of the immune system;
• tea with lemon or ginger, vitamin C in effervescent form or in other drinks are only useful as liquids in terms of rehydration and detoxification. It should be borne in mind that their excessive consumption is contraindicated for people with chronic stomach diseases (gastritis, stomach ulcers, etc.) and urolithiasis.

The only traditional medicine that has an effective evidence base is honey. It acts as a good cough remedy and with less evidence for a sore throat.

An agent that has not been studied, but logically effective, is inhalation over boiled potatoes or a water bath. When coughing, inhalations with saline are often used. In the case of potatoes and a water bath, the steam also turns out to be moist and indirectly a similar effect can be achieved.

How long does a cold/SARS usually last and after what period of time should I be concerned if the symptoms persist? Which symptoms can be treated on your own, and which ones should you immediately consult a doctor?

Usually a cold does not last long: on average up to 5-7 days, maximum – up to 10. It is more characterized by a greater severity of symptoms such as headaches, general malaise, profuse discharge from the nose, short dry cough. The rise in body temperature usually occurs to a low level (less than 38 ° C), often disappears altogether and without an increase in body temperature during seasonal colds. These symptoms are most often treated on their own.

Cases requiring special attention and obligatory medical advice:

• a cold that lasts longer than 10 days;
• severe or unusual symptoms: fever above 38°C for three days or more, severe headaches, shortness of breath, chest pains, etc. ;
• the appearance of convulsions, tremors, vomiting, severe dizziness, fainting against the background of a cold also requires a doctor’s visit;
• if the child is less than three months old and has a cold or fever, or is in a constipating condition.
• if the child is less than 5 years old and has a risk of complications;
• people with chronic diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, asthma and others), pregnant women, people over 65 years old.

I’ll add a personal recommendation from myself: if the cough persists for longer than 2-3 days or sputum begins to come out when you cough, then you should also consult a doctor to exclude community-acquired pneumonia.

What diseases can be confused with ARVI (maybe there will be many of them, then you can just name a few)?

Are there any universal recommendations that definitely won’t hurt?

The common cold does not require specific treatment. Most of the popular antiviral agents and immunomodulators do not have proven efficacy.

There are thousands of viruses that cause SARS. It is not possible to come up with an effective medicine for each of them, as with influenza and coronavirus infection. The presence of a super pill that will “raise immunity” to incredible heights and cope with all viruses is also unlikely. The inventor of such a miracle remedy would have immediately found the Nobel Prize, if it were effective.

The main conclusion from this is that a cold is treated symptomatically.

What is the correct way to treat ARVI/cold in this case?

Let’s see which “folk remedies” have proven some effectiveness. Rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solutions has a weak evidence base, but nevertheless is included in many world recommendations for reducing the common cold – nasal discharge.

Ibuprofen has been shown to reduce symptoms of cold headaches, muscle pain, sneezing, but does not affect coughing, cold duration, or overall well-being. Paracetamol – effective for a short runny nose, nasal congestion, but does not affect a sore throat, cough, runny nose and general malaise. Both of these drugs are also highly effective in fever of infectious origin.

Nasal sprays containing xylometazoline and oxymetazoline are only effective for nasal congestion, not for nasal discharge. Plus, they have a risk of “drug rhinitis” with prolonged use.

Antihistamines in combination preparations or in combination (often with ibuprofen or pseudoephedrine) are usually effective when taken in the first two days, affecting common cold symptoms. Monotherapy with antihistamines alone is ineffective.

Ipratropium bromide nasal spray or inhalation is great for coughs for the first 10 days. The second effective cough drug is Dextromethorphan.

Another “alternative” cold medication is zinc acetate or gluconate. A fairly large number of studies have shown the effectiveness of these drugs in reducing the duration of a cold, if taken in the first three days.

What diseases can be confused with SARS?

The common cold is often confused with the flu or the coronavirus. If the flu can most often be reliably distinguished, then the coronavirus infection in the current versions is quite difficult to distinguish from the common cold. Need PCR testing.

Somatic diseases that occur with fever (for example, thyroid diseases – hyperthyroidism, cancer, etc.) are accompanied by a variety of secondary symptoms, which are rarely found in the common cold.

Community-acquired pneumonia caused by pneumococcus or other bacterial/fungal infections is always the first diagnosis to rule out for any cold and especially for coughing.

Why can’t you take antibiotics on your own?

Antibiotics should not be taken in case of ARVI already by virtue of the very name “cold” – it implies viruses as the cause of all troubles. Antibiotics only work on bacteria and have no effect on viruses. Antibacterial drugs have many side effects: allergic reactions, some drugs – ototoxicity (possibility of hearing loss), others – nephrotoxicity (toxic effects on the kidneys). Frequent use of antibiotics makes it possible for bacteria, both unequivocally “harmful” and “conditionally harmful” strains within a person, to develop resistance to these drugs. This means that the drugs will no longer be able to affect these bacteria.

“Normal” strains inside a person can die from prolonged uncontrolled use of antibiotics and they will be replaced in the intestines by clostridia – bacteria that cause difficult to treat and very dangerous diarrhea.

If a bacterial infection suddenly joined and antibiotics were prescribed, why is it important to drink the full course? Many quit after achieving good health?

If a course of antibiotics is nevertheless prescribed, for example, if a cold is complicated by bacterial sinusitis, the full course must be taken. Why? Because the disappearance of symptoms alone does not guarantee that there are no bacteria left inside. If they are not “destroyed” by taking antibiotics for a sufficient duration, then they can “return” and cause a new infection that cannot be cured with simple antibiotics.