Cold
and Flu Remedies from Home and Nature
You
probably pass by hundreds of expensive cold and flu remedies
in the pharmacy aisle, but sometimes it feels more comforting
to use a home remedy for cold and flu, especially for your
children. Or, if you do purchase cold and flu remedies,
you may be attracted to remedies using natural ingredients
that promote a healthy immune system, rather than products
that come with strong side effects. Of the countless cold
and flu remedies recommended over the years, there are many
home-based and natural common
cold remedies that have surprised modern scientists
with their effectiveness.
For
example, getting plenty of rest is a winning cold and flu
remedy which often gets overlooked because no one likes
to miss school, sports, work, or other important activities.
Many of us are tempted, or even encouraged, to “tough
it out” through a cold or flu, but bed rest is one
of the best cold and flu remedies because it helps the immune
system to recover from the battle against nasty viruses.
Blowing
the nose properly is another example of cold and flu remedies
that many of us take for granted. Sniffling is more convenient
and less messy, but blowing your nose gently, one nostril
at a time, is essential to clearing out mucus so that your
sinuses can heal. Even young children are able to learn
how to blow their noses properly. Tell children not to blow
too hard, though, or it may cause ear problems and ear
infection symptoms.
Water,
in various forms, can be made into several effective, convenient,
and affordable cold and flu remedies. Drinking hot water
with lemon, honey, and tea will relieve nasal congestion,
soothe a sore throat, and keep nasal passages hydrated.
Gargling with warm salt water (saline solution) has been
used for centuries as a way to ease sore throat symptoms.
While you’re at it, make some extra warm salt water
to fill a Neti Nasal Pot and rinse out excess mucus from
nasal cavities. Finally, your cold and flu remedies are
not complete until you turn water into steam and breathe
it in. Whether you are near a shower or you heat water over
the stove, steam can clear out and relieve nasal passages
and the throat from cold and flu symptoms. Children, of
course, need adult supervision when trying to use any cold
and flu remedies.
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