Herbal Remedies: Common Cold

 Causes

The common cold is caused by several different viruses.

The most common causes are rhinoviruses and the coronaviruses.

You can get a cold by making direct contact with another infected individual (shaking hands, kissing, etc.) or touching a surface that has been handled by an infected individual, resulting in contamination (telephones, books, laptops, etc.) and then touching your nose, eyes, or mouth.

People are exposed to toxins such as pollutants, toxic fumes, etc.

Mostly when you eat or drink cold things you will be affected by the cold.

Symptoms

A few days after the virus enters the body, symptoms become evident.

Different people may experience different symptoms of a common cold and these symptoms may range from mild to severe and can last for a few days to several weeks.

These include:

1. Runny nose (discharge may change from clear and watery to thick yellow or green as the infection increases.)

2. Stuffy nose

3. Watery eyes

4. Sneezing

5. Sore or hoarse throat

6. Mild or hacking cough (with or without phlegm)

7. Low-grade fever

8. Headache

9. Body ache

10. Fatigue

11. Chills

Remedies

1. The most effective remedy for the common cold would have to be lime juice. Take a glass of lukewarm water and dilute the lime juice in it. Add a tsp of honey to enhance its efficiency.

2. The antiseptic properties of garlic make it one of the most effective ingredients for cold.

Consumption of garlic soup would be the best way to cure the common cold.

3. Another effective method of using garlic would be to combine some garlic oil with onion juice. Dilute this with water and consume it for several times a day.

4, Ginger also works favorably in treating the common cold. Cut small pieces of ginger and put them in water.  Boil this mixture. Once it simmers, strain the liquid and half a tsp of sugar into it. Drink this hot.

5. A hot water bath also proves effective as it relieves all nasal and chest congestion. Taking steam also would heal the congested nasal tissues.

6. An excellent home remedy would be to have a glass of warm milk. Add 2 milligrams of roasted asafetide and drink this milk quite slowly two times a day.

7. Mix 200 grams of coriander seeds and jaggery in it. Make a paste of it and then add water to it. Boil this mixture ad inhale the vapors of this mixture. Four times a day would cure the common cold.

8. Make a powdered mixture of black pepper and mix this in curd. Add jaggery or sugar to it. Take this two times a day to get cured of the common cold.

9. Take 250 grams of water and boil 7 pieces of each black pepper and sugar cubes when the content comes to 1/4 quantity. stop boiling. Drink this mixture hot twice every day.

10. Place 10 grams of Sprague in a clean cloth and tie all the ends of the cloth. Apply indirect heat to it by keeping it in a vessel. sniff this for a few minutes until it's hot. It would effectively cure nasal blockage.

11. Mix equal amounts of talsi seeds and ginger. Make a fine powdery mixture out of the two. Have this mixture two times a day.

12. Cut a 100-gram lady's finger into small pieces and boil them in a liter of water. Once boiled, inhale the steam coming out of the concoction.

Inhaling this one or two times a day would relieve a person from the irritation of the throat and the dry cough.

Precautions

There are some other simple suggestions to prevent a common cold such as:

1. Wash your hands regularly.

2. Exercise often to improve your overall health.

3. Explore options such as yoga and meditation to reduce stress levels.

4. Do to share towels, dishes, and glasses.

5. Develop immunity power by eating fresh fruits and vegetables and getting enough sleep.

Herbal Remedies: Cough

 Causes

Some possible causes for cough include:

1. Cold viruses: this is the most common cause of a cough. It often causes a post-nasal drip and that causes a cough.

2. Pneumonia: It is an infection in the lungs. It may be caused by viruses or bacteria. And once pneumonia is caused, it may lead to coughs.

3. Asthma: Asthma is another main cause of coughs in many asthma-suffering patients. This may be triggered by viruses or an allergic trigger like dust, or smoke.

4. Within the lungs both common and uncommon conditions cause chronic cough. Common causes include asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

Symptoms

Running nose

Sneezing

Mild cough

Low-grade fever (102 degrees F. or lower)

Difficulty in breathing

Excessive coughing may result in vomiting

Coughing may be accompanied by a high-pitched "whooping" sound when a person takes a breath

Cause a short loss of consciousness

Diarrhea

Choking spells infants

Remedies

1, An effective remedy for treating cough would be to slightly cut a lemon and fill it with black pepper. Suck this as it would reduce the cough.

2. One of the easiest methods would be to add a pinch of ground white pepper to one teaspoon of pure honey. Intake this 2 to 3 times a day.

3. Grapes tone up the lungs and act as an expectorant. An increase in consumption would be favorable in curing cough.

4. Take 1-2 grams each of black pepper,  long pepper, and dry ginger. Make a mixture of these ingredients and have it along with honey for 2-3 days.

5. An increase in the consumption of garlic also acts beneficial in treating cough.

6. Add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 2 tablespoons of normal water to make a paste. Make a paste of these ingredients and have it once a day for treating cough problems.

7. Gargle with warm spinach juice. This helps cure dry cough.

8. For people suffering from dry cough, mix half of the cuscus grass (khus khus) in 3-4 teaspoons of coconut milk. to enhance the efficacy, add one teaspoon of honey. Drink this before going to bed.

9. Take 100 grams of raisins and grind it with some water. Add 100 grams of sugar and heat the mixture till it turns saucy. Intake of about 20 grams of this every day before sleeping at night.

10. Prepare a tea. Add aniseed and holy basil to it. Drink this tea at least twice a day to get relief from a cough.

11. Soak almonds overnight. In the morning, remove their brown cover and make a paste adding 20 grams of butter and sugar to it. Have this twice a day in the morning as well as in the evening.

12. Another effective home remedy would be to chew 4 basil leaves and hold black pepper. It would provide instant relief and treat the dough quickly.

13. Onions when mixed with honey also provide relief. Extract onion juice and mix it with honey. Consume this mixture 2-3 times a day. Another method would be to crush onions and add one lemon juice to it in a cup of boiling water. Pour in some honey and drink 2-3 times a day.

14. Take 500 grams of water and boil 10 grams of Sprague in it for 15 minutes. After it has cooled, add two pinches of salt. Gargle with this mixture two times a day. Apart from clearing excessive mucous, it would also soothe the throat.

15. Boil a cup of water and put a tsp of marjoram in it. Leave this mixture for 10-15 minutes and then drink. Have this three to four times a day to get cured of cough.

Precautions

1. Don't smoke and stay away from second-hand smoke.

2. If you have seasonal allergies like hay fever, stay indoors during days when airborne allergens are high. If possible, keep the windows closed and use an air conditioner. Avoid fans that draw in air from outdoors. Shower and change your clothes after being outside.

3. If you have allergies year round, cover your pillows and mattress with dust mite covers, use an air purifier, and avoid pets and other triggers.

4. Always eat fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent cough.

Herbal Remedies: Headaches

 Causes

Headaches can be triggered by a variety of factors.

The most common cause of headaches is prolonged tension or stress.

These are called tension headaches or muscle-construction headaches.

Virtually everyone suffers from this at some time.

Muscles in your scalp, neck, and face tighten and contract, causing spasms of pain.

Psychological factors such as anxiety, fatigue (e.g.: eyestrain), and stress (e.g.: long periods of concentration) as well as mechanical factors such as neck strain (e.g.: working the culprits behind a typical tension headache.)

Symptoms

1. Tension headaches generally cause pressure or a dull ache that affects the entire head. 

2. In most cases it begins slowly, with the ache usually focused above the eyes. There's a feeling of tightness across the forehead or at the back of the neck.

3. The ache can last for hours or days at a time, with mild to moderate pain that typically worsens by the end of the day.

4. Cluster headaches occur in "clusters" or groups, with pain lasting about 20 to 90 minutes at a time. They typically start during sleep.

Remedies

1. A simple yet effective remedy for headaches would be to apply sandalwood powder paste over the forehead. Let the paste dry. Once dry, rub it and then wash.

2. Grind a few watermelon seeds and Cuseus grass separately. Mix the ground powder in equal amounts. Consume 3 grams of this mixture two times a day.

3. Take some ginger powder and moisten it. Apply this over the forehead. It is beneficial in treating headaches. 

4. For people who have chronic headaches, drinking a glass of water with a tsp. of honey on an empty stomach is the best way to deal with it.

5. Watermelon juice mixed with sugar works well for headaches due to exposure to excessive heat.

6. Mix 1/2 tsp. of mustard seeds powder and 3 tsp. of water. Put this in the nostrils to cure headaches and migraine.

7. Massage the forehead with rosemary oil. This would provide relief from headache.

8. For headaches caused due to cold, warm water gargling, nasal cleaning with warm water and steam inhalation would be beneficial.

9. Make a paste using 3-4 cloves. Apply this paste to the forehead. It would provide instant relief from the headache.

10. Put 2 to 4 drops of cow's butter or ghee in the nostrils for about seven days. This is an effective remedy for headaches caused due to sinusitis.

11. For headaches that are due to live or stomach problems, hot fermentations over the abdomen region would provide relief.

12. Prepare a paste all over the forehead. This would provide relief from the headache. 

13. If the headache is because of exposure to cold air, make a paste with the help of 1 tsp. each of finely ground cinnamon and water. Apply this paste to the forehead. 

14. Consuming freshly sliced apples each day empty stomach cures all chronic headaches.

Precautions

1. Avoid stress as it may increase your headache.

2. Take good food and have a heavy sleep, a good relaxation also helps!!

3. Do not walk under the sun. Take an umbrella or cover your head with some cotton cloth.

4. Don't take tension and do regular yoga and exercises.

5. Especially breathing exercises help you a lot!

Herbal Remedies: Sore Throat

 Causes

1. Common viruses, including the viruses that cause mononucleosis (mono) and the flu. Some viruses can also produce blisters in the mouth and throat (aphthous stomatitis)

2. Infection of the tonsils or adenoids.

3. Breathing through the mouth or smoking can produce throat dryness and soreness.

4. Bacterial infections. The two most common bacteria that cause sore throat are streptococcus (which causes strep throat) and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum.

5. Arcanobacterium causes sore throats mainly in young adults and is sometimes associated with a fine red rash.

6. Sore throat appearing after treatment with antibiotics, chemotherapy, or other immune-compromising medications may be due to the yeast candida, known as thrush.

7. A sore throat lasting more than two weeks can be a sign of a serious illness.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a sore throat usually include a painful burning or scratching sensation in the back of the throat, pain when swallowing, and sometimes tenderness in the neck.

Other symptoms that may accompany a sore throat include:

1. Coughing

2. Sneezing

3. Hoarseness or laryngitis

4. Runny nose

5. Mild fever

6. General fatigue

7. Swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the neck 

8. Bad breath

Remedies

1. The most effective way to cure sore throat would be to mix 4 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp. of honey and 1/8 tsp. of cayenne. Have 1 tsp. of this mixture every day during sore throat. Make sure to chew well before swallowing.

2. In a cup of water, put some Holy Basil leaves. Boil this concoction, allow it to cool, and strain well. You can either drink it or use it for gargling.

3. A simple remedy for treating sore throat would be to gargle with lukewarm water. Add some salt to it, before gargling. This would surely provide relief.

4. In a pint of boiling water, add 1 or 2 tsp. dried chamomile blossoms. Let them steep well and then strain the water. Have a cup of this concoction, every few hours, during sore throat.

5. Another effective home remedy for sore throat would be to mix a tsp. each of apple cider vinegar and honey, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper and extracted juice of 1/4 lemon, in a cup of hot water. Stir well before drinking. Have this mixture 4 times a day.

6. Boil a glass of water. In it, add a pinch of powdered cloves, a pinch of pepper powder, and 1 tsp. honey. Drink this concoction once a day, preferably early morning. This is an effective way to cure sore throat.

7. Fenugreek seeds are beneficial in treating sore throat. In a glass of lukewarm water, add some fenugreek seeds and let them steep for some time. Strain the water and gargle with it, to cure sore throat.

8. In a pint of boiling water, add 2 sprigs of coarsely chopped parsley, 3 whole spice cloves, 1 tsp. of powdered myrrh and 1/4 tsp. of powdered goldenseal. Let the water simmer the concoction. Use it for gargling.

9. Take a cup with a lid and put some honey in it. Now, cut an onion slice and soak it in the honey. Put on the lid and keep aside for an hour. Have a tsp. of this honey every few hours.

10. Another beneficial method to get relief from sore throat would be to drink a glass of warm water, with lemon juice and some honey added to it.

11. Take a lemon and cut it into two halves. In one of the pieces, sprinkle some salt and black pepper Press it with a knife so that the pepper and salt penetrate in. Now, warm this lime piece and lick it. Have this twice or thrice a day, to get immediate relief from sore throat.

12. Barberry Tincture is effective in curing sore throat. Take 1/4 cup water and add 15 to 20 drops of the tincture to it. Have this water thrice daily, for 10 days.

13. In 600 ML of water, add 25 grams of fresh sage water and 1/4 tsp. cayenne. Give it a boil and allow it to cool. Now, strain this concoction and drink it once a day.

14. Make tea by putting a tsp. of dried red sage in one cup of boiling water. Cover it with a lid and leave for 10 minutes. Now, strain this mixture and add a few drops of vinegar to it. YOu can either drink it as tea or use it for gargling.

Precautions

Prevention of sore throat is not guaranteed by salt water gargling but it will lessen the risk.

Have a tablespoon of warm honey immediately after waking up.

Additionally, avoid polluted places and do not smoke.