Cold season is in full swing again. If you have already caught it, you can fortunately use herbal home remedies to combat the cold and relieve your symptoms.
“Haaaaaatschi!” Have you caught a cold? No wonder, autumn, winter and spring are the season for colds – anyone who travels by bus and train every day will sooner or later have a runny nose and a scratchy throat. But don’t just pop a tablet, just see if these herbal home remedies for colds can help you.
Cold or flu?
Colloquially, there is often no distinction between a cold and the flu. But there are important differences:
A cold is a viral upper respiratory infection that begins gradually and makes you feel mildly to moderately ill. As soon as you notice that it is coming on, you can fight the cold with home remedies and prevent worse symptoms from developing.
In contrast, flu – caused by influenza A or B viruses – starts suddenly and is accompanied by a strong feeling of illness. The symptoms are similar, but they are much more pronounced with the flu. High fever and severe body aches are particularly characteristic of the flu. Because both colds and flu are caused by viruses, they can only be treated symptomatically.
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If you suspect that you might not only have a cold but also the flu, you should visit your family doctor. The flu can cause serious complications such as pneumonia or myocarditis. This is particularly true for immunocompromised people.
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Fever, cough and sore throat can also indicate a corona infection in winter 2024. Therefore, if in doubt, seek medical advice.
These 6 home remedies help against a cold
Various home remedies can help you against a cold. They can relieve cough, runny nose, fever or sore throat.
1. Make your own cough syrup – from onions and honey
Not only do onions add a special touch to many dishes and make our eyes water, they are also a helpful companion during the cold season and a classic among home remedies. The onion has an antibacterial effect and you can use it in combination with honey to make an effective cough syrup yourself.
This is how onion juice works against coughs:
- Peel an onion, chop it into small pieces, put the pieces in a glass or cup and pour two tablespoons of liquid honey over them.
- For the vegan version (or if there is no honey in the house), sugar can also be used instead of honey.
- Let the whole thing steep for several hours or, ideally, overnight and then pour off the resulting liquid.
- Your homemade cough syrup is ready, which you can consume on a spoon several times a day.
“Onion juice – doesn’t it taste totally disgusting?” Honey or sugar actually makes the taste bearable because it’s sugary sweet. The onion works as a herbal home remedy for colds and coughs – try it out!
2. Grandma’s home remedy: potato and onion wraps
Warm compresses are probably one of the oldest home remedies for colds. Potato wraps are suitable for a sore throat, for example. To do this, cook unpeeled potatoes and, immediately after cooking, place them in a cotton cloth and mash them a little. Then wrap the cloth with a towel and place it around your neck for about half an hour. But test carefully beforehand whether the wrap is not too hot so that you don’t burn yourself.
Our old friend, the onion, not only helps as a cough syrup, but is also a home remedy for earaches. Because: The vapors from the onion stimulate blood circulation and reduce pathogens. To make the wrap, chop up an onion and place the small pieces in a cotton cloth or an old sock. Place the onion bag on the painful ear and secure it with your hand or a headband. Leave the home remedy there for about 20 minutes.
By the way, you can also make onion tea from onions and their peel. Read more about the amazing uses of onion peel here.
3. A home remedy for colds: cold bath with eucalyptus
Especially at the beginning of a cold, you can effectively combat the symptoms with a full bath. The warmth of the water promotes blood circulation in your mucous membranes, which stops viruses from multiplying somewhat.
The cold bath can relieve your symptoms, and appropriate bath additives with eucalyptus allow you to breathe better. Important: Treat yourself to some rest after a full bath – it’s best to go into the tub before you go to sleep at night.
Even if you have had a cold for a long time, a hot and relaxing bath is still worth it as a home remedy. However, if you have a fever, you should not bathe. You also use a lot of water with a full bath. Here you will find suitable savings tips from us: Saving hot water: 5 tips that you can easily implement
4. Tea for colds: ginger, sage, thyme and plantain
Tea – and lots of it – is simply a part of cold season. You can vary this wonderfully because there are many herbal remedies that you can brew into tea. These four are particularly helpful:
1. It’s not for nothing that ginger is one of the medicinal spices of Indian Ayurveda: the home remedy is perfect for colds. It not only stimulates digestion, but also stimulates blood circulation and inhibits the reproduction of viruses. Anyone who has ever drunk ginger tea knows the sweat-inducing effect – this tea warms you up properly and is a real turbo remedy for colds.
It’s that easy to make your own ginger tea: Grab a ginger bulb, cut off a thumb-thick piece, peel it and chop it into small pieces. When peeling, make sure to remove the peel as thinly as possible. This means that a lot of the effective substances that sit directly under the shell are retained. You can also just leave the peel on, but make sure to buy the ginger organic and wash the bulb before preparing it.
The smaller the pieces, the more intense the tea taste will be. If you like it particularly intense, puree the ginger into ginger puree. Put the pieces or puree in a large cup and pour boiling water over it. Let the ginger tea steep a little and add some honey and lemon if necessary.
2. Another good supporter in autumn and winter is sage, which grows in many home gardens. Unlike ginger, this home remedy has an antiperspirant effect. It is also antiseptic, antispasmodic and effective against viruses and fungi. Drink it as sage tea – fresh leaves are available at the weekly market – or gargle with sage water.
Further information:
- Plant and care for sage – in the garden or in a pot
- Harvesting and drying sage correctly – this is what you should pay attention to
- Sage oil: effects and uses of the essential oil
3. Do you only know thyme as a spice from savory cuisine? Also use thyme as a home remedy for colds with coughs – thyme cough syrup has a bronchodilator, cough-relieving and antibacterial effect. You can also use thyme oil as a mouthwash for a sore throat.
4. Our tea quartet complements ribwort plantain, which can help with coughs, bronchitis and asthma. The turbo home remedy ribwort plantain stimulates the immune system and has an antibacterial effect, and it also has a positive effect on the structure of the mucous membrane. Infuse the plantain leaves into tea or boil them down to make a syrup.
We have explained other herbs for you: wild herbs that you can collect in autumn.
As a non-vegan, you can add honey to any tea. However, do not add it until the water has cooled slightly. Honey loses its healing properties when temperatures are too high. You can also eat it straight from a spoon as a natural remedy and let it slowly melt in your mouth.
5. Proven home remedy for colds: salt water
Table salt is a small miracle home remedy for colds with a stuffy nose – it’s not for nothing that nasal sprays with salt can be bought in many places. However, you can make nose drops and nasal rinses yourself cheaper. To do this, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of lukewarm water. For orientation: About one gram of table salt should be dissolved in 100 milliliters of water. Then pour your homemade saline solution into a spray bottle.
Salt water is also suitable for inhaling. To do this, dissolve the same concentration of salt in a bowl of hot water, grab a towel, place it over your head and inhale carefully over the steaming bowl. Cover your head and the opening of the bowl with the towel. This means the healing vapors reach your mucous membranes better.
Caution: The vapors are still very hot at the beginning, so keep a greater distance from the bowl at the beginning. Don’t forget to have tissues ready: your nose will run quite a bit when you inhale.
6. Home remedy miracle bulb: Garlic for colds
Garlic acts as a herbal remedy against bacteria and fungi. The anti-inflammatory active ingredients of garlic are best absorbed into the body raw, for example in salad or – for the brave ones – in small bites raw from the clove. Raw garlic whistles through your sinuses louder than wasabi. However, breathing freely afterwards makes you forget the pain.
Garlic soup, bruschetta with garlic or garlic in a salad – if you want to prevent colds in autumn and winter, you should eat (fresh) garlic regularly. Unfortunately, only close contact with your fellow human beings could be affected – but you don’t actually want to infect others anyway, do you?
We wish you a speedy recovery and hope that you get rid of the cold quickly thanks to home remedies! To prevent it, also grab these ten foods that will protect you from a cold.
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- The optimal sleeping temperature: Why you sleep better when cold
- Drying laundry in the apartment: This is what experts recommend for the winter
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Vegan honey: The best plant-based honey alternatives
English version available: Natural Home Remedies for Colds: 7 Easy Recipes
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