Monday, October 26, 2009

What is the best natural treatment for colds ?

Natural cold remedies can reduce the effects of the cold and help your body fight it off in a completely natural way. The common cold is the most common ailment in the world.

Children in school are more prone to the common cold because of their proximity to each other and families that have children in school are more apt to have the condition make its way through every member of the family.

Low Immune System

When your immune system is low you are even more likely to catch one of the many cold viruses.
Health nutrition , eating a well balanced and healthy , is a great way to make sure that your immune system is able to fight off the viruses that are the causes of a cold.

Herbal Treatments

There are a number of natural cold remedies and herbs that can be used to treat the symptoms of a cold that are very beneficial and can help you to feel better in a short period of time. Home cold remedies and herbal treatments are a wonderful alternative for many people because there is generally a lack of side effects with these treatments. Many commercial common cold remedies will leave you feeling drowsy when you take them to fight the symptoms of a cold. Natural herbal remedies used in the treatment for colds are not as likely to cause these effects.

These natural common cold remedies and teas can be very effective at eliminating the body aches that accompany colds and will work to restore your immune system so that it is better able to fight off the virus that is causing all of your symptoms.

There are also Preventive Steps you can Take to Avoid Colds:

Hand Washing is a simple habit, something most people do without thinking. However, hand washing, when done properly, is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. If you don't wash your hands frequently enough, you can affect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose and mouth or by touching surfaces that they also touch, such as door knobs.

Properly washing your hand with soap and water for 15 - 20 seconds has a great impact on keeping the infection away. When soap and water are not available, then the next best alternative is an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Hand washing does not take much time and becomes more of a habit over time, but it offers great reward in terms of preventing illness.

Using Water and herbal teas. Drink lots of liquids, at least 8 - 12 cups per day.You can't flush a cold out of your system, but drinking plenty of liquids can help. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevent dehydration. Keeping the body well hydrated helps the immune system work better and flushes our systems of bacteria and viruses.

Cold Remedy - using Saltwater gargle. Add a 1/2 teaspoonful of salt to a 8-ounce glass of warm water stir until salt dissolves. This will temporarily comfort a sore or scratchy throat.

Cold Remedy - using Garlic is one of the more favorite home cures for colds. Many cultures have a home remedy for the cold using garlic, whether it’s chicken soup with lots of garlic, a drink made with raw crushed garlic, or if it just involves eating raw garlic. Garlic has lots of immune boosting capabilities.

Garlic remedy

Squirt a dab of honey onto a teaspoon
Press one garlic clove on top of the honey
Cover with another dab of honey.
This may be hard on your stomach at first. The garlic adds a bit of bitterness, but the honey does a great job lessening the bitterness.


Avoid Sugary drinks and caffeinated sodas should be avoided. A high sugar intake decreases the ability of the white blood cells to kill bacteria.

Contaminated toothbrush When you are recovering from illness, it is a good time to change your toothbrush. Your toothbrush can hide the germs you have just been fighting off.