Being sick is exhausting. Experiencing nasal congestion, chills, fever, and body aches are enough to make you feel miserable. You can find a lot of natural home remedies that can alleviate your symptoms, allowing you to get back on your feet. However, if you still feel tired after a few days, you need to visit your physician if your condition turns out to be something more severe.
If you feel faint, have a rapid heartbeat, have trouble breathing, or are experiencing other severe symptoms, you must get immediate medical attention. Especially if your condition turns out to be a serious, lifelong illness, you’ll need a home health care facility to help alleviate your symptoms and make life more bearable.
In most cases, prevention is always the best cure. Below are flu and cold remedies you can make at home while you’re sick.
1. Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is an excellent choice if you’re feeling sick. One study shows that enjoying a bowl of this soup with vegetables warmed from a can or prepared from scratch can slow down the movement of neutrophils in your body.
Neutrophils protect you from infection. If they’re moving slowly, they focus more on areas of the body that need immediate attention. It also revealed that chicken soup helps in reducing the symptoms of upper respiratory infections.
Low-sodium soups also have great nutritional value, keeping you hydrated. Chicken soup will always be an excellent choice, despite how you’re feeling.
2. Honey
Honey features a lot of antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Mixing honey and tea with lemon can ease your sore throat. One study shows that honey is an excellent cough suppressant, which reduces the severity of cough and cold symptoms.
You can sleep more deeply. But you should refrain from giving honey to an infant since it often contains botulinum spores. While they’re not harmful to adults or older children, an infant’s immune system might not be able to fight them off.
3. Echinacea
For 400 years, Native Americans have used the root and herb of the echinacea plant to treat infections. One of its active ingredients is flavonoids, which have a few therapeutic effects on the body. For example, flavonoids might reduce inflammation while boosting your immune system.
One study shows that using this plan might reduce your risks of developing common colds by more than 50%. It might also reduce the length of the chills. For healthy adults, take one to two grams of echinacea herb or root three times daily for at least a week.
4. Probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria found in your supplements, meals, or body. Probiotics help keep your immune system and stomach healthy. One study shows that they can also reduce your risks of getting sick from an upper respiratory infection. You can include probiotic yogurt in your diet. On top of its potential benefits for your immune system, yogurt is a healthy snack that provides a lot of calcium and protein.
Make sure to check if a product contains live bacteria as one of its ingredients.
5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C has an essential role in your body and offers different health benefits. Leafy greens, lemons, grapefruits, oranges, limes, and other fruits or vegetables are some of the best sources of vitamin C. Mixing fresh lemon juice into your hot tea with honey can reduce phlegm when you’re suffering from common colds.
Drinking cold or hot lemonade will also alleviate these symptoms. Not only do these drinks ease your colds, but they can provide you with the vitamin C that your immune system needs. Getting enough can help relieve you from upper respiratory tract infections.
6. Garlic
Garlic has the compound allicin, which can contain antimicrobial properties. Including a garlic supplement in your diet can reduce the severity of cold symptoms. One study shows that garlic can help you avoid getting sick in the first place. Still, more studies are needed to prove the potential cold-fighting benefits of garlic. For now, adding more garlic to your diet will not hurt.
7. Ginger
For centuries, people have overlooked the health benefits of ginger root, but researchers have gathered evidence of its curative properties. Eating a few slices of raw ginger root can help soothe sore throat or coughing. One study shows that it might also eliminate the feelings of nausea that you experience from influenza.
Mix ginger and water to start feeling its soothing benefits.
8. Salt Water
Gargling with salt water might prevent upper respiratory infections and decrease the severity of your cold symptoms. For example, it might help alleviate nasal congestion or sore throat. It also loosens and reduces the mucus that contains allergens and bacteria.
To try this easy remedy at home, dissolve at least one teaspoon of salt in water. Gargle and then spit it out.
Most people try treating their flu and cold symptoms with home remedies, even if some sound a bit unusual. Likewise, some communities or people swear by the remedy’s effectiveness. If you want to lower your risks of getting sick, you should always look for proactive ways to boost your immune system. However, when symptoms persist, make sure to consult with your physician as soon as possible.
