Home Remedy & The Cause of Common Cold

The common cold is very common yet it has no easy cure. Some symptoms of cold and flu are similar, but you can know wheather it is a cold or flu by some typical symptoms.

Cold symptoms develop over a few days. Sore throat and sneezing are generally present with a cold, while they are not common with the flu.

Cold Symptoms

1. Coughing: A hacking mucus-producing cough
2. Stuffy Nose & sneezing: Stuffy nose and sneezing are common in a cold.
3. Chill and fever: Chill and fever are rare with a cold.
4. Headache & body ache: Headache and body ache are fairly uncommon with a cold.

Typical flu symptoms

The flu develops sudden symptoms like body aches and high fever within 3-6 hours of its onset.

1. Coughing: A non-mucus producing cough (dry cough)
2. Body ache & tiredness: Severe body aches and headache are common. Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
3. Chill and fever: Chill and fever with temperature of 100°F or higher is usually present with the flu for 3 to 4 day.
4. Chest discomfort: Often severe chest discomfort.
5. Stuffy nose & sneezing: Sneezing and stufy nose are not common in the flu.

Causes of Common Cold

The cause of common cold are listed below:

But there are a few things that can ease the effect of common cold. Vitamin C is wonderful for the cure of common cold. It can make the symptoms less severe or can shorten the length of a cold from seven days to two or three days with less coughing, sneezing, and other symptoms. In fact, vitamin C works as a scavenger in our body throwing out all toxins. If you feel a cold coming on, you should start taking Vitamin C.

Zinc is another wonder thing for cold that can cut colds short. When you first feel that you may be getting a cold, start taking zinc, extra Vitamin C with rose hips, and garlic. The cold may not start. You may never get a cold, if you take these regularly.

Do not use medicated nasal drops without Doctor's advise as excessive use will cause chemical rhinitis.

The US Food and Drug Administration on 17 Jan 2008 has warned parents against giving over-the-counter cold and cough medicines to children under 2 years, because of serious life-threatening side effects of globally banned ingredients like phenyl propano-lamine (PPA) that have been associated with causing cardio-vascular events, intraventricular haemorrhage and strokes.

Common colds need common sense, they don't need anti-biotics. The cure for the common cold is given below:

1. Nasal drops for dry and stuffy nose. Add 1/4 teaspoon of table salt to about 5 ml lukewarm water. Use this solution as a nasal drop. Use 1 to 2 drops in each nostril about 3 to 4 times daily. You can keep this nasal drop in refrigerator for 2-3 days.
2. Eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C.
3. Zinc lozenges can help, and quicken recovery. They are good for a dry irritated throat.
4. Get plenty of rest, when you rest up your immune system is boosted up and it quickens the process of getting better.
5. Eat garlic raw, put it in your mouth and chew to get relief.
6. Fill a glass with warm water and mix in 1 tsp of table salt and gargle several times a day to cure throat soreness. This is a good treatment.
7. Take a bath with a few drops of cinnamon in the bath water can relieve congestion.
8. Take hot water in a bowl and put some Vicks vaporub. Place your nose over the vapors and inhale, covering yourself with a towel. This remedy is good for your blocked nose.
   
   

   Herbal Remedies of Common Cold:

   
   
9. Garlic juice made by adding few drops of garlic oil to a teaspoonful of onion juice and diluting it in a cup of water is helpful for common cold.
10. Drink ginger tea. It can be made by boiling ginger in normal tea.
11. Drink a teaspoonful of ginger juice mixed with equal quantity of honey.
12. Take tincture of peppermint leaves or echinacea (leaves, flowers), or ginger root. You can drink peppermint, chamomile or eucalyptus tea 3 times a day.
13. Add 5-10 drops of eucalyptus, peppermint, pine, lavender, thyme, tea tree oil to a bowl of steaming water. Place your nose over the vapors and inhale, covering yourself with a towel and inhale deeply. This will cure your blocked or running nose or will loosen thick mucus.
14. Make a tea by boiling 2 teaspoon of astragalus root in 1 cup water for 15 minutes and drink. This tea enhances immunity.

15. Homeopathy Cure of Common Cold

    Aconite: for treating cold due to exposure to cold winds.

    Belladonna: good in teh early symptoms of cold.

    Natrum Mur: for running nose.