help! head cold but no herbs yet!!!

[ohiogoatgirl]

i have a horrid head cold
i'm reading tons on herb medicine and i'm growing tons and tons this summer. but i dont have any herbs until i can harvest them....
so what can i do with stuff i have in the house now? honey for sore throat... what else???

 

[Wifezilla]

Peppermint tea for congestion.

Also wander over to the tumeric milk thread. That stuff really works.

 

[Wannabefree]

lemon to clean out the throat, peppermint(schnapps ) is good to clear the sinuses at least temporarily....I dunno what else. I'm not good at this, I don't usually get colds.

 

[Homemaker]

If your throat is sore: If you have any real black licorice it will make your throat feel better. Some teas contain licorice. Don't go crazy with it though. It's also a ....uh....stool loosener.

You can gargle with a salt water solution. Just stir salt into a glass of warm water. Sip some then gargle, spit. Repeat this until you've finished the glass. Ughggggg, I actually hate this one a bit. I can still remember my Mom making me do this when I was a kid. It worked but, I hate it.

If you have nasal or chest congestion: If you have a vaporizer use it. We don't so we usually boil water on the stove and hang out in the kitchen for awhile. And, take a nice hot shower and hang out in the bathroom for a bit. Breath in all that good steam.

There is also this thing (I think it called) a nettie pot. You use it to flush out your sinuses. I've never used one but, I hear they are awesome. We don't have one of these either. But, my dad suffered from cronic sinus infections and he taught me this-when your in the shower cup your hand and catch some water. Then close one nostril and with the other snort the water up your nose. Then do the opposite nostril. I know it sounds nuts.

And of course chicken soup and plenty of fluids.

Growing up my Mom rarely gave me any medication. I still rarely take anything. (I have at times taken Nyquil). People are usually amazed at how quickly I kick a cold.

 

[ORChick]

Hot liquids - chicken soup, or miso soup, or ginger tea with honey. It is (mostly) the heat that does the trick. And yes, the netti pot - although I haven't used it myself (since ceasing to work with children I seldom get sick ), but my friend, a physician (though pretty smart despite that ) recommends them to all her patients, and swears they work

 

[framing fowl]

Check out this recipe for fire cider. http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/firecider.html I made some but haven't needed to or been brave enough to try it yet. It has to be prepared in advance so won't help with this cold but wouldn't hurt to have on hand until your herbs are ready.

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Javamama]

Ginger honey tea, with a pinch of cayenne.
Do you have vitamin D? Take a load of it.
Eat as much raw garlic as possible. Your hubby may not love you for it, but it's a powerful germ fighter.
There's a honey garlic cayenne mixture that will send germs screamin out of your house. It sounds scary but it works. If you want the recipe I'll go look it up in a bit.
Horseradish - just inhale to clear sinuses.

 

[savingdogs]

Chicken soup. Add hot sauce to your bowl, hot as you can stand. But if you want my cure all, make garlic bread.

Use about a head and half of crushed garlic and a couple teaspoons of cayenne, mixed with enough butter to spread it across an entire loaf of fresh french bread. Wrap the bread in foil, heat it in the oven until it's melty and fragrant, and have at it. The caloric intake might be horrific, but the garlic is the medicine. it's antiseptic properties will help drain your head in no time. I had a hideous head cold myself several months ago, and I cleared up in two days. It was fantastic.

I find this works for me, too!

I also swear by that stuff Emergen C....have any of those laying around? I also use Nyquil, but that isn't exactly herbal.
But a natural remedy is to sit in a humid environment like your shower and breath steamy air. Hubby's sore throats respond to warm salt water rinses.
Hope that helps.

But chicken soup, you must have some of that laying around.....it really works!

 

[Dace]

X2 on the chicken soup!

Plus tea and lots of water and rest.

Hope you feel better