Natural Cold Remedies, Airborne Cold Remedy, Zicam Cold Remedy

There are no cures for a common cold. It cures by itself in a week’s time. However, read on for some remedies that will help alleviate the symptoms…

Have you ever wondered why the cold is known as the ‘common’ cold? It is because at any given point, one in sixty people will be suffering from the cold, hence the term common.

Cold is caused by ‘rhinovirus’ (’rhin’ in Greek means nose). These virus are present in the air that we breathe and the things that we touch. There are nearly 200 different strains of virus that can infiltrate the lining of the nose and throat causing an immune system reaction that brings with it the symptoms of cold and sore throat.

Despite what some people may tell you, a common cold has no cure. Only remedies are available that can help you feel better. The cold will be cured by itself in about a week’s time. Some cold remedies are very ancient while others are relatively new.

Cure for the Common Cold

Here are some of the remedies that actually seem to work:

• Chicken Soup: Chicken soup has helped alleviate the discomfort caused by cold for centuries. Research has shown that the chicken soup helps by working in two ways. Firstly, it behaves as an anti-inflammatory and inhibits the movement of neutrophils which are the immune system cells and participate in the body’s inflammatory response. Secondly, it helps by temporarily speeding the movement of the mucus through the nose thereby relieving congestion and reducing the time that the virus is in contact with the lining of the nose. And the good news is that research has also shown that canned chicken soup works just as well as homemade soup. And if you are a vegetarian, you could replace the chicken with some vegetables like carrot and peas and that should do the trick for you.
• Water and Fluids: Water will not help flush the cold from the system. However, fluids like water, juice, warm broth and lemon water with honey will help loosen congestion and prevent dehydration. However, liquids like alcohol and coffee should be avoided as they further dehydrate the body.
• Saline Water: In an 8 ounce of glass, dissolve about half a teaspoon of salt and gargle with the solution every four hours. This will provide definite relief to a sore and scratchy throat.
• Hot Shower: A quick hot shower will help reduce congestion and provide temporary relief. The steam will help shrink the mucous membranes in the nose and throat which help with the drainage of mucus. But remember to keep the shower brief and do not soak yourself in the tub. Even if the water in the tub is hot initially, it will gradually become colder and can worsen the symptoms.
• Humidity: The reason as to why cold is very common in the winters is because the cold virus thrives in dry conditions. The dry air can also make the mucus membrane of the nose dry causing a stuffy nose and a scratchy throat. Adding a humidifier in your house will help by adding moisture to the house. But remember that the humidifier brings with it mold, fungi and bacteria which can cause other complications. Hence it is imperative to keep your humidifier clean and change the water regularly.
• Vitamin C: It is believed that vitamin C acts as a natural decongestant and can also reduce the duration of the cold. However, this belief has not been clinically proven. The ideal dosage of vitamin C is a capsule of 500 mg. Anything greater than this will not be absorbed by the body.
• Sleep: Your body needs adequate rest and sleep to fight infection. Take ample rest and cozy up in bed with warm blankets.
• Over the Counter Medications: Non-prescription decongestions and pain relief are available that do offer relief from various symptoms but do remember that that these drugs will neither cure cold nor shorten its duration. Research has also shown that if taken for an extended period of time, these drugs can make the symptoms worse and can also cause damage to the liver. I believe that you should consider taking these drugs only if no other option is available.

There are many wives tales that make tall claims about curing cold but they usually do not help. Ask around and find out if the tale actually has helped anyone before blindly accepting any suggestion. It can do more harm than good.

By Anju Shandilya
Published: 3/13/2008

Homeopathy For Head Cold
As soon as you are afflicted by this problem, you feel miserable. Of all the medical treatments available, homeopathy for head cold has been found to be extremely effective

Cold Remedy
I found this post the other day when I was on the first full day of a head cold. I used a whole head of garlic from my garden.

Classic remedies
Last week, Tom came to dinner with a head cold.Two days later, Kitty complained that she’d come down with a head cold. By Saturday morning, it became clear that I hadn’t escaped unscathed, either.

How do you shake a persistant head cold
I’m already taking multivitamins and have been for the last month, drink plenty of water…but what else can I do??? It just doesn’t seem to want to go away!!

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Natural Cold Remedies cold remedies that work, head cold remedies, home remedies for head cold, homeopathy

Runny nose, stuffy head, congestion, sore throat, hay fever, asthma attack - the annoying symptoms of a cold war waging closer to home. To varying degrees, all people are forced to combat the dreaded cold and its violent relatives. Although it has long been said that there is no cure for the common cold, sufferers seem willing to try anything to breathe easy again, collectively spending billions of dollars each year on cold-related medicines, cough suppressants, antihistamines, asthma drugs and antibiotics. Despite controversial data regarding the efficacy of these drugs, people casually consume them, only to discover that drugs’ harmful side effects are a heavy price to pay for temporary freedom.

                                         
    
Cold and Allergy Medicines

Because a cold is caused by a virus, it cannot be cured by medication. Cold medicines may help suppress symptoms, but the cold virus continues to roam inside the body. Notwithstanding this fact, potentially harmful cold medicines abide in most household medicine cabinets. Beside their questionable ability to offer relief, cold medicines may contain drugs such as triprolidine, pseudoephedrine, guanifenesin, phenylpropanolomine and pheynylephrine. Many cold medicines combine several of these chemicals into one tablet, giving the false impression that more is better, when in actuality, they merely increase the risk of unwanted side effects. The damaging results of these drugs may include high blood pressure (especially dangerous for people with heart disease, diabetes or thyroid disease), confusion, nervousness, dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating, decreased sweating and worsening og glaucoma.

Unaware of these side effects, many people also mistakenly use cold medicines to regularly treat allergies. Nasal sprays containing ingredients such as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride or other antihistamines may prove harmful to sufferes of allergies. Using these ingredients may lead to rebound congestion, icreased nasal stuffiness and permanent damage to the membranes lining the nose.

Cough Suppressants

Just as a runny nose promotes beneficial drainage, a fact ignored by many, a cough can also be a productive way to naturally remove harmful material. Although a dry or painful cough may be a sign of a more serious condition, most coughs should not ne depressed. Adverse effects of cough suppressants such as hydrocodone, dextromethorphan and phenyltoloxamine include skin rash, dizziness, nausea, nasal congestion, constipation, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, blurred vision and headache.

The combination of iodinated glycerol and codeine, commonly promoted as a cough suppressant, should especially be avoided. An unpublished study performed under the direction of the National Toxology Program (Department of Human Services) found that Iodinated glycerol may cause illnesses as severe as cancer. In general, coughs are most effectively combated by clear liquids, which help thin mucus and promote effortless breathing.

Antibistamines

Ironically, some drugs prolong cold symptoms and antihistamines are a prime example of drugs people wrongly assume can effectively treat any illness. Antihistamines can actually make a cold or cough worse by thickening nasal secretions and drying mucous membranes. They can also cause serious side effects including confusion, short-term memory loss, disorientation, dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating, enlarge prostate, increased body temperature, unusual bleeding, ringing in the ears, stomach upset and worsening of glaucoma.

The antihistmaine hydroxyzine, used to treat itching and hives, may also cause restlessness, seizures, trembling or shakiness. Another antihistamine, diphenhydramine, may cause unusually fast heartbeat, increased sensitivity to the sun, unusual bleeding, sore throat, nervousness, restlessness, irritability and ringing in the ears.

Adverse cardiovascular effects are extremely rare, but patients using the antihistamine astemizole have reportly experienced cardiac arrest, venticular arrhymias and even death as a result of the drug.

Asthma Drugs

Although its symptoms resemble that of the cold, asthma is a delicate condition that must be carefully monitored and treated. Drugs such as aminophyllines, theophylline and oxtriphylline are frequently used to treat symptoms of chronic asthma, bronchitics and emphysema, including difficult breathing, sneezing, chest tightness and shorteness of breath.

Asthma drugs open airways in the lungs and increase airflow, making breathing easier, but this process is not without risk. The body can only tolerate a specified amount of an asthma drug. Too little may bring on an asthma attact; too much can lead to seizures, irregular heart rhythms, pounding heartbeat. Adverse effects include bloody stools, confusion, diarrhea, dizziness, flushed skin, headache, increased urination, loss of appetite, muscle twitching, nausea, trembling, trouble sleeping, vomiting of blood, heartburn, etc.

The asthma drug pirbuterol can cause or wosen high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease. Inhaled drugs, such as albuterol and terbutaline, have been found to cause tremors, jitters, nervousness, and in extreme cases, begign tumors in the ligaments and heart disease.

Antibiotics

While used to treat diverse bacterial infections, antibiotics are also prescribed to address the common cold. Unfortunately, antibiotics are often proved unnecessary, bringing harmful side effects instead of cure. In 1983, fifty-one percent of the more than three million patients who saw doctors for treatment of the common cold were unnecessarily given a prescription of antibiotics.

Since the cold and flu are caused by viruses, they cannot be cured by antibiotics. Antibiotics, when used incorrectly, can seriously damage the body’s immune system. Side effects of antibiotics include allergic reactions, diarrhea, skin rash, abnormal weakness, joint and muscle pain, nausea or vomiting and bleeding. In extreme casses, a simple cold may even develop into pneumonia because the antibiotics makes the body less resistant to a bacterial super infection.

When given an antibiotic, the body can also develop a bacterial resistance to the antibiotic, making them useless in future instances when they could have proven effective. After many congressional hearings regarding these harmful side effects, it has become the general consencus that forty to sixty percent of all antibiotics are misprescribed.

In Conclusion

As evidenced, the harmful side effects far outweigh the benefits of medically treating cold-related symptoms. Despite this unsettling fact, cold, cough, allergy and asthma sufferes can still find relief. In many cases, common sense can prevent the common cold and its symptoms from ever attacking. People who don’t smoke, for instance, are less likely to catch a cold because smoke paralyzes the hair-like cells that clean out the body’s airways. Frequently washing one’s hands is another effective way to prevent colds.

Proper diet in accordance with nutritional immunology, adequate amounts of liquid, and ample rest are also effective methods used to both prevent and treat cold symptoms. By taking preventative measures, even those most prone to attack can outwit and overcome the cold war offenders.

By: Stenno

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Author : Chau Chee Fui, Website : www.myigamsuccess.com

Spicy cold remedy                                                                  Make up a batch of this cold remedy vinegar and keep it in a cool dark place for as long as 2 years. When you’re feeling sick pull it out and take ½ to 1 teaspoon every hour to aid your healing process.

Cold remedy?
Here is an old folk remedy that really works: unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Drink at least a teaspoon in a glass of water or juice right away and then repeat it later.

A Healthy House Means A Healthy You
Often people suffer from allergies and cold like symptomes such as itchy eyes and sneezing. But a recent study also showed it can cause asthma in children and certainly make things work for asthma sufferers.

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Natural Cold Remedies home remedies for head cold