OS 'Cures' for colds

black-saturn

I don't get cold very often but when I do get one it's always a real hum dinger which knocks me sideways for ages and when your on your own with 2 children you have to just carry on like normal. So my question is is there anything for colds which can alleviate the symptoms other than taking tablets and using over the counter drugs and potions?

tootles_2

My grandmother used to swear by Vick, blackberry vinegar with lemon, honey and glycerine...... for your cough..... mind you she also used mustard poultice..........

frugglewump

When I started studying herbalism practically everyone advised me to make lemon & ginger infusions (half a lemon, 2 inches root ginger, 1 pint water & reduce by half).

I have also found that including 2 teaspoons of caraway seeds gives a slight pick-me-up effect without caffiene.

Smiley_Mum

A woman I know of says that she takes a good dose of vitamin C in tablet form if she feels the slightest bit of a cold coming on, she says that it works for her everytime, just the drawback of needing to be close to home for a day or two.

Also, a good hot, spicy curry helps.

For a sore throat there was a remedy I made up years ago, supposed to be very good, works well. I made it for my dad, it's brown sugar, and sliced onions cooked up with some water. It works very well, only thing is it should've been strained and only the syrup to be taken but I didn't strain it. Still worked though.

Gargling with salt water to ease a sore throat.

Curry_Queen

We're not allowed to give medical advice on this site and I'm not sure whether telling you how I dealt with my own cold/flu bug last week would be construed as giving advice

Anyway, if I'm overstepping the mark here please feel free to delete it ... but I made myself hot drinks using fresh lemon and ginger, with a splash of honey to sweeten it, and the usual pain killers. Much cheaper than buying the ready-made versions of this cold remedy


Oh, and steaming head baths with eucalyptus and tea-tree oil to clear the sinuses and as an anti-bacterial

black-saturn

Curry_Queen wrote:

We're not allowed to give medical advice on this site and I'm not sure whether telling you how I dealt with my own cold/flu bug last week would be construed as giving advice

Sorry, in my head I didnt count it as being medical advice. I thought of it as being a thread about herbal remedies and such like. But please feel free to delete this post of someone must.

Curry_Queen

black-saturn wrote:

Sorry, in my head I didnt count it as being medical advice. I thought of it as being a thread about herbal remedies and such like. But please feel free to delete this post of someone must.

It's a bit of a grey area really but even old-fashioned herbal remedies can have bad reactions on some people and contraindicate with any current medication they might take (they really do work and aren't just the placebo effect some people think they are ) so if anyone was to come to harm by following the advice of someone on the forum then it could come back on Martin, and all manner of legal implications are raised.

black-saturn

OK, fully understand. Sorry

Alison_B

I watched an article on This Morning and it was on about Asthma and children. The lady doctor said that pure apple juice was what she recommended for colds and asthma as it opened the airways up. Anyway, last year I decided not to have my flu injection and I stopped all medication from the doctors for my asthma and started having a large glass of pure apple juice each day.

I don't know if it was just fluke but it was the first year that I have never had a cold. I got symptoms for a day or two but it just disappeared. I hate taking medicine, so it might be worth you beginning to take a glass of apple juice a day.

black-saturn

Worth a go, I love apple juice

Smiley_Mum

So do I and I also have a load of apples in the cupboard and a juicer which could do with an airing.