Herbal and Natural Remedies for curing cold and cough this winter

Winter is that part of the year which is simply loved by some and loathed by many. Loved by kids and mid-aged people but loathed primarily by parents of kids who easily fall victim to various ailments like cold, cough, flu, fever, nausea, bronchial infections, sinusitis, diarrhoea, etc. On average, kids fall victim to cold and cough 8 to 10 times a year.

But giving your child over the counter medicines, every time they fall ill is what most of the parents disagree with. As cold and flu medicines are harmful for kids under age two and have many side effects even for older kids.

Therefore, we can only count on natural remedies which are healthy, natural and safe.  The following are some of the remedies which I use for my daughter and my family(each one of these has stood the test of time) All are super effective and have no side effects at all.

 

Banafsha

If you ask your grandmother, she would definitely recommend you to use this to combat the symptoms of cold, cough and to boost immunity. When I was a kid, my mum used to boil banafsha with a cup of milk and gave this to me at bedtime. Water intake for at least an hour and stepping out of the quilt was strictly prohibited. Banafsha Syrups are easily available over the counters.

Sitopaladi Churan 

Available with brands like Baidyanath and Zandu, it’s a great remedy to cure respiratory congestion and bronchial conditions like cough, cold, sore throat, tonsillitis, tuberculosis, sinusitis and Asthma. It helps fight recurrent infections and has an immunity-boosting effect. Sitopaladi itself is a good remedy but adding a few more ingredients to it works wonders:-  Sitopaladi Churan 100 gms, Abhrak bhasma 10 gms, Sanjeevani Vati 10 gms, Laxmivilas Ras tab 10 gms (all available in Baidyanath) I give ¼ tsp of this mixture and ¾ tsp honey to my daughter everyday.

Honey and clove

Fever, shivering and nausea, caused by prolonged cold exposure can be cured with clove and honey. Roast a clove on a pan until its colour changes to grey. Powder it completely. For adults mix one whole clove and for kids half clove powder with half a tsp honey.

Trikuta

It’s a remedy many mothers can swear by as it is very effective in curing congestion and cough. Simply grind piplamool, black pepper and dried ginger in equal quantities. For kids take ⅙ tsp and for adults ⅕ tsp of trikuta powder and add to ½ tsp honey. Try to drink hot water after taking this.

Ginger, Honey and Tulsi leave 

To put an end to recurrent cough, just add 2-3 drops of ginger juice, 2-3 tulsi leaves (crush them in a mortar and pestle) to ½ tsp honey. 

Steamer or humidifier

During winters air gets very dry and hoarse, so use a steamer or humidifier to increase the moisture level in your baby’s room. This helps people who experience dryness in the throat or airways, allergies, frequent cough, sinus headaches. Adding oregano oil, or eucalyptus oil to your steamer or humidifier may help fight viruses and respiratory problems such as bronchitis.

Magical gargles

Add ⅓ tsp Sendha namak(Himalayan Salt), ⅓ tsp baking soda, a pinch of fitkari powder, 2 tsp milk to warm water. Gargle at least thrice a day to relieve from sore and painful throat 

Saline water for the blocked nose 

Use distilled water(1 cup), salt(2.5gms) and baking soda(2.5gms) to make a saline nasal solution. This solution helps to relieve from a stuffy nose.

 

Medicines come to our rescue when the health of our kids deteriorate a lot but natural remedies help to eradicate the ailments and the problems that persist even after complete medication. Herbal products help to remove all the symptoms of congestion. But eventually its the warmth and magic of your care and affection that helps soothe a sick baby and relieve from any ailment.