How to Use Folk Medicine to Treat Colds

Try treating your cold with folk medicine remedies that date relevant information that was popularly distributed a hundred years or more. Folk medicine remedies, which often use easily available herbs, were popularized during a time when HMO's didn't exist. Much of folk medicine is currently experiencing an increase in popularity as a reaction to rising health care costs. Many folk treatments are quite inexpensive. Follow these steps to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Choose your Remedy

1. Cross Europe, Africa and Asia to find similar folk medicine. Across cultural traditions, it's believed that herbs, potatoes, garlic, ginger and vinegar combat illness. Learn more at the "UCLA Folk Medicine Archive" Web site (see Resources below).
2. Use steady and frequent doses of hot herbal tea spiked with honey to treat the throat and lungs. Many herbs, including various mints and ginseng root, contain astringents and other properties that help the lungs to function more effectively.
3. Charge your system with a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals by drinking fresh beet juice. Include honey for sweetness and additional fortification from bee pollen that may greatly benefit the sinuses. Add half and half to the mixture to provide carbohydrates and protein for energy and bodily restoration.
4. Defeat a sore throat by eating half a clean lemon, including the peel, every 3 hours. This may help the body fight infection by providing a large quantity of vitamin C.

Fight the Cold

5. Treat the worst of colds with sleep and rest. Both are critical for treating any illness or injury. Recovery requires a great deal of energy to be successful.
6. Perspire to push impurities from the body through the pores. A Russian favorite cold remedy includes consuming a serving of currant wine with the same amount of hot water. Settle in bed immediately afterward.

Understand the Treatment

7. Apply folk medicine with an appreciation for why it exists. It came from a time before easy hospital access. It's still a mainstay for medical care in many areas of the world. It's becoming more popular as scientific research finds these remedies to be effective.
8. Treat colds, muscle aches and influenza carefully. With natural folk remedies, healing may take place steadily, with concerted effort applied to rest.

Tips & Warnings

• Know that with most viruses and infections, the most important factors in healing are time and rest.
• Always consume water regularly when afflicted with a cold.
• If a high fever is detected, seek qualified medical attention for proper treatment.
• Consult MayoClinic.com to learn how educate yourself about alternative medicine claims (see Resources below). Learn how to assess those claims before you make your treatment decision.