Comments on: How to Fight a Cold Naturally

on 5/2/2008 Be VERY careful when using products containing zinc. Don't use more than one and be sure that you don't exceed the maximum dosage. Zinc can become toxic quite easily. Zinc-containing cold remedies are becomming increasingly common and zinc toxicity is along with it. I bought some throat drops last winter and I didnt even realize they had zinc in them until about june.

on 5/2/2008 Be VERY Careful when taking products containing zinc. Don't take more than one and make sure you don't take more than the maximum dosage. Zinc can become toxic very quickly. I have some throat drops that I didnt even realize had zinc in them when I bought them. They say very specifically not to use more than one every few hours.

on 11/20/2007 Use a netti pot for a nasal rinse, you can get it at natural foods stores like Trader Joes. It's an age old trick that Removes mucus and pollution of the nasal passages and sinuses as well as:
* Helps to prevent respiratory tract diseases
* Daily use relieves allergies, colds and sinusitis
* Beneficial in the treatment of headaches and migraines
* Removes drowsiness, making the head and sense organs feel light

on 8/8/2006 In addition to gargling with warm, salted water, I find it tremendously effective to suck warm, salted water up your nose.
Put warm, salted water in a small bowl, cover one nostril and suck water up the other until it is coming out the back of your throat. Quickly plug that nostril and suck water up your other nostril, too.
Once it is up there, you'll have to block off the back of your throat with the back of your tongue: otherwise the water in your nasal cavity will just run out the back of your nose.
Once you have successfully filled your nasal cavity with the warm water, hold your nostrils with your hand and hold your head in as many different directions as possible. You are in effect washing the walls of your nasal cavity. Once you have done this for about a minute, let it all out through your nose, and blow any remainder out.

Note: If you are too stuffed up to do this in the first place, you may need to start with some nose drops to get the air flow going.

This trick may sound horrid, and you will undoubtedly choke a bit the first time, but it is very effective: lets you breathe easier and kills the cold bacteria in your nasal passages, thus shortening the life of the cold.
Repeat every couple of hours.
Happy breathing!

on 8/8/2006 Hotty Totty
8 oz. of hot water
2-3 tbs. of 80% proof alcohol (Crown Royal, whiskey, rum, etc)
1 tbs. of honey
1tbs. of lemon juice

Not only does it taste good, but it will knock that cold right out. If you are a recovering alcoholic, this remedy is not for you.

on 8/8/2006 If you have a cold, or feel like you are going to get one, make up ribena with hot water instead of cold and drink it throughout the day. The vitamin C in it helps as does drinking hot fluids.

Another great cure is to put a level teaspoon of turmeric in a mug of milk and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile roast a teaspoon of carom seeds (also called ajwain and available from Indian shops) over the hob in a ladle until they go dark and start to pop.
Put these into the hot milk with a knob of butter (it should make a shh noise when the seeds go in).
Sip slowly letting it sit in your throat and you will feel so much better. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic.

on 3/28/2006 If you are just starting to get the cold, or it's the cold season, I recommend using a tincture of astragalus, preferably the kind that's fortified with stuff like reishi mushrooms, etc. Put a dropper-full into some hot rooibos tea or lemony ginger water. This helps fortify your immune system.

If, on the other hand, you're already sick with the cold, and you feel tired and achy, I recommend a tincture of Milk Thistle, also in hot rooibos tea, or lemony ginger drink.

When you are adding tinctures, be sure to bring the water to a boil. Add the tincture immediately afterwards- this removes the alcohol, thus only giving you the healthful effects of the herbs.

Fizzy, orangy, vitamin C drinks are also good.

To make lemony ginger water, get some ginger and some lemons from the grocery store. Boil some water and grate a lot of ginger into the pot, then grate the lemon peel in there, and cut the lemon and squeeze lemon juice into the pot.

on 2/25/2006 Slightly warm 100% pure natural emu oil to body temperature, place in a tablespoon and swallow slowly, allowing it to coat the upper throat area.
The natural antihistamines contained within the makeup of emu oil will suppress the cough for up to 4 hours.
Emu oil is a complete natural fat product with no known detrimental side effect.

on 2/14/2006 Sounds a bit strange, but try this:
1) Make a mug of hot, green tea (decaffeinated, to reduce dehydration effects)
2) Add a honey-lemon cough drop (Halls brand has always worked best) and let it melt
3) Drink

Why I think it works:
1) The honey and lemon help your throat
2) The mentholyptus fumes from the cough drop penetrate your sinuses to help clear them
3) The antioxidants in green tea are wonderful for you

Good luck! Feel better!

on 1/18/2006 Despite what it says on the box, Zicam is not a homeopathic remedy. Homeopathy is about micro doses. Zicam is a massive dose of zinc.

on 12/16/2005 My friend recommended this, I tried it, and it worked!
Get a mug of Coca-Cola.
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Heat it until it's hot in the microwave and drink!
It makes your throat feel so much better, and you can breathe through your nose again!

Oh, and Buckley's cough syrup works well, but it tastes sort of like what I imagine licking a tree would be like, except worse. But it works, and that's what counts.

on 11/22/2005 1 tablespoon of honey and covering your head will stop a cough so you can sleep.

on 11/22/2005 1. Mix plain, uncooked oatmeal with juice from 1 squeezed lemon until they form a paste.
2. Put it all over your face.
3. Leave it on for 30 minutes.
4. Wash it off with warm water.

on 11/22/2005 Fry whole (or slightly crushed) cloves of garlic if you're going to eat soup. 4, 5, 6 or more. It should be slightly crisp so that when you chew it in the soup, it retains it's virus/bacteria fighting power. Don't forget Vitamin C and protein to help build the new cells that will meet the infection. Newer zinc lozenges don't have the added sugar. Germs feed off sugar, don't let it sit in your mouth and throat. The cleaner you keep your mouth, the less germs will be reproduced. Gargle and brush your teeth time and time again. Get plenty of rest.

on 11/22/2005 There is a homeopathic product called Zicam. It's not a drug and has no interactions. You can buy it almost anywhere. It is a gel that coats 1/4 of an inch into the opening of your nose. It makes it so that the virus can't reproduce. It also contains zinc, to boost the immune system. If caught at the first symptoms of a cold, it will stop the virus flat. If caught too late, it will shorten the virus to 3 days.