25 Best Home Remedies for Common Cold and Cough

Common cold occurs because of the seasonal changes. It comes with cold head and multiple flu symptoms. General belief says that most of the people are not able to avoid it or can not cure it, But that is straight away lie. I’ll cover home remedies for common cold in infants, during pregnancy and for general situation.

This article will cover three (3) Major variation of cold remedy.

1. Home remedies for common cold in infants, toddlers and babies.
2. Common cold remedies during pregnancy.
3. Home remedies for flu and cough in general for adults.

I have compiled all topics in one post in spite of writing three different articles. So you can scroll down to heading of your choice. But I insist go through the head cold symptoms before scrolling.

Before we move ahead in head cold situation let me give you brief idea about flu symptoms.

Cold and flu symptoms in general? First of all it is also called influenza symptoms so do not get confused.

• Allergic Rhinitis – It is the irritation you feel inside of your nostril.
• Headache – It can vary from unbearable headache to light.
• Sore throat – it can be contagious so cover your mouth when you cough.
• Pain in Muscles – most common flu symptom.
• Fever – most of the people also get fever.
• Cough – comes along with sore throat.
• Weakness can be experienced because of flu.

It is contagious so make sure if you are suffering then don’t spread it. Keep your hands clean and wash it more often.
Common cold bronchitis also called as chest cold, it is serious medical condition. There are specific home remedies for acute bronchitis. Consult your doctor if symptoms become worse..

Why do we catch the flu?

There can be various reasons why you get flu frequently. It is contagious and spread very fast. One need to be very clean about their surrounding and with whom they shake hands. Because when you shake hands with someone who got flu then your chances of getting flu is very high.
Around 20 percent of American get the flu every year. As a result if you shake hands with 10 people in a day there is high chance that you got infected with flu virus.
An average adult can spread flu for 7 days even after the flu symptoms has gone. Children contagious level is up to 10 days. So never know when you are going to expose yourself to flu bacteria.
Flu viruses have tendency to stay alive in cold air with low humidity. So because of that winter is the perfect season for flu viruses. As when contagious people sneeze the clod virus travels through low humid air.

Home Remedies for common Cold

Flu remedies are listed below in three categories. First one will provide best natural remedy for common cold in normal adults with no serious or extreme health conditions.
Second part will list the home remedies for flu during pregnancy. If you are expecting a pregnancy news or into it then this section will provide you the best remedy of flu.
Third part remedies of flu will focus on infants, toddlers, and babies in age group of 1-10 years. Why different flu remedies for children? because there body metabolism is quite different from adult body.

Natural Remedies for common cold in Adults.

Common Cold Home Remedies for Normal Adults

Garlic Remedy

Garlic is known for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties which make garlic best remedy to fight cold. There are numerous ways you can use garlic as common cold buster, but our favorite is garlic soup with onions and ginger.

Alternatively, You can go for garlic vapor remedy for flu and jammed nostril. You will need Bowl, garlic cloves and water. Make sure you buy baby garlic because their molecules will break faster.
How to do it?

• Buy baby garlic and cut the cloves into half.
• Put 30 baby garlic half cut cloves into 300ml of water and boil it for 15 minutes.
• Now sit on a stable place and cover your head with towel.
• Bring that brewing garlic inside towel area and inhale.
• Take deep breaths and release slow.
• Do it for 10 minutes, take break in between if you suffocate.
• Apply this remedy 2 times in a day to get rid of stuffy nose fast.

Ginger for cold and cough

If you are a believer of Ayurvedic treatment then ginger is the King of natural remedies. Ginger have strong track record in treatment of bronchitis, respiratory problem, common cold, sore throat, and cough removal.
Ginger have strong antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which help in curing flu and fever. It has over 100 application in alternative remedies. Ajoene is present in ginger as a result it helps in fighting cold and fever. Ginger have shown evident proof of treating muscle pain also. Common cold mostly comes along with headache, stuffy nose, lower body pain, sore throat, cough, and light fever.

Ginger can take away all your pain and help you feel better, Take my suggestion to incorporate ginger in your daily meals which will increase the strength of your immune system.
Ginger natural remedy applications: 

• Take ginger along with garlic by making a soup and drink it twice a day to get rid of flu symptoms.
• You can take ginger as sauces, use ginger sauce in your meals and tacos.
• Make a miracle drink, take juice of lemon and one spoon of honey also add 1 inch of grated ginger in it. add 200ml of water and warm it for 2 minutes and drink this remedy of winter flu.
• Simple way is to make a ginger tea also add black pepper in it to improve the curing ability.

Honey for common cold

Honey hold antiseptic and antibacterial properties and this makes it effective home remedy for common cold. It also help in weight reduction, if taken in morning with a glass of warm water. Honey is among the top natural remedies used to cure multiple health problems in historic civilization.
The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of honey helps in reducing throat pain and sooth cough. Honey is very effective in making your immune system strong and regular consumers of honey have lesser chance of catching flu or fever. In addition, honey is very good remedy to fight against hair fall and maintains good scalp health.
How to use?

• Add 1 spoon of honey in 200ml of warm water.
• In addition, add half spoon of lemon juice in it and stir well, drink it twice a day.
• Alternatively, you can take grated ginger in spite of lemon.

Herbal Green Tea

Green tea is powered with Polyphenols which is an excellent antioxidant. Polyphenols presence will reduce the production of free radicals in body.
The Catechins in green tea can kill bacteria and help you prevent common cold symptoms. Herbs are great as they are nature product and can be really effective in curing flu. Apart from working as natural remedy of cold fever it also help you prevent chronic diseases.
Pregnant women should avoid consuming green tea, don’t worry you can scroll down below to find best home remedies for common cold during pregnancy.
Buy best quality of green tea, never get attracted towards cheap brands they might be lacking important green tea properties.
Drink green tea twice a day to improve immune system and prevent flu and cough.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is best remedy for flu and cough. For centuries vinegar is used in households and for cooking purpose. But there is so many medical benefits of apple cider vinegar. It can prevent high blood pressure and can cure eczema.
It has been used as disinfectant for centuries and hold antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. If a bacterial infection is the root of sore throat then apple cider vinegar is the remedy. Apple cider vinegar kills bacteria and reduce throat pain.
Apple cider vinegar can treat common cold by reducing the flu symptoms. The power of anti-viral property of apple cider vinegar is the key to cure cold.
how to use?

• Take 2 table-spoon of apple cider vinegar add 1 spoon honey and lemon juice.
• Stir them well to make a smooth textured syrup.
• Consumption of this syrup can help you in getting rid of common cold overnight.

Turmeric remedy for flu

Ayurveda says turmeric as superior remedy in comparison to conventional medication. Turmeric has no count to its health benefit, it is cure of over dozen of  health problem such as common cold.
Turmeric have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, anti-coagulant, and pain killer properties. It can bust flu symptoms overnight and turmeric is the key natural component which can improve immune system.
Therefore, turmeric is best remedy for cold and sore throat. Consuming turmeric can prevent common cold and help your stay headache free.
Anti-inflammation property of turmeric can reduce throat swelling and pain. It remove cough and reduce chest problems you get when you suffer from cold.
How to use?

• Take 1 table-spoon of turmeric and mix it in 200ml of milk.
• Drink turmeric milk twice a day on a window of 12 hours to improve immune system.
• In addition, to turmeric you can also add 1 spoon of honey to add more benefits plus sweetness.
• Hence, do this every day, because it will prevent occurrence of common cold in future.

Holy Basil (Tulsi)

Tulsi is one of the best medicinal herb ever discovered. Holy Basil is an excellent antibiotic, germicidal, fungicidal and disinfectant agent and very efficiently protects our body from all sorts of bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
Common cold is viral infection and holy basil hold antibiotic properties which reduces the flu symptoms and promotes good immune. Tulsi tea is among the best home remedies on earth.
Holy basil tea can cure sore throat, reduce cough production and reduce all flu symptoms at once. Hence consumption of tulsi in any way will reduce frequent viral infection and prevents bacterial disease. Many people have habit of drinking holy basil tea every day and they have 60 percent less chances of getting cold.
How to take tulsi?

• Consume Holy basil tea twice a day to improve immune system.
• Add 20 tulsi leaves and 1 tea-spoon of turmeric in 250ml milk.
• Blend this milk for 5 minutes to prepare the remedy.
• In addition, to that you can also add honey for taste.
• Drink this everyday before going to bed, as a result it will reduce all flu symptoms.

Heat Therapy

When we suffer from cold and cough happens it produces phlegm. Phlegm is the thick viscous substance secreted by the mucous membranes of the respiratory passages, especially when produced in excessive quantities during a cold. 
Heat therapy is a good alternative to loosen up this phlegm in chest. The effort is to provide continuous warmness to chest, it will relax the chest muscle and reduces the phlegm viscosity. Heat therapy will help you in coughing up phlegm easily.
Things you need:

• Water holding tube or simple hot water bottle
• Towel ( just to hold warm bottle).

Direction of Uses:

• Fill the bottle up to 80 percent with warm water.
• Make sure water is not steaming hot, you should consider moderate hot water.
• Wrap a thin cloth or towel around it.
• Put this bottle over chest and cover entire chest by changing bottle position.
• Do this heat therapy for cold chest twice a day.

Sore Throat and Cough Gargle

Sore throat and cough can create pain in throat and the best way to impact this throat issue directly is to gargle. Due to cold, cough phlegm and sore throat is common and gargle can reduce throat swelling and pain effectively.
Obviously you can not use anything for gargle, you have to focus on natural products which hold antibacterial and anti-viral properties such as apple cider vinegar, lemon, sea salt and more. Its better to experiment with these three natures gift.
Directions of Gargle: 
Gargle Experiment 1 – Drop 10-15 drops of apple cider vinegar in warm water and stir well and then gargle 3 times back to back. Take a 2-3 minutes break and then repeat this untill your solution is over. As a result you will feel relaxation in throat.
Gargle Experiment 2 – Mix 1 tea-spoon sea salt with 2 lemon juice in 250 ml of warm water. Try not to burn your throat with steaming hot water. Therefore stick with moderate warm water. Gargle back to back for 3 times then take a break of 2 minutes. Repeat this until you finish your warm water solution.
Gargle conclusion: Compare both experiments and pick one which have more effects on you. It is also good practice if your incorporate both. Finally this will help you release easy cough and reduce throat pain.

Home Remedies for common cold during Pregnancy

When you women are pregnant their immune system is weak, which helps body to accept unborn baby. During pregnancy women are highly at risk to multiple cold effects like common cold, flu, stuffy nose, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Home Remedies for Common Cold During Pregnancy

Pregnant women can fight common cold by home remedies. Because natural products does not hold  harsh lab chemical and prevent any complications in pregnancy. Keeping in mind that you are pregnant you can’t eat every natural product. Therefore, I compiled the best nature product you can use to fight flu and reduce cold symptoms.

Coughing Out Phlegm by Gargle

Most pregnant women reported that get cough and sore through more often. So gargle is best practice you can try because you don’t have to swallow anything. Gargle is like natural massage of throat, as a result it helps in reducing throat pain and helps in coughing out phlegm easily. Anti-bacterial and anti-viral natural products are a thing to use in gargle like apple cider vinegar, sea salt, honey,etc.
Directions: Avoid apple cider vinegar because you are pregnant, so go with honey and sea salt. Add 1 tea-spoon of sea salt with 1 tea-spoon of pure natural honey in 200 ml of warm water. Don’t use steaming hot water as it can hurt your throat. Use this sea salt, honey and warm water solution for gargle and do this 3 times in a day to reduce cough and flu symptoms.

Lemon and Honey to reduce flu

Honey have strong antibacterial and anti-viral properties and lemon is vitamin C rich, as a result this duo makes them best common cold fighting hero. Vitamin C improves your digestion and immune system, hence reduces the chance of viral-infection. Lemon contains so many minerals which helps you fight infection during pregnancy. Those minerals are thiamin, calcium, folate, copper, manganese, B-6, all which are vital for strong immune.
Honey reduces the chance of getting sick by strengthening immune and burns extra fat. Lemon and honey tea can also help you get rid of morning sickness and nausea.
Direction of uses:

• Squeeze juice out of 2 normal size lemons.
• Take one spoon of honey and 4-5 grated parsley leaves.
• Add all of them in 150 ml of warm water and mix them well.
• As a result consumption of lemon-honey tea 2 times a day improve immune and reduce cough and cold.

Stay Hydrated in Pregnancy

While pregnancy you must remain hydrated throughout the day. Pregnancy put your body at extra hour work and also require more energy in order of healthy baby development. Good amount of water in body improves nutrients supply to cell and promote strong immune.
Try to intake a lot of liquids, it can be in any form from herbal tea to healthy drinks. The ultimate mantra is to have sufficient water intake to support baby overall growth.

Face Steam Therapy

Face steam therapy help you to get rid of stuffy nose and help you breathe. Steam therapy will reduce chest congestions and kill cold virus and bacteria. Steam remedy is best for flu during pregnancy due to its heat impact on nostril and chest.
Direction of use: Boil a bowl of water for 10 minutes and take down bowl from stove. Now put 10-15 leaves of rosemary and lavender in to hot water and cover this for 5 minutes. Now take a towel and cover your head and make a tent like structure. Bring the leaves filled bowl inside this towel tent and breath for 5 minutes. Rosemary and Lavender leaves will provide their antibacterial properties to help kill the bacteria. You can try this remedy 2 times a day to get rid of flu and its symptom.

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint is great home remedy due to its ability to improve digestion, eliminate inflammation, reduce pain and other healing properties. Not just in common cold condition peppermint is extremely effective if you have bad breath.
Peppermint is also known for its antibacterial property, due to this it is bes common cold home remedy during pregnancy. It has also evidence of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants in peppermint. It also improve uptake of nutrients in body.

How to make peppermint tea?

• Pluck 15-20 peppermint leaves and dry them in sunlight for 2 hours.
• Drop leaves in boiling water and cover the saucepan for 5 minutes.
• Pour this into strainer over a cup.
• Add honey as a sweetener according to your taste.

Consuming peppermint tea everyday will improve immune plus help you in reducing flu symptoms.

Oregano and Oregano oil for cough

Oregano leaves are used in over 2 dozens of medicine because of its ability to treat respiratory tract disorder such as cough, asthma, croup and cold bronchitis. Most of all respiratory medicine will have traces or oregano in it.
The oil of oregano is taken by mouth for intestinal parasites, allergies, sinus pain,arthritis, cold and flu, swine flu, earache, and fatigue as stated in webmd.
Oregano contains chemicals that might help reduce cough and spasms. Oregano also might help digestion by increasing bile flow and fighting against some bacteria, viruses, fungi, intestinal worms, and other parasites.
Direction of use: After every meal drink 2 drops of oregano oil with honey and milk. This will kill cold virus and improves digestion.

Elderberry Smoothie

Elderberry is powerful antioxidant and it is widely used for treatment of coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not.
Elderberry should be eaten only if they are properly ripped. so make sure when you are shopping elderberries then check they are ripped well. It have the ability to kill cold causing bacteria and reduce throat pain. You must eat elderberries in evening everyday to improve immune and fight common cold.

How to make elderberry smoothie?

• You need 10-20 elderberries, yogurt, skimmed milk.
• Take a blender and put 20 elderberries, one scoop of yogurt and 250 ml skimmed milk.
• Blend this for 5 minutes, as a result you will have a soft textured elderberry smoothie.
• Put this smoothie in fridge for 10 minutes and then after drink cold and tasty elderberry smoothie.

Thyme Tea

Thyme is an excellent source of vitamin C, A, and iron, due to this thyme improves immune system. When thyme is steeped in alcohol for days or weeks, it turns into a solution known as a tincture.Researchers in the U.K. have tested the effects of thyme tinctures on acne.
Thyme tea is best natural remedy for common cold in pregnant women because of its antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-viral properties. Its tea is highly effective on cold and flu when drank daily. Thyme is either in dry form or soft form. Add thyme leaves in your meals at the end of preparation.

How to make Thyme Tea?

• Drop 10-20 thyme leaves into 200 ml of boiling water.
• Let it boil for 10 minutes and then pour it on strainer over a mug.
• Thyme is not nice tasting so prefer adding some honey as sweetener.
• Addition of honey will also boost the antibacterial level of tea, due to this it will become more effective on cold and flu.

Nasal saline drops

Nasal saline drops are an effective way of fighting blocked nose and cold. They make blood vessels in nose contract and dilutes mucus and reduce sinus. Nasal saline drops or spray is very beneficial when you are pregnant as they don’t create any kind of pregnancy complication.
Direction: If your nose is stuffy and block then remove mucus first. Lay down on bed  and then after, put appropriate dosage in nose and stay lying for 10 minutes.

Common Cold Home Remedies for Infants, Toddlers, Babies

This section of article will give you natural remedies for common cold and cough in babies (from 3 months to 3-4 years, and over 5 years baby you can go with adult suggestions in the upper section of this remedy list).

Home Remedies For common Cold in Infants, Baby and Toddlers

Garlic Cloves in Mustard oil

Babies are delicate and anything inappropriate can affect on their health adversely. So I tried to filter best remedies with no side-effects. Massage of mustard oil with garlic boiled in it can help toddlers breath again.
The massage will relax their muscles and garlic scent will kill cold and cough causing bacteria. Simply put few garlic cloves in 3 spoon of mustard oil and boil it for 10 minutes. Let the oil cool down and then rub this on babies chest, on nose, and neck. Baby will recover from cold very soon.

Milk and Holy Basil (Tulsi)

When your baby is suffering from cough and cold try not to feed plain milk. Tulsi is a plant basically found in India and it is widely used as antibacterial and anti-viral. Holy Basil can cure baby cold if given along with milk.
Take 2-3 leaves of holy basil(Tulsi) and break into smaller parts. Then drop them into boiling milk let the milk boil for next 5 minutes. Give this milk with tulsi to baby twice a day. It will reduce symptoms of cold in baby.

Moringa Leaves Hair Oil (Drumstick leaves hair oil)

Moringa oil is used in various medicines because of it anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, and disinfectant properties. It is really a miracle remedy for cough and cold in baby. Moringa oil or drumstick oil is used as natural remedies from centuries because it can cure over 12 different health issues in adults and toddlers.
Directions: Heat one spoon of coconut oil for 1 minute and then add 5-10 drops of drumstick leaves oil in it. Let it sit on stove for 2 more minutes. Leave this warm oil for some time to cool down, then apply this as hair oil on baby when ever they get cough, common cold, stuffy nose.

Roasted Turmeric Root Rub on Baby Nose

Turmeric is powered with healing properties, it holds antibacterial and curcumin which works as powerful anti-oxidant. It is very helpful in curing cold, cough, and stuffy nose in baby.
Direction: Take 2 turmeric root and put them on sieve or sifter. Now put this sifter over fire and let turmeric root get burnt. Then dry blend these burnt turmeric roots to make powder. Mix this powder with warm mustard oil and make a paste. Apply this paste on nose bridge of baby. let it dry naturally.

Ajwain Soup

Ajowan or Ajwain is used as medicinal plant in Ayurvedic medicine. It is among the potent natural medicine to kill worms and virus. Ajwain can help you treat influenza and toothache.
What you need?

• 2 pinch of rosted ajwain powder
• one pinch of turmeric
• 2 roasted tulsi leaves.

Direction:

• Drop all the ingredients in a cup of boiling water in saucepan.
• Cover saucepan for 10 minutes then stove the heat.
• Cool down the soup by continuous stiring.
• Give this soup to baby twice a day.

Note:- Taste might be bitter so consider adding few drops of honey in the soup. Give only one big spoon of soup in single time.

Coconut oil

This cold remedy for infants and toddler is external. Take 2 spoon of coconut oil and add 4-5 roasted holy basil leaves, and one pinch of powdered camphor. Mix them well and then massage baby chest and back. Rub this oil over the nose bridge and neck.
Better apply this on chest and back before baby go to sleep in night for better effects.

Honey

A bit of sweetness never hurts, honey have strong antibacterial and soothing properties. It will recude cough and sore throat problem in baby. Put 2-3 drops of pure natural honey and let baby lick it. You can give this honey day 2-3 times a day, it will help baby recover from cold and cough.

Bonus Cold Remedy

Nettle Leaf

Nettle leaf is a powerful illness preventing and immune supporting natural herb. The stinging nettles have potent antibacterial activity. In a study published in the “Journal of Biological Chemistry,” lectin agglutinin has chitin-binding properties which result in strong antifungal and mild antibacterial functions.
According to the “University of Maryland Medical Center,” you can drink nettle tea three to four cups per day but always drink plenty of water after that. Because nettle trigger thirst and to over come that feeling.
Note:- Never take nettle remedy if you are pregnant or expecting pregnancy in near future because it can create complication in menstural cycle.

Conclusion: All these common cold home remedies are very effective. They can cure almost every cold symptoms such as sore throat, cough, congestion, stuffy nose, body pain, and headache. So let us know which remedy worked best on you and kids.

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