for the sick people

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Alternative Remedies for Fighting a Cold

By <A

HREF= " http://aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/content/Biography/1/1756_53184.htm " >Gin\

a Shaw</A>

WebMD Medical News Reviewed

By <A

HREF= " http://aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/content/Biography/7/1756_53722.htm " >Gar\

y Vogin, MD</A>

Feb. 27, 2002 --

Got the familiar coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and plain old misery of a

cold? Before you hit the drugstore, be sure you have taken full advantage of

the treatments you probably have at home. After all, Grandma really was on to

 

something good when she was pushing the chicken soup. " Many of the basic,

common-sense therapies that mothers and grandmothers have depended on through

 

the years are still valid, " says Mary L. Hardy, MD, director of the

Integrative Medicine Group at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and an assistant

clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of

Medicine. " For example, chicken soup not only helps break up nasal

congestion, but many recipes include garlic, which has antibiotic

properties. " If you're in good general health, folk remedies like chicken

soup can be very effective in treating a routine cold, Hardy notes. And she

has some favorites. Be sure to review the following list with your doctor, so

 

you both can decide which ones are right for you. This is especially

important if you are pregnant or nursing, if you take other medications that

could have interactions with home remedies, and if you have allergies or

other sensitivities to complementary medicines. Children have health concerns

 

of their own, so be sure to discuss any remedy with your pediatrician as

well. Ready for Hardy's Healthy Dozen? Here we go:

 

Water. Remember when Mom told you to drink lots of fluids? There's a reason

for that. " Your body doesn't work well if the mucous membranes aren't

lubricated, " Hardy explains. Drink plenty of water, and then create some

steam by boiling water or by using a clean humidifier to keep things moist.

(Remember, you lose a lot of fluids when you're sick. You need to replace

them.) If you have a fever, you can soak in cool water, but don't make your

bath cold because you don't want things to be jarring.

 

Spice up your life. Ever noticed that your nose often runs when you eat spicy

 

Mexican or Indian food? That's because spices help to clear the sinuses. If

you're all plugged up, add horseradish, hot peppers (like cayenne, curry, and

 

chilies) and other spices to your diet to help clear things up.

 

Wild cherry bark tea. Have you ever wondered why so many cough syrups and

lozenges are wild cherry flavored? (It's not just for taste, which doesn't

even work all that well when you are sick anyway.) At the turn of the last

century, most cough syrup was extracted from the bark of the wild cherry

tree.

 

The three Gs: garlic, ginger, and goldenseal. These herbs and spices have

antiviral, antiseptic, or antibiotic properties. Your nearest and dearest may

 

not care for your breath, but garlic is most effective when eaten raw:

Cooking reduces its potency. You can try ginger and goldenseal in both

capsule and tea form.

 

Eucalyptus. If Mom ever slapped Vicks VapoRub on your chest when you were a

kid, you've had a eucalyptus treatment. But you can make your own eucalyptus

inhaler: Just put a couple of drops of essential eucalyptus oil into the

water when you're preparing for a steam treatment.

 

Honey and lemon. There's a reason everyone tells you to drink tea with honey

and lemon when you get a cold. " They're soothing, calming, vulnerary

[healing] agents. They heal up inflammation, " Hardy explains. Licorice also

has vulnerary properties and may reduce inflammation. " A lot of coughs are

not productive. They're just dry tickles. Honey and lemon can help lubricate

the throat and produce saliva, reducing the dry tickle. "

 

Fruit juice. You've drunk an ocean of OJ and an orchard of apple juice,

right? Well, keep going. Consider diluting particularly sugary fruit juices

with water to reduce the sugar content, since some believe that too much

sugary foods can hinder your immune response. Other good sources of vitamin C

 

are rose hip teas and " zinger " teas, she says.

 

Osha root. This remedy comes to us from the Native Americans, who chewed osha

 

root to fight a cold. Native American grandmas knew what they were talking

about too, since osha and another common Native American alternative, wild

indigo, have immune-stimulating properties. " Osha has numbing properties as

well as antiseptic and immune properties. It's included in a lot of modern

remedies, " Hardy says.

 

Lemon balm. This herb garden standard has been found to have some antiviral

properties. " It's also calming and helps to soothe the stomach as well, "

Hardy notes.

 

Elderflower. Teas and syrups made from elderflower, elderberry, and chamomile

 

may help to reduce fever.

 

Thyme. Antibacterial properties in this herb may help with upper respiratory

symptoms.

 

Fenugreek. A multipurpose legume used often in curries, chutneys, and soups,

fenugreek has mucus-thinning action that may help unblock your nasal

passages. And of course, be sure to stay in close communication with your

doctor while you are ill. You may need more care if your sickness seems to be

 

lingering longer than it should. " If your cold is not acting like a normal

cold, or if it has lasted more than a short amount of time, go see your

doctor to be sure you don't have a more serious condition like pneumonia, "

Hardy says. The elderly, people with compromised immune systems, and anyone

with chronic health problems should be particularly alert to symptoms and be

vaccinated against influenza.

 

© 2002 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

 

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Anna

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

SWEET! I love home remedies.

Thanx.

Lady Elisa

 

 

=====

Lady Elisa

 

" If I had a world of my own everything would be nonsense. "

Alice from Disney's Alice in Wonderland

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

If people get chicken pox, and you feed them chicken noodle soup ...........

does that mean chickens get people pox and you feed them people noodle soup??

Sorry, couldn't resist! )

CT