How to quickly cure cough and runny nose in winter

A common cold is a painful human condition caused by respiratory viruses. The mucous membrane of the respiratory system, which is affected by viruses, exhibits a protective reaction in the form of cough and runny nose. To treat colds, antiviral, immunostimulating agents, cough and runny nose medications are prescribed, in case of fever - antipyretic medications, and in case of complications - antibiotics. Traditional medicine is an effective complement to traditional treatment. What folk remedies for colds, runny nose and cough are most effective and how to use them correctly?

Herbal recipes for cold cough

One of the first signs of a cold is a cough. It is a reaction of the body at the reflex level, aimed at eliminating irritation of the bronchial mucosa. A cold cough can be dry or wet, short-term or prolonged. It must be treated without fail, otherwise the problem may develop into a chronic one.

Before choosing one of the common folk recipes, you should consult with your doctor about the rationality of supplementing therapy with such actions. Many recipes are based on the use of natural resources. If there is a danger of allergies, the use of popular remedies is not advisable.

What to drink when you have a cold can only be determined by a doctor; self-medication in this case is unacceptable. Along with prescribed medications, it is effective to use folk remedies for coughs and colds. They help to quickly cure a cough and also prevent its occurrence. The selection of medications depends on the nature of the cough. Treatment of coughs and colds in adults and children should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

From dry and painful

A dry cough during a cold is also characterized as unproductive. Most often, it does not alleviate the condition, but irritates the mucous membrane even more.

With milk

At all times, milk-based recipes have been used effectively for dry cough:

Milk and honey. Dissolve 2 tbsp in 300 ml of warm milk. honey and drink throughout the day. Using the drink before bedtime prevents coughing attacks during sleep.
2 tbsp. dissolve honey in 0.3 liters of milk, add 0.5 tsp. soda The product will help eliminate dry cough in adults by intensively separating phlegm and sweat. Children should use this recipe with caution.
Mix warm milk with alkaline mineral water in equal proportions and drink in one gulp. The drink perfectly moisturizes the throat, removes mucus, cleansing the lungs and bronchi and warming them up.
A glass of warm milk with 50 g of butter or melted lard will eliminate sore throat, soften the airways, warm them up, and also promote the removal of mucus.

With honey

Honey in various drinks not only copes with coughs, but also strengthens the immune system:

In 2 tbsp. add chopped onion and honey and let it brew overnight. Drink the resulting juice throughout the day.
Take a large radish, make a large hole in it with a knife and put honey there to the edge. After an hour and a half, the juice will begin to separate from the fruit, which should be consumed 1 tsp. during the day (at least 5 times).

Herbal infusions

Breast preparations, which include licorice root, marshmallow, linden inflorescences, chamomile flowers, leaves with raspberry fruits, coltsfoot leaves, are highly effective in the fight against dry cough. Mixtures with such ingredients in the amount of 1 tbsp. steam with boiling water, let it brew for 2 hours and drink with honey after meals.

Compresses

Warming compresses are effective for non-productive coughs. They relieve pain, stimulate local blood circulation, and also promote vasodilation. This speeds up the liquefaction and removal of mucus.

Heat compresses are prohibited at elevated temperatures. They should not be given to young children without a doctor’s permission.

Compresses should be placed on the sternum, upper back, and throat. They have the greatest effect when used before bed. The compress is made from successive layers:

a wide bandage or cloth impregnated with the active substance that will come into contact with the skin;
a layer of cellophane or parchment;
warm layer (woolen scarf, thick towel, sweater, etc.).

For a wet compress, impregnations from the following components are used:

Vegetable oil. It is heated in the microwave or in a water bath. Can be used in a mixture with honey and vodka.
Honey and cabbage leaves. Pour boiling water over the leaves and grease with liquid warm honey, then apply the greased side to the body for a couple of hours, wrapping it in other layers.
Apple cider vinegar and water. Mix in a ratio of 1:3 and soak the compress. Leave for no more than 20 minutes.
A vodka compress (or alcohol with water in a ratio of 1:2) perfectly warms the chest, liquefies it and provokes the discharge of sputum.

Before applying compresses, it is recommended to lubricate the skin with natural oil.

Video recipe

Rubbing

Rubbing the chest with fat-based ointments works well for dry coughs. They are suitable even for children. Contraindication is high temperature during a cold. For these purposes, badger, goat, bear, mutton, interior, and pork fat are used. They intensively rub the skin in the sternum area, then wrap the area warmly and leave it overnight.

From wet

The main task of wet cough remedies is to remove mucus and provide an expectorant effect.

Licorice is an effective herbal remedy

A cough that is accompanied by sputum production during a cold can be effectively treated with the use of licorice (another name is licorice). It is recommended to use the following recipes containing it:

Licorice infusion. 1 tbsp. steam the crushed root or its powder with a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes in a water bath. Then leave for 15 minutes, add clean water so that about 0.3 liters come out, and consume throughout the day.
Alcohol tincture. Add licorice root to vodka in a ratio of 5:1. Leave in a dry, dark place for 14 days. Take 30 drops twice a day with water.

Recipes with other herbs

Herbal recipes based on other medicinal plants help treat wet cough with rhinitis:

A decoction of flax seeds. 2 tsp seeds, pour 0.3 liters of water and cook for 10-15 minutes over low heat. Add honey and consume throughout the day.
Sage with milk. Pour a tablespoon of dry sage herb into 200 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for 30 minutes, strain and mix with slightly warmed milk. Drink in equal parts throughout the day. The infusion is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Inhalations with tea tree oil - 10 drops per liter of water.

From lingering

When a severe cough due to a cold does not cure for a long time, this indicates the ineffectiveness of treatment or the addition of inflammation, infection and other complications. There are traditional ways to get rid of this cough. In addition to the main treatment, you can use the following traditional medicine:

Mix 0.5 kg of chopped onions with 400 g of sugar and 2 tbsp. honey Pour the mixture into 0.5 liters of water and cook for 3 hours over low heat. For severe and prolonged cough, take 1 tbsp. 5-6 times a day. Store the elixir in the refrigerator.
Onions can also be used externally. Grind a large onion to a puree consistency, mix with 2 tbsp. goose fat. Rub the chest before going to bed and wrap it warmly. To enhance the effect, you can eat 2 tsp in the morning. such a mixture.
Mix horseradish juice and honey in proportions 1:3. Take a tablespoon after meals throughout the day.
Add 50 g of raisins to 300 ml of boiling water. Leave in a thermal container for 45 minutes, then strain the liquid, mix it with fresh onion juice in the amount of 3 tbsp. You should drink the mixture before bed and wrap yourself well after taking the product.
Compress with potatoes. Boil the potatoes in their skins, then mash them well. Add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil and 3-4 drops of iodine. Mix everything, put it on a cloth, and then on the body (potato mixture to the skin). Then wrap your chest in a woolen blanket. Leave for about an hour. It is better to carry out the procedure before bedtime.

All folk remedies for cough should be used as an addition to the main treatment, having previously discussed them with your doctor.

Treatment effectiveness

Cough and runny nose are symptoms that often occur at the same time, but their causes can vary. How to treat at home and is it safe? To make sure the decision is correct, you need to know what causes the condition violation.

Most often, a person complains of nasal congestion and cough during a cold, that is, an infectious inflammation of the respiratory tract caused by hypothermia. Colds are often referred to as various types of ARVI - acute respiratory viral infections (influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial infection, etc.), transmitted by airborne droplets.

At the same time, respiratory allergosis (allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis) can be mistaken for a cold or ARVI. This happens because with nasal congestion and cough of an allergic nature, an increase in body temperature to subfebrile levels is sometimes recorded, which is mistakenly considered as a reliable sign of an infectious process.

Quick treatment is not always possible, since inflammatory processes occur sequentially, in stages, and recovery, even with active therapy, occurs only after a few days. The main goal is to relieve symptoms and prevent complications that can significantly prolong the course of the disease.

When starting treatment at home, you need to clearly understand what the cause of a runny nose and cough is. Many folk recipes that can relieve colds are contraindicated in case of allergies.

In addition, additional pharmacological drugs are often required, and refusal of them leads to a worsening of the condition, the transition of inflammation to a chronic form. Therefore, it is important, even with home treatment, to first consult a doctor.

It is also necessary to understand that some patients suffering from cough and runny nose require treatment in a hospital setting. It is required if the patient is in serious condition: severe weakness, high body temperature and chills, a “chest”, deep or, conversely, hysterical, dry and very painful cough; there is an admixture of pus, blood, and necrotic elements in the sputum.

A coughing child with a stuffy nose should be shown to a specialist, even if his condition is relatively satisfactory - many pathological processes in children occur faster and more severely than in adults. It is impossible to treat children using traditional medicine recipes without a doctor’s recommendation.

Treatment of a runny nose with folk remedies

Folk remedies for cough and runny nose should be used in combination, since snot and cough are associated symptoms of a cold. To quickly cure a cold, you should focus your energy on clearing the nasopharynx of mucus.

To restore breathing

The simplest and most effective remedy that folk recipes offer for a runny nose is rinsing your nose with salt. Dissolve sea (or regular table) salt in slightly warm water in a bowl at the rate of 2 tsp. per glass of water. Immerse your nose in the water and sharply inhale through each nostril in turn. Some of the water can come out through the mouth, the rest is removed along with the snot when you blow your nose. Repeat inhalations 3-4 times on each side. The procedure is carried out 3 times a day.

Homemade inhalation will help cope with a runny nose during a cold. Chop the onion and garlic in an amount of 2 tablespoons, place on the bottom of a cup, and place the cup in hot water in a saucepan. Make a funnel with a thin end from thick paper, which is placed over the cup so that the end with the hole can be inserted into the nostril. Breathe the vapors for 10 minutes on each side 4 times a day.

Dry mustard powder, which is placed in socks and put on your feet at night, also helps restore breathing. Put on another warm pair of socks on top.

Anti-inflammatory recipes

Treatment of cough and runny nose should be aimed at relieving inflammation of the mucous membrane. To eliminate the inflammatory process, the following is instilled into the nose:

aloe juice 5 drops 4 times a day;
a weak solution of soda with propolis (3-4 drops) 3 times a day;
coltsfoot juice 4-5 drops three times a day.
juice of pinnate Kalanchoe according to the same scheme.

Crushed garlic will also help. Cotton swabs are soaked in garlic and inserted into the nose. First you need to lubricate its mucous membrane with Vaseline.

Salt nasal rinses with the addition of calendula juice or tincture (2 tsp soda, 10 drops or 10 ml of calendula per glass of water) are also suitable.

Moisturizing and healing the nasal mucosa

A runny nose and various manipulations to treat it dry out and injure the nasal mucosa. To restore it, treat the mucous membrane with the following means:

vitamins A, E;
baby cream with aloe juice (you can take approximately equal parts);
Vaseline with melted propolis;
flax or tea tree oil (the latter must be diluted with olive or pasteurized sunflower oil in a ratio of 1:10).

When you have a cold, it is recommended to humidify the air in the room to maintain the condition of the mucous membrane and facilitate the healing process.

Precautions and contraindications

Some components of folk recipes, especially herbs, can provoke allergic reactions.

When using the products, you should monitor your body temperature. Most of them are contraindicated at high thermometers and even at low-grade fever. Many of the traditional medicine recipes are prohibited for use by pregnant women, as well as during breastfeeding. Traditional treatment for colds, runny nose and cough is not always suitable for children.

Also, natural-based products tend to have an effect on other body systems. Therefore, before using them, you should definitely consult a doctor to avoid contraindications and achieve maximum effect from treatment.

How to quickly cure a cough and runny nose?

The mildest and most common ailments are runny nose and cough. A runny nose can be an independent disease when the mucous membrane of the nasal passages becomes inflamed. A cough is often a consequence of a developing disease in the respiratory tract, which irritates the nerve endings and provokes a reflex reaction. All people experience these symptoms in autumn, winter and spring, when sudden temperature changes, cold snaps and thaws occur. How to quickly recover from emerging ailments that interfere with normal work or study?