The most effective folk remedies for acute respiratory infections

Acute respiratory diseases do not have a viral etiology, unlike ARVI. They are not transmitted by airborne droplets, and anyone can get them, regardless of the time of year and epidemiological period. Treatment of acute respiratory infections should be comprehensive, and it is best to start from the moment the first ailment and accompanying symptoms are detected. Acute respiratory infections are expressed mainly in diseases of the respiratory organs; they are almost always accompanied by acute rhinitis, dry cough or bronchitis, a sharp and sustained increase in body temperature, general weakness and malaise. The first signs can even be complicated by fainting conditions and periodic clouding of consciousness. It depends on the person’s immunity and the state of the body.

Treatment of acute respiratory infections with folk remedies often gives a more pronounced and effective result than resorting to finished medicinal products. Traditional medicine provides safety compared to taking antibiotics and other potent drugs. At the same time, the treatment is effective from the first days. You should turn to traditional treatment methods immediately after detecting the first acute signs of a respiratory disease.

Symptoms of acute respiratory disease

ARI is characterized by severe symptoms, and its treatment often depends on what exactly is bothering the person. Acute respiratory infections include influenza diseases, bronchitis, acute rhinitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Signs of acute respiratory infections can be expressed as follows:

• Fever and chills;
• A sharp increase in temperature;
• General weakness, often clouding of consciousness. The patient is so weakened that he often cannot bear the discomfort on his legs;
• Irritation, dryness and sore throat;
• Increased sweating;
• Nasal congestion;
• Severe runny nose with copious mucous secretions;
• Sneezing;
• Dry cough or cough with wheezing and whistling characteristic of bronchitis.

Can I use medications?

When treating ARVI at home, situations may arise when the use of medications is completely justified. Rhinitis (runny nose) and severe nasal congestion can cause particular discomfort. For some patients, these symptoms make it difficult to sleep well at night. This means you can’t get proper rest.

In such a situation, vasoconstrictor nasal drops and sprays should be used. We bring to your attention a small list of such medicines:

• Vibrocil;
• Nazivin;
• Afrin;
• Otrivin and others.

Please note that vasoconstrictor drugs cannot be used continuously for more than 3-5 days.

Treatment of the disease in adults

Traditional medicine offers many treatment methods. However, first of all, you need to understand which symptom bothers you the most. If you have yellowish and green mucus in your nasopharynx, this is a sign that the immune system is actively fighting the disease. The disease begins to recede on its own within 5-7 days.

To prevent acute respiratory infections, it is enough to dress warmly, especially during seasons of sharp temperature changes, and do not neglect hygiene standards. Those who suffer from serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory diseases are especially susceptible to acute respiratory infections. Acute respiratory infections are most often observed in children and the elderly, but no adult is immune from it.

The most effective prevention of the disease is taking immunomodulatory drugs, multivitamin complexes, and hardening procedures. Regular ventilation of the room, wet cleaning and regular exposure to fresh air are also important.

Dangerous symptoms

ARVI should not be underestimated. An innocent name does not mean that the disease cannot bring a lot of problems. Therefore, it is important to immediately pay attention to the first signs, that is, the body’s signals that it is in danger:

• sneezing;
• cough, dry or wet;
• headache;
• malaise and fatigue;
• discharge from the nasal cavity;
• sore throat;
• lack of appetite;
• insomnia;
• muscle pain;
• increase in size of lymph nodes.

These unpleasant sensations often precede the fact that the temperature begins to rise.
People say “the body aches.” This is enough to understand that you have become infected. However, colds without fever also happen: treatment in this case is different and must be agreed upon with your local physician. The absence of fever may indicate weak immunity. The body needs timely and well-chosen therapy.

The body begins to fight the infection on its own. During the struggle, toxins are formed. They must be taken out so that recovery occurs as soon as possible.

How to relieve symptoms of weakness and fever?

There are many methods to overcome the first symptoms of malaise and fever using natural remedies and products. Traditional medicine involves herbal medicine, treatment with tea and hot milk.

1. Raspberries. Even doctors recommend treatment with raspberries. The berry contains many vitamins that have anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and antipyretic effects. It is consumed fresh or frozen, and also as jam added to strong hot tea. For one mug of tea, 1-2 teaspoons of raspberry jam is enough. This folk medicine should be taken several times a day. Before going to bed, a decoction or tea with the addition of chamomile and raspberries is perfect.
2. Milk with honey. This recipe mainly fights fever and general malaise. To prepare it, boil the milk, skim off the foam, and add liquid natural honey to the hot drink. Mix thoroughly and drink before bed.
3. Milk with onions. Onion milk, despite not the most pleasant combination, is quite a tasty drink. It copes especially well with coughs, also eliminating symptoms of the general condition. To prepare it, you should cut the onion into rings, or put half of the peeled onion in a container. Pour milk into a container, bring to a boil over low heat, then remove and strain. This recipe will help soothe your cough, especially if you drink it before bed. The drink also has a mucolytic effect, which is especially useful if you have a dry cough.
4. Lemon juice with honey. To do this you will need freshly squeezed lemon juice, which should be mixed with 1 tbsp. cognac and 1 tbsp. honey Mix the ingredients thoroughly until you obtain a homogeneous consistency, let it brew for a day in a cool, dry place. You need to take 1 tbsp. mixtures several times a day.
5. Phytotherapy. To prepare a medicinal drink, you need 25 g of linden blossom, which can be purchased from homeopaths and herbalists. Mix dried raspberries with fruits (can be replaced with raspberry jam), pour in 0.5 liters of dry boiling water, cover the container with a cloth or lid, and let it brew for at least half an hour. Drink in limited portions, about 1/4 glass 3-4 times a day.
6. Vegetable juice. We are talking about freshly squeezed juice from quality vegetables. To do this you will need beets, black radish and carrots in equal proportions (100-200 g each). Squeeze the juice from the vegetables, strain it and take 1 tbsp. three times a day, during or before meals.
7. Garlic and onion. It's no secret that garlic and onions have immunostimulating and antimicrobial effects. The phytoncides and flavonoids contained in these products help cure any viral or cold disease. To prepare the medicine, grind the garlic in a garlic press to make a paste with plenty of juice. Stir with 3 tbsp. liquid honey and take this medicine 1 tsp. several times a day, washed down with plenty of warm distilled water.

All these recipes can be used as a treatment for acute respiratory infections in adults and children. However, when treating children, you should avoid both ready-made and folk remedies that contain ethyl alcohol.

Treatment of a runny nose

Treatment for acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections is often aimed at acute sinusitis, which causes the most discomfort and reduces the quality of life. To treat it, you can independently make drops and infusions, which should be injected into the nasal passages using a special pipette.

• Oil drops. Concentrated oil solutions are especially suitable for treating a runny nose with acute respiratory infections. You can mix olive, peach or menthol oil with one drop of ylang-ylang, cedar or eucalyptus essential oil. Mix the oil mixture with water thoroughly and drop it into the nasal passages.
• Beet juice. Beetroot juice is an excellent remedy for rhinitis, even if it has become chronic. To do this, you need to squeeze and strain the vegetable juice, mix it with eucalyptus essential oil and honey, drop it into the nasal passages and cover them with cotton swabs for 10-15 minutes. At this time, it is advisable to take a horizontal body position.
• Propolis. It copes well with runny noses, including complicated ones. To do this, you need to purchase or make your own concentrated alcohol tincture of propolis (3%), soak cotton pads or tampons in it and treat the nasal passages.
• Soda and salt. Sea salt and regular baking soda are great for a runny nose. To do this you need to mix 1/2 tsp. iodized sea salt, 1 tsp. soda and 0.25 liters of water. The mixture must be vigorously shaken before use. It should be used to rinse the nasal passages. The medicine is also effective for gargling for colds.

How to treat a cold at home

Colds worry people so often that people have already developed time-tested recipes. There is nothing particularly complicated in their implementation, but the effect is real.

Drink more tea. And not the usual tea leaves, but herbal ones. Together with sweat, toxins are removed from the body, the source of inflammation decreases, and the temperature drops. All this is facilitated by special decoctions. For example, from chamomile, St. John's wort, burdock root, sage. They are available at any pharmacy and do not require a special prescription. True, some herbs have contraindications, so before you self-medicate, do not be lazy to study the instructions.

The decoction is prepared as follows: 30 g of herb per 1 cup of water. Mix the contents and heat in a water bath, then leave. To do this, use a thermos or wrap the jar with a terry towel.

Afterwards, strain everything and consume with jam or honey.

Another affordable way to treat ARVI is foot baths. Since childhood, many people remember how their mother carefully said: “You need to steam your feet.”

If the body temperature is not higher than 37 degrees, then this method is allowed to be used. The water should be such that you can hold your hand in it. At the same time, constantly add hot water so that the temperature does not drop. Don't overdo it, your legs should feel comfortable. The procedure lasts 20 minutes, after which the feet are thoroughly dried and warm socks are put on.

It is better for the patient to lie in bed and certainly not walk barefoot on the cold floor. If the procedure is repeated for about 4 days, the body will cope with the cold.

If your throat hurts, it is recommended to inhale. The most effective is onion-garlic. The cloves are finely chopped and placed in a closed container. At the time of the procedure, you should open the lid and inhale the essential oils. Duration approximately 5-10 minutes. If you decide to apply this method to a child, then be careful and proceed gradually. Out of habit, the baby may vomit.

Ginger root treatment

In the east, ginger is rightfully considered the “Root of Life”. It is taken to treat many diseases. In Russia, ginger is used to prevent and treat respiratory diseases. The effect of taking ginger drinks comes extremely quickly; this remedy can cure a cold in 2-3 days if its first symptoms are detected in time. In order to prepare a ginger drink, you will need to buy ginger root (the usual dried seasoning in a bag will not work, just like canned ginger for Japanese dishes). Peel it, grind the pulp in any convenient way. Approximately 2 tbsp. Mix crushed ginger root with dry leaf tea, pour boiling water over it and let it brew. You can add the juice of half a lemon or grapefruit to the drink. Raspberry jam and honey are perfect. This tea should be brewed and drunk throughout the day, and after a few days the cold will subside. Ginger is especially effective for relieving respiratory symptoms - runny nose, cough and sore throat.

Treatment of a child with a cold

Children are quite susceptible to respiratory diseases, especially if they receive insufficient amounts of vitamins and microelements from their diet, or their immunity is weakened. Treatment of acute respiratory infections in children can also be done through traditional medicine. However, during therapy, you need to use only one method, without combining traditional treatment with medications.

All of the methods described above are also suitable for treating a child. For infants, you should add a few more recipes:

• Dissolve 1 tsp. natural honey in a glass of warm water. Stir, moisten the swabs and place in the baby’s nose for a few minutes.
• Pour water over the garlic pulp, stir the ingredients and quickly drop drops into the child’s both nostrils. This must be done twice a day.
• For a runny nose, melt fatty natural cow butter and drop it into the child’s nose. Make sure the oil is not hot. The procedure must be done in the morning and evening.

Treatment of acute respiratory infections is quite simple - in most cases, a cold does not entail serious complications. It is important to observe hygiene standards indoors during acute respiratory infections, begin treatment when the first signs are detected, and maintain bed rest.