The 11 Best Cold and Flu Natural Home Remedies, Treatments, and Tips 1MD Nutrition

The stomach flu can give you nausea, cramps, and diarrhea. Bland foods are easier to digest and may help ease your stomach symptoms. Most essential oils can be used on the skin after they’re mixed with oils like almond or olive oil. You can add fresh and dried herbs and spices to food to get similar benefits.

cold and flu treatment home remedies

"If you're considering any alternative medicine, talk to your healthcare provider," says Austin. "Vitamins and supplements are not FDA-approved and there often isn't good research on their effectiveness. For a lot of people, it's trial and error to find what works best." Though there is no vaccine for colds, Desai added that there are vaccinations available for COVID-19 and the flu, and it’s important that you stay up-to-date on your vaccinations to help keep yourself healthy. If you have any health conditions, it’s also important to check with your doctor before starting any new over-the-counter medicines, Flores added.

Is It COVID, The Flu Or RSV? Here's How To Tell.

The idea that vitamin C can help with a cold isn’t new; it was popularized by the Nobel laureate Linus Pauling in the 1970s, which set off a surge in demand for the nutrient. Since then, scientists tied to the supplements industry have suggested that vitamin C helps support various functions, such as immune cells’ ability to find and fight off infection. This Viracid herbal supplement is something we have on hand all year. When we know we’ve been exposed to germs, as well as when we start to experience cold or flu symptoms, our family takes it as a precautionary measure.

cold and flu treatment home remedies

"Boosting our immune system to fight invaders and get them subdued and out of the body," McBride added. McBride pointed out that the National Institute of Health states thatnocomplementary interventions have been shown to be helpful for the flu — and that this is rather misleading. "Natural therapies have shown through research to have effects on the immune system, nervous system, sleep cycles, and more." It's important to remember that, as with all dietary supplements, statements made about natural remedies, including these recommendations, have not been evaluated by the FDA.

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Explore tips from Theraflu to help prevent the cold and flu virus this season. Catching the cold or flu can disrupt your daily life, but it isn’t unavoidable. “Not only can sucking on ice cubes help with hydration, but cold sweets or lozenges can also help to soothe sore throats and relieve painful symptoms that often come with the flu or a cold,” Mohammed explains. Elderberry is a herb that has a long history of use as a folk remedy for colds, sinus infections, and the flu. In preliminary lab studies, elderberry extracts have been found to fight off viruses. There has been limited research done and much of it involves the flu virus.

Her top recommendation for this supplement comes from Pure Encapsulations. This particular 250mg capsule is hypoallergenic — no additives, flavorings, sweeteners, colors or dyes. It's a non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free supplement to both boost your immune system, reduce inflammation and pain, and relieve symptoms. There's also an evolving theory that zinc may help limit the degree of an inflammatory response your body has to an infection, he added. Inflammation, whether general or part of an immune response, can cause achiness, fatigue, and certain other symptoms that vary depending on your circumstances.

Salt Water Gargling

Add the natural sweetener to a cup of ginger or cinnamon tea to relieve a scratchy throat and stay hydrated. "It's so important to get plenty of rest during cold and flu season," says Austin. Austin's number one recommendation for recovering quickly from a cold or flu virus is staying hydrated.

cold and flu treatment home remedies

Treating a cold is “all about symptomatic care,” meaning you should address the symptoms that are bothering you most, Desai said. He noted that good calories include high-protein foods and some carbs for energy. He also recommended that you avoid processed foods that don’t have much nutritional value, as well as caffeinated drinks.

A 2005 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that echinacea did little to prevent or shorten the common cold. There were many critics of the study, who say that the study shouldn't be used as evidence that echinacea doesn't work. The Cochrane Collaboration conducted a review of 15 studies on echinacea, however, and found that it wasn't more effective than a placebo at preventing colds. Honey is a popular home remedy for cough and colds in many cultures. A new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine provides the first evidence showing that honey may help to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better. Researchers gave 105 children with colds either honey, honey-flavored cough medicine, or no treatment.

cold and flu treatment home remedies

Treating flu symptoms can help give you some much needed relief as you start to recover. Learn about the importance of staying hydrated when you’re sick with these tips from Theraflu. See what liquids are best to consume when under the weather.

Flu and other health conditions

Studies suggest that zinc supplementation may help shorten the length of a cold and lessen symptoms. 15 Immune-Boosting Foods Eat these to fight colds, flu, and more. The effectiveness of ginger in the prevention of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and chemotherapy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Overall, inflation and related price increases have had little impact on virus product categories.

Consider using a cool-mist humidifier to soothe an irritated or sore throat. EMedicineHealth does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The flu is treated with home remedies and antiviral medicines in some cases. If you have the flu, The Centers for Disease Control recommends staying home from work or school for at least 24 hours after fever has gone away on its own, without the use of fever-reducing medications. The flu can have symptoms similar to COVID-19, however, COVID-19 can cause more severe symptoms and complications. Some people who used zinc nasal sprays have experienced a permanent loss of smell.

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Talk to your doctor before considering the use of zinc to prevent or reduce the length of colds. Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children. You can also try ice chips, sore throat sprays, lozenges or hard candy.

So, give these super-effective home remedies a try and you won’t be troubled by coughs and colds anymore. Turmeric or haldi is an ingredient with anti-bacterial properties and is also rich in antioxidants. Having warm turmeric milk is a great immunity booster which will help provide relief from your cold and cough problem. You should make sure that you use only distilled, sterile or boiled water for your rinses, as tap water can contain small amounts of bacteria and protozoa that carry the risk of other infections.

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