NATURAL HEALTH COLD TREATMENTS: (Viral rhinitis)

It is not fun to have a cold. There are many natural products you can keep in your At Home First Aid Kit or Medicine Cabinet to have on hand if the sniffles or worse arrives. The highlighted products are available at this time through this website or you can pick them up at your local health food or vitamin store. The paragraphs are lined up in order of symptoms, so please keep in mind which symptoms you have before you use any product. Also, remember not to take any product that has ingredients to which you are sensitive. Also, check with you medical doctor if you are taking any prescription medications to see if there are any contra-indications. Many herbal ingredients may intensify prescription medications and your pharmacist or medical doctor should be able to help you determine if there are any contra-indications that you should be aware of. (Def: contra-indication: any medical condition or disease which renders a given line of action or treatment improper or undesirable.)

(Avoid dairy products and sugar, as they tend to worsen nasal discharge and may suppress immune function.)

FOR ALL COLDS:

A good basic botanical for any type of cold due to viral infection is Anti-Viral Support by Blessed Herbs also known as Osha-Lomatium Virtue. It is good for infections due to viruses such as colds, flu, bronchitis, herpes and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Its active ingredients include: Osha root, Lomatium root, Pau D’Arco bark, Propolis, Shitake mycelium, Echinacea Angustifolia root, Goldenseal root, Licorice root.

A good homeopathic you may want to try at the first signs of a cold is Aconite.

IF YOUR COLD STARTS OUT WITH:

A RUNNY NOSE:

When you have a cold, your body detoxifies the germs by producing mucus. Although it is part of the body’s detoxification process, excessive discharge can make it difficult for you to complete your daily activities, especially at work. There are products available that can help you with this type of discharge. Try the combination of Echinacea and Goldenseal, which can be purchased separately so that you can continue to use them for other purposes. Echinacea enhances immune function and Goldenseal has a drying effect on nasal discharge. An improvement may be noticed within 24 hours or by repeating this combination at four hour intervals throughout the day.

500 mg or 2 – 4 ml tincture four X day of Echinacea and goldenseal. You could also try the homeopathic Allium Cepa.

For a more immediate solution try the enzyme SPS30 (Carlos please link to the enzyme page where we have to add SPS 30 Mucolytic) This product is a muoclytic, which means it rids the body of excess mucus. It should not be taken for every little sniffle but is perfect for someone who gets colds or worse a lot of the time. A person who catches every little bug that goes around has his body telling him that his immune system is in overload and needs a good cleaning out. You can do this by a Whole Body Cleanse or detoxification process. The one recommended on this website is the best and most gentle system available. If done properly a whole body cleanse will reduce the number of colds you catch, reduce the symptoms and length of time of any colds you may still get, plus has many other health benefits.

COLDS WITH SNEEZING:

Sneezing is one way the body tries to eliminate the virus and is always a way of spreading it. When the signs are sneezing take the homeopathic Euphrasia OR…

Vitamin C has a natural anti-allergy effect and increases white blood cell activity. For a cold try 1000 – 2000 mg Vitamin C 3 – 4 X day. Diarrhea after taking Vitamin C is the body’s way of telling you that you have reached your limit and to back up the amount by 500 mg until diarrhea stops.

OTHER HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES FOR A COLD WITH RUNNY NOSE: There are three different homeopathic remedies that can be quite helpful in dealing with excessive nasal discharge. Dosage for the following is usually as follows but read the label as there are different strengths:

2 pellets of 30C potency 4X day for 3 days of the remedy that best matches the symptoms. If after 24 hours there is no improvement choose another rememdy.

• Allium cepa – indicated for symptoms of clear, burning nasal discharge that irritates the nostrils and upper lip; watery eyes with a stinging pain; the nose runs more when indoors and stops while outdoors
• Arsenicum album – indicated when a cold comes with a profuse and clear, watery discharge from the nose that makes the upper lip red; stuffy nose that still runs; feeling chilly, anxious, restless and wanting sips of warm water.
• Natrum muriaticum – indicated for colds that start with sneezing and produce a thin, clear or white discharge; may be accompanied by cold sores around the mouth and chapped lips. This product is especially for excessive sneezing.

COLDS WITH CONGESTION:

Nasal and chest congestion and pressure in the sinuses can be Essential Oils of Eucalyptus, Pine, Fir, Tea effectively dealt with by using steam inhalation with 3 drops of Tree, Peppermint or Spearmint for a less intense but equally effective oil.

Oregano Oil is a very strong and controversial oil. It is primarily used for killing parasites or yeast intestinally. However, it may be used for colds with congestion for short periods of time. Use up to 500 mg Oregano Oil a day or 5 drops of liquid extract 4X a day; plus N-acetylcysteine (NAC) plus steam inhalation.

For Steam Inhalation: add about 3 drops of your chosen essential oil to a vaporizer in your bedroom while sleeping or in an oil diffuser when you are alert to watch that it does not burn down.

COLDS WITH COUGH AND SORE THROAT:

It is useful to cough to help get rid of the mucus associated with a cold. To encourage coughing you require an ingredient that is called an expectorant. However, an irritating cough or sore throat that keeps you awake at night serves no useful purpose. Licorice root and cherry bark reduce coughing, enhance immune function and soothe the respiratory tract. Only use the deglycyrrhizinated form of licorice root for NOT longer than 5 days as there is a tendency for it to increase blood pressure. Try 250 mg in capsule or 2 ml of tincture 3X daily. Take Cherry Bark in 250 mg capsules or 1 ml of tincture 4X daily.

At the first sign of a sore throat gargle with fresh undiluted lemon juice only without the addition of a sweetener, even honey. This is best continued after each meal. Or you try the old-fashioned remedy of salt and water gargles!

For coughing associated with postnasal drip try NAC (N-acetylcycsteine) to thin the mucus at 500 mg 3X daily.

COLDS ASSOCIATED WITH FATIGUE:

Herbal teas are wonderful for helping us get to sleep – chamomile or valerian; and for helping to keep us awake – peppermint or lemon spice. They also help to keep us hydrated while we are ill.

Try the homeopathic Gelsemium for a useful remedy for boosting energy that a cold takes away; colds accompanied by chills, muscle aches; and drowsiness.

Try the homeopathic Nux vomica for colds associated with fatigue, being chilly and irritability.

Take either as 2 pellets of 30C potency 4X daily for 2 days. If symptoms do not improve after 24 hours, then try another remedy.

COLDS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOSS OF APPETITE:

When you have a cold the best thing you can eat is light: clear not cream soups, especially broths; steamed vegetables; and drink herbal teas. This lets your immune system work more efficiently on healing rather than digesting. Good teas and Essential Oils for colds are peppermint; spearmint; ginger for warming and encouraging appetite or for nausea; lemon.

You can also take Ginger in capsule at 500 mg or 3 ml in tincture or 1 cup of fresh tea 4X daily.

COLDS ASSOCIATED WITH FEVER:

When the body has a fever it is attempting to stimulate immunity. Low grade fevers are beneficial, except for children under 2. Herbs and Essential Oils that reduce fever are known as febrifuges. Try these ones: Yarrow as a tea 4X daily or essential oil applied topically or Echinacea in tea or 5 ml tincture or 500 mg capsule 4X daily.

The homeopathic remedy Ferrum phosphoricum has fever-reducing properties. If symptoms do not improve within 24 hours, discontinue and try another remedy.

HOW TO PREVENT CATCHING A COLD:

• Build your immune system up with Probiotics and cleansing with internal cleansing and detoxification products
• Eat as many detoxifying foods as you like including: garlic, onions, horseradish as these are naturally antibiotic; and also eat cultured and fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, buttermilk
• Keep yourself away from chills, especially in inclement weather or when you are wet. Keep your kidneys warm (kidneys are in the back area where your ribs end) so they do not cause a loss of vital energy and body heat. Remember you lose the most body heat from the top of your head, so use it as a temperature control by covering it to keep warmth in or uncovering it to keep you cooler.
• Avoid sugar, dairy products and alcohol which are mucus and phlegm-producing. Sugar lowers your immunity. Eat plenty of salads daily; fresh vegetable soups, stews and casseroles.
• Drink water and lots of it. People tend to dehydrate in winter due to the cold winds and the heaters are drying to our skins. Drink herbal teas. Remember that the temperature of the beverages we drink affect our health, too. Cold makes the body use energy to raise the temperature of the drink to body temperature, which takes away from the energy needed to get well.
• At the first sign of a cold take a homeopathic like Oscillcocinnum by Boiron from your health food store; or start loading the body up with Echinacea and Vitamin C.
• At the first sign of colds in the family slice an onion and some garlic cloves and put in the bottom of a jar, or other airtight container with a lid, pour a tablespoon of raw honey over the top and keep in the fridge. After 24 hours you will have a sweet antibiotic syrup! Just take a teaspoon/day to help kill any germs.