Your household remedy against the common cold.

Once a year it gets me...

[jecasc]

I am nearly never sick. Last time I saw a doctor was in 1995. But every year around this time - the common cold comes and gets me. Runny nose, sore throat, coughing like a chain smoker.

So let's gather some household remedys, everything is welcome.

Right now I am trying: 100ml of Jamaican Rum, 250ml hot water, 1 lemon, 50gr brown sugar.

I do not know if it will help, but at least I won't care anymore. What's yours - I'll try them all! (Especially if alcohol is involved)

[akmac]

Master tonic-though it could be argued that the treatment is worse than the malady...

equal parts (fresh rough chopped):

garlic
horseradish root
ginger root
white onion
habanero peppers

mix in appropriate airtight glass receptacle and cover with undistilled, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 10 days, shaking once a day.

Strain through cheesecloth and keep liquid. Toss solids. Does not require refrigeration.

1 tbsp morning and night during cold season-you will not get a cold. Shortens the duration of the cold if you can't bear taking it as a preventative measure.

Oh, and if you can find a good PHO shop (Vietnamese noodle soup) it's great when you have a cold/flu as well.

[tangor]

Goofy home remedies should include the following:

Stay hydrated. Get plenty of rest. Ordinary analgesic (aspirin or acetaminophen) in case of fever. If fever persists more than 48 hours, or spikes quickly, get to the doctor/hospital.

Oddly enough, ordinary Mentholatum rub helps clear the sinus and over-the-counter cough drops are nearly as effective as syrups and less expensive. But more than anything it is Time which is the remedy.

[Leosghost]

Its probably an allergy if it hits this time every year ( lot of very short time span pollen goes up ..some species only broadcast for a week or so ..some maybe a month )..symptoms can be very much like common cold or flu ..

Get some over the counter light antihistamines ..if after 2 days your symptoms got better ..see an allergy specialist ..they'll give you exactly the right ones.

[graeme_p]

Boil coriander seed and a piece of ginger in about four cups of water until the water turns brownish. Drink the water.

Tastes horrible, but appears to work.

[lawman]

Granny Clampett had a sure cure for the common cold. I can't remember what it was, but once administered the cold was gone in 7 to 10 days.

[wyweb]

Overdoses of vitamin C.

I take B-12 and B-6 too.

Plus a multi-vitamin.

My immune system is shot anyway so any help I can get is always appreciated.

[webmasterworld.com ]


7 to 10 days..yeah, right...

[lawman]

7 to 10 days..yeah, right...

You'd have to be a Beverly Hillbillies fan to appreciate the humor.

[vik_c]

For a blocked nose, take a tablespoon of carom seed and chew it. It's a strong spice and your ears will burn if you're not into spices but your blocked nose will open.

[Jane_Doe]

This only works before you get sick: Avoid sugar and keep your body pH slightly on the acid side.

[rocknbil]

More preventative medicine . . . sorta . . .

I began practicing this sometime in the 90's. I never get sick, I think I went down once in 2009 (and went down hard) but otherwise haven't been sick in decades. Viruses access our bodies by the ducts that aren't designed to accept intakes - namely, our eyes.

Don't rub your eyes. Period. If they itch, get a clean napkin. Whenever we go out in public, first stop is the sink to wash your hands. Even rubbing the face is dangerous.

I'm no germophobe, but watch people all around me fall prey to colds and flu, this really does work. Don't rub your eyes! :-)

[weeks]

Spicy foods are good to keep that nose breathing. Eat what appeals to you. It's feed a cold, feed a fever. Protein, whatever. Give your bod something to work with in it fight with the virus. Again, that means water.

Stay off the nasal sprays. If you must use them, once a day is all you get; 24-hours. Two sprays. Otherwise, you risk making the congestion worse.

Aspirin is really a wonder drug, especially helpful with the sore throat, but just the aches of the cold as well. Two every three or four hours.

No alcohol. Sorry. (Google it; the science is clear.) Instead, lots and lots of water. Feel bad, want to do something? Drink water, or something flavorful to help you drink it.

Rest. A lot. Lack of rest is why you likely got sick, that and not washing your hands enough. (If you were a calf, I'd say you had shipping fever, which is nothing but a cold caused by the stress of being shipped and being around sick animals.)

Rocknbil is right on about washing the hands. It really is why he doesn't get sick. Good point about the eyes, not many people think about that but water from the eyes are no different than what comes out of your mouth as far as virus vectors are concerned.

Watch dumb movies, something to distract you but not having to focus too much.

[Brett_Tabke]

My Cure for the common cold:
Plenty of liquids - especially OJ.
Lots of vitamin C.
Benadryl
Excessive rest and sleep.

In two weeks time - every time - I am cured.

[lawman]

You and Granny Clampett, BT.

[jecasc]

In two weeks time - every time - I am cured.

Holy cow, two weeks! Must be more than 20 years that I have been sick for two whole weeks.

I think I'll stick to drowning the germs in rum.

[Brett_Tabke]

> You and Granny Clampett, BT.

ding ding - Don Pardo - tell him what he's won! hehe.

[enigma1]

Another idea, get yourself a universal remote control and fast forward till you're better.

[viggen]

...we have a saying here, if you have a cold and you take medicine you will be ok after 7 days, if you dont do anything you will be fine in a week...

apart from that, as preventative measure, i end my shower session always cold, ice cold for about 20 seconds, havent had a flu in 20 years...

cheers
viggen

[Leosghost]

I remember Elly May the most clearly..but maybe its an "across the pond" thing.

[skibum]

Fire up some organic echinacea the moment you first start to feel sick. Awesome stuff and the tea seems to be much more effective than any pill or capsule form of echinacea.

Quitting your job, spending more time outside and not having to go into an office works well too. Haven't been sick since walking out the door about 15 months ago!

[edited by: lawman at 11:45 am (utc) on Apr 30, 2011]

[cyberdyne1]

Sleep sleep sleep, best remedy for everything!

[blend27]

I only get hit about once a year, really sudden and hard.

Large Cup of Green tea and 2 shots of Vodka(good kind) mixed with Honey and Black pepper, seeping it together over a good 2 hours of laughing with your friends. Picked it up about 15 years ago. Oh, and stop munching on 'em chemicals for god sakes.

[lawman]

stop munching on 'em chemicals for god sakes

All of 'em?

[Matthew1980]

Good diet; Guinness, and exercise too.

I only had cold once in three years, and that was because of change of climate from Hong Kong to England when the temperature was -15 just before Christmas - that was a definite shock to the system.

An I find that only eating tomatoes in the spring/summer is helpful, the rest of the year, they play my sinus up, so now I try not to eat them during the colder months.

Cheers,
MRb

[blend27]

All of 'em?

aha

[artek]

For about past ten years I take two capsules of 1000 milligrams of vitamin C in powdered form with large apple every day before breakfast.

It is addicting, easy to do and works like a charm, NO MORE COLDS!