Common Cold - My Home Remedies

Home Remedies for Common Cold

WARNING: This home remedies site is intended to be archival in nature. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.

NOTICE: This page was generated previously and may not be up to date. To view the most recent page, go to the dynamically generated version of the Common Cold home remedies page.

Common Cold Home Remedies:

Submitted by Ted Birnbaum at 2011-10-21 14:00:32
This text will supplement my previous remedy (9/26/11) on common colds. I should have said:
> VERY IMPORTANT..use GTF chromium only, NOT other forms of chromium like chromium picolinate. (preferably as a tablet, that can be nibbled on)
>take garlic 3x a day (with meals) for 1.5 days at least
rating: 9 (9 votes)

Submitted by P-helas at 2011-12-28 17:45:42
chop a piece of Ginger, bring it to boil, then add 1 lemon and a spoon of honey! repeat 3-7times a day. really soothes the throat and helps immunity!
rating: 8 (4 votes)

Submitted by Paul at 2009-10-06 03:52:26
I usually always have cold medicine around..But hot tea and kind with honey in it helps a bit,Also Chicken or beef bouillon works great..For that tho all you need is a coffee cup full...And drink plenty of fluids juice or VERNORS pop always helps.
rating: 8 (13 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Avoid dairy products during the cold.
rating: 8 (40 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take large amounts of vitamin C.
rating: 7 (27 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Use camphor water as a chest and throat rub. Avoid getting it near the eyes.
rating: 7 (14 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take vitamins C and E.
rating: 7 (17 votes)

Submitted by Ted Birnbaum at 2011-09-26 13:03:42
My experience teaches me that immunity is greatly boosted by a partnership of vitamin A with certain minerals. Two partnerships, I observed, are A with GTF chromium and A with zinc. The zinc partnership protects the throat, eyes, ears, lymph glands, skin and maybe others? The chromium partnership protects other areas of the body. Zinc and chromium compete with each other for an alliance with vitamin A. The competition heats up when the supply of A is low. If you are low on A and take the wrong mineral it may worsen your condition. For example if your only cold symptom is
swollen lymph glands (in the neck) and you take chromium (and no A)....the chromium will partner with whatever little A is in your body and deprive your resident zinc of A, thereby leaving your lymph glands unprotected. On the other hand, cold symptoms such as fever, runny nose, chest or sinus congestion, tiredness, body aches...what I call break thru symptoms will benefit from the GTF chromium vitamin A partnership. Taking zinc when only the break thru symptoms are present might harm your condition. Zinc serves another function too, the healing function.

If a cold starts with a sore throat only...the best defense is:
>garlic (preferably eaten raw...try thin slices on bread covered with mayonnaise or peanut butter...but garlic pills can substitute)
> 22 mg of zinc picolinate (or 30 mg of zinc glutonate with 1/2 mg of copper gluconate...gargle with the zinc before swallowing)
>500 mg of lysine 3x a day
>at least 5 mg of B6
> plenty of vitamin C
Do the garlic for 1.5 days. Vitamin A or A rich food is beneficial too. When the throat pain has diminished & mucus starts to flow, it is best to take both chromium (10 micrograms...a very small nibble on a 100 microgram tablet) & zinc & vitamin A as the mucus could result from either a migration of the infection or a shortage of zinc. I said shortage of zinc because when the throat infection stops getting worse and starts to heal (which should be around 1.5 days) zinc is needed for healing and will be depleted by that process. If the body is low on zinc when healing of the respiratory system is started, the body will compensate for the shortage with huge amounts of mucus. Take zinc to prevent this. Blood in the mucus is a sure sign (as is a sore throat, hurting chest) that something needs to heal. On the other hand the mucus might be from some migration of the germs to an area protected by chromium.

If the cold starts or leads to break thru symptoms...larger amounts of chromium (50 micrograms) twice a day and vitamin A, 10,000 units to start with, for each chromium dose, are needed. During an infection with severe break thru symptoms, I have gone all the way up to 100,000 units/day of vitamin A (only during the time of infection). I also take lots of vitamin C....the maximum amount that won't cause excessive intestinal gas or diarhea. It is also essential to get adequate rest, eat good quality protein for healing....to avoid a relapse. A relapse is the worst because the germs will then become much harder to expel even with the best supplementation.

I presently only take chromium when sick. If you take GTF chromium continuously, it might make your immune system overactive and impair your sleep.

If you take the wrong ratios of minerals (zinc, copper, chromium, manganese) and your body is low on vitamin A (more likely during the low point of a cold infection), one or both or your eyes are likely to get irritated and/or red. I suspect a doctor would diagnose it as an additional infection. But in my experience it always proved to be a mineral imbalance. If you are absolutely sure what mineral is short (as in I just took zinc & no copper...take copper), take a small amount of that one...and improvement will likely come within 1/2 an hour...verifying your diagnosis. But if you are not sure, it's best to take extra vitamin A. Extra vitamin A increases your tolerance for mineral imbalances. Too much chromium with respect to zinc will cause an irritation. Too much zinc with respect to copper will cause an irritation....although my experience indicates little or no copper is required if the zinc supplement is zinc picolinate (as opposed to zinc gluconate). Too much manganese may also cause an irritation....you will have to find out what is right for you.

Skin infections which are tender/painful and red but have not developed a pus blister may benefit from extra zinc (at least 40 mg) and vitamin A. The zinc will promote the formation of a pus blister...which is a good sign...I suspect the pus blister indicates the body has tried to wall off the infection and prevent its spread. When the pus blister develops, continue with the zinc and A and when the blister develops adequately...lance it...and apply antiseptic....I use hydrogen peroxide, followed by zinc oxide lotion mixed with vitamin B2. If the blister doesn't develop I suspect the infection might spread and cause fever, chills, shaking, extreme fatigue, body aches and more serious complications.
rating: 7 (11 votes)

Submitted at 2006-06-12 17:21:38
Take vitamin C, and zinc. Get plenty of rest and NEVER inhale or snort. Blow it all out.
rating: 7 (25 votes)

Submitted by RLF at 2006-01-04 09:27:31
Eat 5 to 6 raw cloves of garlic a day during the cold and 1 to 2 cloves a couple of weeks after the cold. It builds your imune system. You could chop them up an put them in a salad if you can't take them whole. Above all do not cook them. This removes all the essential qualities it the garlic.
rating: 7 (26 votes)

Submitted by LiViNg TeStImOnY at 2007-07-26 18:06:05
1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 6-8 peppermints( more if you'd like), 1-2 lemons cut and squeezed into mixture,bring to a boil over the stove, make sure to leave the lemon rines in while boiling. After it is all mixed pretty good and the peppermints are pretty much melted, drink as much as possible while it is still warm. You may try drinking it while hot with a teaspoon, but blow it a lot before you drink it of course. This should sooth the sore throat, and help with any chest congestion, sinus congestion, and nasal congestion. You can save the rest of what you didn't use in a glass jar and keep it in the pantry. And re-heat as needed. Take as many doses as day as you can, the more and the longer you use it the better.
rating: 7 (6 votes)

Submitted at 2006-04-11 20:33:43
Chest Congestion
The sweetness of your breath may suffer, but eating a plate of curried, sauteed onions on rice can really loosen congestion in your chest. Lightly saute two onions, sliced, and at least 1 teaspoon of curry powder in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil until the onions are soft. Onions contain quercetin and sulfur, two plant compounds that break up mucus and increase circulation, explains Orlarsch. Curry also loosens phlegm.

rating: 7 (19 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Drink a cup of water with a few drops of garlic oil and a teaspoonful of onion juice.
rating: 7 (14 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Drink honey and lemon juice in hot water to relieve sore throats and alleviate coughs.
rating: 7 (43 votes)

Submitted at 2005-10-27 19:18:18
Ginger tea or a teaspoonful lf ginger juice taken with equal quantity of honey brings relief for the common cold.
rating: 7 (13 votes)

Submitted by Psycomp at 2010-11-05 08:43:18
Hi, if you want a cure that actually works, check out my recipe in the 'Cough & Cold' category which uses Manuka honey & ginger spice.

This part is not in the other recipe since it is something I tried since the previous recipe submission:

For small children, I use a teaspoon of Manuka honey and slightly less than 1/4 teaspoon of ginger spice mixed together. Keep some water nearby as your child may not like the burning sensation. Give them this twice a day to help reduce their cold symptoms.
rating: 7 (7 votes)

Submitted by tyler at 2010-04-05 12:21:16
im 20 years old and i got cancer so i stay sick all the time, esp with colds.
over time i eventually perfected a solution to my cough, sore throat, runny nose, and generally feeling like crap all in a coffee cup :)
take 4 halls cough drops, the honey lemon work best but i usually mix the honey lemon with the cherry kind... makes it taste even better.... crush up ur 4 cough drops in a plastic bag then drop it into a coffee cup... pour hot water into the cup almost full... u will see the vapors already start to rise... put it in the microwave for about a minute... drink and sniff slowly... by the time ur done with it ur whole body will feel better...p.s. use an old coffee cup cus sometimes the drops stick to the sides... i hope i helped somebody!!
tyler
rating: 6 (52 votes)

Submitted by tipi girl at 2005-02-05 00:29:06
boiling ceder and adding lemon and honey will help a chest cold when drinking tree to four cups a day
rating: 6 (10 votes)

Submitted by mark at 2005-03-12 00:58:43
A good remedy for a common cold is 3% hyrdogen peroxide in your ears to kill the virus/bacteria works all the time you'll notice the difference in 12-14 hours the cold is gone
rating: 6 (51 votes)

Submitted by dawn at 2005-11-28 16:47:07
This is not a cure, but a treatment for stuffy phlegmmy cold sufferers, passed down from my grandmother Ethel. Recipe: take two large yellow onions, peeled,halved and quartered. Place in a small saucepan and just cover with water. Add about two cups of sugar. The water should be grainy, as there should be so much sugar that it doesn’t dissolve completely. Bring to a rapid boil and stir until all sugar is absorbed. Lower temperature to a rolling boil and simmer uncovered until onions are mush and liquid has a very syrupy consistency. Remove from heat, and be careful, as this is boiled sugar here, don’t burn yourself! Completely mush the onions, and if you’re finicky (or your patient is) sieve syrup to get rid of onion bits, although this step is not truly necessary as onion syrup just happens to taste delicious. Decant into a glass jar. Administer every couple of hours or so by the tablespoonful to deep-chest cold victims who cough a lot and have a lot of phlegm. Best if taken warm. keeps a good week or a little more in the fridge. after that, it can be frozen for the next cold!
rating: 6 (32 votes)

Submitted at 2008-09-12 20:39:46
this helps me alot when i get a cold it not a cure but it helps and it gets you back on your feet my dad alawys gave it to me and its not one bit harmful. this is what you'll need:
. quarter-cup boiling water
.2 tsp of lemon juice
.12 tsp cayyene pepper
.1 cushed clove of garlic
.1 tsp of honey

just mix them all together and drink!
rating: 6 (18 votes)

Submitted at 2010-02-24 18:08:18
Boil water w/ apple cider vinegar. Turn off heat. Cover head with towel, and inhale.
rating: 6 (30 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Drink ginger tea or a teaspoonful of ginger juice.
rating: 6 (6 votes)

Submitted at 2006-12-24 12:09:27
I go Sprouts and buy Umka drops and Sambuca liquid. They are for cold and flu. I take both at first sign. Knocks it right out, 90% better in one day, keep on taking until you are at 100%
GREAT STUFF
rating: 6 (9 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take garlic, cayenne, and goldenseal to help fight infection and reduce fever.
rating: 6 (4 votes)

Submitted by ANDREA at 2009-02-13 01:43:30
Press 4-5 cloves of garlic. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of virgin olive oil. Eat mixture. Drink lots of water before and after WITHOUT ICE.
rating: 6 (4 votes)

Submitted at 2011-09-19 00:40:23
at the first sign your catching a cold slice a garlic clove and suck on it. i will even go to bed with in. this will stop the cold dead in its tracks.
this wont work if you need to talk to people or be in public. i do it at home near bedtime.
rating: 6 (8 votes)

Submitted by Jamie Nay at 2009-05-31 17:05:07
For the common cold...this is hard to do, but it has worked for me. Go swimming in COLD water. The cold will be gone by the next day. It seems nuts when you're about to jump into the pool or ocean...but it works.
rating: 6 (14 votes)

Submitted by Shaquana Jones at 2010-01-16 16:21:55
If you have a cold,cough and a sore throat try this remedy! make a cup of your favorite tea and add a cough drop in it. the menthol in the cough drop melts in the tea nd when you drink it, it gets to the throat alot quick for faaster recovery!
rating: 6 (11 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Rub cayenne, garlic oil, and lobelia onto the throat to relieve coughs, congestion, or sore throats.
rating: 6 (12 votes)

Submitted at 2008-11-06 08:28:50

drink 2 glass of water and 100gm jaggery half an hour before going to bed.
* After eating jaggery u r not supposed to drink water.
rating: 6 (5 votes)

Submitted by Tom at 2007-06-12 08:29:35
This method helps to keep a cold from turning into a sinus infection. It also helps a bit with congestion.

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon distilled vinegar
1 cup boiling water

Dissolve/dilute the salt and vinegar in the boiling water. This solution can then be used either with an atomizer (a recycled Afrin nose spray bottle is what I used) or put up in a dropper bottle.

Obviously you let it cool!

I've used this as a nose spray to help with colds and to help prevent sinus infections. I've also used it as a prophylactic method before going on outings with crowds during cold season. I've still gotten the occasional cold but don't seem to get them as easily.

The saline is easy on the sinuses and the vinegar creates a slightly acidic pH. My guess is that sinus bugs don't like the pH shift.

Give it a try. I've had good luck with it and used to get sinus infections as a result of having a cold nearly every time. I also used to get sinus infections from swimming. Those are also history.
rating: 5 (13 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take alfalfa for sneezing attacks and sinus congestion.
rating: 5 (4 votes)

Submitted by Dolphinfaery at 2004-12-14 08:39:18
Drinking Tension Tamer tea will cure running and stopped up noses, coughing, and anything that the flu throws at you. Sweeten the tea with a few drops of honey. You will feel a relieve instantly! It is safe for children over the age of 2.5 yrs old.
rating: 5 (16 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Inhale peppermint oil vapor to clear sinuses.
rating: 5 (13 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Use a saline solution as a nasal drop 3 or 4 times a day.
rating: 5 (8 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take fenugreek in capsule form for sinus headaches.
rating: 5 (5 votes)

Submitted by Dee at 2009-05-19 11:13:31
For the common cold: When first symptom appears (for me it is sneezing and post nasal drip)
Take faithfully every 4 hours;
Echinacea (capsules work best) read dosage directions usually 3-4 caps
vitamin c with rose hips- 500 mgs
Zinc (1)
beta carotene(1)
garlic (odorless)(1-2)
Follow this at least for a week , up to 2 weeks.
*** note: if you skip a dose, take it as soon as possible as your symptoms will get more aggressive and it will be Harder to fight the cold.
rating: 5 (13 votes)

Submitted at 2009-07-16 23:05:59
This is going to sound really weird but trust me it works. i was told by a friend that if you cover both feet with Vick's Vapor Rub then put on socks just as you are going to bed, then the next morning you will feel very close to 100%.
rating: 5 (31 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Use medicated nasal drops only under physician's supervision, as overuse can lead to serious problems.
rating: 5 (8 votes)

Submitted at 2008-12-23 12:24:08
Sorry if i spelt something wrong.
Many people already know this one but i wanted to add it so other people can find out about it.

1-2 cups boiling water
1 tea bag- non-caffinated
1-2 tsp. Honey
1 shot bourbon

It does help. And it also helps you sleep too.
rating: 5 (8 votes)

Submitted by Pat at 2010-08-16 03:30:08
My mother and grandmother always made the children sip hot chicken soup and 'hot lemonade' sweetened with a little local honey. It soothed the throat, calmed the cough, and really helped the cold to be of shorter duration.
rating: 5 (24 votes)

Submitted at 2011-12-14 18:17:03
If you feel like your getting sick, cold or flue don't wait. Use hydrogen peroxide. 2 drops in each ear 3 x's a day for 2 days, No Cold, No Flu :)
If you already have a cold or flu use 2 to 3 drops each ear 3 x's day plus put in spray bottle spray everything around you encludeing yourself. Cold gone, Flu Gone! Never take chances with children, always seek profesional advice.
rating: 5 (12 votes)

Submitted at 2006-12-12 18:06:36
GOJI JUICE. This is one of the highest sources of natural Vitamin C on the planet, has everything imaginable in it, and it's good. You can get a 32 oz. bottle online at some place for around $8 - $10 (compared to other places that have it at like $40). I usually get mine from luckyvitamin.com or lifesvigor.com. Also goes by the name wolfberry. I've been taking it for nearly a year now and have not been sick since. Everyone around me has been sick (they haven't been taking it regularly like I have). There have been a couple of times where I would get a little itch in my throat if everyone around me was sick, but I would drink some goji and it would literally be gone by the time I swallowed. This stuff has proven to be miraculous. My nephew was recently starting to get a cold, I gave him several glasses of the stuff diluted with water and he was completely better within 2 HOURS. This is the best thing not only for colds and flus, but for everything else as well. Hope to be able to spread the word about this stuff - it's what everyone needs!
rating: 4 (9 votes)

Submitted by Wendy at 2006-05-05 22:02:46

Take a Grapefruit or Sour Orange and pour honey over the slices or just over the halved fruit. Eat it and within a couple days you are cured. My husband is Haitian and this is how they cured their colds growing up. Works Wonders! Also Honey Lemon/Orange Tea works well.
rating: 4 (9 votes)

Submitted at 2007-12-13 02:26:06
This is a Korean or Japanese method. I apoiligize for those who cannot handle spicy flavors. Wasabi is taken and about half a teaspoon is eaten with any food you would like to take it with. *sushi recommended* eaten alone is oaky but it may be too spicy. My father did this and the next morning he was healthy and didnt cough or have a sore throat.
rating: 4 (9 votes)

Submitted by Desiree at 2006-10-25 09:39:16
Catch that Cold Early! (for those 21 and over)

I use this remedy ever time that I start to feel the common cold symptoms. It hasn't failed me yet.

Ingredients:
Chamomile or Sleepytime Tea
Honey
Fresh Lemon
Sugar
Hall's Vitamin C Defense Drops (citrus assortment)
E&J Brandy

Place 3 teasooons of sugar, tablespoon of honey, sqeezed and lemon juice in a mug with water. Microwave the mug for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

Remove mug from microwave and add a tablespoon of the brandy along with two vitimin C drops.

Before drinking sit and inhale the mixture. Proceed to drink.

Two cups of this remedy will alleviate any if not all of your symptoms and could clear them up in one shot.

The cold weather is coming so get your ingredients ready. Enjoy!
rating: 4 (5 votes)

Submitted by John at 2008-03-26 11:36:11
The most effective remedy I know of is Greek Mountain tea. You can get this kind of tea from Greek and other Eastern Mediterranean stores.

The tea typically comes in the form of a long sprig containing many small buds and leaves. The tea is prepared by breaking off a few sprigs and placing them in boiling water for a few minutes.

It takes bit of work to prepare it, but there is a company out there that makes a version of the tea that you can just steep, like a regular loose tea.

The tea has a light and slightly citrusy flavour. My kids love it, and I feel better about giving them something ligh and natural instead of drugging them.
rating: 4 (12 votes)

Submitted by Sheila walsh at 2006-10-03 17:20:14
Put a cold,wet cloth on (victem's) patients head.Let them ly down with the cloth still on their fore head.Let them get lots of rest,then remove.Works every time!
rating: 3 (24 votes)

Submitted at 2003-11-07 17:47:18
Take comfrey as tea or in a capsule to soothe upset stomachs.
rating: 3 (4 votes)

Submitted by suzann at 2009-09-29 15:25:20
When you feel you are getting a cold, put listerine on a Qtip and clean inside your nose. Do it as often as you feel you need to. The Listerine kills the germs.
rating: 3 (9 votes)

Submitted by Jesselor at 2006-01-26 10:53:24
Drink lots of hot green tea, it will take away your cold right away, if you drink, 3-4 cups for the next two days. Don't forget to rest!
rating: 3 (8 votes)