With
fall setting in, cold and flu season can’t be far behind. As
miserable as a cold or flu might be now, with the pharmacy shelves
bursting with over the counter remedies, one day relief might not be
that close at hand.
Most
of our prep kits have a stash of OTC medications but in a long-term
disaster situation it will be important to make those last as long as
possible. You might be surprised to discover that your kitchen
cupboards may hold the key to curing your stuffy nose, scratchy
throat, cough and chills.
Turning
toward natural remedies now will give you the knowledge and skills
you need to keep your family well during the onset of a disaster or
extended disaster. Consider learning ways to make homemade lozenges
to soothe sore throats, or possessing basic knowledge on which herbs
may be used to treat cold/flu symptoms. Further, knowing how to
combine these together to make cold/flu syrups will only better your
family’s chances at beating the cold/flu season when OTC medicines
aren’t as readily available.
Listed
below are some other homeopathic ways to care for yourself and your
family when you are ill.
Lemon-Ginger
Jelly: Place lemon slices and ginger shavings into a small jar.
Cover this with honey. Keep this in the refrigerator. In a few days
you will have a “jelly” – stir one tablespoon into a cup of hot
water for a tea that will soothe your throat and stuffy nose.
Honey
Cinnamon Cough Remedy: Sprinkle powdered cinnamon onto a
tablespoon of honey to calm a cough caused by a scratchy throat.
Peppermint
tea: Peppermint tea will aid in relieving congestion and opening
up the sinuses, plus sipping the hot beverage will help you combat
chills.
Chicken
Noodle Soup: Chicken soup loaded with garlic and onion is full
of antioxidants that will boost your immune system while helping keep
you hydrated, relieving irritation in your throat and mucous
membranes and warming you up if you are suffering from chills.
Chicken noodle soup has also been proven to have some antiviral
properties which can help shorten the duration of a cold or flu.
Steam:
Simmering a pot of water on a heat source can put humidity into the
room, which helps loosen mucous from nasal passages to ease breathing
and soothe coughing. Certain herbs, like basil or mint, or aromatics
like eucalyptus or tea tree oil, can be beneficial when added to the
pot of water.
Water:
Keeping well-hydrated is important when you are blowing your nose ten
thousand times per day. Drink water, juice, ginger ale or sports
beverages but avoid drinks containing caffeine. Staying hydrated has
the added benefit of offsetting fatigue. If you can, spike your
water with lemon juice for a burst of vitamin C.
Salt
Water: Gargling with salt water can calm a scratchy throat and
help get rid of mucous. It has the added benefit of being mildly
antibacterial. Dissolve one tablespoon of salt into one cup of
water.
Ginger
Tea: Chinese medicine has turned to ginger root for thousands of
years to combat viruses and infections, while boosting the body’s
natural immunities.
These
remedies have stood the test of time – give them a shot and you
might be surprised to find out that you don’t actually need the
over-the-counter chemicals to relieve your symptoms!