4 Natural Cures To Relieve Cold Symptoms in the New Year
Feeling sick ahead of the New Year? We have good news! You can soak up all the winter fun without any cold or flu symptoms with these natural remedies. A few easy tricks speed healing and relieve your sore throat, aches, and pains fast
Sore throat? Grab the Tabasco.
For fast relief from a sore throat, just add two dashes of hot sauce to a glass of water, stir, and sip. University of Pennsylvania scientists say capsaicin in the drink blocks pain receptors, soothing a raw, scratchy throat in seconds. What’s more, Case Western University research suggests that the compound, which gives chili peppers their heat, eases discomfort as effectively as OTC meds.
Nagging cough? Stir in honey.
When it comes to quieting a cough, Canadian scientists say raw honey is more effective than cough medicine. It coats the throat to alleviate irritation, and it’s an antimicrobial that fights bugs that trigger bouts of coughing. On the go? Tuck a few “honey sticks” in your bag. The honey-filled straws help relieve a cough while you’re out and about.
Sinus pressure? Try a quick rinse.
Refreshing your sinuses with a baking soda nasal rinse flushes irritants and replenishes moisture, cutting stuffiness by 64 percent, a study in American Family Physician found. That’s nearly as effective as nasal steroids (sans side effects). To do: Pour 1 cup of distilled water, 1⁄8 tsp. of baking soda and 1⁄2 tsp. of Dead Sea salts or kosher salt into a neti pot or nasal spray bottle and flush sinuses once daily.
Body aches? Schedule a soak.
“Body aches are actually a sign your immune system is actively engaged, but that doesn’t mean you need to suffer unnecessarily,” says Pain Erasers author Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph.D. Her fix: Soak in a warm bath with 1 ⁄2 cup of Epsom salts and 5 drops each of eucalyptus and lavender essential oils. The salt’s magnesium relaxes sore muscles while eucalyptus and lavender open sinuses and soothe aches.
Say goodbye to your cold symptoms and hello to a wonderful New Year!
