All natural, DIY, at home cold and flu remedies

It’s that time of year again when the temperature drops, tissue sales go up and everyone keeps a little bottle of Dettol hand sanitizer in their bags… That’s right, it’s nearly cold and flu season!

The symptoms of cold and flu are some of the most irritating and debilitating. While they seem like small issues, when you get bombarded by; a temperature, aching muscles, a spluttering cough and a severe headache, you’re out for the count.

 Sometimes, it sneaks up on us and we suffer unexpectedly and we just can’t be bothered to leave the house to buy the Robitussin, Dimetapp, Cold and Flu tablets and a bottle of Astro Forte to keep it all away. And sometimes, we do our best not to use any of the above, and just let it go away naturally.

If you’ve been in either of those positions, you’ll know just how valuable home remedies can be. To help you get through this cold and flu season, we’ve got a natural, home made remedy to give cold and flu the flick.

If you have any others, we’d love for you to share them in the comments below.

Blocked nose

Take a bowl of steaming hot water, and add a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil. When it has settled but is still steaming, place your head over the bowl and cover it with a tea towel. Take long and slow inhalations breathing the steam in through your nose and out through your mouth. The heat and eucalyptus oil will help to loosen the mucus and break down the congestion. Bonus: The eucalyptus oil will also help to kill any bad bacteria in the throat.

Sore throat

Make some black tea and sweeten it with a small amount of lemon juice and a generous dollop of honey. Drink the tea when it is still warm-hot. The honey acts as an antiseptic and dulls the painful sensation.

Headache

Eat a small piece of raw ginger or drink some ginger tea. This will also help to combat any inflammation. You can also soak your feet in hot water. This draws the blood away from the head and allows the blood vessels to relax. Rubbing some lavender oil on your temples will also help and it is a soothing practice.

Aching body

Draw yourself a bath and add a mix of Epsom salts and lavender oil. Soak in it for at least fifteen minutes. You can also practice self massage on your neck and shoulders or if you are lucky enough you can have someone do it for you.

Cough

One of the oldest cough remedies is black pepper and honey tea. Combine one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a mug. Fill with hot water and mix well.

Fever

For high temperatures and sweats, don’t plunge into cold water to cool you down. One of the best ways is to turn on the shower to your normal preferred temperature and slowly, minute by minute, cool the shower down until the hot water is almost off. This way your body can maintain its temperature balance and doesn’t go into shock from the extremes.

We hope that these all natural, home remedies can keep you feel healthy and happy all cold and flu season long. They only treat the symptoms of a cold or flu but they will make you feel a million times better.

Do you have any trips, tricks or recipes you can share with us? Tell us in the comments below…