Five Home Remedies For The Sniffles That Really Work

Oh no, was that a sneeze? Well, it looks like you might be down with the sniffles. We’ve all been there, and it’s especially annoying when it’s mid-week and there’s still work. How exactly do we recover, though? Throughout history, humans have used tons of natural remedies to great effect. If you don’t like over-the-counter medicine, or maybe you just want to supplement it with nature’s antibiotics, we’ve got five home remedies for you!

Chicken Soup

There’s nothing like a good ol’ chicken soup on a cold winter day to cure a stuffy nose. Chicken soup packs a nutrient punch as it contains protein, vegetables, and warm broth. The broth keeps us warm, while protein is necessary for the body’s strength. Obviously, the vegetables are also important, your parents weren’t lying!
The best part about chicken soup is that it’ll hydrate you, which is key to recovery from the sniffles. Dehydration makes things worse, so you need to be constantly drinking water. The salt in the broth also eases a sore throat if you’ve got one. All in all, it’s the perfect mid-day meal.

Honey
Honey is one of the most amazing natural remedies, with the amount of health benefits it has. For a cold, you can put it in warm drinks, mix it with lemon, or even eat it alone. It’s important to note that honey isn’t a cure, though – it just soothes some of the symptoms of a sniffle. A teaspoon or two of honey will do wonders for a cough, and even help children sleep.
Pairing honey up with a hot drink like tea will also relieve your sore throat, and make the drink taste so much better. The reason for all of this is that honey is antimicrobial, which means it can fight bacteria and viruses in your bodies. These bees were really up to something with this one!

Saltwater
No, you don’t need to go to the ocean and have a sip, you can do it at home. Mix a half teaspoon of salt with a glass of warm water and gargle it up to three or four times a day to relieve your sore throat and stuffy nose. Don’t forget to spit it out, though.
Saltwater isn’t the most appetizing thing in the world, but whatever works, works. Moreover, it can help against infections in the respiratory system, and generally relieves symptoms. Just try it out for yourself and thank us later.

Vitamin C Foods

We’ve all heard that you need vitamin C, and it’s true. Vitamin C can help prevent colds and illnesses, so you might want to eat enough oranges. When sick, vitamin C will lighten your cold and help it go away faster.
Foods rich in vitamin C include lemons, oranges, peppers, and strawberries. You know that weird mucus you feel and cough up when you’re sick? That’s called Phlegm. Vitamin C helps dissolve that phlegm, so it makes your cough and symptoms milder and more tolerable.

Ginger
Ginger has been used to treat ailments for centuries. How did people find out about its healing properties we don’t know, but they were right. Ginger has antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
Ginger can soothe your cough, sore throat, infection, and even an upset tummy. It’s also been used to treat nausea. More research needs to be done to have more conclusive evidence, but there’s no doubt it will at least help.

Relax
Yes, we’re not kidding. Relaxation is the ultimate remedy for sickness. When you’re feeling under the weather, it’s time to take a break, call in sick, and cocoon yourself in bed. Sleeping isn’t the only relaxation option, however.
Taking a warm bath with essential oils, using steam to clear up congestion, and even upping the humidity with some humidifiers. will also help you ease your symptoms. Everything that can calm the body down and make you relax will shorten your cold, and get you up and running in no time!