Best 14 Effective Home Remedies For Cough and Cold

In these tumultuous times of COVID-19, even the most common form of cough and cold can give us a major scare. Although, with ever-changing seasons, pollutants, and other irritants, it’s quite usual to catch a cough and common cold. However, it’s always not difficult to treat them with simple, natural ingredients available right in our houses. If you are looking for home remedies for cough, we will share the most effective home remedies that should help you with the common cold and cough. The following are the home remedies for dry cough as well as wet cough.

Best Effective Home Remedies For Cough & Cold

1. Lukewarm Water With Honey  

Your hunt for home remedies for cough ends with honey! Lukewarm water hydrates the upper respiratory tract. Additionally, honey has antimicrobial & anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, this lovely concoction is simple and effective to use even if you’re down with a nasty cold!

How to Use: Mix 1 – 2 teaspoons of honey in 1 cup of warm water.

When to Use: Drink honey & warm water twice a day to get effective results.

Best Tips: Warm water & honey is highly effective in the early mornings for alleviating cough.

Precautions: Avoid giving honey to young infants. It can cause food poisoning in young infants.

2. Salt and Warm Water Gargle

This home remedy for the common cold and cough not only comes in handy but also stands the test of time for everyone. It reduces inflammation and flushes out the microbes infecting the respiratory tract. Additionally, warm water hydrates the inflamed area, which can help get rid of cold easily.

How To Use: It is recommended to add 1/2 tablespoon of salt to 1 cup of warm water for best results

When To Use: You can try a warm saltwater gargle 2 – 4 times a day.

Best Tips: This remedy is especially effective early in the mornings or before going to bed.

Precautions: Young children should avoid salt water gargles. It can burn their throats.

3. Ginger

Time and again ginger has come to our rescue as one of the best home remedies for cold and cough. As Ginger has strong anti-inflammatory properties (eg – shoagol & gingerol), it can effectively soothe the inflamed membranes in the throat. Moreover, it can also get rid of irritating mucus build-up in the respiratory tract area.

How To Use –

• Get some ginger root. Keep it in your mouth and suck on the natural juices of the root for about 5 – 10 minutes.
• Add 2 teaspoons of ginger to 1 cup of warm water and add half a lemon to make a wonderful ginger tea!

When To Use –

• Drink ginger tea 2 – 3 times every day to get the best results.
• It is best to eat raw ginger twice a day.

Best Tips:

• It is best to drink ginger tea early in the morning.
• Make sure to spit out the raw ginger after some time.

Precautions: Raw ginger can be a choking hazard for young kids. Therefore, Avoid giving raw ginger to young children

4. Take Steam

Who doesn’t remember one of the most quintessential home remedies for cough? Of course, the goodness of steam during the incessant trouble of wet coughs is not unknown to mankind. It is very effective to get rid of nasal congestion. The warm air from the steam can flush out the mucus deposits.

How To Use:

• You can take a hot bath where you let the steam linger in your washroom while you bask in it to curb the symptoms.
• Another way is to take steam through a bowl while keeping a towel on the head. Move away from the steam bowl whenever you feel uncomfortable.    

When To Use: Take steam remedy twice or thrice a day regularly to see great changes.

Best Tips: If you’re suffering from headaches due to a cold, it is good to add some essential oils to the bowl.

Precautions: Make sure to avoid steaming longer than 10 – 15 minutes.

5. Turmeric Milk 

There is nothing that turmeric can’t cure. In the race of home remedies for cough and cold, turmeric milk could be the most trusted one. Turmeric, with its antiviral and antibacterial properties, pacifies the throat and relaxes the inflamed membranes. Additionally, milk in this concoction can provide essential nutrients to boost immunity and fight off infections.

How To Use:

• You can add half a teaspoon of turmeric to a glass of warm milk to ward off the irritation.
• One can go a step ahead and add a few cloves of garlic to the milk to make this remedy more fruitful. 

When To Use:

Drink turmeric milk in the morning or just before bedtime for effective results.

Best Tips:

• You can also add black pepper to the mix! It can help boost your immunity.

Precautions: Too much turmeric can cause digestive issues. Just 1 tablespoon is enough!

Also Read:- Home Remedies for Acidity

6. Consume Fluids 

Among all the home remedies for dry cough, there is nothing as safer and efficacious as consuming fluids through the cough and cold. Consuming fluids through the cough can subdue the symptoms and relax the throat. Others with cold can heat their drinkable fluids to make it more effective.

How To Use:

Fluids like clear soups, broth, honey and ginger tea, warm water, and others can be consumed. 

When To Use:

Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated.

7. Change In Diet

As someone said, we are what we eat. Therefore, as one of the astounding home remedies for cough, you can bring slight changes in your diet to prevent acid refluxes that may as well trigger the cough and cold.

Precautions: It is best to avoid things like sugary drinks, alcohol, coffee, fried food, etc.

8. Spiced Tea

The most common form of illness demands one of the most common home remedies for cold and cough. Helpful herbs in spiced tea are rich in antioxidants that can boost your immunity. Moreover, tea is hydrating which is good for relieving cold symptoms.

How To Use: Add 1 teaspoon of black pepper, some ginger, 5 – 6 Tulsi leaves to 1 cup of warm water for a delightful spiced tea.

When To Use: It is best to drink spiced tea in the morning and in the evening for fast results.

Precautions: Avoid drinking too much tea as it can cause stomach issues.

9. Pineapple

Let’s make the home remedies for cough and cold a little more delicious. It is widely known that pineapple has an enzyme called Bromelain with anti-inflammatory properties. It is often advised to drink pineapple juice to subdue the cough.

How To Use:

• You can eat pineapple raw.
• Make pineapple juice and add a teaspoon of honey to go with it.

When To Use: It is best to drink pineapple juice in the morning

Best Tips: Eating raw pineapple has more bromelain content. So, make sure to add them to your diet!

Precaution: If you are allergic to pineapple, then seek advice from the doctor immediately.

10. Indian Gooseberry (Amla) 

Indian gooseberry with its multiple amla benefits, can not only become one of the best home remedies for cough. It also improves the functioning of the liver. Therefore, it can prevent acid reflux. Moreover, It also improves overall immunity. 

How To Use:

• Try mixing 2 teaspoons of amla with honey in warm water.
• You can also eat amla raw to get maximum benefits.

When To Use: It is suitable to consume amla in the morning.

Precautions: Diabetic people should actively avoid consuming amla. It may drastically drop their blood sugar levels.

11. Probiotics

It might not come under the category of direct home remedies for cold and cough, but probiotics can be beneficial to improve immunity. Consuming probiotic foods can help the immune system fight cough & cold. Additionally, probiotics can help maintain gut health. For example, natural yogurt, probiotic drinks, miso soup, etc are rich in probiotics.

12. Menthol

How can we forget menthol on the list of 14 effective remedies for cough and cold? It can reduce coughing and mitigate breathing problems by directly interacting with the receptors present in the throat and nose. Therefore, it can be a good way to get rid of the cold for good!

How To Use:

• Apply menthol rub directly on your chest and nose to alleviate your cold symptoms.
• Add mint leaves or menthol rub to the hot water steam.

When To Use:

• Take hot water steam in the morning and evening for best results.
• Use menthol rub before bedtime.

Precautions: Excessive use of menthol on the skin can irritate the skin. Therefore, use it moderately.

13. Cinnamon

Looking for sure shot home remedies for cough? How about cinnamon? It has antibacterial, antifungal properties. Additionally, it is rich in antioxidants (proanthocyanidins and polyphenols) that can boost your body’s immunity.

Also Read:- Home Remedies For Fungal Infections

How To Use:

• Add cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder, 1 tablespoon of honey, and half a lemon in hot water
• Add cinnamon oil to your hot water steam.

When To Use:

Drink this concoction of cinnamon in the morning and at night.

Precautions: If you have a cinnamon allergy then you should actively refrain from using this remedy.

14. Peppercorns 

Last but not least, the least would be roasting pepper in ghee (clarified butter) and consuming it two to three times a day. It eases chest congestion & a blocked nose. It is also enriched with vitamin c that would help you prevent catching the flu. 

How To Use: Add some crushed peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of honey in a cup of water. It makes a delightful tea

When To Use: Drink this tea in the morning and evening for good results.

Precautions: If you are allergic to peppercorns then you should avoid using this remedy,

Conclusion

Prevention is surely better than cure but not inevitable in many ways. Looking for effective home remedies for cough and cold can be exhaustive that therefore, we have put together the aforementioned list of 14 Effective Home Remedies For Cough and Cold to make life a little bit easier for you. Although these are effective methods to curb the cough and cold symptoms, one should always consult their doctors before starting up any sort of home remedy. Keep well.

Please Note: If anyone has any allergies to any of the below-mentioned ingredients, it’s always advisable to ask your doctor before consuming it.