Naturopathy for cold and cough

‘Cough gone, sugar under control. Feeling fresh and fit. Am excited to return to resume work,’ 

tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after he had undergone naturopathy treatment for his chronic cough and high blood sugar levels.

Cold and cough is not a disease in itself. It is a symptom that your body’s immune system is fighting a virus. Naturopathic treatment just helps boost these defence mechanisms to function better. And for seasonal disturbances in the form of cold and cough, naturopathycan be one of the best solutions. Here’s how to use ginger for coughs and coldsHere are a few ways you can treat cough and cold using naturopathy.

1. Hydrotherapy for cold and cough

Hydrotherapy is the use of water as a method of healing. Hydrotherapy called the Cold Sock treatment is good for nasal congestion due to cold.

For this therapy you need a pair of cotton socks and a pair of woollen socks. Follow this procedure.

• Soak the foot part of the cotton socks in cold water and wring them thoroughly.
• Put your feet in a basin of hot water and soak them till they are hot.
• Remove your feet from hot water, dry them off quickly, and immediately put on the cold socks.
• Quickly put on the woollen socks over the cold socks.
• Go to bed immediately, and cover yourself. Your feet should not be uncovered at any point in time.

You can expect to get relief from congestion within 30 minutes. [1]

The therapy works on the principle that cold water constricts the superficial blood vessels stimulating them, and hot water causes expansion of vessels, thereby relaxing them. This causes increase in circulation, decrease in inflammation, and it improves elimination of congestion.

2. Nasal irrigation

Nasal irrigation means flushing out your nasal cavity with a saline solution. Irrigation of nasal cavity is perhaps one of the oldest techniques based on yogic practices. It serves a dual purpose – one, nasal irrigation clears congestion by removing the mucus, and two, helps reduce inflammation and allergy by removing bacteria and virus which are the source of inflammation. (Read: 7 home remedies for blocked nose you MUST try!)

Research too has shown that this could be a recommended method for symptomatic relief of viral and bacterial cold. [2]

So, how do you do it? Use the time honoured, clinically tested and approved neti pot for cleansing your nasal cavity. [3]

• Make the saline solution: Dissolve one-fourth (for finely ground) to half a teaspoon (for coarsely ground) of non-iodized salt in 8 ounces of warm sterilized water. Says Benjamin Bleier, of American Rhinologic Society, ‘While multiple companies offer premixed salt packets which are convenient and relatively inexpensive, patients may elect to make their own saline at home. A common recipe involves the addition of 2-3 teaspoons of iodine free salt and 1/4-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 litre of sterile water.’Use boiled or distilled water. Cool the water to ‘warm’ before using if you are boiling the water. Also make sure you have not used too much or too less salt. Taste it before using it in the neti pot.
• Clean the neti pot before and after every use. Do not share your neti pot.
• For comfortable flow of water through the nasal passage, ensure correct head position. The Himalayan Institute suggests leaning over the sink so you are looking directly into the basin and then rotating your head to the side so that one nostril is directly above the other.
• Gently insert the spout into the upper nostril. Keep your mouth open and breathe in and out through your mouth.
• Raise the neti pot gradually to allow the saline solution to flow in through the upper nostril and out through the lower nostril.
• Once you are done, rotate your head so you are looking into the sink. Exhale sharply through both nostrils to clear the nasal passage of excess mucus and water.
• Repeat with other nostril.
• Wash the neti pot with hot water and mild soap. Dry before storing it.

3. Build immunity through right nutrition

Food you eat is not going to kill the cold and cough bacteria/ virus directly. But they are going to boost your immune system, so that your body can resist and fight the pathogens more effectively. Here are some foods that are going to strengthen your immune system.

• Foods that contain vitamin C. Fruits such as guava, orange, and lemon are very rich sources of vitamin C. So are vegetables such as broccoli and bell pepper. Vitamin C not only protects against immune system deficiencies, it also protects against cardiovascular disease and eye diseases. If you have cold and cough, you may need to go higher than the recommended daily dose of 75-90 mg for adults. Normally, doctors recommend 500 mg/day to achieve health results.
• Foods rich in vitamin A and iron. Vitamin A is an immune boosting nutrient that helps produce white blood cells by the body. White blood cells fight the virus and other pathogens and keep mucous membranes healthy. A Chinese study revealed that preschool children given vitamin A and iron supplement had the lowest incidence rate of respiratory-related illnesses and fewest symptoms of runny nose, cough, and fever. Sweet potato, carrots, leafy greens, bell pepper, fish, liver, pumpkin, peach, papaya, mango, all of these are packed with vitamin A. For iron, include dried apricot, watermelon, broccoli, parsley, wheatgrass juice, cooked spinach, beet greens, spirulina, red-leaf lettuce; fortified cereals, and meats such as chicken lamb, egg yolk, shrimp, and clams in your diet.
• Garlic: Garlic is rich in manganese, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamins B6 and C. it is known to reduce inflammation and boost immune function as it has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic properties. 2 -3 cloves of garlic a day may do the trick. However, researchers have not found much evidence regarding the effects of garlic in preventing or treating the common cold. [5]
• Probiotics:Probiotics are living micro-organisms that have health benefits when consumed in adequate amount. They are quite effective for digestive diseases, respiratory diseases, and viral diseases. They have also been found to have immune boosting properties. Although studies have also shown that they may have marginal preventive effect on common cold, do include it in your diet as it won’t harm you either way. [6]

4. Herbs for treating cold and cough

Echinacea – Studies have shown that aerial parts of Echinacea might be effective for early treatment of colds in adults but not always and not for everyone. Other parts of Echinacea only help in preventing colds. ‘Most consumers and physicians are not aware that products available under the term Echinacea differ appreciably in their composition, mainly due to the use of variable plant material, extraction methods and the addition of other components,’ according to a review study done in Germany. [7] Some of the common home remedies that help you to deal with cough

Elderberry – Elderberry helps treat flu symptoms, cold, and sinusitis. 15 ml of elderberry syrup, four times a day for 5 days can relieve symptoms on average 4 days earlier as compared with no treatment. [8] The herbal supplement is quite effective for influenza characterized by abrupt onset of fever, headache, myalgia, sore throat and non-productive cough.

There are other herbs too that are claimed to be effective, but scientific evidence of their efficacy is lacking.

You can also try some desi remedies for cold and cough –

• Crush tulsi (sweet basil) leaves, add a teaspoon of honey and a spoonful of fresh juice extracted from ginger. Consume it to get relief from cough.
• Add few black pepper corns and cumin seeds to a glass of water. Boil the water, and then add a little jaggery (gur) to it. It will help relieve chest congestion.
• A wonderful relief from aching throat and runny nose, especially in children, is a combination of milk and turmeric. To a glass of milk add a pinch of turmeric powder or a pinch of turmeric paste (obtained by grinding the turmeric rhizome).
• Drink plenty of water and herbal tea; eat lightly, and get sufficient rest.