When you aren’t feeling up to snuff the last thing you want is to take something that might actually make you feel worse. That’s why it is usually better to stick to natural solutions when possible.
For the last few years I have been making a concerted effort to stick to all natural home remedies instead of opting for over-the-counter drugs, pills, and potions to make myself feel better.
In fact, because of this I have found I am getting sick less and recovering faster when I do come down with something. So how do I do it? Well, I just look around the house for the right ingredients to create different home remedies.
Here are the 5 I use most frequently.
A Sore Throat
You know that feeling, the scratchy I-feel-like-I-just-swallowed-glass feeling you get when you come down with a sore throat. Well to clear that up fast I mix:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 teaspoons of raw honey (depending on your preference)
8 oz of water
Then just mix that bad boy and drink it up to 6 times a day or until your symptoms disappear. The acidity of the vinegar works to kill any bacteria and soothe the irritation, while the honey helps to sweeten the taste which can be a little brutal at first.
But if you can hack the taste, this quick and easy remedy will have you feeling healthy again in no time.
Congestion
I don’t know about you but I find feeling congested to be one of the annoying aspects of having a cold, and what is worse is you can’t properly cure it with medicine.
And unless you want to take an over-the-counter drug to calm the symptoms, start taking some Vitamin C in Ascorbic Acid form in 1,000 mg dosages every few hours until the congestion clears up.
Or, to battle acute congestion, boil a large pot of water, take it off the heat, and drop in a few peppermint leaves or peppermint tea bags. Then place your face over the pot, cover your head with a towel and slowly and deeply breathe in the steam for up to 15 minutes.
You should notice this starts to loosen and break up your congestion after a couple steams.
A Fever
Most of the time a fever can be a good sign that your body is working to fight off illness. And while our first reaction might be to treat our fever, sometimes that can slow down our recovery as your body uses the heat to kill the virus or bacteria.
However, with that being said, a high fever, specifically with children, can be dangerous.
If you find yourself in this situation and would prefer not to give your child drugs, dab some diluted essential peppermint oil on the bottoms of their feet and on the back of their necks. If that doesn’t help the fever break, try placing a cold ice pack on the back of their necks as that is where our heat center is located.
This remedy can also be used on adults, just don’t dilute the peppermint oil.
Bleeding
Got a scrape or a cut that just won’t stop bleeding? Pour some cayenne pepper directly onto the wound.
It sounds painful, and for the first couple of minutes it definitely is, but it will help clot your blood faster, making the bleeding stop sooner.
Just make sure you use pure or organic cayenne pepper and make sure it doesn’t have any other ingredients in it other than the cayenne.
Once the bleeding stops rinse the wound with cool water and treat it how you would usually treat a wound.
The few minutes of pain may be a deterrent for some but it could save you countless trips to the doctor.
An Ear Infection
Ear infections are the worst. I hate them.
So imagine my relief when I discovered this simple remedy. All you have to do is get the person who is experiencing symptoms to lie on their side and use a dropper to dispense a few drops of pure Hydrogen Peroxide directly into the ear.
It should cause some bubbling and a tickling sensation, and sometimes although rarely, it may sting a little.
Have the person lie there until the bubbling stops and repeat this every few hours, or until their symptoms subside.
Et voila! 5 simple and all natural home remedies that are easy, cheap, and much better for your overall health then opting to take over-the-counter drugs and pills.
AUTHOR BIO:
Vanessa is the chief blogging babe for BesSkincare.com where she blogs and vlogs about all things skincare related including natural anti-aging and the best at-home microdermabrasion machines. The best part about her job? She gets to help her readers look and feel their very best.
You also might be interested in these posts...
Andi Kramers is the owner and admin of vitalbynature.net. Loves climbing, skiing, cooking, blogging and all things natural. Always happy to share good content. Feel free to connect :)
