Tips for treating a cold naturally

Clogged nose, sneezing, discharge: cold symptoms are troublesome, but not serious. Homeo, plants, essential oils, what you need to know to get around quickly.

Without treatment, cold symptoms disappear spontaneously in seven to ten days. Two gestures help speed up the process and avoid complications:

• wash your nose with saline or a seawater based solution . An essential gesture to do, at will, for four or five days, to decongest the mucous membranes.
• blow your nose into a single-use tissue and wash your hands immediately afterwards.

If the situation does not improve after two or three days, and even more so if the fever appears, it is better to consult a doctor.

Naturally decongest a stuffy nose

Elderberry and Echinacea against colds

The prescription of Dr. Jean-Michel Morel, phytotherapist:

• "The elderflower tea opens the nose in adults and children alike. Count a pinch for a cup, to be taken four times a day. Elderberry is a plant known for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
  
  
• Products made of echinacea , a plant native to North America, reduce the duration of cold symptoms compared to placebo (Cochrane Review, February 2014).

Homoeo remedies against the stuffy nose

The prescription of Dr. Monique Quillard, homeopath

• "  For a stuffy nose that does not run and threatens to progress to sinusitis, with pain in the root of the nose, I recommend Sticta pulmonaria 5 CH, five granules four times a day.
• If the nose is clogged at night and runs yellow during the day: Pulsatilla 9 CH, five granules morning and evening. "

Inhalations

The advice of Claire Dousset, pharmacist of the Giropharm group:

"I recommend using eucalyptus inhalations over a bowl of boiling water - being careful not to get burned - or a suitable inhaler. In pharmacy, liquid or tablet complexes are found to melt in water. Inhalation can be done twice a day, five to ten minutes each time.

It is important to stay warm and not to come out cold afterwards, so as not to provoke a vasodilator reflex that worsens the symptoms. "

Naturally stop the runny nose

Drops and sprays containing a vasoconstrictor are no longer popular. They can cause serious adverse effects, at the cardiac or neurological level. Here are some natural alternatives proposed by our experts.

Peppermint and plantain to calm the flow

The prescription of the phytotherapist:

• "The essential oil of peppermint is decongestant and astringent. It tightens the mucous membrane. In adults, I advise 1 drop, four to six times a day, to take in honey. It may be useful to drink a glass of warm water.
• In case of sneezing , you can use plantain herbal tea (a tablespoon for a bowl, twice a day) or EPS (fluid extract standardized plant): a teaspoon two to three times a day for a adult. In a child: one milliliter (ml) for ten kilos of weight per day. "

Homoeo remedies against the runny nose

The order of the homeopath: 

• "For clear flows, a fountain nose and repeated sneezing that improve in the open air, I offer Allium cepa 9 CH, five granules four times a day. If, on the contrary, sneezing worsens in the cold: Nux vomica 9 CH, five granules four times a day.
• For thick flows, I prefer Kallium bichromicum 5 CH, same dosage. "

Make nose washings

The advice of the pharmacist:

"After washing my nose (with physiological saline or a product enriched with seawater), I recommend, at least four times a day, nasal drops based on antiseptic, decongestant and antiviral essential oils. There are mixtures of eucalyptus radiata , ravintsara , niaouli and mint . "

Attention, these products should not be used in a child under seven years!

To read also: our file Prevent and cure diseases of winter