Runny nose

Treatment of the common cold with folk remedies

One of the common symptoms of a cold is a runny nose. However, rhinitis can also be a manifestation of an allergic reaction or as a result of irritation of the nasal mucosa with dry air. To understand the causes of nasal congestion, you need to see a specialist. By agreeing on the therapeutic measures, the treatment can be carried out at home. Treatment of a common cold at home should be comprehensive, taking into account the characteristics of the course of the disease and the human condition.

There are several of the most common causes of nasal congestion:

  • infectious pathogens. Primary damage to the nasal mucosa by pathogenic microbes can occur against the background of inhalation of cold air or a decrease in local immunity. This is often observed with a viral infection. Bacterial agents reattach themselves, complicating the disease. If rhinitis or sinusitis has a chronic bacterial course, microbes can be activated with a slight weakening of the immune system;
  • allergic reactions to hygiene products, household chemicals, medicines, food, fluff, pollen, cosmetics or dust. Rhinitis persists as long as the action of the allergen is present;
  • freezing;
  • inhalation of polluted air in the street or at work (industrial hazards);
  • vasomotor rhinitis develops as a result of hormonal fluctuations, prolonged exposure to the sun or frost. You can also highlight the influence of the nervous system. Due to a violation of the regulation of the tone of blood vessels, they lose their ability to respond to the action of various factors. The vessels remain in a dilated state, which predisposes the appearance of edema and rhinorrhea.

Clinical features

To cure a runny nose at home, you need to comprehensively act on the cause and symptoms of the disease. In addition to nasal congestion and rhinorrhea, you may notice:

  1. sneezing. This symptom is a protective reaction of the body when dust particles or microbes enter through the upper respiratory tract. They, settling on the surface of the mucous membrane, irritate the receptors, provoking sneezing;
  2. sore throat, coughing, pain in the paranasal region, hoarseness of the voice, as a result of the spread of infection, the development of pharyngitis, sinusitis or laryngitis;
  3. lacrimation, itching of the skin, eyes, conjunctival hyperemia, rash - if we are talking about an allergic reaction;
  4. hyperthermia, malaise, decreased appetite, body aches - when a cold is preceded by the development of intoxication due to infection of the body with viruses or bacteria;
  5. irritability, dysfunction of internal organs - as a result of impaired functioning of the nervous system.

The main directions of therapy

Using vasoconstrictor drugs in the form of monotherapy, you can only aggravate the course of the disease.

How to quickly cure a runny nose with folk remedies? First, we list the therapeutic areas that allow you to get rid of snot:

  1. elimination of the cause, because the persistence of the infection or allergen will not make it possible to recover from the common cold at home;
  2. rinsing the nose (can be carried out for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes);
  3. the use of drops with a vasoconstrictor effect;
  4. taking antihistamines in the form of a nasal spray and tablet form;
  5. a prescription for a common cold of an infectious origin should include the use of local antimicrobial medicines;
  6. the appointment of immunomodulators, homeopathic and herbal remedies;
  7. the use of hormonal drugs in the nasal form;
  8. warming procedures;
  9. massage of special points;
  10. inhalations with a cold (allow you to stop rhinorrhea by reducing swelling, inflammation of the nasal mucosa);
  11. diet food (necessary to cure a runny nose at home as soon as possible).

Rinsing the nasal cavities

How to cure a runny nose with folk remedies? Nasal lavages can be performed for allergic, infectious, or vasomotor rhinitis. For this, traditional means can be used:

  • saline solution. To prepare it, you need to dissolve 5 g of salt in 240 ml warm water. Food and sea salt can be used;
  • to get rid of rhinitis, the use of herbal infusions is allowed. Home remedies for the common cold can be made with calendula, chamomile, oak bark, eucalyptus, or sage. In boiling water with a volume of 300 ml, 20-30 g of grass should be brewed. As soon as the infusion cools down a little, the procedure can be started;
  • green tea.

In case of a runny nose, it is recommended to rinse the nasal cavities with ready-made saline solutions, for example, Humer, No-salt or Dolphin. These can be purchased at the pharmacy.

In order for the medicine to have the maximum healing effect, you need to adhere to some rules:

  1. the medicinal solution is injected directly into the nasal cavity. It washes out mucus with microbes, dust particles, and then pours out through an open mouth;
  2. blow your nose well after the procedure;
  3. warm solutions are used for washing so as not to irritate the nasopharyngeal mucosa.

Massage for nasal congestion

Folk remedies for the treatment of a common cold include massage. Its task is to improve local blood flow, reduce irritation, swelling of the mucous membrane, volume of secretions, accelerate regeneration and normalize the tone of blood vessels.

It will be possible to quickly get rid of a runny nose if the massage is carried out for at least 10 minutes three times a day. Here are some rules:

  1. the procedure is carried out with warm fingers;
  2. movements should be continuous, with slight pressure, without causing painful sensations;
  3. massage is best done after cleansing the nasal cavities from mucus;
  4. the points are massaged alternately, for several minutes each.

Rhinitis can be cured by massaging the following points:

  1. between the eyebrows, above the bridge of the nose;
  2. near the outer edges of the eyes;
  3. one centimeter from the wings of the nose towards the ears;
  4. above the upper lip (in the projection of the outer edge of the nostrils).

Warming procedures

Proven folk remedies for the common cold also include warming treatments. It can be localized or generalized. Before carrying out warming procedures, you need to make sure that there is no bacterial infection in the nasopharynx.

Traditional medicine for the common cold involves the use of the following recipes:

  1. having cooked eggs, you can wrap them up with a handkerchief and apply them to the wings of the nose;
  2. salt is a good remedy. It must be warmed up, poured into a bag and warmed up the paranasal zone. The treatment will be effective if the thermal effect of the salt is felt for 15-20 minutes. If you apply it hot, it can burn the skin;
  3. rye flour cakes can be used to warm the paranasal area.

Home therapy with folk remedies is also carried out with the help of general thermal procedures, which can quickly cure a cold and a runny nose. Treatment with folk remedies includes:

  1. the use of mustard. It can be poured into socks at night or added to water for a warming foot bath;
  2. foot baths with herbal decoctions;
  3. rubbing the chest with Dr. Mom. The procedure is not performed in case of violation of the integrity of the skin or allergic rashes.

Inhalation

Treatment of the common cold with folk remedies will be quick if you additionally carry out inhalations using medications or folk remedies. To do this, you can use hot steam or just the aromas of medicinal products:

  • the best folk remedy for the common cold is an onion. It needs to be cleaned and layered.It is necessary to remove the film from each layer, apply it to the mucous membrane of the nasal passages for 10-15 minutes three times a day;
  • another folk remedy for the common cold for adults - chop the onion finely, add chopped garlic and wrap it in a scarf. Inhalation of vapors should be carried out three times a day for 5-10 minutes;
  • good results can be obtained if grated horseradish is placed in a glass container, tightly closed and during the day inhale the aromas for 2 minutes.

Inhalation with rhinorrhea should be carried out through the nose. They are prohibited in the early days of viral infection and are not recommended for allergic rhinitis.

How to get rid of a cold with folk remedies by steam inhalation?

  1. 100 g of chopped onion and garlic mass (1: 1) should be poured with half a liter of boiling water and warm vapor should be inhaled;
  2. in the fight against the common cold, folk remedies are used based on various essential oils. In hot water with a volume of 470 ml, you need to add pine, fir or eucalyptus oil with a dose of 4 drops;
  3. folk remedies for the common cold can be prepared from herbs. To do this, it is enough to take 30 g of calendula, oak bark or eucalyptus, pour 460 ml of boiling water and leave in a water bath for 10 minutes. After slightly cooling the medicine, it is necessary to inhale the healing vapors.

Folk recipes for rhinitis

How to treat a runny nose with folk remedies? Recommended treatments include medicated nasal drops. The attending physician can prescribe both pharmaceutical medicines and medicines with natural ingredients. So, how to treat rhinitis:

  • in beet juice (40 ml) you need to dissolve 5 g of honey. Bury the nose three times a day, 2 drops;
  • folk recipes for rhinorrhea using onions, garlic are one of the most effective in the treatment of rhinorrhea with folk remedies in adults. Onion and garlic juice should be diluted with water 1: 1 and 1: 2. Bury the nose three times, 2 drops each;
  • Another popular way to treat a cold is aloe. Add a drop of aloe juice to liquid honey (2 ml) and bury your nose three times a day;
  • Warm 30 ml of vegetable oil in a water bath for half an hour, then cool, add chopped garlic cloves (4 pieces) and a quarter of a medium onion. Insist for 2 hours, after which we get rid of the common cold by treating the purified nasal mucosa with a cotton swab dipped in the medicine.

Prohibitions for rhinorrhea

Even the most effective folk remedies for the common cold can be powerless over rhinitis if you do not follow some recommendations.

The main rule: any warming procedures, inhalations and massage are prohibited in case of fever above 37.5 degrees.

So, what shouldn't be done with rhinitis?

  • use herbal decoctions for inhalation if allergic reactions to them were once observed;
  • use hot steam for inhalation, otherwise a mucosal burn is possible;
  • folk remedies for the common cold based on aloe juice or honey are prohibited for allergic rhinitis. This often leads to a worsening of the clinical picture;
  • improper rinsing of the nasal cavities can lead to the spread of infection;
  • in the nebulizer, do not inhale oil solutions and herbal decoctions.

Features of a nutritious diet

Alternative treatment will be much more effective if you observe some restrictions in the nutritional diet. It is necessary to temporarily abandon sweets, flour products, fatty, salty foods, semi-finished products, margarine, butter, potatoes and meat products. Meals should be fractional.

Hot and cold food irritates the mucous membranes, so you need to monitor the temperature of the dishes. With a runny nose, you need to diversify your diet with fresh fruits (apples, prunes, persimmons, figs, lemon), garlic, onions, mustard, radishes, ginger and berries with vitamin C.

Drinking volume should be at least two liters of liquid per day. Traditional methods offer fresh juices (carrot, cranberry), tea with lemon, honey, raspberries, currants, mint, linden, infusion of chamomile, sage, still mineral water or compotes. A full drinking regimen will reduce intoxication, inflammation and quickly eliminate rhinitis.

Here is another home remedy for the common cold that strengthens the immune system and speeds up recovery. Add 15 g of ginger to warm water with a volume of 320 ml, after grinding it with a grater. Next, mix well, filter and add 30 ml of lemon or orange juice. Black pepper, cinnamon, or mint can be used as desired. When the drink cools down a little, honey is added to taste.

Rhinitis will quickly heal if treatment is started on time and the causative factor is eliminated. If the nasal congestion continues for months, it will be much more difficult to cope with the chronic course, so do not delay treatment.