If you suffer from cold, you may get runny nose, dry cough, watery eyes, and develop a problem with constant sneezing. These symptoms can be more or less severe, and may all cause great discomfort, forcing you to stay indoors and cut all communications with the outside world and even other people from your household. That’s most unfortunate, especially in the modern world where every day lost counts a great deal.

In these situations and as opposed to over the counter medications, home remedies can be very helpful. In this post we will present a number of remedies that may help with the consequences of common cold: runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and other upper respiratory tract problems. Some of them are equally effective if you have allergic rhinitis.

Many of the remedies can be applied for treating several symptoms at the same time, even though you may find them in only one category. You can also check out this post for more common cold remedies that really work.

Home Remedies for Runny Nose

Okra

Okra produces a slimy substance which is water soluble and is referred to as mucilage. Mucilage is a plant equivalent of animal mucus. It is very soothing and prevents inflammation and irritation of the throat. Okra is great for improving digestion, which also alleviates runny nose problems. Cook okra pods by boiling them for 10 minutes or so. I usually find that only a very short boil is enough. You may also drink the water as there will be a lot of mucilage in it. If I am going to use the water, I always make sure to use pure filtered or spring water.

Ginger and Turmeric tea

Ginger is great if you have cold, if you sneeze or have runny nose or watery eyes. And if you are like me, you already use turmeric in all your meals. Turmeric has strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Check additional info on preparing and using ginger and turmeric healthy tea. You can also buy a super tasty organic ginger juice.

Lemon or Lime Juice

Lemon or lime juice works great. Drink them without sugar or any other sweetener. Feel the sour taste of the juice and don’t be afraid of it. It has many benefits and works wonders providing a relief from sneezing and runny nose.

Bone broth

Bone broth can be a great remedy for runny nose and other cold symptoms. Use organic chicken bones or organic beef bones (the latter will need longer cooking). For more info how to prepare this delicious nutritional remedy, check out this post. Keep the spices to the bare minimum, though. Just salt, no other spices. I prepare my own home made bone broth at least once a week.

Lemongrass tea

Lemongrass tea can be used for treating colds and coughs. The vitamin C packed in lemongrass provides great relief from blockages of the respiratory system and other respiratory problems.

Sage tea

Sage has expectorant properties which means that it can expel mucous from the respiratory system. Sage tea can help you clean nasal blockages and deal with runny nose. I tend to prepare sage tea from time to time even if I have no immediate health concerns to treat.

Home Remedies for Watery Eyes

One of the best and most natural remedy for watery eyes is to get enough restful sleep. In addition, here are some remedies you may try during the day.

Cucumber

Because of its water content, Cucumber is a good moisturizer of the skin. It also has ascorbic acid which helps eliminate the excess water in the eyes, effectively reducing puffiness and swelling in this area. Put some cucumber slices over the eye area and let it stay there for 10 minutes. You may also cool it down in the fridge before putting it on your face. In addition, you may enjoy the refreshing taste of cucumber water and its many benefits.

Coriander Seeds

Wash your eyes using coriander seeds tea. This cure is good not only for watery eyes but also for other eye related problems. The tea is made by pouring a glass of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of ground coriander seeds. Let the mixture stay for 20 minutes and rinse your eyes with it.

Black Tea Bags

Prepare some tea using 2 tea bags of black tea. After steeping for a few minutes in water, remove the bags from the water and without squeezing let them cool down to a pleasant temperature. Put them on the eyes and let them stay for something like 10 minutes. The black tea will help you clean your eyes, soothe the inflammation, reduce the swelling, and diminish the irritation. Black tea is not my cup of tea 🙂 I prefer green tea and I drink it every day. But for treating watery eyes, it may be one of your best choices.

Milk

Cold milk may provide relief from watery eyes. One of the reasons is that the fat contained in the milk has relaxing and soothing properties. Just use a fine cloth or cotton ball soaked in cold milk. Cover they eyes for 10 minutes and you will get instant relief. Repeat several times a day.

Home Remedies for Sneezing

Sneezing is actually good for your body, as it tries to eliminate the allergens or irritants from its system. Regardless of the cause of sneezing, you want to prevent irritation and soreness in and around the nose. If your sneezing it’s constant and out of control, you can use the following remedies to get some relief. Some of them will also help you cleanse the nasal passages. You may be tempted to reach for over the counter drugs to stop sneezing, but it is always better to try natural remedies first.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is a great remedy against sneezing, clearing phlegm, and watery eyes. In general, peppermint oil leads to immediate stopping of sneezing with most people. It will open the airways, and help you breathe more easily. There are several ways you can use this essential oil, but we recommend to apply it topically near the nasal area. Or you can use an inhaler. Digesting may lead to stomach problems, so better to stay away from this method.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is a great natural antihistamine (that is, a drug that treats allergic rhinitis). And sneezing is very often a response of your body to high levels of histamine. Another natural antihistamine is vitamin C, so mix your chamomile teas with lemon juice or some other citrus juice. Or you can use parsley tea or ginger tea.

Garlic

Garlic can provide relief from excessive sneezing, that is, sneezing as a result of common cold. This is because garlic is packed with antiviral and antibiotic compounds. One of the best ways to use garlic to fight sneezing is by making paste. Crush a couple of cloves and grind them into a fine paste. To immediately clear the nasal airways, inhale the fragrance of garlic. In addition, include a lot of garlic in your diet, whether raw or cooked.

Stinging nettle

Stinging nettle is a magical plant. If I would be required to choose only one plant due to its healing properties, it would be this one. Extremely nutritive, it works as a tonic, diuretic, and anti-histamine agent. So it may help you find relief from sneezing, but also from congestion, watery eyes, and runny nose. Try to find already prepared tinctures, capsules, or even better, prepare a delicious herbal tea. Sweeten with honey if you have to, and drink a couple of cups a day.

Take Home Message

There is an old saying about common cold that goes like this “If untreated, it lasts for seven days; if treated it lasts for a week“. Whether this is true or not, you should do something to ease the symptoms. And natural cures and remedies can be great just for that.

To your health!