It is said, adults would get two to three colds in a year, while kids can get more. Colds don’t have a specific time as such for it to happen, and summer colds are less common but very notorious.
How are summer colds different?
When defining what summer colds are about, we must know that there are many types of viruses that cause colds. The virus causing summer colds is ENTEROVIRUS.
The infections from this virus can be reason enough for very severe symptoms to occur; some even have rashes. Research says, there is a difference between the colds of the winters and that of the summers, and the difference is purely psychosomatic.
What is a summer cold?
In layman terms, a summer cold is just another common cold, which one gets while the summers are on. We often think that it is only during the winters that we get a cold, but that is certainly not the case.
And then there are some of us that mistake a summer cold as an allergy. This again is not true. And it does not need to be cold in the climes out there for one to catch a summer cold.
Catching a cold in the summer is very much like having one while the winter months are on. The virus can catch up in the summers too and infect anyone easily, as it does in the winters, say experts.
What are the summer cold symptoms?
Here are some of the summer cold symptoms that you should know about-
1. Congested nasal tract
One of the most common symptoms of a summer cold would be a congested nasal tract. This is when there is an inflammation and swelling of the nasal passage, and this makes it tough for the air to flow free within the nose.
What is actually happening is that there is a swelling inside the nose lining, and this causes the congestion in the nasal tract.
2. Hacking coughs
A big indication that you have a cold is a cough. This is an attempt of the reflexes to help clear the airpath of the mucus which touches the throats back.
Dry cough or hacking coughs would be long-lasting amongst the many symptoms of a summer cold. When one coughs severely, the ribs and the chest area become sore.
It is to be noted that dry hacking coughs do not happen because of mucus. It happens because there are small receptors located within the throat, which are now agitated. This is why, summer colds are the worst.
3. Eyes turn watery
Watery eyes are part and parcel of summer cold virus. When you have a cold, it is the sinus area around the nose which gets inflamed. And it is this which causes more tears to be produced than what is needed.
When you sneeze a lot or cough a lot, the eyes are irritated and would release plenty of tears. Until the virus leaves the system, the summer cold would provoke the eyes to get watery and all teary, which is normal.
Without treating the cold, the virus can stay in the body for around seven days to ten days, say experts. So here you have it, you now know normally how long does a summer cold last!
Now that we have told you about what a summer cold is, the signs and symptoms too, we would like to share summer cold home remedies with you, which you can use at home and know how to cure a summer cold.
Please read on and be well informed for the same using any of the 14 home remedies to get rid of a summer cold.
14 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Summer Cold
Garlic
Garlic has a lot of healing properties in it. So you can safely use this as a remedy for summer cold.
What you need to do
- Mince a few garlic pods and add to it a dash of lemon juice with some chilli powder and honey.
- This should be consumed once a day every day.
- The concotion here is an antimicrobial one and anti inflammatory as well.
- Garlic and its properties along with honey will help cure the cold, and it will also help boost immunity as well.
- Chilli powder creates a thermogenic effect and helps open up the nasal tract with the heat it produces.
- Lemon has vitamin C in it which helps nourish the immunity system.
Spices
You should gather a tablespoon each of cumin seeds, fennel and fenugreek seeds along with coriander seeds.
What you need to do
- Pound the ingredints well and add a teaspoon of the powder made to a cup of water which is hot.
- Add a pinch of rock salt to the concoction and let it steep in the solution for five to ten minutes.
- Strain the liquid and drink it warm. This will help heal the common cold. This mixture should be drunk twice a day.
Ginger
Ginger has antimicrobial properties, which is why it is safe to use as a remedy for summer cold.
What you need to do
- You need to grate a piece of ginger into thin slices and add it to a cup of warm water.
- Allow it to steep for ten minutes and the strain the liquid.
- Now add a little honey and lemon juice to the water and mix it well.
- Sip on this concotion all day long and this will keep the cold away from attacking you. The herb is rich as an antiviral and an antiseptic, and it helps improve circulation and in warding off the cold too.
Pepper
- Grind a few pods of pepper with a pinch of turmeric powder.
- Mix the two spices well and add a cup of milk to it.
- This should be drunk warm once a day which helps bring relief from a stuffy nose and nasal congestion. This concoction also helps break the mucus and also is known to be an expectorant as well.
Onion
Get hold of two large red onions. Cut the onions and place them in a dish and add a tablespoon of honey to them. Then cover the bowl all night and wait till the next morning. There would be liquid formed at the end of the bowl.
This liquid is what you should drink in the morning on an e,pty stomach. The liquid helps cure the cold and also loosens up the mucus too. This should be done for five to seven days until the virus leaves.
Turmeric
What you need to do
- Get four glasses of water to boil, and to it add a teaspoon of turmeric.
- Let the water cool for around ten minutes and then get the solution strained.
- Now add a teaspoon of honey and lemon juice each to the liquid.
- Mix well and consume this remedy for summer cold twice a day.
- This is a remedy that works to bring down throat irritation, to bring congestion relief and to bring down inflammation as well.
Cinnamon
What you need to do
- Take a cup of water and get it boiled, and to this, you shall add a quart teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
- Let it steep for some time and then add honey and lemon juice to it.
- This will form cinnamon tea, which should be consumed twice a day.
- This helps prevent the onslaught of viruses from spreading and also helps treat a severe cold as well. Apart from that, this tea will also help treat other infections internally too.
Honey
Honey is a natural antiseptic and an antimicrobial, which is why it is a remedy for summer cold to use. It helps flush out the bacteria and the virus which make the summer colds happen.
What you need to do
- Mix a tablespoon of lime juice with two tablespoons of honey.
- Have this concoction three times a day and the spreading of the virus will stop.
Chicken Soup
Chicken soup for very long has been known to be a remedy for summer cold and winter cold too. It is a remedy which is very tasty and very effective too.
The soup is rich in nutrients and vitamins and can be made easily at home with your choicest of veggies and chicken. Have chicken soup when hot, twice a day to get instant relief from the cold.
Milk
What you need to do
- To get relief from watery eyes and the cold symptoms, you must have milk which is mixed with a pinch of ginger and turmeric.
- Boil a glass of milk and add the spices as recommended to the milk which is boiled.
- This milk should be drunk twice a day to bring relief from the summer cold.
Apple Cider Vinegar
What you need to do
- In a glass, mix a cap of apple cider vinegar to half a glass of water, with a teaspoon of honey.
- Mix the concoction well and have it twice or thrice a day.
- This helps clear the cold and fights the viruses, keeping the immunity strong and safe. Apple cider vinegar creates a very alkaline environment within the body, and this helps clear up the bacteria and the viruses.
Have a cup of herbal tea
What you need to do
- A quart cup of coriander and fenugreek seeds, with half a cup of cumin and fennel seeds, a cup of water and a teaspoon of honey.
- Roast all the spices and dry herbs, and add them to the cup of water.
- Boil the herbs well on a low flame for a minute or two.
- Strain the liquid and add honey to it.
- Drink this concoction thrice a day when it is warm.
- This will help create a thermogenic effect in the body and open up the nasal tracts too, giving you relief from the summer cold.
Try using essential oils
- You would need to have a few drops of the precious eucalyptus oil here, added to a bowl of warm water.
- Cover your head with a towel and start inhaling the steam which emanates from the warm bowl of water into which the oil is.
- Once the steam enters the nostrils, it will help open up the nasal tract and loosen up the mucus membranes.
- Inhaling should be done for around five to ten minutes. If you do not have eucalyptus oil, you can try tea tree oil or peppermint oil, or even thyme oil.
- This process should be done twice a day for the best results to attain.
Massage warm oil
Coconut oil is the best to use here as a remedy for summer cold.
What you need to do
- Warm-up half a cup of coconut oil, and gently apply it on the neck and the chest.
- Rub the area around the neck and the chest in circular motions for five minutes, and then cover up the body.
- Do this twice a day so that the heat stimulates circulation and that you get relief from the summer cold.
So these were the very easy 14 home remedies to get rid of a summer cold. If you have any question, please comment below.
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