Natural Remedies for Colds, Flu, Sinusitis, and Infections

These are some of my longstanding, favorite remedies for cold symptoms, as well as a few more recent discoveries that I've added to the mix. Make sure to get your doctor’s blessings before partaking (I am not a doctor).

In this article, I provide natural remedies and alternative aids for:

• Nose and Sinus Symptoms
• Throat Symptoms
• Ear Symptoms
• Coughs
• General Detoxification
• Immune Support

Remedies for Nose and Sinus Issues

1. Saline Wash

Oprah and Dr. Oz have popularized the Neti Pot for irrigating the nasal passages. I’ve included a video that demonstrates how it is used. For instance, I found out the hard way the importance of leaning over and turning your head side to side (as shown in the video) to drain the excess water out after irrigation. I’m also a bit more hardcore than the Neti Pot and use a bulb syringe. I buy several dozen at a time and use a new syringe every week.

Tips for Using the Neti Pot

• Use one pint of warm water and about a rounded teaspoon of salt. You’re trying to match your body’s salinity.
• Use unrefined, natural sea salt. If you can’t get sea salt, use non-iodized salt.
• You can add 1/8th teaspoon of baking soda, which helps to remove the mucus.

A saline wash should be soothing for your nasal passages if they are dry. I do them first thing each day to wash out excess mucus. When your nasal membranes are swollen and causing congestion, make the water a little more salty. That way, you can benefit from osmosis which draws out excess fluid from your nasal tissues.

Video: Nasal Irrigation With the Neti Pot

2. Hot Towel

A hot towel is great for relieving a sinus headache. This treatment never fails to give me at least slight, temporary relief from sinus pressure and pain. When that’s all you can get, you’ll take it, right? Here's how to benefit:

• Take a small bath towel (a hand towel is too small) and wet it with warm water. Squeeze out the excess water.
• Microwave the towel for 60 to 90 seconds.
• Lie down and place the towel over your entire face, including your nose and mouth.
• Try to breathe in and out through your nose, but use your mouth if you have to.
• As the towel begins to cool, you can fold it inside out and have another minute or so of heat. Return it to the microwave and repeat if needed.

I usually do this once, twice, or three times, then repeat throughout the day as needed. You can usually use one towel for 12 to 15 hours without it souring. It will, of course, take longer to heat the towel when it is completely cold.

Personal Facial Steam Inhaler

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3. Facial Steamer

A personal facial steamer can help relieve nasal congestion and stuffiness and decreases congestion which may cause sinus-pressure headaches. Most facial steamers have a little pan or depression where you can pour a few drops of something like eucalyptus oil into the water. This technique is a lot like using Vicks VapoRub with a humidifier, although you can just use plain water.

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4. Herbal Teas

I try to keep a Seasonal Herb Tea Sampler by Traditional Medicinals on hand at my house. It has four bags each of four varieties of tea:

• Gypsy Cold Care
• Breathe Easy
• Echinacea Plus
• Throat Coat

Simply pour boiling water into your cup with the tea bag, cover with a saucer, and steep for 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Sinus Relief

I make sure I never run out of Dr. King's Natural Medicine Homeopathic Sinus Relief Spray, which I usually order from the Vitamin Shoppe. It is great for sinus-pressure headaches and most any sinus symptoms, such as sneezing, post-nasal drip, runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes. During peak cold and flu season, I use it daily.

Remedies for Sore Throat

1. Salt Water Gargle

Who hasn’t tried a salt water gargle for a sore or scratchy throat? It’s one of the easiest and cheapest remedies in the world. Here's how to benefit:

• Mix ½ teaspoon of non-iodized salt and ¼ teaspoon baking soda with 8 ounces of warm water.
• Gargle for 10 to 30 seconds, repeating several times.
• Make a saltier solution with 1 teaspoon of salt to draw fluid out of swollen tissues.

2. Clay Packs

Clay packs are useful for drawing out excess fluid and metabolic waste. Here's what to do:

• Hydrate swelling calcium bentonite clay with 2.2 parts water to 1 part clay.
• Hydrate swelling sodium bentonite clay with 3 or 4 parts water to 1 part clay.
• Hydrate the clay so that it barely holds together without falling apart.
• Apply to the external portion of the throat.

3. Slippery Elm

I only became aware of the benefits of slippery elm for sore throats or hoarseness a few years ago through a speech therapist I worked with. He said slippery elm is used by a lot of actors and singers.

You can get slippery elm tea from Traditional Medicinals as Herba Tussin or Throat Coat, or from Yogi as Throat Comfort. You can also get slippery elm lozenges by Thayers. I try to make sure I always have slippery elm tea or lozenges at my house and take some with me for speaking engagements.

4. Sore Throat and Laryngitis Homeopathic Spray

I try to have Dr. King's Natural Medicine Sore Throat and Laryngitis Homeopathic Spray on hand, though I don't need it often. I get laryngitis about once every year or two. Sometimes, I don't even feel sick, but I sound terrible, and it can linger for a couple weeks as hoarseness. I try to catch it early and start spraying this product to decrease the duration.

One year I got laryngitis while at my state conference and had to deliver my second lecture while whispering through a microphone. After that, I made sure to carry it with me every year that I was a speaker!

Remedies for Earaches

Garlic and Olive Oil

I rarely get an earache, but one year I developed tremendous ear pressure hours before a forecasted thunderstorm (that never actually arrived). My ear pressure turned to pain that night, and I also experienced some same-sided throat pain.

My naturopath recommended mullein and garlic ear drops by Herb Pharm. They contain calendula flower, St. John’s wort flower top, mullein flower, garlic bulb, and organic olive oil. I bought some and have used it.

Ear Candling

I first heard of ear candling in 2003 and tried it in a spa clinic. After that, my siblings and I did it on each other at home from time to time. I have reflux, so my ear canals are yeasty and often damp. Candling is a gentle way to remove wax and yeast. It can also relieve ear and sinus pressure. You can buy the candles (waxy paper tubes) from places like Sprouts and Whole Foods. In Texas, the larger HEB grocery stores and HEB Central Market carry them.

One year when I was in South Carolina for an extended visit, I got sick with sinus and allergy symptoms. When this happens, I get fluid behind my eardrums and sometimes my ears stay stopped up for one or even two months!

My dad’s wife is a massage therapist and did the candling for me while I was home. She did two candles each ear. It really drew out the fluid and yeast. The next two mornings, I awoke with my outer ear canals all crusty. It seems the candling did something to help my ears continue to drain! It was the first time in years that I was “sinus sick” but didn’t have the lingering stopped up ears. I visit S.C. about twice a year and always have her do the candling twice on each ear.

Video: How to Use Ear Candles

Remedies for Coughs

Garlic-Thyme Cough Syrup

Garlic-thyme syrup is a natural antibiotic, immune-system builder, lung cleanser and tonifier. Here's how to prepare it:

• Prepare 1 ½ ounces of crushed, fresh garlic and ½ ounces of chopped, fresh thyme in 1-quart of water.
• Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 pint.
• Take 1 tablespoon of garlic-thyme syrup every 3 hours.

If you're not up for the preparation, you can get herbal cough syrups at health food stores. I tried one. It had a very strong taste but worked pretty well.

Cough Homeopathic Spray

Dr. King's Natural Medicine Cough Relief homeopathic spray is another option for coughing. It's very convenient when you're on the go and much easier than trying to take a syrup by spoon; it only takes a couple of seconds to use.

Remedies for Detoxification

Ginger Bath

Ginger cleans the liver and blood. In terms of using it as a remedy, grating the ginger breaks it down and boiling it concentrates the potency. Soaking in it in the bath allows the ginger to penetrate through the skin into the tissues. Drinking one ounce of ginger water jumpstarts the liver. Here's how to benefit:

Phase 1

• Grate one large ginger root and boil everything—skin, pulp, and juice in a large pan of water for 20 minutes.
• Pour it through a strainer to remove the ginger pulp and skin. Keep the water for the bath, and reserve one ounce to drink.

Phase 2

• Place a layer of towels and a blanket on your bed. Run a hot bath.
• Add all of the ginger water except 1 ounce; soak for 10 minutes in the bath.
• Towel dry immediately.
• Drink the one ounce of reserved ginger water. Wrap yourself in towels and a blanket on your bed for 30 minutes. (Bundling up in towels and blankets induces a sweat, allowing toxins to leave the body.)
• Sleep immediately after.