Coughs and colds are the tone of the season. It’s cold and fall has begun.
Those viruses, bacterial infections, coughs, bronchitis and stuffy noses are well enmeshed this year. What many people do not realise is that there are natural remedies for colds and flu and that people can get allergies in winter also.
Coughing is not just a symptom of a cold always. It can be from smoking, allergies or other irritations. It can also be a symptom of a more serious illness or a side effect of medicine. Some people cough when they become over-anxious and others have side effects to prescribed medications they are on which cause them to cough.
Quite often when I am doing energy work with a client they begin to cough as a way of clearing their energy blockages. So coughing is not just a way of removing dust, smoke, irritants and unwanted mucus in the respiratory tract it also happens when energy in the body needs to shift. Different sounding coughs will give you a hint as to the cause.
One of the most common causes of cough during the night is a post-nasal drip which happens when mucus runs down the back of the throat from the nose and sinuses. It could be due to sinus or allergies depending on what irritants there are in the bedroom.
Coughs are common if there are bacteria and respiratory infections which also can be a result of flu and lead to bronchitis. Ways to prevent respiratory infections of course are to raise your immunity. If you are getting a lot of coughs you need to consult a natural practitioner to see why your immunity is so low. I begin by giving you a zinc test because a deficiency in zinc will affect your immunity levels.
It’s also important to see what you may be exposed to in terms of illnesses. Obviously if you are working in air conditioning in a winter office where everyone is coughing and sneezing around you then you are more prone to pick up some illnesses.
Similarly the kids at school and preschool are all in stuffy classrooms in winter exchanging germs and bringing them home to the family. The rule is, of course, if you are sick, stay home. You are not doing yourself or people around you any favors by ‘soldiering on’ when you are feeling ill.
You are not as productive, you are prolonging your illness and you are infecting people around you. So if the boss is hassling you about deadlines and you are not well remind him that since the deadline is so important to you then you will stay home so as not to infect the rest of the office because then, with half his staff on sick leave, he really will not make the deadline. After you put the phone down go make a hot lemon and honey drink, get a rug, some DVD’s and relax. Drink plenty of liquids, take the supplements I outline below and in a day or two you will be feeling much better. Also you could be rested and if your cough is still there it won’t be as loud or irritating.
There is a recipe from the instant you get a sore throat or even a twinge. Take 5000mg of Echinacea, twice a day and if it doesn’t seem to work then double the dosage. Add to this high potency vitamin B two a day and at least 1000mg vitamin C. There are some very good practitioner only products that work on viruses and bacteria and coupled with rest, proper diet and lots of fluids they quickly quell the cough and have you on the road to recovery. Your practitioner also has access to similar products if you speak to them. There isn’t much point naming them here as they are not available to the general public except through a practitioner.
If you have a persistent cough check your house or office for what could be irritating you. What trees are around? What is the wind blowing in the air? What sweet-smelling chemicals have you brought in with your shopping list that could be causing you to cough and sneeze? What perfumes and cleaning products could be annoying your sinuses?
Anyone who has a persistent cough of course needs to give up the smoking. If your cough is dry then you can cure the irritation by sucking on throat lozenges. If it is a chesty cough then get a good expectorant medicine which help you bring out the phlegm. Give your immunity a boost with a multivitamin twice a day – this also ensures nutrient support. Wander through the shelves of your health food store. You will be surprised what you will find.
Foods that will help you are garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, chilli, peppers (especially for the throat). Remember to take an extra pillow to sleep with you and perhaps a few drops of Eucalyptus in a burner to humidify the house and clear the nasal passages.
Nasal sprays should be kept to a minimum unless its saline solution to clear the passages and if the cough is from gastric reflux then you need to attend to it with proper diet and slippery elm powder in a ¼ cup of warm water a few times a day. For those of you with night reflux take some slippery elm before bedtime.
So there could be lots of reasons why you are coughing and you need to find the cause and get rid of the symptoms. If the cough is recurring then please do visit your doctor and have your throat, lungs and ears checked and maybe even a blood test.
It’s easy to say its fall, its cold season, but that is not the case. Many people who follow these instructions regarding their health find they are healthy throughout the winter season and their families, who are not taking the suggested supplements, pick up coughs, colds and flu. So it’s not so much about germs being around, it’s about your immunity being high enough to withstand them.
For more cold and flu remedies, read the Herbal Collective Nov’18 issue online.
