Natural Remedies to Fight the Cold while Away at College

Story by Lexi Carter
Photo Courtesy of Flickr

Let’s be real, avoiding getting the flu, colds and all other sicknesses on a college campus can be extremely difficult. No matter the amount of times you wash your hands or take your vitamins, there is still some way to wind up wick at least one time during the winter semester.

So, instead of trying to fight off your sickness with all of the over the counter medications that may or may not actually help, try looking into a cheaper, and possibly healthier way to fight back against the common cold or flu.

By no means are these ways to completely cure you back to full health, but they can help alleviate symptoms.

Chicken Noodle Soup
No, it doesn’t just taste good, but it can actually help out those who are sick. In the Medical Journal Chest, they state that a bowl of chicken noodle soup slows the neutrophils in your body, which are a type of white blood cell that helps fight back infections. The slower they move, the more concentrated they stay in the areas of your body that need help healing. It was also learned that it could help with the reduction of symptoms for upper respiratory problems.

So if all these years you were wondering if your mom was really right about the magical healing powers of chicken noodle soup, she definitely was.

Essential Oils
If you are looking for what some may call a more holistic route, essential oils may be the best plan for you to use to attack your cold or flu symptoms.

Using essential oils to help combat your sickness can be as easy as putting a few drops in your morning coffee or diffusing it in your room. Essential oil users utilize the oils for home remedies such as lavender to relieve headaches, eucalyptus to relieve congestion or ginger for nausea.

Ginger
While it might not be the first thing you would think of when brainstorming home remedies, the properties of ginger can help fight against symptoms of the flu, cough, or sore throats. It’s as easy as slicing the root, adding it to boiling water and drinking it to starting to feel the soothing effects that ginger carries.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is something that has been pushed at us since we were children, and all for the right reasons, as it has many health benefits. While we normally here about getting vitamin C from oranges, it can also come from limes, grapefruits, lemons, leafy greens and several other foods. Adding a little bit of lemon or lime to your tea or daily drink can help reduce phlegm while sick, which will also help with the pesky cough that you can’t seem to get away.

No, drinking Vitamin C or even taking it in a pill form won’t get rid of your sickness entirely, but it will help keep your immune system healthy in the long run, which will lead to other colds in the future being fought off.

Honey
Although honey can’t cure all of your symptoms, it can get you on the path to feeling better in no time. With both antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, adding a little bit of honey to your tea, or even just on a spoon can help relieve even the worst sore throats. It is also used as a cough suppressant in both children and adults. Getting rid of that pesky sore throat or cough won’t seem as tiring anymore if you just have a little bit of honey in your household.

Next time you feel a cold or the flu starting to sneak up on you, try out one of these easy in home remedies before spending your hard earned money on several different over the counter medications.