Even though the common cold is considered to be a mild illness, that doesn’t stop it from making us miserable and altering our everyday lives. It’s hard to believe that there hasn’t been a cure developed for the common cold, but there have been discoveries around the world that have relieved several or all of the symptoms associated with the common cold. Many of these medicines are good for relieving cold symptoms, but they wreak more havoc on your body than they do good. These medicines force your body to go against its natural healing process and force it into a false sense of security.
However, there are ways to remedy the common cold by not consuming these harmful medicines. Vitamins and minerals help prevent illness, but what about during one? Herbal medicines have been shown to be just as effective, if not more so, than the leading brands of cold medicines. Herbal medicines, unlike those created in a laboratory, do not contain any harmful substances. These herbs have special properties that make each one useful for different illnesses.
In the case of the common cold, ginger has been shown to be immensely helpful. Ginger is the root of the plant known as the Zingiber. ginger is somewhat of a super herb. Countries all over the world have used Ginger in medicine for over 2,000 years. These uses ranged from treating upset stomach to chronic arthritis. When they began to use ginger in baking and cooking, they found that the fumes subdued the symptoms of the common cold and the flu. An excellent way to ease symptoms of the common cold is to drink ginger tea. Simply by dissolving some of the ginger in hot water will give you much of the medicinal benefits. Drinking hot liquids also means that you are inhaling the steam, which will provide immediate relief for cold symptoms such as clogged nasal passages or a sore throat.
While Ginger is a great herb, it does have certain limitations that should be adhered to. For instance, children under the age of two should not have any ginger intake. When a child is over the age of two, then they can begin taking ginger to treat cold symptoms. The amount of dosage depends on the weight of a child. For example, most ginger doses are calculated on the basis of a 150 pound adult. Therefore, when you determine the proper amount of ginger to use you will need to subtract or add the proper amount. As a general rule of thumb, the maximum amount of ginger that any healthy adult consumes should not exceed 4 grams.
The best method for using ginger to combat the common cold is to steep fresh ginger and then inhale the steam. This can be done by using high heat to bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Remove the liquid to another container and drape a towel over your head and the boil. This will create somewhat of a sauna with massive amounts of steam. The steam will be very hot so be careful. If you are on prescribed medicine then you will need to ask your doctor before consuming ginger in moderate amounts.
Ginger can react with certain medicines are cause varying side effects. The over consumption of ginger can also worsen symptoms associated with the common cold and upset stomach. Typically, high doses of ginger cause heartburn, diarrhea, and throat irritation. As a precaution, most doctors recommend that ginger not be consumed with blood thinning medications or pain relievers.
If you are going to consume ginger as a medicine, then you will need to keep track of the foods that you eat. There are many foods that have some amount of ginger in them, and in order to prevent an overdose you will have to subtract the amount you consume on a daily basis from the maximum dosage for your body weight.