Cold / Flu / Sore Throat

Wash hands often during flu season and get a flu vaccine.
Seek medical care when there is shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or audible wheezing.
If you are sick; stay home and rest and stay hydrated with healthy drinks.

Botanicals - these are just a few that can be helpful. See below listed herbs.
Teas - that can help when you feel you are coming down with a cold:Ginger, peppermint, Echinacea (only use when feeling sick, not as a preventative)
Alcohol or Glycerine tinctures of the same herbs- can help with cold/flu symptoms. Find at your local health store and follow the directions on the label.
Steam - Boil about 4-6 cups of water, let it cool a bit and place in a bowl. You can pour it over whole herbs of eucalyptus, oregano, peppermint or rosemary. Use about ½ cup of dried herbs. You could also use a total of 3-5 drops of essential oils from the same herbs, or add one drop to the dried herbs Other whole plant herbs to add if you had them; mullein, yerba santa, calendula. Lean over the bowl, about 15 inches above (keep from burning your skin), cover your head and the bowl with a large towel. Breath in the steam in nice slow breathes for about 10 minutes. This is amazingly effective in clearing and soothing closed, swollen and sore nasal passages. Nice to do before bed to open airways and relax.
Umckaloabo - this is an south african pelargonium sidoides plant. Multiple research studies indicate this plant works remarkably well to reduce the severity and duration of both cold and influenza. Find it at your health food store in packaged preparations and follow the directions on the label.

Sore Throat

Sage - has been a long time remedy for sore throat. You can drink a tea of sage. Here is a simple gargle that can knock out a sore throat. It is from herbalist Rosemary Gladstar.

1. ½ cup strong sage tea (three teaspoons dry herb per cup water)
2. ½ cup apple cider vinegar
3. 1 tea saltP
4. inch of cayenne pepper

Fill your gargling cup with your gargling liquid of choice, not too hot.
Put a small amount of the gargling liquid in your mouth and swish it around in your mouth.
Tilt your head back, and without swallowing the liquid, try to open your mouth and make the "ahhh" sound. Then spit out the liquid and repeat until you have used about ½ cup.
Repeat every 2-4 hours.

Slippery Elm - is an FDA approved herb. It has a long history of soothing sore throat (and ease heartburn). You can buy it as lozenges or make your own. You can substitute marshmallow root and achieve the same healing properties.

1. ½ cup powdered slippery elm bark (or marshmallow root)
2. ⅛ teaspoon of flavoring: optional (your choice: vanilla, cinnamon spice, peppermint, orange are examples)
3. ⅓ cup honey
4. Mix together and roll into small balls the size of a large pea. Suck on one every 1-3 hours for relief.

Honey - Research supports honey as better than OTC cough suppressants. Unprocessed (raw) is best. Heating removes healing qualities of honey - so take a spoonful at room temperature. Don’t give to children under one year of age.
Thyme or Sage Honey - You can add more healing benefits to your honey by adding these herbs, which are both soothing to throats and antimicrobial. Very gently warm your honey and add these herbs to your your honey - say ½ cup chopped fresh or ¼ cup dried. Let sit in a jar for 2-3 weeks. You can gently warm again and strain out the herb. Take a spoonful for a cough as needed. (This is also a good remedy for wound healing - spread a thin layer over the wound, cover with a cloth and change daily). From Dr. Tieroana Low Dog.

Zinc - can reduce the severity and duration of a cold. You can find zinc in lozenges of 5-10mg. You can take 20-30mg a day. Usually one three times a day is recommended.
Don’t take for more than five days. This can deplete your copper uptake. Best NOT to use the zinc nasal sprays. They may have serious side effects for some people and oral preparations seem to work well. Look for zinc glycinate or gluconate forms.