Ayurvedic Home Remedies that really help for Cold and Itchy throat

Ayurvedic Home Remedies that really help for Cold and Itchy throat

While nursing the unwell dear ones at home during the cold and flu season, one has to make sure that the care taker is in good shape to take care of everyone at home. With all the cold, cough and virus floating around, here’s what has come in handy for us as a family.

So, I thought I’ll list the Ayurvedic home remedies in case it might be of help for you too.

These home remedies are time tested and help in effectively preventing a bout of cold and itchy throat or in minimizing its effects.

Staying hydrated

Drink HOT water as many times as possible throughout the day – not letting throat go dry is key. Avoid drinking iced beverages or cold water.

At the first signs of itchy throat

Itchy throat can be a sympton of an onset of throat infection.

Gargling with hot water with enough salt (1 tsp) and turmeric (at least 1/4 tsp) stirred in – as many times as you need from 2 to 4 times a day. Make it mandatory as the last thing before bedtime.

This seems basic and too easy to do. But, can’t stress on how much difference this one step can do, if you get past how easy it is. It really works!

Turmeric is rich in curcumin and has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Turmeric along with salt can help beat the infection if done at the beginning stage.

If itchiness still persists

chew on a small piece of dried kadukkayi ಕಡುಕ್ಕಾಯಿ / ಅಳಲೆಕಾಯಿ Alalekayi and suck on its juice
It tastes bitter, but works like magic. preferably, do this after the salt water gargling

In fact, kadukkayi aka Haritaki in Samskrita or Harde (botanical name – Terminalia Chebula) is one of the 3 main ingredients in Triphala, a key formulation in Ayurveda

Doing this prevents the itchy throat from progressing to the next step of throat infection and cough.

If bitter taste makes you nauseous, Haritaki powder can be mixed with honey and consumed.

Honey has been used extensively in Ayurveda as a conveyor of medicines for centuries and has it own remarkable healing properties.

Fun tidbit : Ayurvedic doctors (students) are jokingly called Alalekayi Pandita ಅಳಲೆಕಾಯಿ ಪಂಡಿತ as that is the one of the firsts they get to learn about .

For dry nostrils

Gently smear the insides of the nostrils with few drops of ghee before bedtime (forgot to include in picture). I do this religiously.

Bonus – Dried bloody flakes in the nose the morning after, won’t happen anymore.

Immunity support

Cold and itchy throat onset occur when immunity is compromised.

Taking Guduchi supplement twice daily helps support immune function. Guduchi aka Amruthaballi ಅಮೃತಬಳ್ಳಿ is another amazing Ayurvedic medicinal plant (which commands a post on its own). If you prefer and have access to the plant, you can chew a leaf in the morning. if you can’t handle the bitterness, Guduchi supplement (in tablet form) works best. Look for a supplement that has pure Guduchi extract. It is easily available in Ayurvedic stores.

Vit C intake

Amla / Nellikayi / Amalaki (Sanskrit) / Indian Gooseberry is highly rich in vitamin C. Amalaki is also one of the Triphalas along with Haritaki and a key ingredient in the immune boosting Ayurvedic Lehya formulation Chyavanaprasha.

As a home remedy, Amla can be consumed regularly in the form of Amla (Murabba) on emty stomach in the morning or other savory forms if you don’t prefer sweet.

Mood Booster

Munch on a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) if you’re feeling too blue because of the cold weather or all the sickness around. Pepitas are packed with tryptophan which gets converted to seritonin – the feel good neurochemical in our brain, helps in alleviating symptoms of anxiety, nervousness and depression.

Above all else, most importantly, know when to seek the doctor’s help when home remedies aren’t helping.

Summarizing, here are the list of things you will need from the Ayurvedic store or Grandhige Angadi or Naattu Marunthu Kadai:

• Alalekayi / Kadukkayi / Haritaki whole or in powder form
• Guduchi / Giloy Satva
• Nellikayi / Amla / Indian Gooseberry
• Amla Murabba
• Turmeric
• Pure Honey
• Rock Salt
• Ghee
• Pumpkin Seeds

Stay healthy and well. Do share this with your friends and family who might find this useful

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