Ayurvedic Treatment of Common Cold and Cough

Runny nose, sneezing, sniffles and sometimes soar throat, coughing with or without phlegm occurs once to everyone, these are common symptoms of common cold and cough. Common Cold and Cough are respiratory problems that are the most contagious disease and affect to almost everyone occasionally in their lives.

The problem of coughing is related to the problem of common cold that happens due to viral infection of upper respiratory system. Rhinoviruses and Coronaviruses are the prime factors of affecting common cold. It is not essential to be affected every time with coughing. Whenever the problem of coughing begins, you must assess that you are suffering some other types of diseases too.

Coughing is the process of clearing the breathing air passages from secretions, irritants, foreign particles, and microbes in which repetitive reflexes of cough try to through out the deposition through phlegm or spitting.

Causes

Common cold and cough is one amongst the most contagious disease that spreads through air and touching the affected parts, persons and infected goods like doors, towels, computer keyboards, nose, mouth and hands etc. Common Cold happens due to virus infections of Rhinoviruses and Coronaviruses while coughing associated to common cold is also the advance stage of infections. Some of the more serious conditions associated to cold and coughing are: chronic bronchitis, asthma, pertussis and whooping cough.

In Ayurveda, it is considered as an ordinary ailment that is known as Pratishyaya and all the three doshas ? Kapha, Vata and Pitta are liable for it.

Sign and Symptoms

Frequent sneezing, sniffles, runny nose, soar throat, repetitive cough reflex with or without phlegm, headache, hoarse voice, blockage of nose and sometimes mild fever are common symptoms of Common Cold and Cough.

According to Ayurveda, the symptoms differ that happens to different doshas like dry coughs, little mucus discharge, hoarse voice, headache and a runny nose when it occurs due to Vata Dosha. The symptoms of pitta dosha reflects common colds with fever, sore throat, yellowish nasal discharge and continuous blockage of the nose while Pratishyaya caused by kapha dosha include common colds with thick mucus discharges, dull headaches and heaviness of the head.

The symptoms of cough without sputum discharge shows the cough is dry. When blood comes out after cough, it is a severe sign of other diseases and you must immediately contact to your physicians.

Treatment

Generally, Pratishyaya heals automatically after sometimes if the symptoms are mild but if the symptoms are acute or chronic, there is a need of medications for it. According to Ayurveda, ?coughs? are good symbol for the lungs as it expels out the foreign particles and deposited phlegm in the trachea and lungs. There is no need to suppress phlegm but need to expel them out. There are lots of herbal medicines that can cure Pratishyaya very effectively. These are:

• Take two gm of pure turmeric powder and dissolve it in a cup of warm milk. Take twice in a day for 10 days.


• Basil Leaf (Tulsi) is a very effective remedy in common cold and cough. Take few leaves of Basil and crush it to extract juice. Add 10 ml of pure honey in 5 m.l. of tulsi leaf?s juice. Take this twice daily for one week. It will heal the disease up to great extent.


• Take a glass of milk and add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, boil the milk till it condensed to half, filter it and add a teaspoon of sugar for taste only. Make it two parts; take one part in morning and remaining part in the night. Repeat this process for a week. You will see the magical effects.


• Extract 5ml of fresh onion juice and add 10ml of pure honey in it. Take this mixture twice a day for 10 days.


• Take steam inhalation of turmeric twice in a day. It is very effective in controlling cough.


• Indian Gooseberry (Amla) is very effective in controlling cold and cough. Take Amla fruit with triphala capsule twice in a day.


• For getting relief from nose blockage, make a spicy tea by adding ginger, crushed cardamom, crushed black pepper, cinnamon powder and sugar. Drink one cup of instant tea. You will get quick relief.


• Take a glass of water and make lukewarm, add a pinch of salt and gargle with it. Do it thrice in a day for three days, you will get relief.