5 Favorite Natural Cold Comforts

“Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die.” 2 Kings 13:14

Wait. What!?

Wide-eyed, I gave Hubby a quizzical look. What kind of New Year’s sermon is this? I don’t want to study a verse like this while I sit here suffering from the Bubonic plague. And don’t tell me herein lies some kind of cryptic message for me…

Shudder!

Did I say Bubonic plague? I meant head cold. But saying I have a simple head cold does not even begin to fully communicate my intense discomfort and agitation.

Never underestimate the effects of a simple head cold.

It is my personal opinion that a stuffed up head and nose can lead to the most detrimental health developments, namely of becoming an unsightly mouth breather.

Once a mouth breather, stale sour breath and dry cracked lips soon make their unwelcome appearance. An already present sore swollen throat becomes an unbearably dry swollen sore throat. And all the dry dusty air being sucked in and out of the mouth creates the perfect environment for a scratchy uneven nasal honk of a voice that makes small children prefer clowns and Santas to their very own mama.

All this is compounded by my achy skin and throbbing head. This must be what it feels like to be suffering from Bubonic plague.

Obviously, I haven’t been sick in awhile…

Now I can usually endure all the irritating manifestations of a head cold as long as I can whine, moan, whimper, and pour out an unfair amount of blame on the Hubby who brought home the initial (in his own words) “baby cold”. You mean Bubonic plague, my dear.

Although I may use whining as a coping mechanism for myself, I encourage my kids to find healthier ways to deal with difficult circumstances. (Do as I say, not as I do…)

Like their mama, both kids were suffering from mouth breather syndrome, which made for a difficult night of congestion, coughing, and complaining. Mom took the lead on the latter.

Although we are still in the thick of this unwelcome nagging virus, I did find some natural cold remedies that seemed to bring some temporary comfort.

By the way, natural is the only way to go for me anymore.

I steer clear of the Robitussin cough syrup unless I want another case of eye opening paranoia, nausea, the shakes, and a visit from Elvis. THAT was a night to remember.

Favorite Natural Cold Comforts

Here are a few things we are using right now that seem to help make the kids feel more comfortable. And comfortable kids make for a happy mama.

1. Lemon and Honey Tea

We like to make this tea at the beginning of a cold because it seems to help soothe sore throats. The vitamin C in the lemon helps to fight viruses as well as combat congestion and the honey helps to coat the throat and makes swallowing easier.

To make this “tea”, combine 1 tablespoon of raw honey and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice in the bottom of a mug.  Fill the mug with hot or very warm water and mix well. Sip slowly!

*never feed honey to children under 24 months

2. Honey-sweetened Lemon Electrolyte Drink

My son’s sore throat was bad enough that he had apparently quit drinking for the day. In order to get him rehydrated I made this healthy honey-sweetened lemon electrolyte drink.

It tastes great and I love that it is sweetened with honey.

3. Homemade Vapor Rub

All the coughing the kids were doing was keeping the whole family up at night so I decided to try this homemade vapor rub.

I wasn’t sure this natural vapor rub was actually going to work but…it did! I rubbed a thick coating of this salve on the kids’ feet and covered their feet with socks before they went to bed. The coughing diminished significantly. I was quite impressed!

I will always have some of this stuff on hand from now on.

4. Diffuse Essential Oils

*affiliate links used

To help everyone breathe easier I like to diffuse essential oils.

I’m still learning about essential oils but a few of my favorites to use for respiratory issues include lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender. These oils have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, good for fighting germs. They also boost the immune system, purify the air, and can shorten the duration of an illness.

Peppermint oil also contains menthol which helps to clear the respiratory system.

There are a lot of different diffusers out there but I love mine by Aroma-Ace. I love it because I can adjust the settings to my preference. I can set how long I want it to run as well as the amount of oil I want dispersed into the air. It’s also small, portable, and super easy to use.

5. Soothing Bath

When your muscles ache and your head is all stuffed up, nothing feels better than a warm bath.

There are some neat essential oil and dried herb bath recipes I could look into but I’m always short on time. Instead, I love this wonderful lemon lavender bubble bath with lavender essential oil.

It smells heavenly and foams into a glorious amount of bubbles. It also doesn’t contain all the nasty chemicals I find in most bubble bath formulas. No parabens. No sodium laureth sulfate.

The kids love it and all the steam helps to clear the nasal passages! The lavender essential oil in the bubble bath not only helps to clear up respiratory issues but also helps to relax and calm the kids before bed.

Even though Bubonic plague head colds can be miserable, these things help to ease our misery.

What do you do to help comfort your family members during an illness?

I’d love hear from you!

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