Favorite Home Remedies

I woke up this morning with an extremely sore throat.  Since cough drops are not something we normally keep in the house, I immediately thought about gargling salt water.  Growing up, this was always my dad's first response when we were getting sick.  I rarely did it because I find it incredibly disgusting.  My throat hurt so badly, though, that I was willing to try anything.  I forced myself to gargle sips of warm salt water for about a minute.  Just as I remembered, it was disgusting and I stifled a few gags.  Miracle of all miracles happened--my throat felt MUCH better.  I could swallow again without horrible pain.  My dad was right!  Why did I ever doubt him?

My successful home cure this morning got me thinking...what other home remedies have I found to be tried and true?  I started with the salt water gargle.  Of course, there is actual evidence behind this cure.  According to an article last year in the NY Times, "A saline solution can draw excess fluid from inflamed tissues in the throat, making them hurt less."  (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/health/28real.html)
It cannot cure a cold, but it certainly helps with some of the symptoms.

I've also become a big fan of using honey to soothe a sore throat a cough.  This past year, my five-year-old son has had trouble sleeping because of a severe cough.  Cough medicines are no longer recommended for children under four, and I'd rather avoid them altogether.  My mom, who is a pediatric nurse, recommended that we try giving him a spoonful of honey.  My son--who hates medicine--loves honey, so this was an easy sell.  This remedy was affirmed recently by a study at the Mayo Clinic.  According to Dr. James Steckelberg, "Honey seemed to reduce nighttime coughing and improve sleep. In fact, in the study, honey appeared to be as effective as the cough suppressant dextromethorphan in typical over-the-counter doses." (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/honey/AN01799)  One reminder...honey should not be given to children under the age of one because it can cause infant botulism.

My son also has nose bleeds in the winter.  We've had him checked out and there is nothing wrong with him aside from his inability to keep his finger out of his nose.  It is the dry air (and the picking) that causes his nose bleeds.  While vacationing in Breckenridge last winter, Tobias had multiple nose bleeds every day.  Lucky for us, we were on vacation with a friend that happens to be an ENT doctor.  She gave me a list of things to pick up at the store.  First, we needed a humidifier for his room.  Second, she suggested buying Afrin nose spray.  Although this should not be used excessively or for an extended period of time, a squirt into the nose when a bleed starts will help constrict blood vessels and stop the bleed.  Finally, she told me to get some a bottle of saline nasal spray (Ocean makes one version).  This can be used multiple times a day to keep the inside of the nose moist.  According to a nurse at Boys Town, there is also a saline gel that can be put into the nose a couple times a day.  This combination seemed to do the trick and Tobias' nosebleeds slowed down.

Finally, I have to digress from the cold/flu solutions for this last remedy.  A few months ago, I washed a load of laundry with a purple crayon.  (This one belonged to Tobias, not Harold.)  I did some research online and WD40 seemed to be way to go.  It worked on many of the items, but left an oily stain on others.  Instead, I found that the all-purpose cleaner, Simple Green, did a good job on the crayon and the oil.  Just last week, I found a small grease stain on our couch.  My husband was taking apart his skateboard and set a greasy bearing down on the couch.  I had just listed the couch on Craigslist, so I was anxious to get it cleaned.  I pulled out the Simple Green and was amazed at how easily it removed the stain.  I rinsed the area with a wet washcloth and the couch looked perfect.

I'm not all organic and I definitely support modern medicine (and vaccinations, if you are curious), but I'm all about using things I have at home if they work.  I'll let you know if I find more to add to my list, or please feel free to share your favorite home remedy!