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Advice on stuffy nose and sore throat

why dont ANY medicines seem to do the job when i get a stuffy nose and sore throat??? when i get a sore throat, stuffy nose, and light head/dizziness, nothing seems to work!!!
( 4 Jul 2006)

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From a naturopathic physician's standpoint, the reason the medicines are not working is that you are attempting to treat the "symptoms" and not the cause of your stuffy nose and sore throat.  There are many potential causes for a stuffy nose and sore throat.  If you are worse in the morning, when you wake up, it may mean you have environmental allergens in your bedroom (animals, dust, dust mites, etc.)  If you get worse when you go outside, it may mean you have allergies to pollen, grasses and weeds.


  You may also have food sensitivities (such as dairy) which clog your sinuses and cause post nasal drip at night -you might then wake up with a sore throat because of your draining sinuses.  You may also have an immune weakness which may benefit from a variety of immune supportive therapies.  So, part of your solution is to begin asking the right questions and finding a trained health care practitioner to help you do this.


  You deserve to have a joyful life without a stuffed up nose and sore throat!

Dr. Karen Benton, NDwww.countrydoc.com

 

answered by Dr K B N on 5 Jul 2006, 3:04:37

 

Actually medications do not cure cold symptoms at all, they are merely to help ride it out, they normally take 7-10 days to pass. Many times when you are not feeling any relief at all you are immune to the medicine you are taking and that is why you are not feeling as if you they are not helping.

Here are some cold home remedies for you:

For dry and stuffy nose, try normal saline or salt water nasal drops made by adding 1/4 teaspoon of table salt to about 4 ml lukewarm water.
Garlic juice made by adding few drops of garlic oil to a teaspoonful of onion juice and diluting it in a cup of water is helpful for common cold.
Rub the chest with vicks vapour rub.
The Indian style - Take a face cloth and soak it in very cold water and squeeze out the water and fold into three layers and put this on the forhead.
Finely grate an apple and spread it 1/2 inch thick on a piece of double-layered cheesecloth about 6 inches in length. Apply this over the forehead. Make a similar poultice for the throat area or chest if necessary. Leave on for one hour.
Take half a teaspoon of ginger juice with half a teaspoon of honey, three times a day. In winter, warm the mixture by mixing a teaspoon of warm water in it.
Mix half a cup of warm water with one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey.
Make a cup of linden flower tea, tea with mint leaves and lemon, oregano leaves, lemon and honey and some skinned apple to improve the taste.
Take equal amounts of cardamom, ginger powder, black pepper and cinnamon (1 teaspoon each). Make a fine powder.
Wrap yourself warmly when you get out, and with a hot soup such as Hot and Sour, Vegetable Soup or good ol' Chicken Soup

Here are some sore throat home remedies for you:

Increase your liquid intake and make sure your house is humidified properly.

Gargle with warm salt water (¼ teaspoon salt to ½ cup water) several times a day.

Drink a glass of hot water with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and some honey. You'll feel better instantly. You can also drink a chamomile tea with lemon and honey added.

Cut a lemon into 2 pieces. Take one piece and put some salt and black pepper on it, press with a knife so that salt-pepper penetrate into the lemon. Put the lemon on heat to make it warm. Slowly lick this lemon squeezing it until no juice remains. Do it 2-3 times a day.

Chives and scallions are helpful for a soar throat when simmered in water for 5 minutes. Drink as a tea.
Figs, beets are beneficial in sore throat.

answered by C on 5 Jul 2006, 2:57:09

 

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