My Home Remedies for Sore Throat and Fever

I have not been well. Yesterday was probably the worst, with blocked nose, reddish eyes, swollen throat, fever and a pounding headache. But alhamdulillah I am getting better. A combination of long-distance travelling, exhaustion, lack of sleep and perhaps walking in the polluted roads of KL (I imagined I was getting some exercise!) plus exposure to hubby who was suffering from a cold, knocked me down for a couple of days.

I would like to try home remedies before opting for some paracetemol, clarityne and antibiotics. So far for the past year and a half I have only had to use antibiotics once. Which is a major improvement for me, as I used to get prescribed antibiotics for a cold every few months.

So here are my tips on tackling a fever, blocked nose/sinuses and sore throat for adults. Please be mindful that this is the result of a lot of reading, other people's personal experiences and self-experimentation.

Ingredients for what I call the Elixir of Health (minus the vitamin C).
I think good old rassam will also do the trick. ;-)

• Drink plenty of plain water. More than usual. Make a point of drinking a glass of water every 2-3 hours or so if you are the forgetful type (like me!)
• Rest. Sleep. Plenty. Enough said. 
• Plenty of vitamin C. My favourite is Calcium C Sandoz, in the form of an effervescent tablet, 1g. But when using this, please remember to increase your plain water intake to cope with the calcium load. I would take a tablet every few hours, alongside with several cups of water. Watch out for soft stools or diarrhea, as that is a sign of Vitamin C overdose. My personal tolerance limit seems to be 3g in 8 hours. For those who tend to have gastritis, it may be worthwhile to invest in a non-acidic or buffered form of vitamin C.
• Magnesium, once a day. This helps calcium stay in a soluble form so it will be taken up by your body instead of becoming insoluble and end up being deposited where it is not wanted, like in your kidneys. Best form is magnesium citrate, but I make do with whatever I have. Watch out for diarrhea, as excessive magnesium intake can cause this too. You could also soak your feet in Epsom salts and warm water as an alternative magnesium source (Epsom salt is magnesium sulphate). Very soothing.
• B complex to help your immune system, once a day.
• Virgin coconut oil, 4 tablespoons a day during the cold.
• Oil pulling with virgin coconut oil. Basically you swish around 1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil in your mouth for a maximum of 20 minutes. I only managed about 5 minutes yesterday before I had to spit it out. Please do not swallow this!
• Elixir of health, a recipe I obtained from my bestie. A dash of turmeric powder, some Bentong ginger, some honey and lemon juice in a mug of hot water. (See above picture for the ingredients I use). This is so comforting to a sore throat and contains turmeric, a well-known anti-bacterial agent.
• The above honey contained a small amount of black seed oil mixed in it. I also took a teaspoon a day.
• Did I mention plenty of fluids? Soups and broth can help too. Easy to digest and so comforting.

My favourite brand of extra virgin coconut oil because it tastes like coconut cookies. 

People who are used to fighting off infections using natural remedies tell me that, in the beginning, your body takes a long time to recover without modern medicine. But with each infection, your body recovers faster as it learns how to deal with illnesses naturally. I would still go for antibiotics if I don't see an improvement after doing all of the above. But the key thing here is still rest and plenty of fluids. This time around I was lax about the amount of plain water I was consuming and vitamin C. I was wondering if it was time to go for conventional meds. Ironically enough it was meeting up with my doctor relative that reminded me of the vitamin C and plenty of water. She was quite concerned, and while she was not pushy, she had already suggested clarityne and paracetemol. But I thought I should give natural remedies one last ditch effort before I succumb to her ministrations ;-)

I had a very good night's sleep last night, and woke up with no headache, my fever has gone down and my throat less sore. My nose is still blocked, so I will continue my regimen until I get better, if God so wills.

Yinkey Pet has been a valued companion. She reminds me to relax and take it easy.