Cold, Flu, Upper Respiratory Infections: Holistic Medicine Cabinet

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Better Cough Syrups

• Maty’s Baby Cough Syrup (3mo+)

• Wellments Daytime Baby Cough Syrup (4mo+)

• Wellments Nighttime Baby Cough Syrup (4mo+)

• Earthley Cough Be Gone (6mo+)

• Wellments Daytime Children’s Cough Syrup (1yr+)

• Wellments Nighttime Children’s Cough Syrup (1yr+)

• Maty’s Children’s Cough Syrup (1yr+)

• Hyland’s Cough & Cold Day and Night (1yr-12yr)

• Genexa Kids Honey Cough syrup (1yr+ NOT medicated)

• Hyland’s Cough and Cold (2yr+)

• Maty’s Night & Day Cough Syrup (12yr-adult)

• Beekeepers Natural’s

• Maty’s Mucus & Cough Syrup

Herbal Cough Support

common thyme: research has shown that thyme helps with lung spasms. In this case best taken in the form of a tea or tincture.

wild cherry bark: wild cherry bark helps open up the lower respiratory system, and move mucus up while drying it out. It has calming and nervine properties, which can help ease coughing spells, especially at night. It is also cooling to sore and inflamed tissues in the sinuses and throat. You can take this as a tea, tincture, or make your own cherry bark syrup. 

mullein: mullein leaf tea or syrup can help relieve inflammation and coughing spells by helping move stuck congestion. This is a great herb for lung issues, specifically.

Better Chest Rubs

• Zarbees Chest Rub

• Wellments

• Maty’s Kids and Adults

• Maty’s for Babies

• Boogie Chest Rub

• Earthley Breathe Well Salve

• Hyland’s chest rub

Sore Throat Support

• Bee Keeper’s Naturals throat spray (1yr-adult options)

• Bee Keeper’s naturals lollipops

• Bee Keeper’s Naturals lozenges 

• Herb Pharm throat spray

gargling salt water: can soothe throat & reduce inflammation. mix 1/2 tsp of mineral rich salt into 8oz of warm water and gargle multiple times a day

warm fluids: like bone broth, tea, honey/lemon water 

raw honey: can add a tsp to warm water/tea, or take directly (1yr+)

Sinus Support

• Xylitol and Saline Spray - for kids and adults

• Saline Sinus Rinse

• Saline Sinus Rinse for Kids

• Herb Pharm Sinus Samari drops

• Briar Rose - Briar rose is a natural form of medicine called gemmotherapy, and is made from plant buds. It supports a healthy sinus passage, eyes, and throat, therefore useful against: runny nose and congestion, ear aches and infections, sore throat, sinus infections, headaches caused by allergies

  • It can be used as a preventative 2-3x a week, or 2-3x a day when battling active sickness

  • Infants: 5-8 drops; 3-8yrs: 15-20 drops; older kids/adults: 25-50 drops

Fever & Pain

A fever is a natural response to an infection or illness. It is a good sign, because it means that your body is fighting off the infection. The heat of fevers increases the performance of immune cells and induces stress on pathogens and infected cells, providing a strong immune defense. Since fevers are the body’s natural way of fighting off illnesses, reducing a fever can actually prolong the illness or infection. Fevers also make immune cells better at recruiting and activating T-cells which coordinate long-term “adaptive” immune responses, such as antibody production. By letting a fever run its course, you are also providing better protection for future illnesses.

• Gexa acetaminophen (medicated)

• Kids Relief pain & fever (homeopathic)

• Natureprofen Dr. Green Life (homeopathic)

• Wet Sock Method

  • At night, placing feet in wet, cold socks signals your body to dilate the blood vessels in your feet, resulting in blood being moved to, and warming, the feet. This increases circulation throughout the entire body. This cycle should continue throughout the night and helps boost the immune system and reduce body temperature - making it great for fevers.

• Peppermint Oil

  • Peppermint oil can be used as a fever suppressant. Dilute 1-2 drops with 1/2-1 tsp coconut oil and apply to soles of feet and spine.

  • You can also apply directly to temples, forehead, behind hears, back of neck whenever you have a headache (if using on child dilute; or if adult has sensitive skin).

Nebulizing H2O2

Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic with antimicrobial properties. While it can be toxic if ingested in large quantities or high concentrations, there is tons of emerging research showing it’s effectiveness treating respiratory infections when nebulized at low concentrations.

Mix 2tsp of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide with 8pz saline water (1/2 tsp for 12%). You can keep in the fridge in a glass jar for a lonnnnnnng time.

Start nebulizing as soon as you start to feel sick 5-15 min every hour until you start to feel better. And then every 4-6 hours until a few days after you feel completely better.

It is best to start right when you feel early symptoms, as nebulizing hydrogen peroxide loses effectiveness as the infection gets worse.

I am not a doctor, and cannot recommend a specific safe age range. Personally, the youngest I have used it is sparingly for my 3 year old.

Homeopathics

• Hyland’s Mucus + Cold Relief (6mo+)

• Forces of Nature Cold & Flu (3yr+)

• Oscillococcinum for FLU like symptoms (2yrs and up)

• Pryogenium for Nasal Congestion

• Spongia for croupy cough

• Cold Calm for the common cold (3yr+)

• Stannum Metallicum for a WET COUGH

• Gallicum Acidum for a WET COUGH

• Camphora for the onset of the common cold

• Hyland cold tablets (6mo+)

• Kids Cold Crush Genexa (4yr-11)

onion next to bed / onion in socks

Slicing up an onion and placing it next to your bed while sleeping can be a powerful decongestant by opening up nasal passages and making it easier to breathe.

Slice up an onion, place in a plastic bag, put feet in plastic bag, and cover with a sock overnight. The feet are reflex’s for the chest, head, and abdomen, so this is especially helpful for coughing, congestion, and head colds.

wet sock trick

At night, placing feet in wet, cold socks signals your body to dilate the blood vessels in your feet, resulting in blood being moved to, and warming, the feet. This increases circulation throughout the entire body. This cycle should continue throughout the night and helps boost the immune system and reduce body temperature - making it great for fevers.

thieves on bottom of feet

Thieves is an oil blend typically consisting of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary. It’s an oil inspired by the legend of four 15th century French thieves who would steal from the dead. They formulated the blend to protect against sickness when they stole from plague victims. Dilute with coconut oil if using on children, or sensitive skin. 

Herbal Face Steamers

In a large pot, bring water to a boil with added herbs such as:

a TBSP of

• thyme

• rosemary

• basil

• oregano

• peppermint leaf

• eucalyptus

• lavender 

once boiling remove lid and check the temperature of the steam to make sure it’s not too hot for your face. Once ready, lean over pot with a towel over your head to create a tent, and breathe in the steam for up to 10 minutes. When you are done, throw away left over water. NEVER reuse.