Cold may affect the nose, throat as a result of which water may start running from the nose, there is headahe, chill, slight fever, aching all over the body and feeling of rundown condition. It is caused by exposure to cold, in any form, or entering a cool room, or going out in the open .
Exposure to cold is the main cause. The patient feels rawness in the throat, nasal passages inflame due to congestion of its mucus lining, cough is hawked up with much difficulty; there being general restivity and disinclination to do any work. As a general rule, head, chest and throat should be wrapped so as to avoid further exposure to these parts.
HOMEO TREATMENT
Aconite-30 : Feverishness, sneezing, fear of death, constant chill, occasional shivering, general coldness of body, raw sensation or burning in the throat.
Arsenic Album-30 : In spite of running of water, the nose is stuffed up or blocked discharge, is hot and acrid; general malaise and restlessness.
Allium Cepa-30 : Useful when there is free, profuse and constant discharge of water from the nose, sneezing, on entering a warm room.
Kali Bichrom 6x (powder) : When there is tenacious and sticky discharge which is difficult to expel; ulceration of nose, loss of sense of smell.
Ammon. Carb-6 : Tip of nose is red and painful, ulcers in the nostrils, stuffing of nose at night, discharge is in the form of blood or musus; bleeding from nose, while washing face in the morning.
Euphrasia-Q : There is profuse nasal secretion with repeated and tiring sneezing.
Pulsatilla-6 : Discharge is thick and greenish yellow, loss of taste and smell, sense of suffocation in a warm room; disease due to heavy use of fats which the patient tolerates well.
Nux Vomica-6 : Useful when running from nose has stopped but, despite that, the nose feels tightened up, bowels impacted and ineffectual urging to defecate, headache, dyspepsia.
Sepia-30 : When there is catarrhal blockade of nose all the year round. More useful in chronic stage of the disease.
ALLOPATHIC TREATMENT
Tablet Actifed—one tablet 2-3 times a day will stop running from the nose. The dose may be halved if there is drowsiness. Tablet Avil (25 mg) taken thrice daily will also abort flow from nose and also stop sneezing or a tablet of Cosavil 2-3 times daily will also have similar effect but will also be useful in fever and body pain. Tablet Dristan is an all round medicine to control almost all the related symptoms of cold, mild cough, stuffing/ running from nose, fever, body pain, and is more useful in chronic stage.
If nostrils get stuffed up, use Efcorlin Nasal drops (2-3 drops in each nostril) to clear blockade. It will also facilitate stuck up mucus in the nose so as to facilitate breathing.
Whatever the situation of cold, always take a 500 mg tablet of Vitamin-C (Sukrets or Celen) once a day to enhance general resistance to cold. In acute stage, the dose may be raised to 2 tablets a day. 10-20 drops of Benzoin compound mixed with hot water and inhaled at night will have all-round relief in relieving congestion in the entire respiratory tract; but exposure must be avoided.
AYURVEDIC TREATMENT
Mix garlic juice (5ml) with basil, 4 black peppers, a clove and honey (5 ml) will cure the disease or suck Vyoshadi Vati or Marichadi Vati or Sugar Candy or liqorice.
Godanti Bhasma (400 mg), Ras Sindoor (150 or 200 mg), Praval Bhasma (100 mg) and Tankan Bhasma (100 mg) should be mixed. Garlic juice (10-15 ml) and equal quantity of honey is an all-round efficacious compound.
Use hot water in plenty, especially after or with meals. Sitopladi Churna (100 mg), Tankan Bhasma (200 mg), Liqorice (400 mg) should be mixed up with honey and taken 2-3 times daily. Nasal blockade can be removed by inserting Shada Bindu Tail (3 drops in each nostril). It will also clear up Sinus affections.
Tea with basil and garlic is also useful to soothe the agitated respiratory passage. In any case, avoid exposure to cold winds. Keep your head and chest fully wrapped with woollen garments/ coverings.
Cinnamon powder (500-800 mg) boiled in milk, 5 ml of clarified butter will provide relief in cold, if taken at bed time. But, should not be used by those who have bilious temperament or whose liver is sluggish. Bread of whole grams with clarified butter, followed by a glassful of lemon juice, mixed in hot water, will provide much strength and relief. It will reduce sneezing spells, clear nose and soothe the throat.
1 Part purified (parched) borax. 5 parts liquourice powder, and 12 parts honey (1:5:12 ratio) should be mixed together so as to prepare a liquefied paste. Normal dose being 1 tsp for adults, Vi tsp for children, lA or !/4h tsp for infants—three or four times daily—will cure even protracted and inveterate cases of chronic asthma, cough, coryza, and even tonsillitis.