Headcold.
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 15:51:30 -0400
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Kathy Partridge <atelierk.SERVTECH.COM>
Subject: Re: echinacea for colds
> I have runny eyes nose and sneeze like crazy. I have had this cold for 3 days. No let up!I have tried Echinacea-Vitamin C and garlic caps. No difference whatsoever. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have a bad cold as I type this. Started Saturday with just a sore spot on the right side of my throat, by Sunday afternoon it had progressed to scratchiness - went to the health food store for some echinacea and garlic. Have been taking them faithfully since, but to no avail. This cold is as bad as all the others, the sore throat is gone but now I have a terrible runny nose and coughing - it's my classic cold progression. I've also been taking extra C and bioflavonoids as well, my maintenance dose is 1000 mg. per day.
Since taking supplements and paying attention to my diet I've noticed fewer colds, but once that scratchy throat appears - nothing seems to stop it from running its course <sigh>.
From: Diane Schaefer <dschaef.INDIANA.EDU>
> I have a bad cold as I type this. Started Saturday with just a sore spot on
When I feel a cold coming on (sore spots or scratchiness in the throat), I supplement the vitamins with a hydrogen peroxide gargle. According to directions on the bottle, "dilute [the hydrogen peroxide] with an equal amount of water, swish around in mouth for at least one minute, then spit out, try to avoid swallowing this product." I believe this has aggressively attacked the site of infection and averted colds.
From: Rene Burrough <100735.543.COMPUSERVE.COM>
How about gargling with sage? Purple (Red) sage (Salvia officinalis 'Purpurascens') is best, but if all you've got is kitchen green sage (Salvia officinalis), use it. Make a tisane (tea), let it cool, add some honey if you can deal with honey which will help with the scratchiness, and gargle; then swallow it.
You can also sip the tea, but by gargling you're getting into all those nooks & crannies where nasty bacteria lurk. The sage, among other things, is an antiseptic and wondefully suited for upper respiratory track troubles.
If you can't deal with honey, use the sage as a "deep gargle" and see if you can find sliperly elm mouth lozenges which will coat and sooth.
You can also use sage in steam inhalations to zap the nasties from your nose downwards.
Echinacea is touted highly, but is not an across the board panacea. It's an Antibacterial: mainly anti coccal infections; it neutralizes their poisons; it's actively Anti-viral and deals with colds they are caused by rhinoviruses. A tincture 5 ml/ ½ glass of warm water 3/day is best there.
Sage is an appreciably strong antiseptic & antibiotic. The volatile oil (thujone) also has an antispasmodic action & is a relaxant which might lessen the effect of the scratchiness. If you killed (some of) the beasties causing the cold, sore throat etc. you wouldn't necessarily have to get into immune system boosting herbs...which are often used - exclusively - rather than dealing specifically with the problem at hand.
Just a thought.
