Natural Home Remedies For Coughs and Congestion

My husband's been fighting this cough and congestion junk that seems to be going around among our friends.

So while he's been hacking and carrying on, I'm using him as a guinea pig to practice natural remedies. :-) I've been especially excited to begin using my essential oils for medicinal purposes.

Something must be working. After over a week of it, he seems to be on the mend.

**My friend facebooked me with this natural cold remedy:

Place 2 T. honey in a small glass cup along with 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/8 t. cayenne pepper(or as much as you can stand). Place honey mixture glass in a larger glass filled with hot water so it warms. Take 1 t. every hour. Don't wash it down.

**From a past Beeyoutiful catalog:

For Chest and Sinus Congestion

Boil a pot of water and remove from the stove. While still steaming, add 2 drops each of eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree essential oils. Cover bowl and head with towel and inhale deeply for at least 3 minutes. KEEP EYES CLOSED.

This treatment seemed to be the most effective overall. His cough seemed a lot looser each time he did this. 

**Herbal Teas

I've been a big fan of Traditional Medicinals Breathe Easy tea for years as a natural way to alleviate asthma symptoms. So he drank quite a bit of this with honey added.

Lemon and honey tea is also a good one for respiratory problems. Mix lemon juice (I added one ice cube of frozen fresh lemon juice) in a cup of  hot water and stir in a spoonful of honey.

It seemed as though tea in general was soothing, so he drank regular herbal blends as well, chamomile being a favorite. Honey acts as an expectorant so it's a good idea to add a spoonful to a cup of tea when sick.

Do you have any favorite natural remedies for sickness? Please share!