With the arrival of the fall, falls our ability to sniff and breathe. And it is all due to blocked nose and sore throats, a blatant expression that marks the end of summer.
Being stuck with a cold and cough for four months could be frustrating and utterly uncomfortable. But colds are stubborn, and they begin with clear signs. Let us analyse the symptoms of the common cold or the common winter agony.
Symptoms of flu or common cold
The common cold begins with mild discomfort in your throat. And before you realise it attacks you with other dreadful symptoms, captivating your entire body. The symptoms manifest as:
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Incessant sneezes
- Weakness
- Cough
How to determine if the symptoms are severe enough to involve a doctor?
Cold is quite regular winter anguish; almost every other person falls to this discomfort once in a while. However, if the symptoms transit to utter misery and cause incredible stress-inducing after effects, you should perhaps see a doctor.
Long-lasting colds could notch up to real infections quite swiftly and pose health risks that could only be crossed through antibiotics.
Thus, the cold symptoms that silently scream, go see a doctor are:
- An excruciating ear pain
- A blocked nose and twitched up eye, or raised sinuses for more than a week
- An intermittent fever above 102 degrees Fahrenheit. For infants, the fever ranges to around 100.2 Fahrenheit.
- Regular cough deposits and sore throats in past weeks
- Irregular breathing procedure
- Intensifying of the symptoms mentioned in the other section
- Difficulty in swallowing
- A constant chest or a belly pain
- Issues in turning necks
- High sensitivity to bright lights
Ginger Tea: the weapon against the agonising cold
Sore throats and clogged noses can be major indicators for seasons like fall, autumn and the chill breezy weather. So, the part where the cold drenches us should be instantly resolved.
Is your mind puzzled over how to resolve the cold instantly? Well, the answer is a warm cup of tea enriched with the goodness of ginger. It’s been long since people are trusting & further suggesting ginger tea for cold because it works.
We decided to tabulate every information regarding ginger below for a better comprehensive approach.
Herb name | Scientific name | Enriched with | Applications |
Ginger | Zingiber officinale, a perennial root of a full-blown herb | Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties | A medicinal herb treating diseases from arthritis to abdominal pains, a must-have kitchen ingredient, and an aroma inducing agent. |
Can ginger tea treat colds effectively?
Ginger tea has been a universally acknowledged substitute for cold medications for centuries. However, in terms of research, scientists hold no definitive study to back up this hypothesis. But that does not mean that ginger tea pertains to no use when you are stuck with a cold; instead, it comes handy when you are down with a cold.
The antioxidants in ginger tea trigger various spots that might not instantly treat your cold. But will for sure soothe the difficulty of baring the cold symptoms.
According to a study, a group of cold stricken people showed signs of improvement when offered ginger tea in comparison to the set of people who were not. The study, therefore, proved the claims that ginger can:
- Prevent you from catching cold
- Soothe the soared up throats
- Ease up the congestion
- Play easy on your inflammation
Medicinal properties of ginger tea
Ginger tea is a well known warm beverage that is known to heal several mild diseases. And therefore counts as an invaluable resource to the health regime. The ginger remedy for cough and cold is a universally acknowledged anti-cold decoction.
Gingers are enriched with medicinal compounds that aid multiple cold suppression factors like:
Gingerols | Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that contribute colossally to human health and nutrition |
Shogaols | A compound that exhibits a host of biochemical activities ranging from anti-cancer, anti-allergic to other central nervous system mechanisms. |
Apart from that, there are several other medicinal benefits of ginger-tea for cold. The following properties are what makes ginger an incredible choice for your cold stricken soul:
- Antibacterial properties
- Antiviral properties
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Antioxidant properties
Let’s elaborate on the properties as mentioned earlier:
Ginger Tea: Antibacterial properties
A detailed laboratory study of 2011 concluded that ginger alone possessed a higher percentage of antibacterial properties than the antibiotics itself. This eye-opening antibacterial test was conducted against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. The bacteria is known to kindle a disease called strep throat.
Ginger Tea: Antiviral properties
Ginger has emerged to be a supremely versatile medicinal root. It is antibacterial as per studies, and now we know that it is antiviral too. The cherry on the cake the viruses that ginger targets are all respiratory based.
Ginger was subjected to two lab tests, one was conducted inside test tubes, and the other was tested on animals. The test tube ginger test revealed ginger to possess antiviral properties while the tears on animals suggested that ginger could be useful against pain and fever.
Fresh ginger could target nearly all viruses except the pandemic arising SARs and Coronavirus. However, the antiviral properties of ginger come into effect only when it is fresh and not dried.
Ginger Tea: Anti-inflammatory properties
Anti-inflammation is a sheerly common property of ginger. A set of vigorous researchers have concluded how ginger could efficiently reduce the painstaking symptoms of pharyngitis, an ailment that causes severe inflammation in your back throat.
Ginger Tea: Antioxidant properties
It is a well-known fact that ginger is enriched with a variety of antioxidants. However, to clear this worldwide statement, a laboratory conducted major spice tests in 2012.
The test included three major spices:
- Ginger
- Alligator pepper
- Nutmeg
All of these are believed to be highly rich in antioxidants and were thus put through a test. Long story short, the research proved ginger to possess the highest antioxidant content in all these spices.
Ginger Tea: Offering Multiple Health Benefits
In a nutshell, ginger tea’s health benefits are the answer to all your prayers. When you are down with a runny nose and sore throat, the most natural and readily available remedy could be a warm cup of ginger tea. Hence, your question: Can ginger tea help in the cold, would hold a simple answer that is yes, it can.
