How to naturally heal the dreaded lurgy

“Have you got a cold?”
“No, I just sneezed.”
“You’d better go to the doctor and get something for it,” dad insisted.
I rarely get sick and I avoid running to the doctor every time I sneeze or cough, despite dad’s suggestion; but during this past week my body has felt as if it’s been systematically falling apart.
In fact, I’m amazed I haven’t dislodged any internal organs with the prolonged and relentless amount of coughing I’ve endured!

I managed to avoid the dreaded lurgy (a non-serious illness) while many of my friends were succumbing to it a few weeks ago; I’d picked up a bit of a sniffle and sore throat but it wasn’t anything major.
Then I went to Sydney for five days. My first shock was that the temperature was five degrees cooler than my home base on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast; secondly, I was bombarded by people coughing and spluttering all around me - especially in hospital, where mum had been admitted due to having a minor stroke. 
Despite the genuine care of the doctors and nurses, hospitals really are a breeding den for freely exchanged bacteria, microbes and flagrant sharing of all germs, so my body’s been struggling to recover ever since.
I rarely go to the doctor, though, unless it’s a life-threatening situation, and strenuously avoid taking chemical-based medicines. I prefer using natural or home remedies and let my body heal itself without too much external interference.
I’ve therefore discovered the following healthier options after some online research:

Cough remedies
•  Garlic is known for its antibacterial and antimicrobial components. Boiling cloves of garlic and drinking it like tea makes it easier to breathe, helps alleviate itchiness which causes continuous coughing.
•  Ginger is a natural cure for cough. The ginger has to be partially sliced and boiled and to ensure potency, and should be crushed a bit before boiling. This will help to draw out the active ingredients. Drinking ginger as a tea will ease sore throat, non-stop coughing and even congestion.
Source: Natural Society

Sore throat remedies
•  Do an old-fashioned saltwater gargle. Salt acts as a mild antiseptic and draws water out of mucous membranes in the throat, which helps to clear phlegm. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, gargle and spit out. Repeat up to four times a day.
•  Alternatively, gargle with a baking-soda solution. Dissolve one-half teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water.
Source: Best Health

Ear infection remedies
•  Epsom salts - heat a basin of water and place a cup of epsom salt into it and have a good foot soak. In addition to feeling relaxed, it will get your blood and other fluid moving to draw out infection; the Epsom salt will draw out toxins through your skin.
Source: Heaven and Earth Home Remedies

Image: Hari Kotrotsios

Colloidal Silver
Modern Colloidal Silver is a powerful, natural antibiotic, antiseptic, and antimicrobial solution. 
Source: Centreforce Australia.
These tips are courtesy of my friend Jo, an energy medicine practitioner and a regular health advisor to our after choir coffee discussion group.
For Colloidal Silver that’s ready to use, follow suggestions below. If the silver needs diluting, add a capful of silver to a capful of pure water and let sit for ten minutes, then use as below:
•  Throat - gargle a small to medium amount of the silver at least three times a day (or dilute a dessertspoon of silver into a dessertspoon of purified water). Do not eat or drink anything for about 15 minutes afterwards.  
•  Lungs / sinus / nose - put about a 1/2 -1/4 of a teaspoon of silver onto a normal teaspoon and snort that amount into each nostril, one at a time of course! Use about 3-4 times a day.  A bit weird but you get used to it.   
•  Tired, infected and gritty eyes – the silver helps ease the pain and is refreshing. Administer 3-4 times a day in an eye bath (about one capful of silver) in the case of infection. If one eye is infected more than the other one, clean the best eye first to prevent the spread of infection, or use a fresh batch for each eye.
•  Runny nose - the silver will work over time, but for emergencies use over the counter nasal medication for short-term temporary relief. All the goo has to get out of your nose so you can heal and the medications just suppress it; however, you also need to breathe and sleep to heal so it’s your choice on this one.  Jo recommends a balanced approach: she avoids sinus medication when she’s home, and only uses them when she absolutely has to, like going to sleep. 
•  Colloidal Silver can also be taken internally, about a capful in a cup of water a day. Most people are not allergic to silver, however, too much is not helpful so beware of over using it; do some research on dosages. 
•  The best treatment is prevention. Use the silver as soon as you suspect something’s not right, even if you think it’s the weather, pollen or an allergy messing with your body. Use the silver as above 3-4 times a day for a few days. It might be inconvenient, but not as inconvenient as having the flu for four weeks.

Other useful remedies
•  Drink 1 litre of water for every 25kg of body weight to help flush out toxins.
•  Sleep – sometimes this is all I need to help my body heal itself, even if it means staying in bed for a day or two.
•  Honey, lemon and onions – nine alternatives to cough syrups.
•  Olive Leaf oral spray – helps soothe an irritated, sore throat and maintains oral health.
•  Tiger Balm - I've often used this as a chest rub and dabbed a small amount under my nostrils to clear nasal congestions. Another friend recommends lathering it on the soles of the feet, then wearing socks; it helps her sick kids sleep at night.

What's your proven home remedy for the dreaded lurgy and its associated ailments?

Disclaimer: These suggested remedies are based on my own preference for natural therapies and letting my body heal itself. As always, do your research and find a combination that works for you. Consult your own practitioner if symptoms persist or in case of serious or prolonged illness.

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