Ayurvedic home remedies
Simple, traditional preparations for common, everyday complaints. Each remedy lists ingredients, preparation, how to use it and — most importantly — precautions.
This is the full list of home remedies. Each remedy has one address under Remedies. Browse by health concern
Showing 24 of 54 remedies
Cold & cough
15 minTulsi–ginger kadha for seasonal colds
A warming herbal decoction made in countless Indian homes at the first sign of a sniffle. Tulsi, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon make it aromatic and comforting.
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Cold & cough
5 minGinger juice and honey for a tickly cough
A spoonful of fresh ginger juice mixed with honey is a time-honoured way to soothe an irritated throat and a dry, tickly cough.
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Cold & cough
10 minAjwain steam for a blocked nose
Breathing in warm steam infused with carom seeds is a simple way to ease a stuffy nose and a heavy head during a cold.
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Cold & cough
3 minWarm salt and turmeric gargle for a sore throat
Gargling with warm salt water, with a pinch of turmeric, is one of the simplest and most widely recommended home measures for a scratchy throat.
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Cold & cough
2 minBlack pepper and honey for chest heaviness
In Ayurveda, black pepper (maricha) is valued for its pungent, kapha-reducing quality. A pinch with honey is a traditional support when a cold settles on the chest as heaviness and mucus.
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Cold & cough
10 minCinnamon–honey warm water for a scratchy sore throat
A mug of warm water simmered with a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves, sweetened with honey once it cools a little, is a soothing sip for that raw, scratchy feeling at the start of a cold.
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Cold & cough
10 minGhee nasya and a warm face compress for sinus congestion
Pressure around the eyes and forehead, a blocked nose and a heavy head — sinus congestion is miserable. Two drops of warm ghee in each nostril (nasya) and a warm compress over the sinuses are gentle Ayurvedic comforts.
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Cold & cough
5 minMulethi and mishri for a dry, tickly cough
A small piece of licorice root (mulethi) to suck on, or a pinch of its powder with rock sugar, is the classic Indian remedy for a dry, irritating cough that tickles the throat — especially at night.
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Cold & cough
10 minHoarse voice after a cold or a long day of talking
Teachers, singers, call-centre staff and anyone recovering from a cold know the croaky, tired voice that follows. Voice rest, warm fluids, steam and a soothing turmeric-milk or mulethi sip help the vocal cords recover.
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Cold & cough
20 minEating during and after a viral fever: moong water, rest and light meals
With a viral fever, appetite disappears and digestion slows right down. Ayurveda's advice — light, warm, liquid food like moong dal water and rice kanji, lots of fluids and real rest — fits well with sensible modern care.
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Cold & cough
10 minMorning sneezing and runny nose from allergies: a gentle daily routine
Bouts of sneezing every morning, an itchy, runny nose and watery eyes — often worse with dust or season change — point to allergic rhinitis. A saline rinse, steam, turmeric with honey and a few household changes can reduce the misery.
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Cold & cough
10 minGarlic roasted in ghee for a wet, chesty cough
When a cold settles on the chest with thick mucus and a heavy feeling, many Indian families reach for a couple of garlic cloves gently roasted in ghee. It's warming, comforting and easy to eat with a little jaggery.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for dry cough at night: honey, steam and a raised pillow
A tickly, dry cough that seems to start the moment your head touches the pillow is exhausting. These home remedies for dry cough at night — a spoon of honey in warm water, a short steam before bed, keeping the room air moist and sleeping with the head slightly raised — calm the throat so you and your family can rest.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for cold in kids: saline drops, warm fluids and ajwain potli
Young children catch six to eight colds a year, and a runny, blocked nose can make them cranky and sleepless. These home remedies for cold in kids — saline nose drops, warm fluids and soups, a warm ajwain potli kept near the pillow, and plenty of rest — are gentle, age-appropriate ways to keep them comfortable while the cold runs its course.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for tonsillitis: salt–turmeric gargles, warm soups and voice rest
Red, swollen tonsils make swallowing painful and often come with fever and tiredness. These home remedies for tonsillitis — warm salt and turmeric gargles several times a day, honey in warm water, soft warm foods and resting the voice — ease the soreness while the infection settles, and help you spot when a doctor is needed.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for mucus in throat: steam, saline rinse and black pepper–honey
That constant need to clear your throat, a feeling of something stuck, and phlegm in the morning often come from post-nasal drip. These home remedies for mucus in throat — steam inhalation, a saline nasal rinse, plenty of warm fluids and a pinch of black pepper with honey — help thin and clear the mucus.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for ear pain: warm compress, upright rest and why not to put oil in the ear
Ear pain often shows up during or after a cold, a flight or a swim, and it can be intense, especially for children at night. These home remedies for ear pain — a warm compress held outside the ear, resting with the head raised, gentle steam for blocked sinuses and chewing or yawning to open the ears — offer comfort while you arrange a doctor's check.
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Cold & cough
15 minHome remedies for loss of smell and taste: smell training, steam and flavourful food
Food tasting like cardboard after a cold, sinus infection or viral illness is frustrating and can affect appetite. These home remedies for loss of smell and taste — daily smell training with familiar kitchen spices, steam and saline rinses to clear the nose, and meals with texture, colour and zest — support recovery over the following weeks.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for smoker's cough: steam, warm fluids and support to quit
A hacking morning cough with phlegm is often the lungs' way of complaining about smoke. These home remedies for smoker's cough — steam, plenty of warm fluids, a piece of mulethi to soothe the throat and daily breathing exercises — may ease symptoms, but the one step that truly helps the lungs heal is quitting.
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Cold & cough
10 minHow to prevent cold in winter: warm routines, seasonal food and daily habits
Winter in north India brings chilly mornings, smog and a queue of sniffles at home. Here is how to prevent cold in winter with warm routines that fit Indian homes — sipping warm water, eating seasonal amla, jaggery and til, a tulsi–ginger tea, a weekly sesame-oil massage, good sleep and regular handwashing.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for nosebleed: lean forward, pinch and keep the nose moist
Sudden bleeding from the nose is scary, but most nosebleeds are harmless and stop with the right first aid. These home remedies for nosebleed — sitting up and leaning forward, pinching the soft part of the nose for 10 full minutes, a cool compress on the bridge, and keeping the inside of the nose moist afterwards — help stop bleeding and prevent it coming back.
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Cold & cough
15 minAyurvedic remedies for asthma: breathing practice, warm diet and trigger control as support
Asthma needs proper medical treatment, usually with inhalers, but daily habits can make a real difference to how you feel. These Ayurvedic remedies for asthma — gentle breathing practice, warm and light evening meals, avoiding known triggers, and traditional spices like turmeric and ginger in food — are meant to support your prescribed treatment, never to replace it.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for cough due to pollution: masks, steam, gargles and indoor clean air
Every winter smog season, many Indian cities see a spike in scratchy throats and dry, irritating coughs. These home remedies for cough due to pollution — wearing a well-fitted N95 mask outdoors, steam and salt-water gargles in the evening, warm turmeric milk and keeping indoor air cleaner — help soothe the airways and cut down exposure.
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Cold & cough
10 minHome remedies for cough during pregnancy: honey, steam, gargles and rest
A cold and cough during pregnancy can feel worse because many usual medicines are off-limits. These home remedies for cough during pregnancy — honey in warm water, steam inhalation, salt-water gargles, warm soups and extra rest — are gentle options that most doctors consider safe, while you keep your doctor informed.
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