Garlic water for runny nose. Remedies for the common cold with garlic: drops, oil, inhalation. Rinsing the nose with garlic

Garlic for the common cold is used in folk medicine; it is an effective treatment for inflammation of the nasal mucosa. At all times, treating a runny nose with garlic has been very popular. However, the opinions of modern doctors on this matter are contradictory.

How to use garlic to treat a runny nose?

The most useful substances contained in the plant are phytoncides. They have a detrimental effect on the growth and development of bacteria. However, using garlic for a runny nose requires caution and some knowledge. If rhinitis is viral in nature, then treatment with this vegetable will be ineffective and painful, since such a runny nose usually does not last long and goes away due to the immune system fighting the infection. But for bacterial rhinitis, when nasal discharge takes on a green or yellow color, using this remedy will be useful. Such discharge indicates the presence of pus, and therefore the active proliferation of bacteria that can complicate the disease.

When you have a runny nose, garlic should be used with great care so as not to cause a burn to the nasal mucosa. When putting garlic into the nose for a runny nose, always dilute it with water or oil. Precautionary measures also include the ability of a vegetable to cause allergic reactions. Even external use of the product can cause burns to the skin, not to mention the delicate mucous membrane of the nose. Considering that many people resort to garlic to treat a runny nose, let’s look at how to safely use this vegetable.

How to cure a runny nose with garlic? Folk remedies offer a variety of ways to treat a runny nose with garlic. Garlic inhalation for a runny nose is one way to eliminate inflammation. The essence of the method is that garlic is added to boiled water and the patient is asked to breathe over this steam. It is assumed that when evaporation occurs, plant phytoncides settle on the nasal mucosa and thereby destroy bacteria. But when it comes to bacterial rhinitis with purulent discharge, heating over steam carries a huge danger, as it contributes to the spread of infection. In addition, there is a possibility of getting burned if you handle hot steam carelessly.

How to prepare nasal drops from garlic?

It is much more rational to cure a runny nose with the help of garlic drops, since the substance, when it enters the nose, reaches all inflamed areas of the nasopharynx, and the cold can recede.

Nasal drops are prepared in different ways:

Garlic tincture. Peeled garlic cloves (2-3 pieces) are poured into 1 liter of boiled water and left until cool, then filtered. The tincture is completely harmless and will help alleviate the patient’s condition. It should be used to rinse the nasal passages and gargle several times a day. We must remember that after 2 hours the infusion loses its medicinal properties, so it is advisable to use it as soon as possible.
Garlic concentrate. Squeeze out the fresh juice and dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:10. These drops are more concentrated, so the resulting drug should be used with great caution, especially when treating children.
Garlic oil. The oil solution is prepared in the same way as the previous one - from freshly squeezed garlic juice, but is diluted not with water, but with oil in a ratio of 1:10.

Set fire to garlic sticks and get another folk remedy. In case of exacerbation of infectious rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucosa), traditional medicine suggests setting fire to garlic and inhaling the smoke from it. It is necessary to remove all the cloves and set fire to the dry stem of the plant. You should breathe the smoke coming from the smoldering, alternately for 5 minutes with the right and left nostrils. Although doctors consider this treatment to be a placebo method, since most of the phytoncides disintegrate during combustion. But it is less dangerous for a child to breathe over smoke than over hot steam during inhalation.

Placing garlic in the room

Many people are familiar with this method of fighting a runny nose, especially when treating children. Crushed garlic is placed on a saucer in the corners of the room or beads are collected from it around the neck so that the patient constantly inhales the garlic aroma, thereby killing bacteria. But this method of fighting infection does not work at all and makes no sense. The room in which the patient is located should be periodically ventilated and breathe fresh air. It's much more efficient.

Garlic has antibacterial properties and has been successfully used as a natural antibiotic to combat many microorganisms. But we must not forget about its contraindications and safety measures, especially if the treatment concerns a child. Usually, for a runny nose, treatment is not limited to this remedy alone, so it is very difficult to say for sure that this particular vegetable helped overcome the disease.

Garlic drops for a runny nose should be used with extreme caution by people prone to allergies, as well as children. Such garlic drops directly envelop the inflamed mucous membranes of the ear, throat and nose.

Garlic will also come to the aid of pregnant women with a runny nose, since during this period medication treatment for them is limited. You can simply periodically bring the vegetable to your nose and inhale its smell.

You can take garlic orally when you have a runny nose. If you decide to overcome a runny nose by taking garlic orally, then in order to avoid irritation of the digestive tract, it is better to use it with lemon, honey, milk or carrots or as a regular addition to food. But you need to remember that taking more than 2 cloves of garlic per day is not recommended, since allicin, which is part of the vegetable, negatively affects the functioning of the brain, inhibiting its functions. People suffering from heartburn and other stomach diseases should not take garlic orally to avoid exacerbations. Garlic-based folk remedies for the common cold should be recommended by your doctor.

The use of garlic in the nose for a runny nose is a frequent recommendation among adherents of traditional medicine. Garlic juice for a runny nose is an affordable remedy. The result is achieved with proper manipulation, as well as compliance with the dosage and frequency of use.

How to properly use garlic for a runny nose? Reviews from people using these products to combat rhinitis are mixed. Garlic-based recipes have their advantages and disadvantages. The beneficial effect on the body is due to the presence of specific substances in the vegetable - phytoncides, which, according to clinical studies, have several important features:

Bactericidal effect - do not destroy 100% of bacteria, but are effective against Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella and E. coli.
It has a beneficial effect on the human immune system, stimulating its work and activating protective processes in the body.
Weak antiviral effect.

You can perform inhalations or use drops with garlic for a runny nose, but its importance in the fight against rhinitis and colds should not be overestimated. Does garlic protect against viruses? Experts have proven that the maximum effectiveness of phytoncides is observed in cases of bacterial nature of rhinitis, but in cases of viral etiology of the disease, these active substances are practically useless.

Therefore, if the patient has yellowish or greenish nasal discharge, then garlic-based folk remedies can be used. But with minor transparent discharge this is not advisable.

How to cure a runny nose with garlic

Manipulations should be carried out with the utmost care. Treatment of a runny nose with garlic can provoke the development of hypersensitivity, so strict adherence to dosage and frequency allows you to get the greatest effect with minimal complications. One of the most common and dangerous solutions is to inject garlic into the ears for a runny nose. There are several methods. This includes inserting whole cloves and placing sticks of garlic juice into the ear canal. Pseudo-treatment does not produce results and is quite capable of causing irreparable harm to a person.

This can be inhalations or vegetable-based oil, as well as garlic drops. The literature describes cases of using smoke from husks. But experts are of the opinion that the technique is based on the placebo effect. Since during smoldering, phytoncides are destroyed and the therapeutic effect of this procedure is close to zero.

Inhalations

There are several recognized methods for carrying out the procedure:

Using a steam bath. To do this, crush the garlic and place it in a small container. Place in a water bath and inhale the vapor for 10–12 minutes.
Another way is to crush the clove into a paste and dilute it with boiling water. Breathe over the prepared mixture for 5–7 minutes.
Dry inhalations. For them, you will need to grind 1-2 cloves in a mortar and breathe over them for 35-40 minutes without additional heating or diluting with water.
It is necessary to remove the slices from the head and set fire to the remaining husk. Inhale for 5–7 minutes.

At the time of manipulation, it is necessary to alternately warm up both nostrils to achieve a therapeutic result. The bactericidal effect is explained by the fact that at the time of manipulation, phytoncides penetrate the nasal passage and settle on the mucous membrane. But! With bacterial rhinitis, heating has a negative effect on the course of the disease. After all, heating activates the growth and reproduction of pathogenic microflora. Therefore, the positive effect of using the vegetable in this case is doubtful.

Drops

The choice of garlic drops for the common cold has also become widespread among adherents of traditional medicine. Most often, the juice is mixed with boiled water, and then the resulting mixture is injected into the nasal passage.

This is important: the use of drops is indicated when bacterial rhinitis lasts more than 7 days and there is no positive dynamics and the risk of complications.

When choosing water as a diluent, it should be taken in an amount of 1:10, and for children under 15 years old 1:15. For a child whose age does not reach 10 years, the administration of garlic nasal drops is associated with the development of an allergic reaction, burns of the mucous membrane and other unpleasant consequences. The amount of diluted juice recommended for administration into each nasal passage corresponds to conventional drugs for rhinitis.

Oil

You can cook it yourself. This will require a base (it can be peach, olive, grape seed). When making garlic oil, you should adhere to strictly defined proportions: 2 cloves per 1 tablespoon of base. The diluted juice with oil, 1-2 drops, should be administered into the nasal passage if the patient has no allergic reactions.

Contraindications

Like any traditional or folk medicine, garlic has contraindications. Use should be limited to people with hypersensitivity to the ingredients of the mixture. Also, a barrier to appointment is the age of the child under 10 years old.

The therapeutic effect of garlic on rhinitis during pregnancy can lead to the development of allergic reactions. Garlic should be used for a runny nose during pregnancy only in limited quantities, choosing a gentle dosage recommended for children. Therefore, treatment is carried out exclusively as part of complex therapy with conservative methods and under the supervision of an ENT specialist.

Strict adherence to the dosage and specialist monitoring of the pathological process allows us to count on positive dynamics and complete recovery of the patient. Attempts to independently increase the number of inhalations or increase the concentration of juice in the mixture will have a detrimental effect on human health and lead to the development of serious complications.

Adherents of traditional medicine are sure that garlic for a runny nose is the best remedy, because the history of its use goes back many hundreds of years. Therefore, it is used unreasonably often and for any form of rhinitis.

Meanwhile, garlic, like onions, is a medicine. Its juice can burn the epithelial layer, dry out the mucous membrane, and complicate any form of runny nose, so in order not to cause harm to the nasal mucosa, garlic must be used very carefully.

For what form of rhinitis can garlic be used?

Garlic juice is beneficial due to its phytoncides, which inhibit the development of many microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nasal drops from freshly squeezed garlic stimulate local defenses and accelerate epithelial regeneration, but the volume and concentration of the drops should be very moderate.

Since the action of phytoncides is aimed at infectious microflora, treatment of a runny nose with garlic is justified only in cases of bacterial inflammation. Neither allergic, nor fungal (mycotic), nor vasomotor rhinitis requires the use of garlic drops in the nose. Moreover, they are contraindicated.

You can recognize an infectious runny nose yourself by abundant mucous discharge from the nose mixed with pus, by the presence of congestion, impaired sense of smell and intoxication syndrome (malaise, weakness, poor appetite, elevated body temperature). However, consultation with a doctor is still advisable.

The doctor will conduct a differential diagnosis of a runny nose of an infectious nature and other forms of the disease, and recommend the use of medications or traditional medicine recipes, including garlic.

How to use garlic for a runny nose

There are many recipes for using garlic, but they all come down to three forms: nasal drops, solutions for rinsing the nasal cavity and inhalation. The use of garlic in the form of nasal drops is the most common and popular method of treating infectious rhinitis.

However, there is a main rule: never use garlic juice in concentrated form. It must either be diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio, or mixed with other ingredients.

Here are the most commonly used nasal drop recipes.

The combination of fresh garlic juice with sea buckthorn oil has an excellent healing effect. Thanks to this recipe, you can reduce the duration of rhinitis by almost half. Garlic phytoncides block foreign microorganisms, preventing them from multiplying and producing toxins and pyrogenic substances, and natural vegetable oil “smoothes out” the drying effect.

It protects the nasal mucosa from drying out, creating a thin film on its surface, under which the epithelium is restored more quickly. Instead of sea buckthorn oil, you can also use sunflower or olive oil.

To prepare these nasal drops, you need to squeeze the juice from one medium-sized garlic bulb and mix it with 8-10 drops (about half a teaspoon) of sea buckthorn oil. Use 2 drops in each nostril 3-4 times a day and more often if the runny nose is very severe. Do not forget to clean the nasal passages by carefully blowing your nose before instillation. This product should be stored in the refrigerator and shaken before each use.

Another effective recipe for nasal drops is more complex in composition and preparation. One lemon is squeezed, and aloe juice is added to the resulting juice in the same volume. Then juice squeezed from half a garlic bulb and the same amount of chilled mint infusion are poured into this mixture. Everything mixes well and use 2 drops in each nostril up to 8 times a day. The bottle with the product is stored in the refrigerator.

Nasal rinsing is a very effective way to treat an infectious runny nose. It allows you to quickly cleanse the nasal cavity of mucopurulent contents and accelerate the regeneration of the epithelium. This method will become even more effective if during its implementation there is an impact on pathogenic microflora. To do this, you can successfully use a rinse solution containing garlic and onion juice.

You need to take one medium onion and 4 cloves of garlic, then squeeze the juice out of them and dilute with half a glass of boiled water. The nasal cavity is washed with this solution using a regular teapot with a long spout. But, since there is not much solution, you can simply suck in the solution from a tea saucer with one nostril, holding the other nostril.

Then you need to open the first nostril, and pinch the second and wait for the liquid to pour out. This procedure must be repeated up to 3-4 times a day until recovery.

Garlic inhalations are even easier to do. Two cloves of garlic are crushed, placed on a plate, and the patient, bending low over them, inhales the smell. You need to try to breathe through your nose and deeply, and already during the procedure you will notice a decrease in swelling of the nasal mucosa and the feeling of stuffiness disappears.

At the same time, the flow of mucopurulent contents increases, which must be periodically blown out during the session. The entire inhalation procedure should last at least 10 minutes. The next day and for several days thereafter, a fresh portion of garlic medicine is prepared.

It is recommended to use garlic in the treatment of runny nose only in adults and older children. Garlic nasal drops or rinses should not be used in children under 5 years of age. But in any case, you should consult with your doctor.

Garlic is a bulbous plant that has a pronounced antimicrobial and antiphlogistic effect. The root vegetable contains biologically active substances that have a pronounced fungicidal, decongestant, immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory effect. Treating a runny nose with garlic helps eliminate viscous mucus and purulent exudate from the paranasal sinuses, which speeds up the healing process. In informal medicine, the vegetable is used as an immunomodulator, helping to increase the body's resistance.

The active components contained in the juice stimulate the functioning of phagocytes, macrophages and killer cells.

Strengthening general immunity allows you to increase the body's resistance to colds.

flavonoids;
allicin;
carotene;
retinol;
ascorbic acid;
calciferol;
tocopherol;
niacin;
lactoflavin;
pyridoxine;
folate;
thiamine;
copper;
selenium;
manganese.

Garlic juice contains all B vitamins, except cyanocobalamin (B12). The presence of allicin and flavonoids in the vegetable provides it with pronounced antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. For this reason, garlic is considered one of the most effective natural antibiotics. The product contains substances that have a local irritant effect. Therefore, it should not be used to treat rhinitis in the presence of mechanical damage to the mucosa.

Operating principle

Using garlic for a runny nose, you can eliminate mucous discharge and ease nasal breathing within a few days. Juice from root vegetables enhances the secretory function of the ciliated epithelium, due to which pathogenic mucus containing pathogenic microorganisms is evacuated from the nasal passages. The components of the product promote the activation of T-lymphocytes, granulocytes and protective cells, which leads to the elimination of pathogenic flora from the nasopharynx. Medical research has proven that the active substances contained in root vegetables are able to bind to protein structures on the surface of nerve cells. Due to this, the expansion of blood vessels in the nasal mucosa occurs, as a result of which blood microcirculation in the ENT organs is normalized. Intensive oxygen supply to tissues accelerates their epithelization, which leads to increased local immunity. By instilling garlic into the nose for a runny nose, it is possible to eliminate local manifestations of a bacterial infection within just a few days. Proper use of an antiseptic accelerates the healing process and increases tissue reactivity. To prevent relapses of the disease, experts recommend using garlic juice for preventive purposes for another two weeks after complete recovery.

Pharmacological properties

Timely use of the bulbous plant for therapeutic purposes contributes to the comprehensive healing of the body. A natural antiseptic removes free radicals and toxic substances from the body, which accelerates the process of detoxification and reduction of swelling in the mucous membrane. Important! Garlic juice is ineffective in treating rhinitis and ENT diseases caused by viruses. The therapeutic effect of the product is due to the following properties:

fungicidal – prevents the development of fungal pathogens, thereby reducing the risk of mycotic rhinitis;
antioxidant – increases the concentration of alkalis in the mucous membrane of the ENT organs, which create unfavorable conditions for the development of bacteria;
antimicrobial – disrupts the reproductive activity of bacteria, due to their number decreasing;
anticoagulant - thins the blood, as a result of which blood circulation in the affected tissues accelerates;
immunostimulating – increases the body’s resistance to the negative effects of opportunistic bacteria and fungi.

Spectrum of action

It should be noted that the bulbous plant contains components that are active against fungi and aerobic bacteria. The effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of viral ENT diseases has not been proven. For this reason, experts do not recommend using garlic to treat rhinitis of viral origin. It is advisable to use a natural antibiotic for prolonged runny nose and sinusitis, the development of which is caused by the addition of a bacterial infection to a cold. Obvious signs of the development of bacterial rhinitis are:

strong increase in temperature;
impurities of purulent exudate in mucus;
prolonged inflammation of the nasopharynx (more than 7 days);
difficult evacuation of viscous secretions from the nasal passages;
yellow or green nasal discharge.

To accurately confirm the diagnosis, it is advisable to undergo examination by an otolaryngologist. The above signs are symptoms of the development of bacterial sinusitis, untimely treatment of which can cause serious complications. The uncontrolled spread of infection in the ENT organs leads to inflammation of the eye sockets, eustachian tube and even the brain.

Antibacterial drops

Nasal drops with garlic juice help relieve symptoms of the disease almost immediately. After 2-3 procedures, nasal breathing becomes easier, swelling of the mucous membrane and headaches decrease. To prepare an antimicrobial solution, you can use the following recipes:

Using sterile gauze, squeeze the juice out of 3 chopped garlic cloves; place 2 drops of garlic juice in each nostril at least 3 times a day;
mix a small amount of garlic juice with sea buckthorn oil; instill 2-3 drops of warmed liquid into each nasal passage daily for a week;
mix juice from 4 root vegetables with 200 ml of saline solution; instill 2 drops of the drug 3-4 times a day for 5 days.

Important! To treat preschool children, freshly squeezed juice should be mixed with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Application of drops

The speed of elimination of the symptoms of bacterial rhinitis depends on the correct use of the antiseptic solution. In addition, a high concentration of active substances in the drug can lead to burns in the mucous membrane. For this reason, when preparing nasal drops, you must strictly follow the dosage recommended by herbalists. How should you put garlic nasal drops?

clear the nasal passages of accumulated mucus and purulent discharge;
rinse your nose with a weak solution of sea salt;
drop 2 drops of the drug into each nostril;
After 30 seconds, blow out any accumulated mucus from your nose.

During the procedure, a large amount of viscous secretion is formed in the nasopharynx, which must be removed from the sinuses and passages. After clearing the airways, experts do not recommend going outside, as this can lead to hypothermia and worsening health conditions.

Oil drops

According to doctors, garlic with oil for a runny nose helps to more gently cleanse the mucous membrane of purulent discharge and viscous secretions. Vegetable oil neutralizes the effect of components that contribute to irritation of the mucous membrane. This reduces the risk of burns and allergic reactions. To prepare oil drops you need:

chop 2 cloves of garlic;
strain the juice from the garlic mass using gauze;
mix 10 ml of vegetable oil with garlic juice;
leave the solution for 5 days in a dark and cool place.

By adding 3-4 drops of sea buckthorn oil to the liquid, you can provide the drug with an antiviral effect.

Before use, the emulsion should be warmed to room temperature to prevent vasoconstriction in the nasopharyngeal mucosa. To relieve the symptoms of sinusitis, it is advisable to instill 3 drops of the drug into each nostril at least 4 times a day. Pediatricians warn that oil drops should not be used to treat infants. Penetration of fluid into the Eustachian tube can lead to its inflammation and the development of aseptic otitis media.

Cold ointment

Congestion can be eliminated only if the swelling in the ciliated epithelium decreases. To do this, it is necessary to ensure the outflow of intercellular fluid from the affected tissues, which is possible if blood microcirculation is accelerated. You can achieve the desired therapeutic results with the help of an ointment that contains garlic juice. To prepare the ointment, you need to mix the following ingredients in equal proportions:

garlic juice;
alpine violet root;
aloe vera leaf;
Vishnevsky ointment".

Soak cotton swabs in the prepared mixture and place them in the nasal passages for 20-30 minutes. To speed up the evacuation of mucus from the sinuses, lubricate the wings of the nose, the bridge of the nose and the area of the maxillary sinuses with ointment. The procedure must be performed at least three times a day until your health improves.

Recipes based on garlic and its juice are one of the most popular folk remedies for the treatment of colds. And every second reader probably put garlic drops for a runny nose at least once in his life (or his grandmother or mother put garlic drops in his nose as a child). Garlic drops for a runny nose have gained popularity due to the well-known presence of a large amount of phytoncides in garlic itself - substances that can destroy pathogenic bacteria and fungi. And therefore, most people suffering from a runny nose, boldly and without hesitation, drip such drops onto themselves and expect quick healing, without understanding the causes of the disease. Meanwhile, garlic drops for a runny nose are not a universal remedy and are not at all safe.

Before use, garlic juice must be diluted with water or oil.

Do garlic drops help with a runny nose?

Indeed, garlic and its juice contain a large number of substances that can effectively destroy bacteria. It is logical to assume that garlic drops can destroy bacteria that cause a runny nose. That's right - garlic in the nose destroys germs. But the fact is that a bacterial runny nose is a much rarer phenomenon than any of the runny noses - viral, allergic and even vasomotor - separately. Which means the use of garlic drops will be justified only in very rare cases. We'll look at which ones specifically below.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that often causes an acute runny nose. But there is another nuance: the mucus in the nose itself (simply snot) is much more effective at destroying and removing bacteria from the body than garlic drops do. And if a bacterial runny nose has developed, it means that the infection itself is so strong that the mucous membrane cannot cope with it. This means that the effect of garlic drops on the disease will not be noticeable either. Garlic juice is also known to have antiviral properties. However, in practice, garlic cannot have any effect on a virus that has already infected the cells of the nasal mucosa. All it can do is destroy individual viral particles that appear in the mucus itself. This action will not have any therapeutic effect.

The main thing when using garlic drops for a runny nose is not to harm your nose.

Summary Garlic drops are the very case when the treatment of a runny nose is intended only to calm the patient himself or those around him. But since such drops have certain side effects and contraindications, even for peace of mind they must be used correctly.

Rules of application

Rule 1: Garlic drops are used only when thick yellow or green snot appears. It is this type of snot that is a sign of a bacterial infection. If there is no infection, there is no point in using drops. Rule 2: Garlic drops for a runny nose will be effective only if the patient breathes fresh (temperature no higher than 22°C), moist (humidity no lower than 50%) air and drinks plenty of liquid. Otherwise, the snot will thicken, crusts will form in the nose, and the garlic drops will have no effect at all. Rule 3: Garlic drops for a runny nose are instilled no more than 2-3 times a day at approximately equal intervals. This will help avoid irritation of the nasal mucosa.

Oil to which garlic juice has been added Rule 4: Garlic drops are instilled in an amount of no more than 3-4 drops into each nostril. These are the basic provisions, the observance of which will make garlic drops for a runny nose both effective and moderately safe. We will talk in more detail about precautions and side effects below.

“Garlic really helps me with my runny nose. When I do a massage, I put drops of it on the skin at the right points, and if the snot gets really thick, I put pure garlic juice directly into my nose. The result is that after 2-3 days the runny nose goes away completely. By the way, I noticed that if the snot is clear or a runny nose occurs in the summer from ragweed, then garlic does not work. This is a remedy specifically for green snot.”

Olga, Tver

In parallel with the use of garlic drops, it is advisable to constantly massage the nose

Garlic drops recipes

The easiest way to make drops with garlic for a runny nose is to simply squeeze out the juice of 2-3 cloves of garlic and dilute with half a glass of water. The resulting mixture is dropped into the nose. However, this approach is only possible if:

Treatment is carried out for an adult, a runny nose is not complicated by inflammation (there is no feeling of nasal congestion);
There is no dry nose or signs of blood in the snot. Roughly speaking, the nose breathes, it flows, there is no blood in the mucus.

More complex recipes are designed to reduce the irritating effect of garlic on the nasal mucosa. They are used for high sensitivity of the mucous membrane and inflammation. For example:

Three drops of juice are dissolved in a teaspoon of olive or peach oil, 2-3 drops are instilled into each nostril every 2-3 hours.
Two large cloves of garlic are crushed in a garlic press, placed in a glass and poured with olive oil in an amount three times greater than the volume of the pulp itself. The mixture is placed in a water bath for half an hour, then cooled and ready for use.
Garlic juice is mixed in equal proportions with sea buckthorn oil.

If the mucous membrane is inflamed and nasal congestion appears, sea buckthorn or fir oils should be used in the composition of the products. All recipes with oils cannot be used if there is snot in the nose, even if it is thick. Oils disrupt the functioning of the mucosal epithelium and aggravate the course of the disease. The fresher and sharper the garlic that is used to prepare the drops, the more pronounced the effect of its use will be. The more phytoncides in garlic, the more microbes it will destroy.

Video: How to make garlic oil for a runny nose

There are also recipes that should definitely be avoided. Among them:

Any drops with garlic that contain honey. In case of a bacterial runny nose, such drops will only promote the proliferation of bacteria: honey is an excellent nutrient medium for them.
Drops in which garlic juice is mixed with carrot or beet juice. Like honey, such juices will only feed the microbes themselves.

In such recipes, it is the components additional to garlic that have a harmful effect. But it is important to remember that garlic itself can be dangerous. This must be taken into account when using it for a runny nose.

“I don’t recommend using oil drops with garlic at all. Because of the oil, garlic juice itself has no effect on the mucous membrane at all, only the smell remains. If you really can’t drip pure juice, then it’s better to dilute it with water. But I’ve never had any side effects from pure juice.”

Irina, from correspondence on the forum

The simplest and most affordable way to obtain garlic juice

Precautionary measures

The main disadvantage of garlic and garlic drops as a remedy for the runny nose is their ability to cause irritation of any integument, and especially the mucous membrane. For this reason, garlic drops cannot be used for a runny nose:

Children under 10 years old, especially infants or one-year-olds;
When the mucous membrane dries out, when the garlic juice itself is not even diluted with mucus;
When blood appears in the snot;
With clean, transparent snot - in this case, garlic is not needed at all, and its use only increases the load on the nasal mucosa;
For any signs of allergy after starting to use the product.

Such irritation at the site of application of garlic juice is acceptable - this is a skin reaction to burning substances. In general, to avoid an allergic reaction, before the first instillation, it is enough to place one drop of garlic juice under the nose above the upper lip and rub into the skin. If after half an hour or an hour no rash appears in this place (slight redness and irritation is acceptable - garlic, after all), you can start putting drops in your nose. And in any case, if after instilling garlic drops into the nose the patient experiences discomfort, a burning sensation and irritation in the nose, taking the drops must be stopped.

From the practice of lore

Children are often brought to our clinic with a runny nose complicated by burns of the nasal mucosa. You start to find out from the parents, and it turns out that the child was treated for rhinitis with garlic or onions, the mucous membrane was burned, the nose stopped breathing altogether, and only after that the caring parents decided to take the child to the doctor. In almost all such cases, if such irresponsible and barbaric treatment had not taken place, the runny nose would have been successfully cured by simple bed rest in a few days. And so we also have to restore the mucous membrane. Of course, the child suffers from everything.

Irina Andronatiy, Odessa

When using onions to treat a runny nose, you need to be as careful as when using garlic.

Rinsing the nose with garlic

As an alternative to drops, people practice nasal rinsing with garlic added to the water. To do this, mix a teaspoon of salt and the juice of 3-4 cloves of garlic in a liter of water.

There is no need to constantly rinse your nose with garlic solution - the juice is added to the water for rinsing only when you have a runny nose. The rinsing itself is done in the same way as rinsing with a pure saline solution. To carry it out, teapots with a narrow neck, medicinal bulbs or special containers for rinsing the nose are used. In general, rinsing with garlic is more effective than drops, since it allows you to wash out a large amount of mucus with microbes. However, due to the possibility of garlic juice getting into the maxillary sinuses, this method of treatment is more risky. Therefore, after the first rinse, you should carefully listen to your own feelings and continue to do the procedures only when there are no suspicious consequences. Be careful and treat correctly!

“My grandmother treated me with garlic for a runny nose since childhood, and there were never any consequences. But my husband’s nose immediately starts to hurt from this treatment, everything dries out and crusts appear. Recently, while on a camping trip, I had a runny nose, and there was nowhere to get garlic. I just had to endure it, and I found that the runny nose went away in about the same time. Then one time I didn’t treat it at home - with the same result. So, I think you don’t need to use garlic at all if your runny nose is not critical.”

Alevtina, Kazan

Let's take a closer look:

What recipes are used to prepare remedies with garlic for a runny nose and how effective are they?
Do garlic inhalations help with a runny nose?
What other folk remedies are used for a runny nose?

Video: Doctor's opinion on garlic and onions for a runny nose

Treatment methods

Garlic can be used to prepare nasal drops and a solution for rinsing the nasopharynx; it can be used for inhalation or simply breathing in the phytoncides of this product. The effectiveness of this remedy for the common cold is due to the fact that substances such as phytoncides have a bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulating effect on the body.

Inhalations

One of the simplest and safest ways to use garlic for a runny nose is inhalation. This therapeutic procedure can be carried out in several ways:

chop the garlic, place in a small enamel container and place in a water bath, breathe in the medicinal vapors for 10 minutes;
You can carry out inhalations without a steam bath; to do this, just pour boiling water over the garlic pulp and breathe in the steam for 5 minutes.

This procedure for a runny nose can be carried out every 3 hours without adding additional components, however, the recommended frequency of inhalations, especially for young children, should not exceed 2 times a day.

Drops

Among traditional medicine, there are also several methods for preparing garlic drops for a runny nose, with which you can eliminate the inflammatory process in the nasopharynx in a short time without harm to health. To prepare the medicine, you can use the following recipe:

grate the garlic;
put the crushed mass on cheesecloth and squeeze out the juice well;
drip juice several times a day.

You can make your own garlic drops. To do this, grate the garlic, squeeze out the juice using gauze and dilute it with water 1:1. Place one drop in each nostril 3 times a day. In cases where the nasopharyngeal mucosa is irritated, it is better to dilute the juice by half with water. When treating a runny nose with garlic in children, the juice must be diluted with water; also, to avoid burns to the mucous membrane, you can dilute the garlic juice with olive oil - take a spoonful of oil for 3 drops of juice. When mixing garlic with oil, its beneficial properties are not lost, but this medicine has a milder effect on the affected mucosa. You can also follow another method of preparing nasal drops based on garlic juice, however, if you are prone to allergic manifestations, it is strictly contraindicated. You need to chop a few cloves of garlic, pour them with a glass of hot water, when it cools down to 40 degrees, add a spoonful of honey. Mix thoroughly and drop 3 drops into the nasal passages 2 times a day.

Ointments

A runny nose can be treated by introducing garlic into the nose in thin strips or as an ointment. To prepare it, you need to prepare the following components in equal quantities:

garlic juice;
Vishnevsky ointment";
aloe leaf;
cyclamen root.

Remove all the pulp from the aloe leaf, chop the cyclamen root, mix all the ingredients thoroughly, and you can put this ointment in your nose immediately after preparing it. The medicine should only be stored in the refrigerator, but before use it must be allowed to warm up at room temperature. It is important to know that introducing garlic into the nose during a runny nose should be done especially carefully if you experience itching and burning in the nasopharynx.

Disease prevention

In addition to treating a runny nose with garlic, it is also considered an effective preventative. To do this, during an epidemic of colds, you need to finely chop the garlic, add water and place it in all rooms of the house. This method is often used in kindergartens, where children are especially susceptible to runny nose. As a preventive measure, you can put garlic in your ears overnight for a runny nose and take it out in the morning. In addition, it is useful to eat garlic every day, but it is better to combine it with other foods, since eaten separately, it takes a long time to digest. You can eat it by mixing it with lemon, carrots, honey and milk. If you have questions for your doctor, please ask them on the consultation page. To do this, click on the button: Ask a Question

Treating a runny nose with garlic has become widespread in alternative medicine. The main component is phytoncides, which exhibit a wide range of actions against gram-positive and gram-negative strains. To achieve positive dynamics of recovery, you should have information about what etiology of rhinitis the product will be useful for, and how to use it for therapeutic purposes.

The mechanism of development of the runny nose and its consequences

A runny nose is a protective reaction of the body to irritating exogenous and endogenous factors. Pathogens of an infectious or non-infectious nature enter the mucous membrane along with the inhaled air. They are localized at the intercellular level, thereby inhibiting the functioning of the mucociliary apparatus. The functions of the oscillatory cilia, which are responsible for removing foreign microparticles from the surface of the ciliated epithelium, are disrupted, as a result - damage to the integrity of the mucosa. Increasing the capacity of the inner shell creates favorable conditions for the proliferation of pathogenic agents. Inflammation of the respiratory tract manifests itself swelling of soft tissues, nasal congestion, abundant production of muconasal secretion. Most often, the development of rhinitis is associated with changes in the virulence of microorganisms and sharp temperature fluctuations. The healing properties of garlic were studied and first used at the end of the 19th century. The cause of violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane there may be an allergic reaction, atrophic changes, benign neoplasms, bacterial/mycotic/viral flora, disruption of neuro-reflex mechanisms.

For reference! In the chronic phase of the runny nose, there is a risk of damage to the projection of the middle ear and the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses.

Long-term course of pathology dangerous due to a disorder of oxygen metabolism, transport of nutrients to the brain, disorganization of the functions of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Prolonged inflammatory process can cause exacerbation of chronic diseases, increases the likelihood of developing allergic reactions.

The benefits and harms of garlic for a runny nose

The list of vulnerable microorganisms regarding phytoncides is presented by Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. The activity of the components has not been proven against pathogens of infectious and inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract. Therapeutic efficacy manifests itself due to antiviral action. Garlic has a detrimental effect on pathogenic microflora at the intercellular level, i.e. destroy viruses and bacteria the plant is unable to penetrate into the structure of soft tissues. Garlic nasal drops promote the formation of local immunity, prevent the development of cancer cells, and stimulate the growth of muscle mass. The use of a natural product without identifying the etiology of the runny nose or non-compliance with preparation recommendations is fraught with adverse consequences:

the occurrence of an inadequate reaction of the body to a certain antigen, anaphylactic shock;
irritation, sensation of itching and burning of the skin, epithelium of the nasal cavity;
exacerbation of the inflammatory process of the mucous membrane, increased production of muconasal secretions.

To avoid pathological changes, it is necessary to use garlic for its intended purpose - for the bacterial form of rhinitis in a diluted form. Indications for use are thick snot of yellow-green color with impurities of purulent exudate.

List of folk recipes on how to cure a runny nose with garlic

Alternative medicine displays a wide variety of methods for consuming garlic. Main requirement– the fruit must be juicy, it does not matter whether it is a young or sprouted product. Plant in combination with natural ingredients increases therapeutic effectiveness.

Garlic drops

Before administering medicinal fluid it is necessary to clean the nasal cavity from accumulated mucus, foreign particles using saline solution or moisturizing preparations. Treatment of a runny nose with garlic is effective for bacterial infections. Preparation of the nasal remedy proceeds in the following sequence:

Two peeled cloves Bring the garlic to a mushy state using a knife/grater/blender.
Pour the resulting mixture 1000 ml. boiled water, stand at least 5 hours.
Strain the finished product through cheesecloth or a sieve.

For adults It is recommended to instill one drop into each nostril. 2-3 drops three times a day, children – 1-2 drops with identical frequency, course up to 5 days. You need to start with 1 drop to prevent an allergic reaction. If no side effects appear during the day, increase the dose to the age norm.

For reference! The advantages of the drops are their local action and the ability to select the optimal concentration of the substance for each clinical case.

Enhance therapeutic properties Additional natural ingredients will help the product:

carrot juice. Combine a drink made from carrots and garlic in equal proportions, add a few drops of vegetable oil;
flower honey. ½ head add grated garlic 5 years(teaspoon) bee product, 15 drops each camphor oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice;
vegetable oil. Connect in a 1:1 ratio garlic gruel, fatty substance, propolis oil and camphor.

Garlic infusion

To relieve the symptoms of rhinitis at the first forms of manifestation, it will be effective healing decoction. To prepare the recipe you need Boil 4 cloves of garlic in a glass of milk for 5 minutes. To improve taste add 10 g butter. Take the suspension hot after waking up on an empty stomach.

Inhalations with garlic

The most controversial recovery method. The manipulation is based on spraying phytoncides with hot steam onto the respiratory tract. The point is that garlic is effective for a runny nose of bacterial etiology, in which exposure to heat is strictly contraindicated. The natural product has no effect on pathological processes of a different pathogen nature. If you need to breathe garlic, you can bring it to your nose 2 chopped heads for a quarter of an hour. This event increases the amount of secretion produced and improves the outflow of mucus.

Advice! The procedure requires special attention for a child. The head should be at a distance from the container with the contents 35-40 cm. so as not to injure the mucous membrane with hot air.

An alternative would be to inhale the steam of garlic infusion. Combine the finely chopped product with hot water. Carry out inhalations within 10-15 minutes. Garlic steam inhalation is not recommended for respiratory and heart failure.

Garlic based oil

Using similar methods we obtain a crushed mixture from 3 parts of the whole plant fruit. Using gauze, separate the pulp from the juice. Add to the medicinal liquid 15 ml. vegetable oil. To enhance the effect, you can use products with anti-inflammatory properties: sea buckthorn, peach, almond, flaxseed, olive oil. Place the prepared drops one by one into each nasal passage. three times a day. The procedure is carried out provided there is no serous discharge and the mucous membrane is dry.

Important! Garlic normalizes metabolic processes, removes cholesterol, promotes dilation of blood vessels, and is useful in old age for memory problems.

Garlic ointment

The recipe begins with extracting garlic juice from one clove of the plant. Grind on a grater aloe leaf, cyclamen rhizome with lobule size, squeeze the pulp through cheesecloth. For a thick mixture you only need juice. Combine liquid ingredients and add a teaspoon of Vishnevsky ointment. Treat the paranasal sinuses through every 4 hours. Store leftovers in a cool place and bring to room temperature before using. Methods of setting fire to dry husks, plant stems, and placing fruits indoors are called into question. Herbal products enhance the therapeutic properties of garlic

Conclusion

Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects, promotes the formation of local immunity. The natural product cannot be used externally in its unprocessed form, because there is a high risk of injury to the mucous membrane. To restore the functions of the respiratory tract during rhinitis, the best option would be to drop garlic into the nose or prepare an ointment.