Chamomile for colds and flu: teas, decoctions, infusions

Chamomile is one of the most popular folk medicinal herbs, decoctions and infusions of which have not only a pleasant aroma, but also a strong and at the same time soft healing effect, helping with many diseases. Chamomile is used for colds, gastrointestinal pathologies, for the treatment of women's diseases, as an antidote for snake bites, a soothing and antipruritic agent for insect bites, etc. The scope of application of this herb common in our region is so wide that chamomile is among the plants that are most often prepared for future use or purchased in pharmacies.

A beautiful and useful gift of nature

Mother Nature has generously gifted us with plants that not only please the eye, but also help in the fight against various diseases. There are quite a lot of such plants, however, not everyone knows about their beneficial properties and knows how to use plant materials for medicinal purposes.

If we talk about chamomile, it is one of the herbs whose beneficial properties are known to many, because references to this plant can be found in the treatises of ancient Greek scientists and doctors. Many centuries have passed, but the popularity of chamomile has not diminished, on the contrary, people have found more and more new ways to use it, discovered the benefits of the plant in the treatment of various diseases.

We are accustomed to calling a plant with delicate flowers with white oblong petals and a bright yellow core a chamomile. This flower spoils us with its aroma, which is a mixture of apple and honey notes. Most often it can be found in meadows and fields, along roads, at the edge of plantings. We are talking about medicinal chamomile (or it is also called pharmacy chamomile).

There are other varieties of chamomile that can be found in forests and front gardens, but they no longer have the properties that are characteristic of the field (scented) chamomile with small flowers and leaves reminiscent of dill greens. The essential oils of this wild annual plant have anti-inflammatory, soothing, antiseptic, mild diuretic, analgesic, anti-allergic effects, it is not for nothing that the plant is so often used in the treatment of young children.

It is believed that the maximum amount of useful substances is concentrated in chamomile flowers, but other parts of the plant also have healing properties. For example, not everyone knows about the powerful healing properties of chamomile root, which contains biologically active substances in an even higher concentration than in other parts of the herb. Powder from washed and dried chamomile root is considered not just an anti-inflammatory agent. It can stop bleeding, relieve painful spasms, and activate regenerative processes in body tissues.

Chamomile root is most often used to treat diseases of the genitourinary system and gall bladder, restore normal functioning of the nervous system, improve brain function, stimulate milk production in nursing mothers and treat mastitis, and increase sexual desire. Chamomile root powder is added to medicinal and cosmetic products to combat flaking and irritation of sensitive skin, as well as to treat boils, pimples, acne, and various skin lesions (including wounds with pus). Chamomile in the form of powder from the root of the plant can also be used for colds, but it is much easier to use infusions and decoctions from the above-ground parts of the plant, which in this case will be no less effective.

People who are accustomed to weaving beautiful wreaths from chamomile stems and flowers, and rinsing their hair, wiping their skin, inhaling and douching with liquid compositions based on this medicinal plant, i.e. using them for local application, may wonder if it is possible to drink chamomile for colds? If a person does not have an increased sensitivity to chamomile essential oils and the plant does not cause allergic reactions, drinking decoctions, infusions and teas from chamomile is not only possible, but also necessary, because for colds (and especially infectious ones) one cannot limit oneself to local treatment alone. And chamomile is considered not only an excellent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent, but also a natural medicine with a general tonic effect.

The question of whether chamomile helps with colds can be answered with a question: would chamomile-based recipes really be so popular if it were not beneficial? Would therapists and pediatricians, i.e. representatives of traditional medicine, really recommend gargling with chamomile decoction, inhaling infusion of its flowers, and drinking chamomile tea if they were not confident in the effectiveness of these recipes?

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Indications chamomile for colds

As we have already said, chamomile is considered one of the most frequently used medicinal plants, the healing properties of which are recognized even by classical medicine. It is not surprising that the raw materials of the plant, collected in ecologically clean areas, dried according to the generally recognized technology and ready for use, can be purchased at almost any pharmacy. Usually such herbal preparations are called "Chamomile flowers".

The instructions for the preparations of various manufacturers note that plant materials prepared in a certain way, described in the section "Method of administration and dosage", have multiple beneficial properties, so they can be used to treat chronic gastritis, ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach ulcer, stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, etc.), long-term enteritis and colitis. In gastrointestinal diseases, internal use of chamomile infusion is recommended, which will also help with increased gas formation and bloating, diarrhea, painful spasms in the intestines or intestinal colic.

The instructions do not say anything about the use of a preparation based on chamomile flowers for the treatment of gynecological diseases. But gynecologists, knowing the beneficial properties of the plant, quite often recommend their patients douching with an infusion or decoction of chamomile, since this procedure helps to destroy microbes in the vagina, remove them from the womb of the female body and helps to fight inflammatory processes on the mucous membrane.

But for colds, chamomile, both pharmaceutical preparations and self-prepared raw materials, have many ways of application:

• taking medicinal decoctions, infusions, teas internally (for various cold pathologies),
• gargling or rinsing the throat or nose in combination with compresses (for respiratory diseases: rhinitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, etc.)
• inhalation procedures (for nasal congestion, cough, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia).

It should be noted that the instructions for the drugstore product only note the local use of the herb in the form of gargling, which is effective for various infectious and inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs and oral cavity. But many years of folk experience in using chamomile to treat colds and flu shows that all of the above methods of treating such diseases are effective and accessible to all age groups of patients, because chamomile is a herb with a minimum of contraindications for use.

Internal use of chamomile helps to normalize the nervous system and brain, bile excretion, and improve potency. In the form of microclysters, chamomile decoction is used to treat hemorrhoids, spastic colitis, and constipation in children. Baths with chamomile decoction or infusion help in the treatment of skin diseases.

Based on the extract and essential oil of chamomile, a liquid preparation called “Romazulon” is produced in Romania, which can also be used for gargling (1.5 tablespoons of the preparation per liter of warm water) and for internal use (half a teaspoon of the medicine per glass of water) in case of a cold.

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Pharmacodynamics

The pharmacodynamics of chamomile flowers and grass in the descriptions of pharmaceutical preparations looks rather poor. The instructions usually note that the plant has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, and also has a moderate antimicrobial and good antispasmodic effect. And all this is due to the essential oils, coumarins, and flavonoids contained in the plant material.

The use of chamomile in the treatment of digestive system diseases is due to its ability to prevent fermentation processes in the intestines and increase the secretion of digestive glands. At the same time, the plant reduces the proteolytic activity of the gastric juice enzyme pepsin, which not only helps to digest protein foods, converting them into peptides, but also causes fermentation processes in the stomach.

For the treatment of colds, the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial activity of chamomile is more relevant. In addition, this plant has an antioxidant property, which is useful for a faster recovery.

Chamomile is used for both common colds caused by exposure to cold, and bacterial or viral infections. There is no mention of the antiviral effect of chamomile in the instructions. But its ability to fight free radicals, which have a detrimental effect on the body's cells and the immune system as a whole, is very useful when the body needs strength to fight an infection. For bacterial infections, the antimicrobial properties of chamomile in combination with antioxidants that help maintain immunity will be useful. And for viral diseases, the coordinated work of the immune system is the main condition for effective treatment.

What else is not mentioned in the instructions for the herbal preparation? For example, that in case of catarrhal tonsillitis, gargling with an infusion or decoction of chamomile flowers helps prevent the spread of infection that has entered the oral cavity, and in case of purulent tonsillitis, it not only helps to deactivate pathogens, but also to wash out the “plugs” that have formed on the tonsils. Drinking chamomile tea along with gargling and compresses on the neck relieves sore throats that prevent patients from eating normally (the pain intensifies when swallowing).

Washing the nose with a decoction or infusion of chamomile for a runny nose that accompanies a cold, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis and some other pathologies will help relieve swelling of the tissues of the nasal passages and make breathing easier. If an infection is lurking in the "wilds" of the nose, chamomile will not allow it to actively multiply and "show the way out."

In case of acute respiratory viral infections and flu, chamomile tea will have a calming and anti-inflammatory effect and will help strengthen the body's defenses needed to fight viruses. Warm tea also has a diaphoretic effect, which is necessary to normalize body temperature and relieve swelling of the tissues of the ENT organs.

With colds and flu, patients often complain of headaches and joint pain. Medicinal compositions based on chamomile will help in this case too, thanks to the plant's pain-relieving properties. It is clear that the flower itself is not an analgesic and cannot cope with severe migraine-like pain, but still, many patients who have experienced such an unpleasant event as a cold note an improvement in their general condition after taking chamomile compositions internally or applying compresses to the head and joints.

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Pharmacokinetics

The pharmacokinetics of chamomile and its compounds have not been studied by scientists. The fact is that herbal remedies with chamomile do not have a negative effect on human internal organs, do not require dose adjustments for patients with liver and kidney diseases, and do not cause dangerous side effects in case of overdose.

Chamomile has no toxic or teratogenic effects. It can be used both for medicinal and preventive purposes. For example, in a situation when you come home all wet and cold, and warm chamomile tea combined with honey and a warm blanket help prevent a cold no worse than a hot bath, which is not allowed for everyone.

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Dosing and administration

Chamomile tea, which is so often mentioned in American films, is not actually a medicine. After all, in order for a medicine to have the desired effect, it is necessary that certain proportions of components be observed, which will determine its dosage. Weak chamomile tea will have a mild sedative effect and will be a good preventive measure in case of the risk of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, flatulence, during the period of rampant respiratory infections.

Such teas, or rather dry herbal extracts for their preparation, can be purchased in regular grocery stores. They are usually available in dosed filter bags. And each bag is recommended to be brewed in a glass of boiling water for 15 minutes. In fact, this is an infusion made from dry grass and water.

But chamomile tea for colds can be prepared independently from a pharmacy collection or pre-prepared plant materials. Let's consider 2 ways to prepare tea that is not only useful for the nervous system, but also healing for colds, with diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and general tonic effects:

• Tea without boiling. To prepare it, take 2 heaped tablespoons of dried flowers (about 10-20 g) and pour a glass of boiling water over them. Infuse the mixture covered for half an hour. The finished infusion should be filtered and diluted with warm boiled water in a ratio of 2:1. It should be taken at least 3 times a day, with the daily dose being approximately 600-900 ml.

Drink warm tea before meals 15-20 minutes before meals. The last dose is best taken before bedtime, which will help the patient get a good night's rest.

The herbal drink has a pleasant enough taste, so it does not need to be flavored with sugar. But if desired, you can add honey and a slice of lemon, which will only enhance the healing properties of chamomile tea for colds.

• Tea based on decoction. To prepare chamomile tea according to this recipe, you need to take the plant material and warm water in a ratio of 1:10. Keep the composition in a water bath with the lid closed for a quarter of an hour, and then leave it to brew for another hour. Before use, filter the decoction and dilute with water to obtain the original volume of liquid.

This tea will be stronger than the previous one, so its daily dosage will be less - 300 ml. It will need to be divided into 3 doses and drunk as described above.

Concentrated chamomile infusion for colds can be used for internal use and gargling. It is prepared according to the same recipe as chamomile tea from 1 tbsp. of dry flowers and chamomile herb and a glass of boiling water, but is no longer diluted with water after infusion. This infusion should be taken internally in a daily dosage of 200-250 ml, dividing the contents of the glass into 3 parts. This infusion is especially good at the very beginning and in the midst of the disease.

At the first symptoms of a cold, you can also recommend this recipe. Prepare an infusion of 1 teaspoon of dry grass and ½ cup of boiling water. When it cools, strain and add half a glass of "Cahors" (or any good red wine). Season the drink with 100 g of raspberry jam (half a glass) and drink it at night to wake up practically healthy in the morning.

You can gargle with chamomile infusion for any type of sore throat, pharyngitis, laryngitis, acute respiratory viral infection, flu, i.e. in cases where there is redness and swelling of the mucous membrane, and there is a sore throat and pain when swallowing. Gargling with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory chamomile infusion should be done several times a day at intervals of 2-3 hours. Only then will the pain and discomfort in the throat go away within the first two days.

The infusion for gargling can be either single-component or combined. So, for a glass of boiling water, you can take 1 heaping tablespoon of chamomile and 1-2 teaspoons of linden flowers or sage. After the infusion has steeped and becomes warm, it is filtered and used as directed.

To gargle and wash your nose with a runny nose, you can use a chamomile infusion of 1 tbsp. of dry raw material and 150 ml of boiling water, which should be infused closed for an hour. You can also treat a runny nose in another way: first rinse the nasal passages with a saline solution (1 spoon per liter of water), and then drip 4-5 drops of chamomile infusion into each nostril.

To treat a sore throat, add boric acid powder (literally a few grains lingering on the tip of a knife) to the barely warm infusion. Gargle with this mixture 3 times a day.

Chamomile decoction for colds is usually used for gargling and inhalation, although it is also quite suitable for internal use. For sore throats, you can moisten a soft cloth with the decoction and apply it to the throat area as a compress, covering it with film on top and wrapping it in a warm scarf. And for a runny nose, you can make applications from a warm decoction to the bridge of the nose.

To rinse the nose when you have a cold, chamomile can be one of the components of a multi-component collection, which will also include sage, succession, calamus (roots), calendula (flowers), St. John's wort, eucalyptus. All plants should be taken in equal quantities. Take 2 teaspoons of the herbal collection per glass of water and boil for no more than 5 minutes. It is recommended to rinse the nasal passages with the strained composition 3 times a day.

It is recommended to prepare a decoction for inhalation from 1-2 tablespoons of the herb and 500 ml of water. Boil the mixture for 5-10 minutes, then cool to the desired temperature and strain. Several times filtered chamomile decoction can be used in inhalers or used as a source of healing steam from a saucepan (in this case, it is not even necessary to filter). In case of nasal congestion and runny nose, you need to breathe through your nose, and when coughing, inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose.

For colds, the inhalation composition is especially popular: chamomile with honey and soda. First, prepare a chamomile decoction according to the recipe described above, and when it cools down a little, add 1 tbsp. of soda and honey. Such inhalations over steam should be carried out for colds twice a day, covering the head with a thick cloth. BUT the body temperature should not be higher than 37 degrees.

For inhalations, adults and children over 3 years old can use chamomile essential oil. 5-10 drops of oil per glass of hot water will be enough. You need to breathe in the vapors for 10-15 minutes. For children, 3-10 minutes is enough.

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Use chamomile for colds during pregnancy

Chamomile during pregnancy also has dubious benefits for colds, because gynecologists do not recommend that expectant mothers take this seemingly safe plant internally due to the risk of miscarriage. The fact is that the plant, despite its antispasmodic properties, can provoke an increase in the tone of the uterus, which poses a threat of miscarriage or premature birth. And the reason is that chamomile belongs to the category of plants containing phytoestrogens, identical in action to female sex hormones. And a high level of estrogen, in turn, can cause an increased tone of the uterus.

It should be said that women in the first trimester of pregnancy should be especially careful when choosing herbal and other medications. Before you start treating a cold with chamomile, you should consult a doctor about the safety of such treatment. If the pregnancy is proceeding normally and there is no threat of miscarriage, the doctor is unlikely to forbid a woman from drinking healthy chamomile tea. The only thing a gynecologist can advise is to make the drink weak, reducing the usual dosage of the herb by 1.5-2 times, and limit yourself to 1 glass of chamomile tea per day when you have a cold.

It is not recommended for expectant mothers to drink chamomile-based compositions without special need, and if any suspicious symptoms appear while using them (for example, nagging pain and a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen, the appearance of bloody discharge similar to menstrual), it is imperative to consult a doctor. However, gargling and rinsing the nose with chamomile decoction, as well as warm compresses on the neck and chest area will not harm even those mothers who are at risk of miscarriage, because external use of chamomile, in which the absorption of the medicinal components of the herb into the blood is small, is not capable of provoking an increase in uterine tone.

After the birth of a child, every caring mother wants her child to be healthy, so she tries to breastfeed him, because in this way she forms a strong immunity in the baby. But when breastfeeding, a woman has to limit herself in nutrition, because some products and herbs can cause allergic reactions in a child with an unformed immune system.

Chamomile is one of those plants that rarely cause allergic reactions. In addition, this plant can be found in herbal teas for nursing mothers, because its ability to increase lactation was known to our distant ancestors, who actively used this feature of chamomile. Chamomile flower infusion or chamomile tea helps a woman fight postpartum depression.

Chamomile during breastfeeding can be prescribed not only for colds. Its intake will also be useful for increased excitability of the nervous system, leading to sleep disorders and preventing a woman burdened with caring for the baby from getting a full rest, for skin diseases, for chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, usually aggravated during pregnancy and lactation, for inflammation of the genitourinary system, which is not uncommon during this period.

True, you shouldn't abuse chamomile in this case either. If you regularly take strong infusions, there is a possibility of the reverse process, i.e. a decrease in lactation. And for the nursing mother herself, such a drink can cause a deterioration in her condition, because in this case we can already talk about an overdose, which, although not dangerous, can significantly affect her well-being.

Contraindications

Herbal treatment is considered a safer way to fight a cold than taking synthetic drugs. And even if you can’t completely give them up (for example, with purulent tonsillitis, which requires antibiotics), you can significantly reduce the number of drugs used.

However, it is necessary to take into account the fact that herbs containing essential oils and some other components that can irritate the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract are known allergens, which means that they must be used with caution. Thus, in the instructions for chamomile flower collections, increased sensitivity of the body to chamomile and some other aromatic medicinal plants (wormwood, yarrow, tansy, arnica) is noted as a contraindication for use.

Chamomile for colds, according to doctors and patients, is considered an effective medicine. But still, it is not recommended for people with hormonal imbalances, if a person has elevated estrogen levels.

Internal intake of pure strong infusions, decoctions and teas with chamomile is also undesirable for patients diagnosed with anacid gastritis (chamomile can be included in herbal teas in small quantities as an anti-inflammatory agent). We are talking about inflammation of the gastric mucosa against the background of stagnant processes caused by reduced production of hydrochloric acid (reduced acidity of gastric juice). The reason is the ability of chamomile to influence the acidity of the stomach, reducing it, which will only worsen the condition of patients. But with gastritis with high acidity, such treatment will bring double benefit: it will help with colds, and will calm the pain in the abdomen caused by the irritating effect of hydrochloric acid on the stomach.

People with mental disorders who take sedatives can take chamomile preparations only with the permission of a doctor, because it can enhance the effect of sedatives, which is not always desirable.

Women should also be careful during menstruation. Drinking chamomile tea and douching with a decoction of the plant's flowers the day before menstruation will help reduce painful cramps. But overuse of internally administered compounds during menstruation can make menstrual bleeding more profuse. This does not pose a danger to women with scanty menstrual flow, but can lead to the development of iron deficiency anemia in those who already suffer from prolonged, heavy bleeding.

If a person takes homeopathic medicines, it is necessary to take into account that chamomile can reduce the effectiveness of some of them. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a homeopathic doctor about such interactions.

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Side effects chamomile for colds

Watch American movies and you are amazed at how much the locals have a craving for chamomile tea. They drink it themselves and treat their neighbors or guests to the drink. And this is considered normal. It seems that chamomile tea, along with freshly squeezed juices, is one of the main drinks on the American table. But perhaps this is the reason why they are much calmer in various stressful situations than our compatriots, who are accustomed to using chamomile only to treat illnesses.

But is it possible to drink chamomile tea all the time and is it not dangerous for the body? It must be said that everything should be done in moderation, even if it comes to a seemingly safe herb. Weak tea from the flowers of this aromatic medicinal plant, if consumed no more than 2 glasses a day, is unlikely to harm a healthy body. But chamomile, although infrequently, can cause allergic reactions, and in this case it is not advisable to use it for a cold or in any other situation.

Chamomile compositions for oral administration are considered relatively safe drinks with healing properties, if you keep the dosage of the herb in them low. You should also not drink chamomile tea daily in large quantities, especially for people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, patients with gastritis after drinking 200 ml of tea every day for a month may complain of nausea and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, regardless of food intake.

People with hypotension or fluctuating blood pressure may experience a drop in blood pressure, shortness of breath, and palpitations when drinking strong tea. Weak infusions and decoctions of the herb do not affect blood pressure.

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Overdose

Even healthy people can suffer from overdose. With long-term use of chamomile drinks with a high concentration of the herb, some patients noted the appearance of headaches and dizziness, increased irritability, weakness and fatigue. Nausea and loss of appetite may also occur.

To prevent any of this from happening, when you have a cold, you need to drink chamomile until the symptoms of the disease subside, and then limit yourself to 1-2 glasses of weak chamomile tea per day, which will prevent colds and stabilize the normal state of the nervous system.

Interactions with other drugs

Usually, when it comes to herbs, which are generally considered safe medicines, few people think about whether a particular plant can be used as part of a complex therapy simultaneously with other herbs and medicines. Even in the instructions for herbal preparations, you can find very little information about their medicinal interaction with other drugs.

So, when buying chamomile for medicinal purposes for colds in pharmacies, we may not find such information on the packaging at all or will only find one warning about the drug "Warfarin". This is an anticoagulant synthesized from coumarin. But chamomile also contains coumarins, which means that it is quite possible that the effect of the anticoagulant will be enhanced if it is taken simultaneously with oral chamomile formulations. What could this threaten? Increased risk of bleeding.

But almost all indirect anticoagulants are based on coumarin and are its derivatives. This means that caution should be exercised when treating with chamomile by those who regularly take Sinkumar, Marevan and other drugs from this category.

Theoretically, chamomile can enhance the anticoagulant properties of other drugs that have this effect: indirect coagulants (Phenylin, Phenidion), heparins, Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), Cardiomagnyl, Cybernin, direct-acting antithrombotic agents. If the patient takes such drugs, then the possibility of treating a cold with chamomile, which additionally thins the blood, should be discussed with the attending physician.

Chamomile is considered an inhibitor of the CYP1A2 isoenzyme, produced in the liver and involved in the metabolism of tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, clomipramine, imipramine, etc.), neuroleptics (clozapine), bronchodilators (theophylline), muscle relaxants (tizanidine), drugs for the treatment of arterial hypertension (propranolol) and dementia (tacrine). Metabolic disorders of the above-described drugs can lead to an increase in the concentration of their active substance in the blood and an increase in the toxic effect of drugs on the body. Taking drugs metabolized in the liver via CYP1A2 simultaneously with chamomile can be expected to increase the risk of developing side effects and enhance their severity.

These are all theoretical considerations, but it is still not worth rejecting the possibility of such interactions. This means that before you start taking chamomile preparations or brewed herbs internally, you need to consult with your doctor about how safe it will be given the medications the patient is taking.

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Reviews

Chamomile for colds is a method of fighting the disease that has been tested for effectiveness many dozens and hundreds of times. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers treated colds with chamomile, because before there were no effective medicines for flu, sore throat, acute respiratory viral infections and other colds. Today there are already a lot of medicines, however, treatment with chamomile has not lost its relevance.

There is nothing surprising here. After all, chamomile today helps to cope with the main symptoms of a cold no worse than in the past. Many adults, in the absence of financial opportunities, are saved only by it, because even pharmaceutical preparations containing dry flowers of the plant are distinguished by a low price compared to other drugs prescribed in this situation.

Another advantage that many consider is the ability to prepare plant materials themselves. Chamomile is an unpretentious plant, so it can be found even within the city. However, it is not worth collecting flowers for medicinal purposes here, since along with the healing properties, they also acquire harmful ones, accumulating salts of heavy metals, toxic substances and other poisons. The preparation of plant materials should be carried out away from highways and large settlements with developed industry.

It is best to do this in the morning of a dry June day (without dew), when the plants are actively blooming and gaining maximum nutrients. You can collect only the flowers or cut the entire plant (do not pull it out!), subsequently separating the flowers from the grass.

It is recommended to dry flowers in the shade (in the sun it will lose some of its useful properties) with good ventilation and without access to moisture. Usually within a week the raw material is ready for storage. If you use a flower dryer, you need to make sure that the temperature in it does not rise above 35-40 degrees.

It is important not only to prepare the plant material correctly, but also to observe the storage conditions. Properly dried flowers and grass are best stored in cloth bags or paper bags. If you store chamomile in a dry, ventilated room at low temperatures, the shelf life of such raw materials will be 2 years. Although it is believed that raw materials that have been stored for no more than a year will be more effective.

For those who do not want to bother themselves with the preparation of raw materials or do not have such an opportunity, there are special herbal preparations on the pharmacy shelves in the form of a collection of herbs and "Chamomile tea" from various manufacturers. Usually, the raw materials for such collections and teas are collected in ecologically clean areas, and they meet all the standards of procurement, processing and storage. Very convenient are the forms of preparations, where the plant raw materials are dosed in filter bags, which just need to be poured with boiling water and infused.

But where the chamomile raw material was taken from is not the point, it is important that it helps with colds. According to reviews of those who have tried chamomile treatment on themselves, both internal intake of decoctions and infusions, and gargling, and inhalations with herbal compositions help to significantly reduce the manifestations of colds. Taking chamomile compositions before bed and rinsing the nose make it possible to have a full night's rest, so necessary for a successful fight against the disease.

Inhalations with chamomile decoction or essential oil help to ease breathing and promote deeper penetration of the beneficial substances in the plant into the respiratory tract.

Young mothers consider chamomile to be the savior of their little children. After all, herbal treatment for mild forms of colds allows you to even refuse the use of synthetic drugs with all their dangerous side effects. In serious bacterial diseases, chamomile helps to stop the spread of infection and reduce the unpleasant symptoms of the disease. In this case, it is difficult to do without antibiotics, mucolytics, expectorants and some other drugs, but the use of chamomile as part of complex therapy for infection allows you to speed up recovery and avoid dangerous complications.

Chamomile will reduce the number of prescribed medications, which means that the negative impact on the body will also be less, which is especially important when it comes to the health of our children.

Chamomile can be called a multifunctional medicinal plant, because it is useful for various diseases. Chamomile helps fight inflammation and bacteria in the throat and respiratory tract for colds, saves from exacerbations and flatulence for gastrointestinal diseases, relieves painful spasms in colic in babies, which cause a lot of trouble for infants. For gynecological problems, chamomile decoctions and infusions help reduce the inflammatory process in the vagina, ovaries and uterus, help remove pathogenic bacteria from the woman's body (during douching). And these are not all the uses of this valuable medicinal plant. It turns out that chamomile is a universal medicine for adults and children, which is desirable to have in every home medicine cabinet.

How to drink chamomile for children with colds and flu?