This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.
Whenever anybody got sick, my mom would immediately suggest one of her traditional home remedies. She has a few go-to’s, but she might start trying things online if they don’t work. Though I’m pretty sure recovery was based on our immune systems, I won’t say that I never believed in these little cures. So, for basic sicknesses, here’s what my mother would do:
- Catch a Cold?
- Drink ginger tea. This basically consists of boiling cut ginger root in water, then pour the ginger-water mixture out and add some sugar. DO NOT let it cool completely; the idea is to drink it while hot (my mom was adamant about this part). Though not the greatest tasting drink, I have to say that I fully believed in whatever properties it was rumored to have.
- Have a Cough?
- Drink pear water. This consists of cutting some pears (overripe or underripe will work, I think) and boiling them in water. Now with this one, you don’t have to drink it while it’s hot, but drinking it while it’s warm tastes better, in my opinion. You can drink it while it’s cold too. The pears are also edible, and you should eat them (no wasting here). It’s honestly a very flexible drink.
- Have a Stomachache?
- Drink warm water. Yeah, we like warm drinks. And yes, I kind of believe in this one too.
- Bonus: Need to Cleanse the House?
- Boil vinegar. I know it’s weird, but I’m pretty sure my mom has done this before. I’m not sure if it really does anything. I guess the thought is that its germ-destroying properties as a typical household cleaner will translate into the air.
Now for anything major that persists over many weeks, we would see the doctor. But generally, my mom stuck to these home remedies before anything else. Of course, if it’s a severe illness, please see a doctor, but otherwise, these may help relieve the sickness a tiny bit. Part of the cure is believing in it.