Once again, it’s wintertime, and cold weather is here to stay, with snow, windy evenings and dreaded winter coughs. If your cough (or your loved one’s) is keeping you awake at night, try the all-powerful ginger wrap to keep the sleepless nights at bay. While doctors do prescribe the cough syrup for your sickness, be warned of the side effects. Headaches, sleeplessness, and allergic reactions can result.
All-natural remedies like ginger wraps are just what you need in a situation like this one. Ginger’s claim to fame is that it is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Ginger wraps combine with a plethora of nutrients such as vitamin C and magnesium. It, therefore, serves as a beautiful ingredient for loosening phlegm. It also treats inflammation associated with lung conditions.
Benefits of Ginger Wrap for Cough
Ginger(1) is a powerful herb that aids in preventing indigestion. It also eliminates nausea and wards off cold and flu. It even helps with osteoarthritis. Ginger brings down the blood sugar and risk of heart disease, besides treating digestive issues and GI conditions.
It also reduces menstrual pain, improves cholesterol levels, and brain function. But most of all, it is a 100% natural cure for cold, cough and mucus. One of the most common ways this herb is used to ward off associated symptoms of winter cold is a ginger wrap.
[Also Read: Natural Treatments for Cough]
What is a Ginger Wrap?
Ginger wraps are plasters or bandages, placing the ginger paste on the skin. From the skin itself, the ginger gets through the pores. It then helps to ward off numerous ailments. Ginger is a potent anti-inflammatory substance that acts against chronic illnesses besides the winter cold. The value of ginger for promoting good health is well-established.
Through nourishment of the immune system and anti-inflammatory responses, ginger reduces muscle pain post intense activity. It also staves off cough and mucus, through ingredients such as paradols, shogaol, and gingerols. These valuable nutrients can ward off cardiovascular diseases, lifestyle ailments like diabetes, and even dangerous conditions such as cancer.
[Also Read: Ginger for Cough Treatment]
Preparation: How to Make the Ginger Wrap
Take half a cup of ginger that is fresh, and grate or puree this herb. Then drain the ginger in a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Spread a square towel about 9-12 inches in length and lay the sheet with the paste on the chest as you lie down. Cover this with another warm and damp cloth.
Leave this on for 15-20 minutes. Then, rinse it off with a shower or a warm cloth. Repeat this procedure if needed. For those experiencing discomfort from the ginger wrap, another towel can be placed on the skin beneath the paste applied sheet. Vapors need to penetrate the skin for benefiting the body by loosening phlegm and curing the cough(2).
Directions for Sensitive Skin
If your skin is experiencing irritation or redness, the paste can also be applied to the surface, where it is least sensitive such as the feet. Wash the feet and apply the paste to the towel. Wrap it for 20 minutes around your feet, and then rinse.
The ginger travels through the soles of the feet, providing relief without application to the chest. Experts also recommend using oatmeal paste and applying this to the skin after the ginger application. That way, if ginger is too strong for the skin, oats can be soothing and help in calming the skin.
In this way, chest congestion does not always require prescription medicines. If there is severe congestion, high fever, or other serious symptoms, consult your doctor at once.
[Also Read: Herbal Remedies for Cough]
How to Apply
To obtain the best benefit from the wrap, use natural ingredients. You can even add raw honey or other parts to the ginger wrap. You’ll need one tablespoon of fresh ginger or powdered ginger, raw honey, olive oil, flour, adhesive tape, napkins, and gauze.
After mixing the honey and flour to get a smooth consistency, add olive oil and ginger before mixing it. Spread the mixture on a cloth napkin and wrap it in gauze. Fix the towel on the back or chest using adhesive tape. When using this remedy for kids, make sure they use the ginger wrap at least 3 hours before sleeping.
Adults can leave this wrap around throughout the night. The cover works amazingly well and has no side-effects. But children tend to have sensitive skin, so it is essential to use this remedy with care for them.
The ginger wrap works within 4 hours, without any side effects. Cough syrup has side effects, as well as long-term complications. Side effects range across insomnia, sleeplessness, dizziness, drowsiness, blurring of the vision, vomiting, nausea, trouble sleeping, or headaches.
It is further supplemented by ingredients like codeine and dextromethorphan, which can cause harmful health conditions if taken regularly. These ingredients cause severe health complications in high dosages.
[Also Read: How to Treat Bloating Using Ginger]
Taking high doses of dextromethorphan, for example, leads to cognitive and memory dysfunctions. Cold medicines like cough syrup are even more dangerous when mixed with other medications. Codeine is even an opioid that can trigger habit-forming usage patterns. Drugs can cause a lot of side effects, including dry mouth, allergic rashes, and other side effects.
So, try ginger wraps for the best outcomes, if you or your kids or loved ones are facing winter troubles like chest infections, mucus, and coughing. Don’t remain a victim to the vagaries of cold weather. Take active steps to ward off the perils of freezing temperatures and heavy snow by turning to ginger wraps.
The best part? These quick-acting wraps are easy to make at home and simple to use. They are cost-effective and 100% natural. Ginger has worked for a long time to combat cold and fever. Now, thanks to ginger wrap, it just got more comfortable to do that.
