Ewwww, echinacea anr/or vitamin C (immune system stimulants) sage (makes you sweat) and salt (gargle with it last thing you do at night before going to bed, the nasal and ear canals are connected to your throat and vice versa, NOTHING lives through a good salt water gargle. Best if you do it two to three times a day, but NOBODY I know (especially me) is willing to cut the coffee out in order to let the salt water work in the morning, and few are willing to give up the midday boost. Over the years, I’ve found that nighttime - you can get up and get a glass of water a few hours later - is the most efficacious time to gargle with salt water.
Old herbalist’s staple, salt water. Ask your family doctor. If he doesn’t know what salt water is good for, he’s not worth having as a family doctor.
That’s good stuff, and while I think of it, I’d like to put in a plug for humble hydrogen peroxide, add a 500 ml bottle to a 1/2 gallon humidifier, let it run overnight, hydrogen peroxide is one of the most potent antiseptics known to man and as you breathe in the combination moist air with Hyd-Pxe, it WILL kill germs.
Also, lay on your side, and have someone put a dropper of Hyd-Pxe into your ears, not only will it kill germs, but it will get rid of any ear wax in there too!
And I subscribe to the salt water regimen too.