It’s that time of the year when we all start yearning to be free of winter. We’re so desperate for spring, we might just start hugging random flowers and asking the sun if it needs anything.

This transition between seasons seems to have a profound impact on us, especially as we are still in the chill of winter, when we really want to slip into our jandals, stroll along sandy beaches without the burden of a beanie or puffer jacket, and enjoy extended evenings with friends and family after work.

Each year, at change of seasons, it seems more people become sick and, in a tight-knit community such as Waiheke, preventative measures at the first sign of illness can usually ward off longer term problems. Coughs, colds and chest complaints can bog us down and stop us from enjoying this time of the year.

Coughing is a rapid and instinctive reflex triggered by sensors located along the respiratory passages. Its primary purpose is to expel irritants, excess mucous, foreign particles, and potentially harmful microbes, such as bacteria.

While some coughs can be voluntary, others are entirely involuntary, leaving us with no control. This involuntary type of coughing is governed by the brain’s cough reflex centre, situated in the medulla, and, unfortunately, it is entirely beyond our control.

There are many different types of coughs caused by different irritations, organisms and allergies and both pharmaceutical and herbal medication work in different ways to relieve the dry, the tickly, the wet and the recurring versions. 

Sundew is a herb used to relieve dry coughs and is a member of the largest family of carnivorous plants. The Drosera family lure, capture and digest insects using stalked wet glands which cover its leaf surface. These insects supplement the plant, which grows in nutritionally poor soil.

Sundews were used as medicinal herbs as early as the 12th century, when sundew tea was recommended for dry coughs, bronchitis and whooping cough. Today, sundew is taken as a tincture, usually in combination with other expectorant herbs helping to dispel mucous and relieve coughs.

In just the same way a sauna can help soothe and relax your body, steam inhalations are a time-honoured remedy for colds, coughs and congestion. When steam and herbs are combined, they form a potent combination to help clear the airways and make breathing easier.

The aromatic health-giving properties of woody herbs such as rosemary, sage and lavender are easily breathed in through the nose and funneled into the sinuses and lungs to help open airways and make breathing easier.

It’s easy to make a steam bath for the lungs. Just bring the kettle to the boil, fill a large ceramic bowl and throw in a handful or rosemary, sage or lavender and leave it to cool on a stable surface for 15 minutes.

Place a tea towel over your head and bend over the bowl (make sure your face is at least 30cms away from the water) and place to towel around the edge of the bowl to keep the steam in. Take five deep breathes in through your nose and lift your face away from the bowl.

So, how can we keep our family healthy during spring when viruses are passed so quickly in a small community such as Waiheke? 

You may have heard that the herb echinacea helps boost the body’s immune system, but did you know that of its nine varieties, only the strain Echinacea angustifolia is in fact anti-viral?  It contains alkylamides, compounds which break down the cell wall of a virus as well as stimulating the production of white blood cells. These are found in high concentrations in the root of the plant.

Echinacea is a member of the daisy family which grows easily in the garden and has an attractive cone-shaped flower pollinated by butterflies and bees. If you would like to plant your own herbal pharmacy, it is best to look for Echinacea purpurea because both the purple cone-flower and leaves can be used medicinally instead of just the root.

When taking echinacea as a herbal tincture, the characteristic slight tingling of the mouth and tongue indicates correct levels of alkylamides and the tingling usually clears within a few minutes of taking the tincture. 

Whether you consider these plants to be weeds or herbs, they are extremely effective at relieving and soothing coughs, colds and congestion, allowing a good night’s sleep. But remember, coughing is a symptom, not a disease. Consult your GP for a diagnosis to find out if there is an underlying cause of your cough. The diagnosis will enable you to find the right remedy.