Has coughing all night long made you restless? Have you been difficulty in swallowing? Well, we can understand the pain and trauma you must be going through. A cough is a reflex and it happens when the throat tries to clear the irritants, microbes. mucus, fluids and foreign elements that might be obstructing the breathing pathway. As awful it sounds, the more bothering it is when being in dealt in day to day life.
A cough can hinder your daily routine and the over the counter medications can cause drowsiness. All of this can be avoided, if we treat the root cause of the cough at the very first go. Most medicines that are prescribed and given to control the symptoms, we have thus listed home remedies that deal with the root cause of cough, hence curing it gradually, without any major side effects.
Have a look at the hacks here and try the remedy that suits you the best!
How To Stop Coughing Naturally At Home:
- Honey
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Licorice Root Tea
- Salt Water
- Steam
- Pepper
- Ginger Peppermint
- Tea Thyme
- Probiotics
- Bromelain
- Marshmallow
- Lemon
- Onion
- Chicken Soup
- Cayenne
- Carrot Juice
- Grapes
- Almonds
1. Honey:
Honey especially when raw, can be a powerful antioxidant the body needs. It is also an anti-viral agent, along with being an anti-fungal and an anti-bacterial agent. You may add spices such as pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, or mix it with turmeric milk as well. How to do the mixing right?
What all you need:
- Honey
- Turmeric
- Milk
How To Do :
- A pinch of turmeric should be added with a tablespoon of honey to a glass of warm milk and consumed before sleep at night.
[Also Read: Benefits Of Honey]
2. Turmeric:
Not just turmeric but turmeric mixed with milk can help clear the throat and helps in reducing the congestion when drunk warm.The immune system gets stronger by the hour, thanks to turmeric.
Recipe 1:
What all you need:
- Turmeric
- Milk
How To Do :
- Boil the milk you wish to have and add to it a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- To make it tastier, you may add a dash of honey to it as well.
If you are lactose intolerant, you could try this :
Recipe 2:
What all you need:
- Turmeric
- Ginger
How To Do :
- Dab ginger pieces in honey
- Coat them with a dash of turmeric and chew away all day.
In doing so, the inflammation goes down and the throat swelling would vanish as well.
- Ginger
- Honey/Water
How To Do :
- Stir and brew for a minute or two and then strain.
- Take raw ginger and coat it with a little honey. Eat it.
- Or you could boil a cup of water to which ginger pieces and your favourite tea’s leaves are added.
- Have it warm and sip thrice a day.
4. Licorice Root Tea:
Licorice root is best had as a tea, works magically to cure coughs and colds at home. What it does is that it works its way into the mucus and thins it, which means you would not have to suffer from congestion due to coughs. It also eases out the irritation and inflammation associated with coughs, thanks to the main constituent- glycyrrhizin in it.
[Also Read: Himalayan Salt Lamp Eases Coughing ]
What all you need:
- Licorice Tea
- Honey (optional)
How To Do :
- Dry licorice roots are to be brewed in hot water.
- Add a dash of honey for more sweetness.
- Have it in sips thrice a day.
5. Gargle Salt Water:
Salt water helps bring down the discomforts associated with coughs, thanks to the osmosis effect it has. The cells at the moment have a high concentration of salt in the mucous lining, but when salt from outside through gargling has more, the water from the mucus is let out of the cells. This brings down the swelling and naturally, the discomfort levels too come down.
What all you need:
- Salt
How To Do :
- In a glass of warm water, mix a teaspoon of salt and gargle thrice a day whilst the water is still warm.
Inflammation always happens when you have a cough, but gargling salt water twice or thrice a day can bring in the relief you need as well.
6. Steam:
With a dash of your essential oil poured into a large bowl of hot water, steaming can help reduce congestion (2) and heal the throat from painful coughs. You could use oils such as tea tree or eucalyptus oils in steam, as they would soothe the tract and airways.
How To Do :
- Give gaps of a minute in between two inhaling sessions, and then repeat as much as you want.
- Now you see the vapor rising; lean over the large bowl and cover your head with a towel.
- Once you have added the oils to the boiling water, remove from the flame and let it sit for a minute.
- Inhale deeply as much as you can, and keep your eyes closed.
- Don’t do this more than ten minutes, and twice a day, though.
7. Pepper & Honey:
Coughs can lead to chest congestion and mucus development, which can be very annoying. This is why we would use black pepper powder and honey to heal the body. Honey and pepper have antibacterial and antiviral properties, along with the former being a natural moisturizer too.
What all you need:
- Pepper
- Honey
- Tea
How to do:
- Add two tablespoons of honey and a teaspoon of pepper powder at home by mixing the two up.
- If you don’t like it that way, you could add this mixture to a tea sans milk and have it.
8. Ginger Peppermint:
One of the most powerful agents to defeat coughs would be ginger, and spicy ginger works best as an expectorant in such cases. Peppermint will soothe the track and remove the irritating tickle that is associated with dry coughs too.
Recipes :
- Chop a piece of ginger and add to it a dash of peppermint leaves.
- Throw the two into a boiling cup of water and form a brew.
- Simmer and then strain the liquid and add a dash of honey.
- Sip away through the day and find the relief you want.
9. Tea Thyme:
Thyme has been used to ensure no diseases plague the body. This is because of the antibacterial and anti microbial properties in it. Thyme can help with removing the cough and also in opening the airways too. This means you would cough less and have more comfort too.
What all you need:
- Tea Thyme
How To Do :
- Grab a few thyme leaves and bruise them with a fork.
- Place them in a bowl of cold water and add a dash of honey to it.
- Bring the same to a boil and stir for three minutes.
- Strain and remove the liquid, and sip away the concoction thrice a day.
10. Probiotics:
Probiotics are good for the body. Medical experts say they don’t deal with cough relief directly, however, they help balance the bacteria that live in the intestine and also boost the immunity system and make it stronger too.
What you could have is a cup of sour curd, cottage cheese or even fortified milk, but not more than that or else the phlegm gets thicker.
11. Bromelain:
Bromelain comes from pineapple, and we bet you didn’t think of this when you read the name, or as a remedy measure for coughs. It is an enzyme found in the stems of pineapples, which acts as a suppressant for coughs, and the mucus in the throat is loosened up by Bromelain too.
We aren’t asking you to eat the stem, though, but we would ask you to gorge on pineapples and have its juice thrice a day when you have coughs.
12. Marshmallow:
Marshmallow is a perennial flower that blooms when the summers are on. It is a herb that has been used since ancient days to clear a sore throat, colds, and coughs. This is because it has mucilage that helps with soothing irritated throats and coating the throat too. Pharmacies have it in capsules form, but you can get Marshmallows as roots to make tea at home with.
What all you need:
- Marshmallow Tea
How To Do :
- Brew the roots in warm water with honey.
- Strain after three minutes of the concoction being on the fire.
- Drink it thrice a day when it is warm. DO NOT GIVE THIS TEA TO CHILDREN, THOUGH!
13. Lemon:
Lemons have plenty of vitamin C in it which can boost the immune system. This is why, when someone suffers from dry hacking coughs, lemon juice should be given to them.
What all you need:
- Lemon Drink
How To Do :
- Warm up a cup of water to which a whole lemon should be cut and squeezed into.
- Add a dash of honey and pepper to make it tasty; pepper creates the osmosis needed.
- Drink it twice a day warm.
- Lemon has antibacterial and antiviral properties, much needed to soothe the dry cough issues.
[Also Read: Lemon Water Health Benefits]
14. Onion:
Onions, especially the red ones are best to consume when you have dry hacking coughs. It is a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory agent and makes the immune system strong as well. Also as an expectorant, onions can help loosen up the mucus and thin it too, which means lesser congestion to deal with.
What all you need:
- Onion Juice
How To Do :
- What you could do is to place slices of an onion in a mason jar and coat it with sugar.
- Keep the same covered tight overnight.
- Next morning, there would be enough liquid formed in the jar.
- Have three spoons every hour and the magical remedy would start its work.
15. Chicken Soup:
Scientists and doctors till date are still baffled over why chicken soup works for colds, fevers, and coughs, but it does. It keeps the respiratory tract free from bad bacteria – strengthens the movement of white blood cells, and we know WBCs help fight off diseases too. In addition to that, the soup or broth helps provide much-needed hydration we need.
What all you need:
- Chicken Soup
How To Do :
- Brew pieces of chicken along with sliced veggies in a bowl of water.
- Add spices as per your taste and let it simmer for ten minutes until the meat is tender.
- Remove from the fire and serve warm- have it once a day.
16. Cayenne:
Cayenne has its own zing and sting, which is why the analgesic is much preferred to consume when you have a cough. Thanks to the presence of SUBSTANCE P in it, cayenne in a pinch form can help transmit signals to the brain.
What all you need:
- Cayenne Tea
How To Do :
- When we say a pinch form, we mean a pinch only should be added to the boiling water to form a tea.
- Since it is spicy, you can add a dash of honey to lighten things up and drink the tea.
- Store the rest and have it during the day as and when you want.
Cayenne pepper tea helps stimulate secretions and brings down irritation of the throat too.
[Also Read: How to Sneeze yourself]
17. Carrot Juice:
Carrots have plenty of vitamin A, beta carotene, and antioxidants in it, which act as suppressants. This is why most homes would provide their sick relatives a cup of carrot juice when they have dry or wet coughs.
What all you need:
- Carrots
- Pepper or lime or honey (optional)
How To Do :
- Blend a whole ripe carrot and juice it up.
- Add a dash of pepper, lime, and honey to make it tasty if need be.
- Drink a cup of it thrice a day. The juice helps lube up the throat and suppresses the annoying coughs too.
18. Grapes:
Black, red or green, grapes are a powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamins. They are also natural expectorants and hence care for the lungs by toning them too.
What all you need:
- Grapes Juice
How To Do :
- Blend the grapes in a mixer.
- Add some water and juice them up.
- Some pepper and honey are added can help ease the congestion of the chest and brings down the cough too.
19. Almonds:
What all you need:
- Almond
- Butter
- sugar
How To Do :
- Almonds should be soaked overnight in warm water and then skinned the next morning.
- Mix it with a tablespoon of butter and a dash of sugar, and form a paste by crushing it in a blender.
- Have this paste thrice a day before your meals, and this would help in reducing the congestion of the system.
[Also Read: Almonds Health Benefits]
Prevention:
You’ve heard of the old adage saying “Prevention is better than Cure”, and this is why, even though the medical world says there is no said way to prevent coughs from happening, we can still be wary of our daily actions to reduce the same.
- Hygiene is a must, which is why you should always wash your hands. In doing so, you wouldn’t allow the virus to spread.
- If near and dear ones or colleagues have a cough, don’t share the same spoons and plates with them. Maintain distance or wear a mouth mask when around them.
- Stop smoking when you have a cough. Your lungs are as it is irate at the moment, you would only be making it worse for yourself.
- Stop hovering around people that smoke when you suffer from coughs; secondhand smoke is worse than active smoking.
- Drink a lot of water, juices, fluids and herbal teas throughout the day. This helps reduce congestion and thin the mucus, and you wouldn’t be dehydrated as well.
- Flu shots are good to take annually- speak to your doctor for the same
When To Consult Doctor?
Coughs usually go away in a week’s time and there’s nothing to worry much about it. However, dry coughs can last for more than two weeks. Any cough more than that would be a sign for a doctor’s visit, say medical experts.
Other times when you need to check with the doctor are-
- If the mucus is tan, green or yellow.
- If a cough is accompanied with very high fevers.
- If blood is seen in the mucus.
- If you are over wheezing and short of breath when coughing.
- If the mucus is pink and frothy and you also have heart issues.
- If you cough and have night sweats.
We hope this mini guide on coughs, types of coughs and home remedies, prevention and when to visit a doctor for coughs comes in handy. We suggest visiting a doctor if the problem persists for a long time.(4)
Disclaimer: Please do remember that the information here is given as a read only guide and shouldn’t be considered as the final word and advice. Speak to your doctor should you have any concerns with regard to coughs- dry or wet! His words would take precedence over what is written here and elsewhere.
Stay happy and healthy!
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