26 Natural Remedies For Bad Cough

26 Natural Remedies For Bad Cough

Generally speaking, coughing is perfectly normal but Persistent coughs and sneezing can be extremely unpleasant and difficult, and if they affect small children, they are even worse. Small children have a weak immunity and are thus prone to such issues since their bodies cannot fight the virus.

Most of the time, people can manage their coughs at home by taking over-the-counter medicine and cough lozenges, removing potential allergens, or even just standing in a steamy shower, says 
 Giselle Mosnaim, an allergist and immunologist also at Rush.

The next time you have an annoying cough, take your grandmother's advice and try one of these natural remedies.

Natural Cough Remedies

Thyme

Thyme is an officially approved German cough treatment, and a remedy for upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, and whooping cough, with good reason. It is those tiny leaves are packed with cough-suppressant compounds.

Thyme flavonoids relax tracheal and ileal muscles, which are involved in coughing, and also reduce inflammation and headaches.

 For a homemade tea, mix 2 teaspoons crushed leaves in 1 cup boiling water, cover, then steep for 10 minutes and strain.

Honey Cough 'Syrup' 

Try honey straight or mix it with lemon juice and coconut oil, or even a shot of bourbon.

There is scientific evidence that honey can be effective in treating coughs and sore throats. You can take it straight, or mix honey with coconut oil and lemon juice for extra benefits. You can also try many a grandmother's old standby before bedtime. A shot of bourbon mixed with honey. 

Peppermint

Peppermint leaves contain  Menthol that  soothes the throat and acts as a decongestant, helping to break down mucus.

You can benefit by drinking peppermint tea or by inhaling peppermint vapors from a steam bath. To make a steam bath, add 3 or 4 drops of peppermint oil for every 150 milliliters of hot water.

Drape a towel over your head, and take deep breaths directly above the water.

Marshmallow

Marshmallow leaves and roots have been used since ancient times to treat sore throats and suppress coughs. There are no well-controlled studies to support these claims, but the herb is generally considered safe.

The marshmallow herb contains mucilage, which coats the throat and soothes irritation.

Today, you can get marshmallow root as tea or in capsule form.

The warm tea can be soothing to a cough that’s accompanied by a sore throat. Marshmallow root is not recommended for children.

Steam Inhalation

Inhaling steam is a simple, yet effective way to treat both a dry cough due to allergies and wet cough associated with bronchitis and other respiratory infections. Inhaling the warm vapors moisturizes the dry, irritated airways and helps relieve inflammation. 

It also lightens the phlegm accumulated in the respiratory tract, making it easier to cough up. Inhaling steam before bed clears up nasal and chest congestion and provides for a good night’s sleep, without bouts of coughing disrupting your sleep as well as everyone else’s.

Eucalyptus Oil

This is sometimes called menthol. It is sometimes added to the boiling water for extra effect, but it’s not necessary. Just plain water brought to a rolling boil can provide enough steam for the next 10-15 minutes.

Cover your head with a towel and inhale the vapors from a safe distance to avoid burns. What you need is the water vapor rather than the heat. Be especially careful with kids.

Dry Ginger And Pepper

Dry ginger and black pepper powdered together is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy for a cough. It’s a handy mixture to carry about for instant relief. It has to be mentioned here that dry ginger is nothing but the ginger root dried after light steaming, but it differs from the fresh herb not only in taste and flavor but in therapeutic function as well.

You need only a tiny pinch of the mixture on your tongue, but it is extremely spicy and pungent. Rock sugar is often powdered along with the spices to make it easy on the palate, or you can mix a pinch of ½ tsp pure honey and lick it off the spoon.

Black Pepper And Honey Tea

For a wet cough, you can try a black pepper and honey remedy that is said to work because the pepper stimulates circulation and mucus flow and the honey is a natural cough reliever. Use one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper and two tablespoon of honey in a mug, and fill with boiling water.

Cover and allow to stay for 15 minutes, strain and sip. 

Flax, Honey, And Lemon

  

Boiling flax seeds in water gives you a thick, gooey gel that eases throat and bronchial tract discomfort.

Honey and lemon act as mild antibiotics, and make this syrup super-soothing. For this at-home remedy, boil 2 to 3 tablespoons of flax seeds in 1 cup of water until the water becomes thick.

Strain, then add 3 tablespoons each of honey and lemon juice. 

Take 1 tablespoon as needed for cough treatment.

Probiotics

Probiotics are microorganisms that can provide a host of health benefits. While they don’t relieve a cough directly, they do help to balance your gastrointestinal flora. Gastrointestinal flora are the bacteria that live in your intestines.This balance can support immune system function throughout the body.

 Evidence also suggests that Lactobacillus, a bacterium in dairy, can reduce the likelihood of a cold or flu and sensitivity to certain allergens, such as pollen.

Fortified milk is a great source of Lactobacillus. You should be cautious, however, as dairy may make phlegm thicker. You can also purchase probiotic supplements at most health food stores and drug stores. Each supplement manufacturer may have different daily recommended intakes. Probiotics are also added to some yogurt types and are present in miso soup and sourdough breads.  

Lozenges And Hot Drinks

Try a menthol cough drop, Yoder suggests. “It numbs the back of the throat, and that will tend to decrease the cough reflex.”

Drinking warm tea with honey also can soothe the throat. There is some clinical evidence to support this strategy, Yoder says.

Pine-Apple Stem

There’s evidence to suggest that bromelain, an enzyme found only in the stem and fruit of pineapples, can help suppress coughs as well as loosen the mucus in your throat. To enjoy the most benefits of pineapple and bromelain, eat a slice of pineapple or drink 3.5 ounces of fresh pineapple juice three times a day.  

There are also claims that it can help relieve sinusitis and allergy-based sinus issues, which can contribute to coughs and mucus. 
However, there is insufficient evidence to support this. It’s also sometimes used to treat inflammation and swelling.  

Bromelain supplements should not be taken by children or adults who take blood thinners. Also, be careful using bromelain if you’re also on antibiotics such as amoxicillin, as it can increase the absorption of the antibiotic. Always speak to your doctor before taking new or unfamiliar supplements.

Sage Tea

 Many indigenous people have developed their cough remedies involving this highly aromatic plant, but a simple herbal tea made with the leaves is as good as any. That’s exactly what Dioscorides, the Greek physician from the first century B.C. ordered for coughs and hoarseness.

Steep a handful of fresh or dried leaves in four cups of boiling water for just five to ten minutes. You can drink up to three cups of sage tea a day and even use it for gargling if you have a throat infection.

Fresh ginger

The strong anti-inflammatory action of ginger helps relieve a sore throat and airway inflammation whether it’s from allergens or infections.

You can extract ginger juice from a fresh rhizome and mix it with equal amount of honey to make a cough syrup. Take just a few drops at a time to soothe the throat and suppress a cough.

Making ginger tea is another option. Crush a few slices of fresh ginger and boil it in water two to three minutes. Sipping this tea warm can stop coughing bouts.

Make several cups of ginger tea and store it in the refrigerator. Warm up a cup and drink whenever you need it.

Brewed  Black Pepper Tea

The rationale behind it is that black pepper stimulates circulation and mucus flow.  Honey is a natural cough suppressant and mild antibiotic.

To make the tea, place 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and 2 tablespoons of honey in a cup. Fill with boiling water and let steep, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain and sip as needed. This remedy works best on coughs that produce mucus and isn't suitable for dry coughs.

Licorice 

Tea made from licorice root or licorice candy can help soothe throats and ease coughing.

Licorice root, the flavor from which licorice candy originated, has long been used to treat coughs. Real licorice, or candy made from it, can help soothe inflamed and irritated throats and help to ease coughing.

Slice one ounce of candy licorice, that contains real licorice, and steep it for 24 hours with a quart of boiling water. Sip as needed.

Turmeric Milk

 It is recognized as having excellent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The part used is the yellow-colored rhizome of Curcuma longa, a low-growing tropical herb related to ginger. The main active agent in turmeric has been identified as curcumin, which gives the spice its golden yellow color.

Since turmeric can fight both bacteria and viruses, besides relieving inflammation, it is very effective in treating coughs due to a throat and respiratory tract infection.

To make turmeric milk mix one to two teaspoons of turmeric powder in a cup of hot milk and drink it twice a day. Traditionally, goat’s milk is recommended as cow’s milk is thought to increase phlegm.

Alternatively, you can boil turmeric in water and add a tsp butter or coconut oil since fat enhances the bioavailability of curcumin.

Fresh Grape Juice

Fresh juice from red grapes sweetened with a teaspoon of honey is a delicious way to treat a deep chesty cough. When there’s chest congestion due to an accumulation of mucus thickened with microbes and their debris, it’s never wise to suppress it.

Grape juice acts as a mucolytic expectorant, helping lighten the phlegm and making it easier to cough up. Make the juice fresh every time to take maximum advantage of the antioxidant phytochemicals in grapes.

Echinacea Tea Or Tincture

Echinacea or purple coneflower is an easily recognized North American wildflower. This Native American cough and cold remedy works in several ways to not only relieve a cough but tackle the underlying cause, although it’s not as fast-acting as other remedies.

It stimulates the immune system by promoting white blood cell activity, so it ideally takes before you develop a full-fledged infection. However, regular use has been found to be very effective against chronic coughs that don’t seem to yield to quick fixes.

Make Echinacea tea by steeping fresh or dried flower heads in boiling water for twenty minutes. Echinacea tincture is made by infusing the herb in alcohol. You can add a few drops of the tincture to regular tea or herbal teas for the immune boosting benefits.

Raw Garlic

Eating raw garlic has a long history of being used to treat respiratory diseases from pneumonia to whooping cough. The bioactive chemicals in this pungent bulb have wide-ranging antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria, both gram-positive and gram-negative ones.

 Sulfur compounds like alliin and allicin and their derivatives are responsible for this effect.

Keeping a clove of garlic in the mouth and crushing it occasionally to release a little bit of juice can help control coughing bouts. 

Crushed garlic added to food may help prevent secondary infections that usually follow a common cold and respiratory allergies.

Almonds

Some ancient traditions believe almonds help relieve bronchial problems, including coughs. They recommend blending a few teaspoons of finely ground almonds with a cup of orange juice and sipping as a natural cough treatment.

Having a handful of almonds every day can also help to lower your cholesterol.

Onion Juice

Onion is a milder alternative to garlic, but it contains many organosulfur compounds and flavonoid polyphenols that give it excellent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Onion juice is particularly useful in treating bronchitis and helps ease a productive cough by lightening the mucus. It can also inhibit bacterial growth in the throat, easing painful coughing.

Grate a red onion and squeeze out the juice. Take one-half teaspoon at a time, ingesting it slowly in case of throat infection.

You can mix it with honey or rock sugar for taste, but unsweetened juice is just about palatable if you want to avoid sweeteners.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

Stay Hydrated

An upper respiratory tract infection like a cold or flu causes postnasal drip. Extra secretions trickle down the back of your throat, irritating it and sometimes causing a cough, Mosnaim says.

Drinking fluids helps to thin out the mucus in postnasal drip, says Kenneth DeVault, MD, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.

Drinking liquids also helps to keep mucous membranes moist. This is particularly helpful in winter, when houses tend to be dry, another cause of cough, he says.

Take A Hot Shower

A hot shower can help because steam can loosen congestion and ease your cough.  

Crank up the hot water, close the windows and turn off the exhaust fan. Steam can be a cough’s worst enemy, and thus, your best friend. Steam works to soothe the airways and loosen sinus congestion and phlegm in your throat and lungs .

Cough drops

Menthol cough drops work to numb the back of the throat, which can help tame the cough reflex. 

Suck A Lemon

So There You Are With All You Need For  A Cough