For some people cough can prove to be a nightmare. It can keep you up all night, interfere with your lifestyle, and make you feel miserable. No matter if it’s dry, whooping, or wet cough, it is terrible in any form. As per NHS recommendation, taking rest and drinking plenty of fluids reduce cough. Pharmacist or doctor may prescribe medicine to cure cough.
However there are various effective home remedies that allow us to treat cough naturally. Here are some cough remedies that actually work.
1. Try Home-Made Cough Syrup With Honey
Honey is a wonderful cure for treating cough and sore throat, which is why it is used in various cough medicines too. Honey is as effective as common cough suppressants dextromethorphan, so give a try before buying a cough syrup from the chemist by making your own cough syrup at home.
- Mix honey with coconut oil and lemon juice and take it a couple of times a day to treat a bad cough.
- Alternatively, you can take honey directly. Take 2 teaspoons of honey before going to sleep to improve sleep by reducing cough.
- Try grandma’s old remedy, a bourbon shot mixed with honey before you sleep.
Caution : Do not follow this remedy for children’s below age of 1 due to the risk of infant botulism.
2. Heal It With Ginger
Ginger is a mighty helper when it comes to cough. It contains medicinal properties and has been used for thousands of years. It is also among the most commonly prescribed remedies because of presence of some chemicals that reduce nausea, cold and inflammation, thanks to its decongestant and antihistamine properties.
Here is a simple recipe of ginger tea that can help you cure a bad cough
- Take 3 cups of water in a bowl and add a few slices of ginger
- Boil and allow it to simmer for about 20 min
- Strain the liquid, add a tablespoon of honey, squeeze a lemon for better taste, and then sip slowly.
- Alternatively add few drops of ginger oil or fresh ginger slices to steaming water and inhale the vapours to get relief from cough.
3. Take A Hot Shower and Use Humidifiers
Steam is the worst enemy of cough, so it soothes your airways and alleviates sinus congestion. It loosens secretions in the nose. Humidifiers will also help by releasing moisture in the air that reduce cough. Regularly clean humidifiers to avoid infection. Take hot shower by closing the exhaust fan, windows and let steam get to work. However, do not use this cough remedy if you suffer from asthma as it can aggravate the cough in asthma patients.
4. Try Some Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry syrup is an extraordinary cough remedy. Though it is not a direct cure for cough, it is good at fighting cold and flu infections. Many cough syrups has elderberry as ingredient. Elderberry flowers relax bronchial spasms and treat upper respiratory infections. It also strengthens your immune system so your body can get rid of illness faster.
- Take 3.5 cups of water in a saucepan and add 2/3 cup of elderberries, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cloves and 2 tbsp ginger.
- Boil and cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes till liquid has reduced to half.
- Mash the mixture to crush berries and strain the liquid and allow the liquid to cool and add 1 cup of honey to it.
- Store in bottle and take ½ tbsp to 1 tbsp for adults and ½ tsp to 1 tsp for kids.
Caution : Do not consume other parts of elderberry plant except flowers without proper cooking as it contains cyanide producing compounds.
5. Turmeric Milk
Turmeric has been used for its healing properties for ages now because of its therapeutic properties in treating dry cough. Curcumin present in turmeric has anti inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that relieve symptoms of cough. It relieves chest congestion and fights with bacteria and virus effectively and relieves inflammation.
- To make turmeric milk, add two teaspoons of turmeric powder in a cup of milk. You can also add a teaspoon of honey for better taste. Drink this twice a day. Use goat’s milk instead of cow milk to reduce phlegm.
6. Sip Some Thyme Tea
Thyme is such a wonderful and effective cure for cough and it is an approved remedy for cough, upper respiratory tract infections, whooping cough and sore throat in Germany. It is a potent and natural expectorant and has antibacterial, antiviral, antimicrobial and astringent properties. The tiny thyme leaves have cough curing compounds called flavonoids that soothe and relax muscles in our throat, reduce inflammation and also effectively treat short term bronchitis.
- To make thyme tea, add some fresh thyme leaves to a cup of boiling water and let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and sip the tea slowly. You can also add a slice of lemon and some honey for enhanced benefit.
7. Drink A Lot Of Liquids
Hydration has positive effects on immune functions of our body that allows free movement of fluids in the body. Drinking liquids is extremely helpful while battling cough, be it any one of the many herbal teas, fruit juices or simply a warm glass of water. Fluids thin out the mucus and keep the membranes high and soothe throat. This, in turn, can greatly alleviate the cough.