10 Magical Home Remedies for Coughing You Haven’t Tried

Winter is often known as the cold and flu season, and these infections can bring unpleasant coughs with them. Whether you’re struggling to shift a dry, tickly cough or have been spending your days hacking up mucus, you may be interested in learning that there are some fantastic home remedies you can try. Although cough medicine can be useful, you might dislike the side effects or perhaps just be looking for something more natural. If so, consider the following ten approaches.

1. Mustard seed

If you have an unusually wet cough, the sulfur-containing compounds in mustard seed can help to loosen some of those thick secretions in your respiratory tract. You should break and crush the mustard seeds, then let them sit in water for 15-20 minutes. Next, steep them in a cup of boiling water, strain after 5-10 minutes, and drink when it has cooled a little. If you find the taste unpleasant, consider drinking it in small doses at 2-3 hour intervals. You’ll be glad you did!

2. Slippery elm treatment

Slippery elm has been used to treat coughs and sore throats since Native Americans first discovered its useful properties. It contains a substance similar to mucus, which coats the throat and reduces both soreness and itchiness. All you need to do is pour boiling water over some powdered slippery elm bark, stir it to mix the powder through, and then drink. Some health food stores also carry slippery elm throat lozenges.

3. Milk and turmeric

Perfect for children and adults alike, mixing turmeric with hot milk creates an ideal drink for relieving coughs at bedtime. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a potent anti-inflammatory compound that also fights viral and bacterial infections. If you happen to find milk irritating to the throat (as a minority of people do), consider brewing a turmeric tea instead.

4. Ginger

Ginger dries up some of that annoying phlegm in your throat and helps you to cough it up so that it doesn’t keep irritating you. There is also some limited evidence that ginger speeds up recovery from the common cold virus. Drinking ginger tea is probably the most powerful way to get these benefits, but you can also try grating fresh ginger onto noodle dishes or salads.

5. Sage and echinacea spray

Studies show that a combination of echinacea and sage is just as effective as more expensive, medicinal sprays that are marketed to fight coughs and sore throats. You can find this type of spray in many health foods or alternative medicine stores, and it’s recommended that you spray your throat every couple of hours while you’re experiencing irritation.

6. Steam treatment

You probably know that steam can help with sinus infections and nasal symptoms associated with colds and flu, but it can also be useful when you’re fighting a bad cough. It loosens mucus within just a few minutes, and you can enhance the treatment with a range of essential oils that offer further health benefits. For example, you might try adding eucalyptus oil, which helps to open the airways and reduce breathlessness. Place a few drops of your chosen oil into a bowl of boiling water, let it cool for a few minutes, and then lean over the bowl with a towel over your head to keep the steam into.

7. Chicken soup

There’s truth to the old cliché about chicken soup curing a cold! Although scientists are still perplexed by the apparent benefits of this comforting food, they suspect it contains anti-inflammatory chemicals that help to suppress common symptoms (like coughs and sneezes). As a bonus, chicken soup is a source of mucus-thinning cysteine, and the high electrolyte content helps to keep you appropriately hydrated.

8. Honey

One of the most common home remedies for coughs, a single tablespoonful of honey has been proven to be more effective than over-the-counter cough medicines. The sticky, viscous texture of honey makes it excellent at soothing the sore, swollen tissue in the throat, and it also contains a particular enzyme with antibacterial properties. Consequently, honey may even be able to shorten the length of your illness, if you have a bacterial infection. However, children under two should not try this remedy because of the inherent risk of infant botulism. Adults and older children can take up to 1tbsp of honey 1-3 times per day, and it may be especially effective when taken before sleep.

10. Cinnamon and honey drink

Finally, a mix of hot water, cinnamon, and lemon water is said to strengthen the immune system and reduce the duration of unpleasant symptoms like coughs and blocked noses. You only need a pinch of cinnamon to make this remedy, and you should feel free to add a touch of honey if you like.

via: homeremy.com