Get Rid of a Cough

Coughs, both wet and dry, can be painful and irritating. Suffering through a cough as a result of a cold, the flu, allergies, or asthma can be torturous and seemingly never-ending. If you're tired of suffering through a difficult cough, try these many methods of treatment for quick relief.

Steps

Treating a Dry Cough

  1. Keep hydrated. A dry, irritated throat feels much better with a bit of added moisture. Additionally, your body hydrated will help it to heal faster and clear out your cough sooner. Drink a glass of water hourly and during heavy coughing spells. You can supplement your water intake with other liquids such as tea, juice, and milk to soothe your throat and cough.
  2. Use a humidifier. Dry air that lacks moisture worsens a dry cough and irritates a sore throat. Use a humidifier to add water to your air and make it a bit easier to breathe. Make sure that your humidifier is thoroughly cleaned before use though, otherwise it may add bacteria and fungus to the air which will worsen your cough after a time.
  3. Avoid inhaled irritants. In addition to breathing in air with a high moisture content, it is important to breathe air that is clean and lacks inhaled irritants. Air out your home if there are high levels of cigarette smoke, perfume, cleaning sprays, paint or chemical fumes, dust, or allergens. The best solution for this is to wear a mask for the duration of your cough; your doctor can tell you which one is best for your cough and the irritants you may encounter.
  4. Use cough drops. Suck on a lozenge or hard candy to help keep your throat moistened and to stifle the coughing reflex. Medicated cough drops aren’t necessarily superior to regular hard candy; you simply want to suck on something that will increase saliva production and wet your throat. Look for lozenges or candies that contain menthol, ginger, lemon, honey, or peppermint for the best cough-suppressing results.
  5. Keep your head elevated. This tip is particularly for an irritating dry cough that is preventing you from sleeping or resting. If you are laying down on a bed or couch, use pillows to keep your head elevated above the rest of your body. In general, try to keep your head elevated during periods of dry coughing to ease the coughing reflex and aid in breathing.[1]
  6. Steam out your cough. Boil up a pot of water or take a hot shower and allow the steam from the water to wet the back of your throat. Hold your face over a bowl of the boiling water with a towel draped over your head to breathe in as much of the steam as you are able. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your shower or the boiling water for an extra soothing kick.
  7. Make a clove syrup. Cloves are a great natural remedy for helping to soothe your throat after a bout of heavy dry coughing. Mix 5-6 cloves with a cup of honey and allow the mixture to sit overnight. After a 12-24 hour setting period, stir the syrup and remove the cloves. Take a tablespoon of the mixture as needed to reduce the amount of coughing you’re suffering from.
  8. Make marshmallow tea. No, not with the sugary white s'mores based treat. The marshmallow plant works to create a soothing gel to coat your throat and reduce the amount of coughing you experience. Use a pre-made marshmallow tea or mix a tablespoon of the dried plant with a cup of water and allow to steep. Strain and add some honey to taste, and drink several times a day.
  9. Use a chest rub. These are creams that are applied externally to the chest and throat and, when inhaled, ease coughing and soothe an irritated throat. Purchase a chest rub that uses primarily camphor or menthol to making sleeping and resting with a dry cough easier.
  10. Take slippery elm. Slippery elm is a plant that works to reduce the duration of a dry cough and relax a sore throat. Use lozenges that contain slippery elm, make a tea out of the plant, or take slippery elm supplements.[2]
  11. Consume more ginger. Ginger works as a great treatment for both wet and dry coughs. Eat raw ginger or grate it into a cup of boiling water to create a tea. Eating and drinking ginger throughout the day will significantly help your cough and your throat.
  12. Drink apple cider vinegar. Although not the best tasting treatment, apple cider vinegar may aid in a pesky dry cough. Add a tablespoon of the vinegar to a cup of water and drink several times a day for the best results.
  13. Use a cough suppressant. Cough suppressants are over-the-counter medications that, like the sound, suppress the coughing reflex. These should only be taken to help with a dry cough rather than a wet cough, so that you don’t suppress the expelling of unwanted mucus. Take suppressants at night to help you sleep, and sparingly during the day.[3]

Treating a Wet Cough

  1. Stay hydrated. A key component to overcoming any ailment, keeping your body hydrated is essential for overcoming a cough. Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus trapped in your chest cavity and at the back of your throat, making it easier to cough up. Drink cups of water hourly in addition to other fluids such as tea and juice.
  2. Avoid dairy. A primary protein in dairy creates mucus in the body, which worsens a wet cough. Stay away from all dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream until your cough goes away.
  3. Take an expectorant. This is a type of medication that breaks up mucus in the body and helps you to cough up the excess phlegm. Look for over-the-counter expectorants in your local drugstore or ask your doctor for a prescription medication to do the trick. These can be taken daily or before bed to help make breathing a bit easier and coughing more productive.[4]
  4. Eat some garlic. As potent as raw garlic may be, it works wonders on killing the bacteria that worsens mucus and at clearing out the back of your throat. Eat 4-6 cloves of raw garlic a day, starting in the morning, and allow this natural antiseptic to work wonders on reducing the mucus and proceeding coughing your body is producing.
  5. Try taking mustard seeds. This little seed works by increasing the flow of mucus at the back of your throat, making your coughs more productive. Grind up a teaspoon of the seeds and add them to a cup of hot water. Allow the brew to steep for fifteen minutes before straining and drinking. The whole cup needn’t be consumed at once; you can drink a few ounces of the mixture throughout the day for the same results.
  6. Try a thyme tea. This herb is an antispasmodic and helps to ease the coughing reflex, while the tea works to break up the mucus clogging your throat. Mix a tablespoon of thyme with a cup of hot water and allow the mixture to steep for a few minutes. Strain out the thyme and add some honey to taste.
  7. Gargle with salt. Salt water isn’t necessarily the most flavorful drink of choice, but gargling with it will help break down mucus in your throat. Mix a teaspoon of salt with 4 ounces of water and gargle with the mixture. Do this once an hour daily to get rid of your wet cough fast.
  8. Take some pepper. Whole black pepper kernels are one of natures best wet cough killers. Suck on a few of the kernels by themselves if you can stand the taste, or make a syrupy mixture of black pepper and honey. Add a teaspoon of black peppercorns and a tablespoon of honey to a cup of hot water. Let the tea steep for fifteen minutes before drinking. The pepper will increase circulation in your throat and clear out annoying mucus clogging your airways.[5]
  9. Consume more lemon. Lemon juice helps to break up mucus and ease your wet cough. Suck on some lemon drop candies or lozenges, or make lemon tea with honey. Eating and drinking lemon juice throughout the day will make coughing easier and more comfortable.
  10. Eat some licorice. Real licorice whips or licorice supplements work as antispasmodics to lessen coughing in addition to loosening up phlegm. Eat licorice candy (made with “licorice mass,” rather than aniseed ) or take licorice supplements daily to help your wet cough to go away.[2]
  11. Avoid irritants in the air. Dirty air can make a cough, wet or dry, significantly worse. Stay away from smoke, pollen, dust, cleaner and chemical fumes, and any known allergens to help your cough out. If necessary, use an air purifier or keep your windows open to allow a fresh flow of air into your home at all times. If you smoke, it is also beneficial that you avoid smoking for at least the duration of your illness, if not longer.[6]
  12. Try taking turmeric. This spice works to kill bacteria that cause mucus and relax your throat from constant coughing. Make a syrup with turmeric by adding a pinch of the powder with a tablespoon of honey. Take this throughout the day to help your cough to dissipate naturally.
  13. Eat some ginger. Don’t mind its strong taste - ginger is one of the best natural cures for a wet or dry cough available. Eat raw ginger throughout the day if you can manage, or grate the root into a cup of hot water with a bit of honey to create a tea. You could even eat some candied ginger if you preferred.[7]

Tips

  • Visit a doctor if your cough seems very severe or does not go away after a period of two weeks.
  • Get allergy tested to see if your cough is caused by allergens and can therefore be avoided by taking antihistamines.
  • Only drink water when it is room temperature. Don't drink water with ice. That could irritate your throat.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/tc/coughs-home-treatment
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/home-remedies/natural-home-remedies-coughs
  3. ↑ http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-best-dry-cough-remedy.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/how-to-get-rid-of-coughs/
  5. ↑ http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-coughs2.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/cough-relief-how-lose-bad-cough
  7. ↑ http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/How_to_treat_dry_cough__a847.html
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