Coughing is the body's way of trying to rid the lungs and upper airways of mucus and foreign bodies. Keep this in mind when you have a cough, as sometimes it is best not to completely eliminate this ailment. Therefore, it is preferable to relieve it when it does not give respite, but it is always better to be able to cough allowing the body to get rid of the mucus that accumulates. If you want to lessen the discomfort associated with coughing without completely getting rid of it, consider using a home remedy.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Making a Homemade Cough Remedy
Step 1. Make a honey and lemon remedy
Heat 350 g of honey over low heat. Add 3-4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to hot honey; add 60-80 ml of water to the honey and lemon mixture and stir, while continuing to heat it over low heat. Finally, put everything in the refrigerator. When you feel the need, take 1-2 tablespoons according to your needs.
- We recommend using a honey with healing properties, such as Manuka from New Zealand, but any organic honey has antiviral and antibacterial properties.
- Lemon juice contains large quantities of vitamin C: the juice of 1 lemon contains 51% of the daily requirement of vitamin C. It also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Lemon is considered useful against coughs because it combines vitamin C and antimicrobial properties.
- Do not give honey to babies under 12 months of age. Despite being low, there is a risk of infant botulism intoxication due to the bacterial toxins that are sometimes found within this food. Even though the data reports that fewer than 100 cases of infant botulism occur each year in the United States alone and that most children recover completely, it's best not to take any chances!
Step 2. Use an alternative method to make the honey and lemon mixture
Wash a lemon and cut it into thin slices (along with the peel and seeds). Add the slices to 350 g of honey. Heat everything over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Crush the lemon slices as you turn;
- Once cooked, filter the mixture in order to eliminate the residues left by the slices, then store it in the refrigerator.
Step 3. Consider adding some garlic
Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic and antifungal properties. Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic and chop them as finely as possible. Put them in the honey and lemon mixture before adding the water. Heat everything over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add 60-80ml of water and stir while it is on the stove.
Put the mixture in the refrigerator. When you feel the need, take 1-2 tablespoons as needed
Step 4. Consider adding ginger
Ginger is often used to aid digestion and relieve nausea and vomiting, but it is also used as an expectorant. It can help calm coughs, loosening mucus and phlegm and relaxing the smooth muscles of the bronchi.
- Cut and peel about 40 cm of fresh ginger root. Finely grate it and add it to the honey and lemon mixture before pouring in the water. Heat over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add 60-80ml of water, mix and store in the refrigerator.
- Let the mixture cool;
- When you need it, take 1-2 tablespoons.
Step 5. Consider adding licorice
Licorice is also an expectorant with a slightly stimulating action, therefore it helps the escape of phlegm, eliminating it from the lungs.
- Add 3-5 drops of licorice essential oil (Glycyrrhiza glabra) or 1 teaspoon of dried licorice root to the lemon honey mixture before pouring in the water. Heat it over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add 60-80ml of water as you continue to heat it.
- Let the mixture cool. Take 1-2 tablespoons as needed.
Step 6. Use glycerin as a honey substitute
If you don't have honey, don't like it or can't use it, replace it with glycerin. Simmer half a cup of glycerin mixed with 120ml of water, then add 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Pour 60-80ml of water into the glycerin-lemon mixture and stir, while continuing to heat it over low heat. Put it in the refrigerator. When you feel the need, take 1-2 tablespoons as needed.
- Glycerin is considered "generally safe". Pure, it is a colorless vegetable product with a slightly sweet taste, used in the preparation of various types of products intended for human consumption and personal care.
- Since glycerin is a hygroscopic substance (capable of absorbing water), in small quantities it can be useful in relieving swelling of the throat.
- Get some natural glycerin (not in synthetic or artificial form);
- Keep in mind that glycerin is used to treat constipation, so if you have diarrhea, reduce the amount (¼ cup of glycerin with 180ml of water in the basic recipe).
- Prolonged and excessive ingestion of glycerin can increase the rate of glucose and lipids in the blood.
Part 2 of 2: Evaluating the Cough
Step 1. Learn about the possible causes of the cough
The most common for an acute cough are: cold, flu, pneumonia (infection of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi), irritating chemicals, and whooping cough (also known as whooping cough: this is a highly contagious bacterial lung infection). The most common causes of chronic cough are: allergic reactions, asthma, bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchi or bronchioles), gastroesophageal reflux and postnasal catarrh (mucus discharge in the throat from the sinuses that causes irritation accompanied by the cough reflex).
- There are other less common causes, including lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that accompanies emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
- Coughing can also be caused by the side effects of some medications. It occurs mainly with the intake of a certain class of anti-hypertension drugs: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors).
- Coughing can be the side effect of other diseases, including cystic fibrosis, chronic and acute sinusitis, congestive heart failure, and tuberculosis.
Step 2. Decide if you should see your doctor
Try home remedies for 1-2 weeks. In most cases, they offer enough relief to allow you to heal. However, if you don't notice any improvement within 1-2 weeks, go to your doctor for a full diagnosis and what treatment is best.
Also, consult your doctor if during 1-2 weeks you experience: fever over 38 ° C for more than 24 hours, cough with thick greenish-yellow sputum (may indicate severe bacterial pneumonia), cough and mucus with red or pink traces of blood, vomiting (especially if it presents with the release of brown liquid material: it may indicate a bleeding ulcer), difficulty in swallowing or breathing, wheezing or shortness of breath
Step 3. Consider taking a child to the doctor because of a cough
There are pathologies that can weaken younger patients more quickly and diseases to which they are particularly prone. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the cough in relation to the situations. Call your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Fever over 40 ° C;
- Cough characterized by a guttural metallic timbre, similar to a dog's barking. This could be laryngotracheobronchitis (viral infection of the larynx and trachea). Some babies may also make a grinding inhalation noise (called laryngeal stridor), sometimes similar to a high-pitched whistling sound, or a wheezing sound. In these cases, call your doctor right away.
- Cough characterized by breathing gurgling that may resemble a wheezing or hissing sound. It could be bronchiolitis, probably caused by the respiratory syncytial virus.
- Noise similar to that of a donkey braying when the child inhales: it could be pertussis.
Step 4. Decide if you need to treat your cough
Remember that coughing is the body's natural way of trying to get rid of bacteria, viruses or fungi, so it has its usefulness! However, if it does not allow you or your child to rest or sleep, or if it causes breathing difficulties, do not hesitate to treat it. When you have a cough, you need to get adequate rest and sleep, so try some remedies to relieve it.
You can use many home remedies as often and in quantities as you like. Plus, they'll help keep you hydrated as your immune system and body get back on their feet
Advice
- Take 2 tablespoons of your favorite cough medicine just before bed to promote sleep and rest well.
- Try to stay hydrated: drink at least 8-10 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
