Cough is a sudden, spasmodic contraction of the thoracic cavity, resulting in forceful release of air from the lungs. It is a protective mechanism by which the respiratory system clears itself off irritants and secretions. Coughing is usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. It is usually initiated to get rid of the phlegm in the trachea or its surrounding areas. It may also be produced when a bolus of food enters into the trachea in place of the esophagus due to the failure of the epiglottis.
There are generally two classifications of cough one is productive cough which produces mucus, irritants and other substances from the lungs and the other is nonproductive cough, which is dry and doesn’t produce any of it. It can affect persons of all ages. It can be acute cough or chronic cough depending on its duration.
Natural homemade remedies
Coughing may be relieved, but not cured, by cough medicines.
It is important to drink plenty of fluids so it is advised to consume healthy drinks such as lemon barley water, bran tea or oatmeal water and herbal teas which act as refreshing expectorants. Fresh fruits and vegetables are helpful in people suffering from mucus producing cough but it is important to note that bananas, potatoes, nuts and other floury fresh produce should be avoided in cough.
Gargling with warm water with lot of dissolved salt as many times as possible during the day clears phlegm caught in the throat.
Honey and pepper
One tea spoon of pure honey added to a pinch of grounded white/black pepper 2-3 times a day for 4-5 days can help to cure your cough. This is one of the important home remedies for cough. Honey when taken with pepper loosens the mucous and helps to get rid of the mucus. This thus helps in removing the irritating substances from the trachea.
Two tablespoons of honey when mixed in a cup of orange juice can prove to be a good cough remedy. Another effective cough treatment is to take a spoonful of honey with few drops of vodka or brandy in it just before going to bed. You can also drink red raspberry, honey suckle, or liquor ice tea with honey to get rid of cough.
Grapes
Grapes are an effective natural remedy for the treatment of cough. They suppress cough by acting as expectorants, and are also known to relieve cold in a couple of days. A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey can provide cough relief.
Ginger
Cough due to cold can be managed by drinking ginger tea 3-4 times a day or even raw ginger. This helps in subsiding cough.
Ginger and honey
A simple home remedy to cure cough is to prepare a paste by using ¼ teaspoon of red pepper, ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 table spoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 table spoon of honey, and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix the ingredients well and take 1 teaspoon of this mixture during cough.
Turmeric
The root of the turmeric plant is useful in a dry cough. The root should be roasted and powdered. For dry and frequent cough, take 1-2 gm powder of fried turmeric with honey, thrice a day. This is one of the useful cough treatments. Mix 1-2 tsp of pure homemade turmeric powder in warm milk and drink it twice a day for coughs of a bacterial origin. Within 2 days, you can treat cough by using this method. Also, inhaling turmeric added to boiling water can control cough.
Onions
Onions can be great help in a cough. Mixture of 5 ml of onion juice with 10 ml of pure honey taken twice a day makes an excellent cough syrup as it helps in soothing throat. Onions also help in removing infected mucus. A crushed onion with lemon juice added to it is poured with a cup of boiling water. A teaspoon of honey can be added for taste. This mixture should be taken two or three times a day.
Garlic
Take some garlic pieces and boil them in water, add some sugar, lemon and honey to it and drink it for cough treatment.
Another useful home remedy is to take some water in a pot and put it to boil, after the water boils, put three cloves of garlic, one spoon of oregano and leave water for boiling around 4 -5 minutes. Take this water in cup and drink directly or add it in milk and then drink it.
Eucalyptus
Take about ¼ cup of water, to this add 2 teaspoons of honey, half a lemon, cinnamon and one eucalyptus leaf and drink it for cough treatment.
Another natural remedy is to take some eucalyptus and mint leaves and boil them in water. Inhale its vapors while the water cools. It is an effective remedy for a cough.
Cuscus grass
An effective remedy for a dry cough is to mix half a spoon of Cuscus grass in 3-4 teaspoons of coconut milk. Add one teaspoon of honey and drink at night just before going to bed.
Herb belleric myroblan
The herb belleric myroblan is an effective natural remedy for a cough. Make a mix with two grams of the pulp of the fruit, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of long pepper, and 2 teaspoons of honey and consume this mix twice daily for relief from cough. The dried fruit covered with wheat flour and roasted, is another well-accepted remedy for cough.
Raisins
A paste made from raisins can be useful in a cough. This paste can be made by grinding 100 gm of raisins with water. 100 gm of sugar should b added and this mixture should be heated. This mixture should be preserves when it acquires a sauce-like consistency. Twenty grams should be taken at bedtime daily to cure cough.
Aniseed
Aniseed is another effective natural remedy for a hard dry cough with difficult expectoration. It helps in breaking up the phlegm. A tea made from this spice should be taken regularly for treating cough.
Orange
Another homemade remedy is to saturate slices of oranges in wine overnight. Cook this in the morning until the slices get very soft. Consume it numerous times a day because it is known to fight phlegm. Mullein soothes and relaxes the lungs and surrounding structures, which helps in easing a cough.
Pomegranate
Grind eight parts of pomegranate rind and mix one pact of rock salt and a little water. Roll this into pills. Suck on a pill thrice a day. It will help in easing cough.
Mustard oil
If the patient is a child, massage the chest with mustard oil. Also massage it to the rectum. If the patient is asthmatic with a congested chest, massaging it with mustard oil mixed with rock salt can be of great help. This is a useful remedy in completely getting rid of cough.
Treatment for severe cough
While the cough is severe, a warm-water enema should be used daily to cleanse the bowels. In case of severe and chronic cough, crush 2-3 garlic and some cloves and add them to a glass of milk or water. Then boil the mixture till it reduces to half the original content. Filter and add a little sugar to improve the taste. Drink this twice a day and continue this treatment for at least a week to experience improvement in severe cough.
Cabbage or leek water is one of the most effective cures for persistent phlegm producing infections, which may cause both coughs and bronchitis. The ideal way is to drink the warm water into which all the good constituents of the cabbage or leeks have leeched during cooking. It should be taken night and morning. It is also an ancient remedy for whooping-cough.
source;http://www.steadyhealth.com