Whether you are coughing due to allergies or from the flu, a dry, hacking cough can be painful, annoying, cause you to loose sleep and affect your daily activities. Coughing occurs when irritants cause tickling or scratching in the throat, larynx or upper airways. Numerous conventional medicines and alternative remedies--as well as non-medicinal treatments--are available to relieve the coughing and speed recovery. Certain medicines and herbs may cause side effects, so consult your health practitioner before using unfamiliar treatments.
Step 1
Drink fluids, especially water, for a cough. Fluids help keep delicate throat tissues lubricated and may stop tickling and clear airways, relieving coughing, writes the University of Maryland Medical Center. The recommended amount of water daily is six to eight glasses, or 1/2 oz. water per pound of body weight. Clear, non-medicinal teas without caffeine can be substituted for part of your water intake.
Step 2
Use a vaporizer in your bedroom or a humidifier to moisten air throughout the house, especially during winter months or in climates that receive little rain. The steam from a vaporizer or humidified add moisture to the air, soothing a sensitive throat and relieving coughing, writes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Step 3
Drink hot lemonade mixed with honey to soothe your throat and relive coughing, suggests the Concise Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition. Honey may be as effective as over-the-counter cough medicines, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center; plus, it causes no side effects. Lemon juice is high in vitamin C and potassium, both of which may shorten the duration of a cold or flu, according to the Concise Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition. Do not give honey to children younger than one year of age.
Step 4
Make hot lemonade by squeezing the juice of half a lemon into a large cup of hot water. Add honey to taste and sip to soothe away the cough. The lemonade may also be effective if it is cold, depending on your particular needs. Try it both ways.
Step 5
Take an over-the-counter cough suppressant. These medicines contain drugs to quiet a dry cough temporarily, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, but they do not cure its cause. Do not give cough suppressants to children under the age of six due to the chance of side effects occurring. Cough medicines may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery if you are unfamiliar with a medicine's effects.
Step 6
Drink licorice root tea for a dry cough, especially one caused by acid reflux. Licorice root tea is soothing on the throat and produces a thin film called mucilage that coats the throat and digestive tract, according to the The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook. The soothing effect of licorice root tea may help settle the stomach and stop a dry cough. Licorice root may raise blood pressure, so consult your health practitioner before using it.
Step 7
Make licorice root tea by steeping 1 tsp. dried licorice root or 1 bag of prepared licorice tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain and drink. Licorice root is naturally sweet; however, if additional sweetening is desired, add a dollop of honey.
Step 8
Use a traditional recipe for a cough syrup that utilizes red onion and brown sugar. Slice the onion across the grain and stack the slices in a bowl, alternating layers with a layer of brown sugar. Cover and allow it to sit for about 12 hours until a syrup is formed. Administer by giving 1 tsp. as needed to relieve the cough. The Medical College of Wisconsin writes that sweet syrups may suppress coughing, although the reason for this is unknown.
Step 9
Use quercetin, a flavonoid pigment found in red fruits, as a possible alternative to antihistamines for coughs resulting from allergies, writes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Follow label directions for individual dosing.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose natural, chemical-free products when buying brown sugar, honey or maple syrup to make sweet cough syrups.
- If coughing persists or worsens, consult your health practitioner for additional advice.
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Warm liquids
- Vaporizor
- Humidifier
- Fresh lemons
- Honey
- Over-the-counter cough suppressant
- Licorice root tea
- Red onion
- Brown sugar
- Quercetin
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cough
- "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook: Your Everyday Reference to the Best Herbs for Healing"; James Duke; 2002
- Medical College of Wisconsin: Non-Opiod Anti-tussives
