Coughing is one of the most common health problems. It can make you feel absolutely miserable, and you would like to get rid of it as fast as you can. When there is irritant or blockage in your throat or upper air passages, your brain thinks a foreign element is present and tells your body to remove that element. Coughing can also be due to common cold, viral infection, flu, and smoking or health problems such as tuberculosis, asthma, and lung cancer. Some of the symptoms of a cough are chest pain, itchy throat, and congestion. Coughs can be extremely annoying and painful, so try to take some of the following tips to try to get rid of cough quickly.
Ways to Get Rid of Cough:
1.) Salt Water to Treat Cough
Salt water helps to pull the water away from the inflamed tissue. When the concentration of salt outside the tissue increases, the water within the tissue moves out to balance. Water is expelled from the tissues and inflammation gets reduced, and provide temporary relief.
- Salt water also acts on the mucus lining of the throat. The mucous contains, allergens, irritants bacteria, and viruses which cause infection. Salt kills and removes all these infection-causing agents which provide relief to your throat. Salt water makes the inhabitable environment for the bacteria thus, keeps bacteria from growing again.
- Gargles with warm salt water help to relieve an aching throat but using excessive salt while gargling has its side effects. High salt concentration draws more water from the lining of the throat, make it more dry and worse irritation. Avoid gargling with excessive salt water.
- Mix half teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water,
- Gargle with this salt water when it completely gets dissolved to get rid of cough.
- Spit out the water and repeat until all the water is gone
2.) Turmeric to Cure Cough
Medicinal value of turmeric is due to the compound present in turmeric called curcumin. Curcumin works as an anti-inflammatory agent and also possess antiviral and anti-bacterial properties. These properties of turmeric help to treat bacterial and viral infections such as a cough and cold. The anti-inflammatory action of curcumin helps in relieving the chest congestion that develops in people suffering from a chronic cough. Use of oil extracted from turmeric for a cough is also very effective in relieving cough by getting rid of phlegm.
- Heat half a cup of water. Add one teaspoon of each turmeric powder, and black pepper. You can also add cinnamon sticks. Boil this for about two to three minutes. Add one to two tablespoon of honey. Drink this solution daily until your condition improves.
- Or you can make an herbal tea by adding one teaspoon of carom seeds and one teaspoon of turmeric powder to a cup of water, and boil it until water reduces to one-half cup. Then add some honey and drink this herbal solution two to three times a day.
- Another method is to roast turmeric root and grind it into a smooth powder. Mix it with honey and water, and drink it twice a day.
3.) Drink Plenty of Fluids
A cough makes you lose fluids from increased breathing rate and coughing, and if your cough comes up with fever, you lose even more fluids. Drink lots of water, eat broth-like soup. Staying hydrated keep your throat from feeling irritated, thins your mucus secretions, and helps you to feel better in general.
- A Men should drink at least 3 liters of water daily and women should drink at least 2.2 liters of water. Plan to drink more if you’re sick.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks because they can irritate your throat more.
- Studies have shown that warm fluids help to loosen mucus secretions and relieve coughs, along with other common symptoms that co-occur such as sneezing, runny nose, sore throat. Drink some hot tea, warm broth.
- Drink warm lemon water with honey to loosen congestion and reduce coughing. Mix 1 cup warm of water with of half a lemon juice. Add as much honey as you like. Sip the warm solution slowly.
- Do not give honey to children under the age of one due to the risk of botulism exposure.
4.) Take a Hot Shower or Bath
Inhaling the steam from a hot shower or bath can help to moisturize your nasal airways and remove feelings of congestion. This can help to soothe the urge to cough.
- Close the bathroom door, and put a towel between the bottom of the door and the floor and start a hot shower to make the steam. Stay there for 15 to 20 minutes and inhaling build up steam in the bathroom.
- You can also use a steam inhalation technique. Boil distilled water and pour it into a heat-safe bowl and place it on a stable surface such as a table or countertop. Lean your face over the bowl and cover your head with a light cotton towel and deeply breath to inhale the steam.
- Be sure to keep children away from the bowl of hot water, as they might burn themselves. You can sit children in a closed bathroom with a hot shower running and have them inhale steam that way.
- You need to know that dry secretions don’t clear easily, but moist secretions are much more easily cleared from your lungs and airways.
5.) Use Honey to Get Rid of Cough
Honey is very effective to suppress a cough and soothe your sore throat. Many studies have found that honey is more effective at reducing cough than over-the-counter drugs. Honey helps to soothe and coat mucus membranes. It can be very helpful to take honey right before going to bed if the cough is making it hard to sleep.
- It’s good for both adults and children, but do not give honey to children under the age of one year since it can increase the risk of infant botulism.
- You can directly take the honey. Try to take one tablespoon of honey in every few hours while your cough persists. Or you can add one tablespoon with a glass of warm tea with lemon.
- Some studies found that honey is as effective as a cough suppressant , Honey is the ingredient which is commonly used in many over-the-counter cough suppressants.
6.) Ginger to Get Rid of Cough
Ginger is the underground root of Zingiber officiale, a plant native to Asia, it has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years in a variety of cultures to treat a problem such as headaches, nausea, motion sickness, and cold and flu symptoms such as coughing. It is often used to reduce coughing and soothe sore throats, especially to those caused by the common cold.
- Or you can chew fresh raw ginger throughout the day to reduce your cough.
- Cut fresh ginger into small slices and slightly crush them. Boil a cup of water and put all the ingredient. Drink this solution three to four times a day to relief from a sore throat, congestion and non-stop coughing. You can also add some lemon juice and honey to it.
7.) Lemon to Treat Cough
Lemons can be used in a variety of ways to get rid of cough. Lemon have properties that reduce inflammation. Vitamin C present in lemon helps to fight infection.
- You can make your own cough syrup by combining one tablespoon of honey with two tablespoons of lemon juice. Drink this syrup several times a day to get rid of cough.
- Or you can use lemon in another way. Use lemon to blend lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little honey, then drink it.
8.) Onion to Cure Cough
One of the simplest home remedies to get rid of cough. Breathing in the strong vapors of onion can help to stop coughing.
- Or you can use another option. Combine one teaspoon of pure honey with a one-half teaspoon of onion juice. Swallow this solution at least twice a day to get rid of cough and soothe your throat.
- You can also make a cough syrup from baked onion juice, honey and comfrey tea. use this remedy daily gets relief from a dry cough.
9.) Cayenne Pepper to Get Rid of Cough
Capsaicin is a compound present in cayenne pepper, which has pain-relieving qualities. But too much use of cayenne pepper can cause heartburn or stomach discomfort. Adding a small amount of cayenne to your lemon-honey preparation could help soothe your throat. It may also decrease the effectiveness of stomach acid reducers and aspirin. Cayenne helps to reduce chest pain due to continuous coughing. It also has warm and stimulating properties.
- You can make a healthy cough syrup by mixing one-fourth teaspoon ground ginger, one-fourth teaspoon cayenne pepper, one tablespoon of honey, one tablespoon apple cider vinegar and two tablespoons of water.
- Drink the syrup two to three times a day.
10.) Carrot Juice to Get Rid of Cough
Carrots contain many vitamins and nutrients that help to relieve various symptoms of a cough. It is good for the entire health.
- Take four to five carrot and make the juice out of it and add some water to dilute it.
- You can also add some honey if you want.
- Drink this juice three to four times a day to get rid the symptoms of cough.