Cough Remedies
Herbal cough remedies are plentiful and have been well tested for many years. Coughs would have to be one of the most irritating problems we all suffer from now and again. There are basically two types, one is productive, and brings up mucus from the lungs that the body needs to get rid of, and the other is nonproductive. Nonproductive coughing is dry and doesn't produce anything from the lungs and they affect people of all ages. A cough is a reflex action begun by stimulation of sensory nerves located in the lining of the respiratory passages. Coughs can rid the body of mucus, irritants like dust, or a foreign body, like food going into the trachea instead of the esophagus.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a wet cough include a wet sound in the chest accompanying the cough and mucus being expelled through the mouth. Dry coughs irritate the bronchial passages and the throat, causing a sore throat if the cough is persistent. Coughs may accompany hay fever, colds, allergies, asthma and other respiratory illnesses like bronchitis.
Causes
Coughs may be caused by inflammation of the larynx or the pharynx; smoking; allergies like hay fever, dust or chemical fumes; asthma and changes in the weather. Whether you use herbal cough remedies or more traditional cough remedies, you will need to address the underlying cause first if you want a remedy to be successful.
Cautions
Coughing can turn into more serious illnesses like bronchitis or pneumonia. If you feel your cough is worsening, see your doctor, don't just rely on herbal or modern cough remedies and hope everything will be alright; there are other types of cough that need prompt medical attention like whooping cough.
Herbal Treatments
Internal Applications
There are many more herbal cough remedies than we've listed below so we've tried to list the ones that we have tried personally and have found to be of benefit. Your best course of action is to maybe try one or two at a time and see what works best for you. Everybody is different and what works for one may not necessarily work for another. It'll be fun experimenting anyway, and at least you know that the remedies you are taking are safe.
- Angelica - works as an expectorant. Infuse 1-2 grams dried root in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes, strain and drink 3 cups a day. May also be taken as a decoction - boil 2 gram in 1 cup water for 5 minutes, strain and take as two doses during the day.
- Anise – works as anti-spasmodic. Make a tea through infusing 500mg - 1 gram dried seeks in 1 cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups a day after meals. You may also add holy basil to infusion.
- Blackberry - reputed to have expectorant properties - drink blackberry tea 3 times a day.
- Elder - works as an expectorant. Take in liquid extract or tablet and capsule form. As an infusion, boil 2-5 grams dried flower equivalent in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups a day.
- Holy basil – chew four leaves of holy basil with four black peppercorns to prevent a cough.
- Marjoram – add 1 teaspoon of marjoram to 1 cup of boiling water and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes to steep. Drink this tea three times per day.
- Hyssop - anti-spasmodic and expectorant. Infuse 2 teaspoons dried flowers in 1 cup boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups of hot tea a day.
- Licorice - take as a decoction to soothe cough. Boil 1-4 grams dried root in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes, strain and drink 2 cups a day.
- Horehound – take horehound tea three times a day. It can also be made into lozenges, syrups, tincture and extracts.
- Turmeric – the roasted root should be ground into a powder. Take the powder twice a day in a dose of 3 grams.
- Ginger – cut about 10 grams of ginger into small pieces and boil them in a cup of water. Strain before drinking. A little sugar or honey may be added. Drink while it is hot. For a dry cough, sprinkle a fresh slice of ginger with salt and chew on it.
- Pine - infuse 20 grams of pine buds in 1 liter boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink 4 cups a day for decongestion effects.
- Cardamom – chew cardamom for a long time to get relief from coughing.
- Codonopsis - eases airways - take as decoction by boiling 20 grams dried root in 750ml water for 15 minutes, strain and drink 1/2 cup two times a day.
- Mallow - infuse 5 grams dried leaves and flowers in 1 liter boiling water for 5 minutes, strain and drink 3 cups a day.
- Marshmallow – Take as liquid extract or infusion. Infuse 2 grams dried root in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 2-3 cups a day. Also mix marshmallow leaves with ground coriander, mullein and hyssop for an infusion that relieves coughs.
- Lemon – drink a tea of lemon juice, honey and boiling water to lower the intensity of the cough.
Finally, this is a favorite of all my cough remedies that I like. I have found it to be an effective cough mixture home recipe that you can easily make yourself - Mix ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well and take by the teaspoon as needed. This syrup relieves an irritated throat and relieves congestion of the chest.
External Applications
- Fig - gargle a decoction by infusing 100 grams of dried fig into 1 liter boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and gargle as required.
- Eucalyptus – mix eucalyptus leaves with mint leaves and boil them in a pot of water. Inhale the vapors to loosen the mucus in the lungs.
Aromatherapy
Essential oils such as eucalyptus, cedarwood, rosemary, lavender, frankincense and myrrh are useful cough remedies to blend and use in inhalation, vaporizer or mix with carrier oil and massage into the chest.