Why We Cough
It’s what you do when something bugs your throat, whether that’s dust or postnasal drip. It also helps clear your lungs and windpipe. However, this can also lead to inflammation of the cells lining the upper airways. Many coughs, like those from cold and flu, will go away on their own. If yours comes from a more serious medical condition, you need to treat the cause. Whatever the reason, there are ways to feel better.
Coughs From Allergies and Asthma
Allergies can make you sneeze, cough, or both. An antihistamine medicine may help. Some newer ones at the drugstore won’t make you sleepy. If you’re also wheezing — where your breath sounds like whistling — you may have asthma. Go see your doctor.
Smoker’s Hack
If you light up, chances are you cough, especially in the morning. But it may be a sign of something more serious. Sometimes smoke irritates your airways and causes inflammation that turns into bronchitis. It can also be a warning sign of cancer. See your doctor if you are coughing up any blood or if a new cough doesn’t go away after 1 month.
What Else Causes Coughs?
If yours lasts longer than 8 weeks, a number of things could be to blame. Ongoing coughs can be caused by acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease — you may hear your doctor call it GERD. Coughs can be a side effect of ACE inhibitors, a kind of blood pressure medicine. They can be a symptom of whooping cough and even heart failure. You need medical care for all of these conditions.
Home Treatments
Drink plenty of fluids — or use a cool-mist humidifier or vaporizer — to soothe an irritated throat and loosen mucus. Have a little honey before bed. Studies show the sweet stuff can help ease a cough. Don’t give honey to children under 12 months, though. You may want to try over-the-counter remedies that also contain soothing ingredients such as aloe or menthol.
You may want to try natural over the counter products that contain very low doses of aspirin. When it is applied to inflamed tissues caused by an upper respiratory infection it helps reduce the symptoms of sore throat.
Natural Cough Remedies
Honey
A teaspoon or two of honey may cut mucus production. Honey also kills germs. But remember, it can cause botulism, a rare form of food poisoning, in babies. Never give it to any child younger than 1.
Hot Drinks
Hot drinks won’t ease a stuffy head, but they can soothe a cough much better than room temperature drinks. Sip on hot tea or water if you’re seeking relief.
Ginger
Research shows certain purified compounds inside ginger root can relax the muscles that tighten your airways. You can eat ginger raw, or you can mix ground ginger root with honey and stir into hot tea.
Water
Drinking lots of water not only soothes the scratch of a cough and keeps you hydrated, but it also thins the mucus in your throat. You’re less likely to need to clear things out with a cough.
Steam
Breathing in steam may help with coughing because it calms and moisturizes your airways. You can also add essential oils like peppermint to the water for extra comfort.
Neti Pot
One of the most common reasons for cough is upper airway inflammation. Saline irrigation, or washing out your nasal passages with a saltwater rinse, can keep inflammation down by flushing out irritants and clearing away mucus. You can use a special bulb or a container called a neti pot.
Elderberry
You can take elderberry extract as a supplement in capsules or a syrup. It may not ease your cough right away, but studies show it can make it go away sooner.
Menthol
Menthol, a compound naturally found in peppermint, opens your airways to help you breathe more easily. That means it can also keep coughs at bay. You can find menthol in rubs you spread across your chest, cough drops, and even peppermint tea.
Gargle Saltwater
A saltwater gargle is usually a sore throat remedy, but it’s worth trying for coughs, too. The extra moisture can thin mucus and help wash out things that irritate your throat, much like a saline rinse does for the nose. Mix 1/4 to 1/2 of salt into 8 ounces of warm water, tip your head back, gargle, and then spit the mixture out.
Humidifier
Though keeping the air moist can help ward off a dry cough, take extra care with humidifiers. Dust mites are the No. 1 allergen and grow best when conditions are too moist. Mold can also grow inside humidifiers if you don’t keep them clean. Both can make coughs worse instead of better.
Herbs
Experts have found that mixing herbs like ivy leaf, marshmallow root, thyme, and aniseed into a syrup can cut the number of days you’ll deal with your cough.
Cough Drops
Sucking on a cough drop — or even just a hard candy — may wet your throat enough that it puts a short-term damper on cough. Your best bet is cough drops with airway-opening menthol.
Source: webmd.com
