Coughing is nature’s way of allowing our bodies to remove irritants that are lodged in our throat or airways. It is an involuntary reflex. It is generally due to an allergy or an infection – either bacterial or viral. It could be due to influenza or a common cold, or due to more serious underlying conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, tuberculosis, lung cancer or a host of other serious ailments requiring hospitalisation - in which case health insurance coverage would be useful.
However, in most cases, coughs may be due to a temporary irritant in the air, such as dust or smoke or chemicals. Coughs due to temporary allergies, flu and other simple conditions can be cured relatively easily with some natural remedies and dietary modifications. However, if any cough persists for longer than 3 weeks, it is best to consult a doctor. Some coughs may be dry, while some are accompanied by mucous or phlegm. The latter is also called a productive cough.
Natural Remedies
- If your cough is caused by a temporary air pollutant, the best option for you is to move away from that area. If this is not possible, because you are traveling on a road where pollution levels are high, you could try wearing a mask. Choose your mask carefully though. Most masks do not offer any protection from commonly occurring air pollutants. An N95 mask with an added layer of charcoal filter helps to some extent, but does not entirely filter out all pollutants.
- Drink warm water and warm fluids: Six to eight glasses of warm water a day are recommended when one has a cough. If one has a productive cough, increase the intake of water to make up for the discharge of liquids from the body.
- Cold liquids tend to aggravate the throat on contact and worsen the cough. Avoid such drinks at all costs. Drink light black tea, herbal teas and soups instead.
- Garlic is an excellent immunity booster. Eating garlic when one has a cough helps decrease the severity and length of infection.
- As coughs are mostly associated with common colds, having ginger helps both the cough and the cold. You could chew it slowly, or add it to your tea. Alternatively, you could make a special home-made brew by mixing a few other ingredients. More on that later.
- Honey has an amazing ability to soothe the throat. It often is far more effective than over-the-counter (OTC) cough syrups. Have this honey at intervals - plain or by mixing with some other ingredients. This is discussed later.
- Probiotics do not directly impact your cough. However, they do support and enhance the functioning of your gastrointestinal system, leading to better immunity. Probiotics are available in a host of common products such as curd, buttermilk, idlis, dosas, cheese, paneer, kalmegh and turmeric.
- A slice of pineapple about three times a day could help. The ingredient bromelain, found in the stem and fruit of the pineapple, is thought to control the cough as well as help one loosen the phlegm in the throat. While the evidence on this is limited, it is worth a try to see if it works for you.
- This can work wonders for both coughs and colds. For this, you need to boil about two litres of water, and breathe in the water vapour. You could do this by draping a towel over your head and face and placing it over the steaming water. You could add a little peppermint essential oil to the water for better effect, as the menthol present eases breathing.
- One of the oldest remedies for cough, all one needs to do is put a teaspoon of salt in about 200 ml of warm water and gargle two or three times a day. This does wonders for a sore throat that generally accompanies a cough.
- Have a little warm tea with mint infused in it. Menthol present in t has a soothing effect on the throat
- Another household ingredient for the average Indian, turmeric has several uses as a herbal remedy and cooking ingredient. You could take it as turmeric tea, by boiling it with water for sometime, or you could add it to some hot milk. Adding a little pepper to the drink will increase the body’s ability to absorb the turmeric
- Many times, coughing is the result of acid reflux. Caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, spicy food, acidic foods are some of the common triggers of an acid reflux.
Homemade Cough-relieving Brews
Here are some grandmother recipes to relieve the cough
Ginger, Honey and Lime
Add 50 g of ginger to a litre of water and boil continuously till it reduces in half. Take a cupful of the ginger water, add about a teaspoon of lime juice and two teaspoons of honey and drink while hot. Do this two or three times a day. You could add more honey or lime as per your taste. If you do not have lime, the hot ginger with honey will also help.
Ginger, Pepper, Black Cardamom, Tulsi and Misri (Unrefined Sugar)
Add all these ingredients to a pan of water and continuously boil till the volume reduces by half. Drink one cup two or three times a day.
Conclusion
Coughs are a fairly common ailment in any household. While usually easy to treat with home made remedies, if a cough persists for more than three weeks, it is best to consult a doctor to find the underlying cause. In some cases, the cough may be due to an allergy to a medication, which again can be pinpointed with the help of a doctor. So, don’t take persistent coughs lightly. Timely medication can help you immensely.
