Cough removes bacteria, mucus or irritants from your lungs or as sign of respiratory inflammation. To get quick relief from this, cough remedies are very much necessary. A few simple substances in your kitchen and medications will help you in dealing with cough.
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There are different types of cough which are listed below:
- Dry Cough: This cough is stubborn that never seems to go away. This cough doesn’t produce any mucus which is irritating to lungs and throat. It may be a sign of viral infection or sinus problem. Dry cough comes in response to medications that regulate blood pressure or hypersensitivity in the upper airways caused by acid reflux.
- Wet Cough: It produces mucus and a color of the mucus indicates a bacterial infection or fluid in the lungs.
- Hacking Cough: This type of cough is very painful and often worst in the morning. This cough will produce phlegm which is yellow or green or rust in color. The appearance of mucus signifies an infection of the airways in the lungs known as bronchi. This viral infection is known as bronchitis which results into sore throat, blocked nose, difficulty in breathing and wheezing.
- Barking Cough: It is usually found in children and may be associated with viral illness. The barking sound of cough is caused by a swollen windpipe.
- Stress Cough: It is a reflexive spasm of airways caused when you are under stress. This cough doesn’t produce mucus and it is not related to any infections.
Natural Medicines of Cough:
- Gargle with Salt Water: If you feel soreness in your throat, make it a point to gargle with salt warm water. The salt water can drain excess fluid from inflamed areas in the throat reducing the symptoms. Gargling removes irritants in throat and thins the mucus.
- Honey: It works more efficiently to calm a cough than over the counter drugs. Honey is rich demulcent with a high viscosity and stickiness that does an incredible job of coating and soothing those irritated mucous membranes. Antibacterial properties in honey can shorten the cough.
- Turmeric: It is a traditional remedy for cough. Turmeric has antibacterial properties. Heat a glass of milk, mix a ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and drink this mixture to get relief from cough.
- Ginger: One of the easiest ways of finding relief for cough – cut a piece of ginger, sprinkle some salt on it and chew ginger for a few minutes. Everyone doesn’t like strong aromatic taste of ginger. In such case, a ginger tea is equally good.
- Garlic: It is an effective antimicrobial and expectorant to fight against cough. Garlic prevents colds and also lessens the symptoms of cough. Crush 5 cloves of peeled garlic and fry in a teaspoon of ghee. Consume fried garlic to get relief from cough and cold. You can also include sauteed garlic in other dishes like rasam or in medicinal soups. This will soothes your throat and helps in liquefying the thick mucus.
Black Peppers: It is an effective cough remedies that stimulates circulation and mucus flow. Boil 5-10 black peppers in 2 cups of water. Boil the water until the water has reduced by half a cup. Strain the water and mix a teaspoon of honey. Drink twice in a day until cough subsides.