Best Natural Cough Remedies

Coughing is the body's natural way to clean-up foreign elements or toxic matters from the lungs and the upper respiratory passages. Coughing can be caused by a common cold, viral infection, flu, smoking, or other health conditions such as asthma or tuberculosis.

Excessive coughing can cause dryness, soreness, and distress in your throat, and can put a damper on your daily routine. You can try natural cough treatments without having to leave your home.

Table of contents:

Natural remedies to relieve and get rid of your cough
When to see a doctor
To Sum Up

Natural remedies to relieve and get rid of your cough

With these natural and homemade remedies, you can effectively relieve your nagging cough:

Drink herbal tea

Sipping hot or soothing herbal tea has been an efficient cough remedy for centuries. You can sip on green tea that is rich in antioxidants. It helps to reduce upper respiratory infection symptoms. You can also add a few drops of honey to give it an extra boost.

Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated is necessary to thin out your mucus and make your coughs more productive. It also helps fight off infection and wards off the hacking coughs. Although water is considered ideal, you can also drink clear juices, broths, warm soups, and especially chicken soup.

Turmeric

The herb turmeric has many therapeutic properties to kill the symptoms of a cough. The antiviral and antibacterial properties of turmeric make it ideal to treat coughs naturally. You can add a teaspoon of turmeric and a pinch of salt in a glass of warm milk to fight off your cough effectively. You can also mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder and honey in a glass of warm water and drink the solution twice a day.

Honey

Honey is well-known for reducing coughing especially at night. Honey kills germs and can help you stop producing mucus.

Marshmallow root

Marshmallow root is a herb that has always been popular for its use for treating coughs and sore throats. Thanks to its high mucilage content, this herb can reduce the irritation from coughing. Available in multiple formats, marshmallow root can be found as a bagged tea, dried herb or cough syrup.

Elderberry

Elderberry (known as Sambucus Nigra) has many benefits in our immune system and is very effective for getting rid of a chesty cough and preventing cold and flu, as it stops the underlying infection. And the best thing? Elderberry syrup is very easy to make.

Humidifier

Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. Moist air will liquefy your thickened mucus and decrease the likelihood of you waking up in the middle of the night from a dry cough.

Menthol

Menthol, naturally found in peppermint, can help soothe your sore throat and make breathing easier. It will clear your nasal passages and relieve nighttime coughing. You can apply it to your chest and nose.

Ginger

Ginger is considered to be one of the most effective natural cough treatments. You can chew fresh slices of ginger with salt sprinkled over it to get relief from a sore throat, coughing, and even congestion. Or crush it and add it to warm water, let it stand for several minutes, then strain out the ginger bits and drink the remaining warm brew.

Lemon

Lemon has many useful properties and health benefits including reducing inflammation and providing vitamin C to help fight off your infection. You can drink a solution of two tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey several times a day to ease your symptoms.

Saltwater gargle

Gargle lukewarm water with a teaspoon of salt to treat a dry cough.

Steam

Inhaling steam can soothe your airways and loosen the phlegm and congestion in your throat and lungs. Try to take steamy hot showers to help the cough ease out of your body.

Elevate the head

Sleeping with an elevated head might help to quell your cough from post-nasal drip. Just put a couple of soft pillows under your head while sleeping as it will ease your breathing and reduce your cough.

Consider over-the-counter medications

You might also consider taking over the counter medication when coughing. There are two types: expectorants and antitussives.

Expectorants are used to clear the mucus from your airway. You may also take them if you have the flu or a cold, as they help to relieve the congestion.
Antitussives act as cough suppressants, and they are used to control and relieve the cough.

At Chemist Direct, we stock a wide range of products to treat coughs, including cough medicines, children's cough medicines, dry cough remedies or lozenges from the UK’s leading brands such as:

Buy cough medicines

When to see a doctor

If after trying natural remedies or OTC cough medicines symptoms do not ease, you should see your family doctor as soon as possible. A persistent cough should always be checked by a medical expert as it can be a sign of a serious condition such as acid reflux, asthma, bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, or pneumonia.

To Sum Up

The natural and homemade remedies just listed might help you directly or indirectly to relieve or get rid of your cough, but that doesn’t mean they will always work for everyone the same way.

For people taking medication or undergoing any health treatment, we strongly recommend consulting a doctor before trying any remedy or over-the-counter cough medications.

Sources:

Cough, NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/
Is it True that Honey Calms Coughs Better than Cough Medicine Does?, Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/cough/expert-answers/honey/faq-20058031
Coughs: Meds or Home Remedies?, Seattle Children's: https://www.seattlechildrens.org/conditions/a-z/coughs-meds-or-home-remedies/

Related Articles: