Table of contents:
- How to cure coughs
- 1. Drink lots of fluids
- 2. Take natural cough medicine
- 3. Soak in warm water
- 4. Maintain humidity and clean air
- 5. Stop smoking
- 6. Gargle salt water
- 6. Take medicine
Coughing is the body's natural response, which aims to get rid of various substances that can irritate the respiratory tract. However, a persistent cough can be a symptom of an illness. This condition can really interfere with daily activities. Fortunately, there are various ways you can treat coughs, from home remedies and natural ingredients to relieving coughs with medication over-the-counter (OTC).
How to cure coughs
Coughing is your body's natural response even if you are not sick. However, coughing due to certain conditions, such as a cold or flu can be bothersome. People who have allergies, sinusitis and asthma can experience coughing when the disease recurs.
A cough that keeps on appearing, can make you feel uncomfortable and your body becomes weak so that your daily activities are interrupted. The reason is, coughing makes the muscles around the chest ache and the throat feels dry and sore.
So that your activities don't continue to be disturbed by the cough you experience, consider the following ways to get rid of coughs:
1. Drink lots of fluids
When you have a cold or flu, the virus makes mucus or phlegm produce more. This excess phlegm can flow from your nose to the back of your throat and cause you to cough up phlegm.
One of the effective and easy ways to cure a cough with phlegm is to drink lots of water. It will be more effective if you consume warm water.
According to a clinical study conducted by Cardiff University in the journal Rhinology, warm fluids can help soothe the throat and thin the thickened mucus so that phlegm is more easily expelled when coughing. When the phlegm no longer clogs your airways, you will cough less and you can breathe more easily.
This method of curing a cough is best accompanied by increasing rest time. That way, your immune system can more optimally stop the disease that causes coughing.
2. Take natural cough medicine
Some natural cough remedies that you can use to get rid of coughs include honey tea and lemon slices. This ingredient can also help relieve nasal congestion and soothe a throat.
In many studies, one of which is from the journal Family Physicians of Canada, honey is known to be effective in curing coughs in children if consumed regularly during coughing.
You can also try hot drinks such as ginger root or pineapple juice for a natural cough remedy. Pineapple contains bromelain compounds that are anti-inflammatory and mucolytic, which helps the body break down and drain mucus that blocks the throat.
3. Soak in warm water
This method has the same properties as drinking warm drinks to get rid of coughs. The steam that is produced from the warm water that you breathe can help loosen the secretions that produce mucus in the nose up to the throat so that the cough decreases.
Warm baths can be a way to deal with coughs that are not only caused by colds, but also allergies. Many believe that bathing is not allowed if you also experience a fever while coughing. Even though cleaning the body is still important for your health.
As a way to cure a cough accompanied by fever, you can use a cloth soaked in warm water to clean the body.
4. Maintain humidity and clean air
Dry and dirty air can trigger allergic rhinitis, one of the symptoms of this allergic reaction is coughing. Try out the uses humidifier to keep the air in the room moist while cleaning the air circulation from dirty particles, dust, and germs that cause coughing.
5. Stop smoking
Apart from dry air, perfume sprays and cigarette smoke can also trigger the production of more mucus. As a result, the cough got worse.
The best and quick way to cure a cough is to quit smoking. In addition, one of the dangers of smoking can damage the ciliary tissue which functions to clean the lung walls from dirt and mucus. This is why active smokers usually experience prolonged coughing symptoms compared to non-smokers.
6. Gargle salt water
A salt water solution can be a natural remedy for cough with phlegm. The way to use a salt solution to relieve cough is to gargle regularly (3-4 times a day) while symptoms last.
Apart from being able to help thin out the phlegm that builds up in the back of the throat, gargling with salt water can clean bacteria and allergens that stick in the mouth. You only need 1/2 spoon of salt dissolved in warm water. Gargle for a few minutes, but be careful not to swallow the salt solution.
6. Take medicine
If the previous tips weren't effective enough to relieve coughs, you can try cough suppressants. You can easily find nonprescription cough medicine at a pharmacy.
However, remember to make sure the type of cough you are suffering from: is it a dry cough or a cough with phlegm? This method helps you to choose the right medicine to cure a cough.
Some of the types of cough relievers that you should choose include:
- Decongestants: commonly available in cough syrup types phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine.
- Suppressants or antitussives: consists of dextromethrophan, codeine
- Expectorant: guaifenesin sputum thinner drug,
- Mucolithic: a drug that dissolves the mucus bromhexine and acetylsisitein
- Antihistamines: drugs to treat allergic reactions such aschlorphenamine, hydroxyzine, promethazine, loratadine,cetirizine, andlevocetirizine.
- Combined cough syrups or tablets consist of a mixture of expectorants and suppressants with antihistamines, decongestants and pain relievers.
- A rubbing balm containing camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol to provide a warm and relieving effect on the airways.
It is important to know that non-prescription cough medicines only help relieve cough symptoms, but do not cure the underlying disease.
Therefore, if your cough doesn't heal after using home remedies and taking non-prescription cough medicines, it's best to see a doctor right away. A cough that lasts more than 3 weeks (chronic cough) can signal serious respiratory problems.
