Natural Cough Remedies

These natural cough remedies and home remedy for coughing are self care treatment if you find that cough syrup or cough medicine doesn't seem to help. Or you might also want to try these home remedies for cough if you prefer to use natural suppressant or expectorant obtained from herbs and other natural products.

Why do we cough? It's normal because it's one of the ways the body responds to and tries to get rid of irritants present in the breathing airways and throat. What's abnormal and needs attention is if it is persistent cough which goes on for weeks and especially if it produces blood or greenish yellow mucus or phlegm. Other reasons for concern are if you are wheezing as you cough or if you are experiencing whooping cough and having difficulty breathing.

So, how to stop coughing? Try these natural cough remedies for cough relief.

Honey

Honey is known as one of the most popular natural cough remedies and has been used as a folk remedy to stop coughing. According to a study conducted at the Pennsylvania State University in Hershey on 105 children, honey is effective as a cough suppressant and an alternative to cough medicine. However, it isn't recommended for children below age 1 because it may cause botulism.

If you want to try this cough remedy, what you can do is swallow a tablespoon of honey with or without mixing with water before you sleep to help you stop the nighttime coughing. Honey mix in equal parts with fresh lemon juice taken several times a day may also help as a cough treatment. You can also add the raw honey to carrot, grape or elderberry juice.

Another option of using raw honey as natural cough remedies is to add it to any herbal tea of your choice, but preferably green tea or elderberry, and drink it warm. Adding a few slices of lemon into your warm tea will also help soothe your throat and cough.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is another one of the natural cough remedies that seem to work to stop coughing. Apple cider vinegar contains natural antibiotic, antiseptic and healing properties. When you choose apple cider vinegar, pick one that is natural, undistilled, organic and raw. One of the ways to know if it is the one is that it is cloudy or brownish in color and you can see a "cobweb-like" substance at the bottom of the bottle.

Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey, a few drops of lemon juice and 1/3 glass of warm water and drink the mixture a few times a day.

Here is a list of herbal remedy for cough

1. Garlic - If chewing or eating 2 cloves of garlic is something that you can't do, mince them or use a garlic press. Swallow the minced garlic with the help of lots of water. Otherwise, fill them into empty gelatin size 0 capsules and take them like you are taking any of your health supplements. Fresh crushed garlic has powerful antibiotic, anti fungal and anti microbial properties.
   
   
   
2. Ginger - Ginger root has analgesic, anti inflammatory, antibacterial, sedative and antipyretic properties. To try this as one of your natural cough remedies, you can either eat raw ginger or drink fresh and warm ginger root tea with natural honey several times a day.
   
   
   
3. Onion - Onions among the many nutrients contain quercetin which has anti oxidant, anti histamine, anti microbial and anti inflammatory properties. As a home remedy for cough, what you can do is slice a big onion. Put the slices in a bowl and add pure honey. Leave the mixture for an hour or more and then swallow this homemade cough syrup.
   
   
   
4. Lobelia - Lobelia is one of the herbs that have been used as a cough remedy. Lobelia extract is available in capsules, liquid extract, dried and also as tea.
   
   
   
5. Echinacea - If you look at the labels of some cough suppressants or cough drops, you will notice that echinacea is used as one of its ingredients. Taking echinacea at the first signs of flu, sore throat or cough may help shorten its duration and speed up healing. One of the best ways to take echinacea is to drink a warm cup of tea with honey several times a day.
   

Other herbs that you can use as natural cough remedies are aloe vera gel, licorice root, marshmallow root, mullein, peppermint, reishi, slippery elm bark and wild cherry bark. All the herbs except aloe vera are readily available in tea bags.

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