How to Get Rid of a Cough
Keep hydrated., Use a humidifier., Avoid inhaled irritants., Use cough drops., Keep your head elevated., Steam out your cough., Make a clove syrup., Make marshmallow tea., Use a chest rub., Take slippery elm., Consume more ginger., Drink apple cider...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep hydrated.
A dry, irritated throat feels much better with a bit of added moisture.
Additionally, your body hydrated will help it to heal faster and clear out your cough sooner.
Drink a glass of water hourly and during heavy coughing spells.
You can supplement your water intake with other liquids such as tea, juice, and milk to soothe your throat and cough. -
Step 2: Use a humidifier.
Dry air that lacks moisture worsens a dry cough and irritates a sore throat.
Use a humidifier to add water to your air and make it a bit easier to breathe.
Make sure that your humidifier is thoroughly cleaned before use though, otherwise it may add bacteria and fungus to the air which will worsen your cough after a time. , In addition to breathing in air with a high moisture content, it is important to breathe air that is clean and lacks inhaled irritants.
Air out your home if there are high levels of cigarette smoke, perfume, cleaning sprays, paint or chemical fumes, dust, or allergens.
The best solution for this is to wear a mask for the duration of your cough; your doctor can tell you which one is best for your cough and the irritants you may encounter. , Suck on a lozenge or hard candy to help keep your throat moistened and to stifle the coughing reflex.
Medicated cough drops aren’t necessarily superior to regular hard candy; you simply want to suck on something that will increase saliva production and wet your throat.
Look for lozenges or candies that contain menthol, ginger, lemon, honey, or peppermint for the best cough-suppressing results. , This tip is particularly for an irritating dry cough that is preventing you from sleeping or resting.
If you are laying down on a bed or couch, use pillows to keep your head elevated above the rest of your body.
In general, try to keep your head elevated during periods of dry coughing to ease the coughing reflex and aid in breathing., Boil up a pot of water or take a hot shower and allow the steam from the water to wet the back of your throat.
Hold your face over a bowl of the boiling water with a towel draped over your head to breathe in as much of the steam as you are able.
Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your shower or the boiling water for an extra soothing kick. , Cloves are a great natural remedy for helping to soothe your throat after a bout of heavy dry coughing.
Mix 5-6 cloves with a cup of honey and allow the mixture to sit overnight.
After a 12-24 hour setting period, stir the syrup and remove the cloves.
Take a tablespoon of the mixture as needed to reduce the amount of coughing you’re suffering from. , No, not with the sugary white s'mores based treat.
The marshmallow plant works to create a soothing gel to coat your throat and reduce the amount of coughing you experience.
Use a pre-made marshmallow tea or mix a tablespoon of the dried plant with a cup of water and allow to steep.
Strain and add some honey to taste, and drink several times a day. , These are creams that are applied externally to the chest and throat and, when inhaled, ease coughing and soothe an irritated throat.
Purchase a chest rub that uses primarily camphor or menthol to making sleeping and resting with a dry cough easier. , Slippery elm is a plant that works to reduce the duration of a dry cough and relax a sore throat.
Use lozenges that contain slippery elm, make a tea out of the plant, or take slippery elm supplements., Ginger works as a great treatment for both wet and dry coughs.
Eat raw ginger or grate it into a cup of boiling water to create a tea.
Eating and drinking ginger throughout the day will significantly help your cough and your throat. , Although not the best tasting treatment, apple cider vinegar may aid in a pesky dry cough.
Add a tablespoon of the vinegar to a cup of water and drink several times a day for the best results. , Cough suppressants are over-the-counter medications that, like the sound, suppress the coughing reflex.
These should only be taken to help with a dry cough rather than a wet cough, so that you don’t suppress the expelling of unwanted mucus.
Take suppressants at night to help you sleep, and sparingly during the day. -
Step 3: Avoid inhaled irritants.
-
Step 4: Use cough drops.
-
Step 5: Keep your head elevated.
-
Step 6: Steam out your cough.
-
Step 7: Make a clove syrup.
-
Step 8: Make marshmallow tea.
-
Step 9: Use a chest rub.
-
Step 10: Take slippery elm.
-
Step 11: Consume more ginger.
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Step 12: Drink apple cider vinegar.
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Step 13: Use a cough suppressant.
Detailed Guide
A dry, irritated throat feels much better with a bit of added moisture.
Additionally, your body hydrated will help it to heal faster and clear out your cough sooner.
Drink a glass of water hourly and during heavy coughing spells.
You can supplement your water intake with other liquids such as tea, juice, and milk to soothe your throat and cough.
Dry air that lacks moisture worsens a dry cough and irritates a sore throat.
Use a humidifier to add water to your air and make it a bit easier to breathe.
Make sure that your humidifier is thoroughly cleaned before use though, otherwise it may add bacteria and fungus to the air which will worsen your cough after a time. , In addition to breathing in air with a high moisture content, it is important to breathe air that is clean and lacks inhaled irritants.
Air out your home if there are high levels of cigarette smoke, perfume, cleaning sprays, paint or chemical fumes, dust, or allergens.
The best solution for this is to wear a mask for the duration of your cough; your doctor can tell you which one is best for your cough and the irritants you may encounter. , Suck on a lozenge or hard candy to help keep your throat moistened and to stifle the coughing reflex.
Medicated cough drops aren’t necessarily superior to regular hard candy; you simply want to suck on something that will increase saliva production and wet your throat.
Look for lozenges or candies that contain menthol, ginger, lemon, honey, or peppermint for the best cough-suppressing results. , This tip is particularly for an irritating dry cough that is preventing you from sleeping or resting.
If you are laying down on a bed or couch, use pillows to keep your head elevated above the rest of your body.
In general, try to keep your head elevated during periods of dry coughing to ease the coughing reflex and aid in breathing., Boil up a pot of water or take a hot shower and allow the steam from the water to wet the back of your throat.
Hold your face over a bowl of the boiling water with a towel draped over your head to breathe in as much of the steam as you are able.
Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to your shower or the boiling water for an extra soothing kick. , Cloves are a great natural remedy for helping to soothe your throat after a bout of heavy dry coughing.
Mix 5-6 cloves with a cup of honey and allow the mixture to sit overnight.
After a 12-24 hour setting period, stir the syrup and remove the cloves.
Take a tablespoon of the mixture as needed to reduce the amount of coughing you’re suffering from. , No, not with the sugary white s'mores based treat.
The marshmallow plant works to create a soothing gel to coat your throat and reduce the amount of coughing you experience.
Use a pre-made marshmallow tea or mix a tablespoon of the dried plant with a cup of water and allow to steep.
Strain and add some honey to taste, and drink several times a day. , These are creams that are applied externally to the chest and throat and, when inhaled, ease coughing and soothe an irritated throat.
Purchase a chest rub that uses primarily camphor or menthol to making sleeping and resting with a dry cough easier. , Slippery elm is a plant that works to reduce the duration of a dry cough and relax a sore throat.
Use lozenges that contain slippery elm, make a tea out of the plant, or take slippery elm supplements., Ginger works as a great treatment for both wet and dry coughs.
Eat raw ginger or grate it into a cup of boiling water to create a tea.
Eating and drinking ginger throughout the day will significantly help your cough and your throat. , Although not the best tasting treatment, apple cider vinegar may aid in a pesky dry cough.
Add a tablespoon of the vinegar to a cup of water and drink several times a day for the best results. , Cough suppressants are over-the-counter medications that, like the sound, suppress the coughing reflex.
These should only be taken to help with a dry cough rather than a wet cough, so that you don’t suppress the expelling of unwanted mucus.
Take suppressants at night to help you sleep, and sparingly during the day.
About the Author
Alexis Rivera
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Alexis Rivera brings 1 years of hands-on experience to every article. Alexis believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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