Chronic Cough Home Remedies
Smoking is the only cause that worsens or cause chronic cough. The only way to stop this cough is abruptly quitting the smoking with a program called as cessation which may contain social support, nutrition plan, alternative habit not affecting the health and suitable medications which will easily help to stop smoking.
Cough that produced by acid reflux can be treated with lifestyle changes. This can be cured by eating smaller quantity frequently but more by several times. This smaller quantity in several times will discourage the stomach from acid secretion and thereby discouraged acid reflux and related reflux cough. Fatty foods encourage more acid secretion and hence lean protein is safer. A healthy food is to be identified in practice to reduce the reflux induced cough. Fast food must be avoided wherever possible since the spicy materials are also causing hyperacidity. Triggering factors of acid reflux such as alcohol, fried foods, mint and chocolate should be avoided. Lying down to bed must be postponed after meals until a comfort feeling of stomach is achieved. Pillows while sleeping has to be raised above to avoid reflux. Over all body weight must be checked periodically to monitor the weight gain. Weight gain is an indication of relieving from the chronic cough.
Certain cough suppressants help in control over the cough and they merely do not take any curative part in controlling the underlying causes. This includes camphor or menthol chest rubs, cough syrups containing cough controlling drugs, bronchodilators and mucolytic. Honey with hot water or tea also will give instant relief.
Cough is commonly self-limited but it may have its way for a longer period for weeks to years. Chronic cough by its long duration and severity with complications forces a patient to visit to a physician and if not recovered there is a need to go to experts of lung diseases. This cough alone is not a disease but it is a clinical symptom that denotes an underlying disease. Apart from the striking cause of smoking and GERD there are other causes that includes bronchitis, pneumonia, postnatal drip, asthma, antihypertensive drugs and lung cancer. Children are more commonly affected by upper respiratory tract infection and pneumonia. Successful management of chronic cough depends upon the accurate diagnosis and specific treatment.
The discomfort associated with chronic cough can be managed with certain home remedies. Apple cider vinegar, onions and garlic are some of the home remedies in minimizing the discomfort in chronic cough. Certain herbs like horehound, marshmallow and slippery elm are also useful in easing the cough. Herbs like hyssopus and althea also soothe the chest during chronic cough. The oils from eucalyptus and juniper give relief from cough when inhaled. The tea mixed with thyme leaf, plantain and mullein leaf have also effectively relieves from the chronic cough discomfort.
The drink made of garlic and cloves are good home made remedies for severe chronic cough. It is prepared by mixing 3 to 4 garlic with some small quantity of cloves. Then this paste is added with milk. Then it is boiled until it reduces to half of the original content. The reduced milk of garlic and cloves are added with sugar to improve taste. Drinking the drink twice in a day for a week will give good result from the illness of chronic cough. Codonopsis root is boiled with water and necessary sugar is added and this decoction or codonopsis powder is also useful in chronic cough. It is well known factor that drinking a hot carrot juice is of value in reducing the cough. Massaging the chest with the mixture of rock salt and clarified butter helps in reducing the cough. Chamomile tea is very effective in soothing sore throat arising from chronic cough.
Aloe-Vera is also a good home remedy for chronic cough. It is available in liquid form to be taken orally.
Coconut oil or sesame oil is mixed with few drops of marjoram, frankincense, eucalyptus, thyme and camphor is an effective cough suppressant. Herbal tea from lavender rose petals, peppermint and honey is also useful in reducing the cough.
Apart from the home remedy herbs and oils that reduces the chronic cough, there are some techniques that reduce and control the chronic cough. They are called relaxation, visualization and breathing technique. They are very simple exercises that can be learnt from experts.
