Dry Cough – Home Remedies

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Dry cough never fails to irritate those who have it. It is itchy, exasperating, and croaky.

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Cough for a minute and you think something has gone down the wrong pipe. Cough for a day or two, you may think you have picked up a cold or flu. Sometimes it may be painful and produces a lot of discomfort and awkward moments.

Dry cough is not a disease itself. It is simply a symptom of an underlying condition. There are a lot of causes for dry cough to develop. Some of them are basically environmental factors and others are serious medical conditions that need immediate attention such as pneumonia, asthma, etc. Nevertheless, dry cough is a symptom that must be treated as well. This article deals with the most common natural dry cough remedies that doctors or even mothers provide for the coughing member.

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Causes

A dry, hacking cough may develop toward the end of a cold or after you have been exposed to an irritating substance, such as cigarette smoke or dust. Accompanying the itchy throat and watery eyes that come with allergies, a dry cough can make your sneezing and nasal congestion feel worse.

• Viral infection of the respiratory tract
• Sinus infections
• Pneumonia
• Allergy to smoke or dust

Asthmatics may have a dry, nagging cough that comes and goes. Certain medications can cause a dry cough, including blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors. Rooms that present low moisture levels can dry out the mucous membranes and irritate the throat.

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Home Remedies

• Water. Nothing beats fresh and natural warm water in treating respiratory discomforts. The warmth of the water plus its moisturizing effect is a very potent dry cough remedy that soothes the airways and respiratory membranes. You may also add some salt to it for more efficacies.
• Ginger. It is the most common dry cough remedy that is readily available at home. You simply peel and cut the ginger, add some salt to it and chew it the way you chew a bubblegum. It might be a little too spicy so if you cannot handle it, then you can simply make a ginger tea by boiling it to hot water followed by tea leaves, pepper and basil leaves. Consume this 3-4 times a day.
• Garlic. It is a powerful herbal medicine. Now, as a dry cough remedy, it possesses antibiotic properties that would certainly be helpful especially if you are developing an infection. To consume this, you must mince a clove of garlic, drizzle it with honey and marinate it overnight. When you wake up in the morning, take 1 tablespoon of it then repeat it all throughout the day as needed.
• Honey and lemon. For a more potent dry cough remedy, try mixing two tablespoons each of lemon juice and honey, then warm it and enjoy. This mixture is said to provide enormous relief in dry cough.
• Turmeric. It is a dry cough remedy that is said to get rid of the irritating persistent dry cough in 2 days time. Just mix 1 gram of the turmeric with 1 teaspoon of honey and drink it. Do this dry cough remedy at least three times a day.
• Raw onion. Finely chop one onion and extract its juice. Mix one teaspoon of onion juice with one teaspoon of honey. Allow the mixture to sit for four to five hours, as it will create an effective cough syrup that should be taken two times per day. If you are battling a cold, you should know that the onions also work to remove phlegm when combined with lemon and boiling water.
• Salt gargle. Treat your dry cough with a gargle consisting of lukewarm water and a teaspoon of salt.
• Green tea with honey. It soothes not only your throat but also a dry cough when you add honey to a cup of green tea.
• Raisins. Create a healing sauce by grinding 100 grams of raisins with water. Blend in about 100 grams of sugar and heat the mixture until a sauce-like consistency is achieved. Preserve the sauce and take 20 grams before going to bed on a daily basis.
• Humidifier. Add a humidifier to your bedroom to combat a dry cough that comes at night.
• Hot milk. Before retiring for the night, drink a cup of hot milk with honey, which will not only deliver relief for a dry cough, but also encourage a sound night of rest.
• Ginger tea. Place ginger in a pot of boiling water before adding it to your regular amount of tea leaves. Lastly, put in a pinch of pepper along with three to four basil leaves. Drink hot to soothe the throat.
• Cinnamon. Gain relief from a bothersome cough by adding cinnamon to a cup of tea.
• Grapes. Did you know that grapes have a reputation for strengthening the lungs and acting as an expectorant? Within a couple of days, you will notice a difference in your cough when you drink one cup of grape juice mixed with one teaspoon of honey on a daily basis.
• Soak 7 almonds in water overnight. Peel the skin in the morning. Crush them to make a paste. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix well. Eat this every morning and evening.
• Crush a handful of thoroughly washed basil leaves. Crush a small (1 inch) piece of ginger. Take 1 teaspoon of basil leaf paste. Mix it with 1 teaspoon of ginger paste. Place this mixture on a sieve. Extract juice by pressing this paste. Add 3 teaspoons of honey. Mix well. Have 1 teaspoon of this mixture 3 times a day.
• Make a lemon and honey drink. Active Manuka honey and propolis have been commonly used as ingredients in the home remedy for cough because of their strong antibacterial properties.
• Take 3-4 balls of black pepper and with of caraway seeds with a hint of common salt. Suck on it for some time and you will notice instant relief.
• Before going to bed, drink hot milk with some honey. This will provide instant relief from dry cough and also make sure that you have a sound sleep.

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Image courtesy: huffpost.com