Cough is a protective reflex action to clear your airways and lungs of mucus, phlegm, bacteria, viruses, pollutants and irritants. It is a common medical complaint usually initiated to clear a buildup of phlegm in the trachea, by forceful expulsion of air at high speed away from the body.
Cough is of two types - acute and chronic. An acute cough begins all of a sudden and is present for less than three weeks. These can be infectious (cold, pneumonia, sinus), or non-infectious (asthma, bronchitis). Chronic coughs are present for more than three weeks.
Some patients found their symptoms aggravated during winter season when dry cold winds blow. Some suffer during rainy season when the wind contains moisture. Some suffer in summer days when the dust-raising winds blow. Such cases develop acute symptoms and when the weather changes, they improve but if the disease persists beyond 10-15 days or even after the congenial weather conditions have set, then the disease assumes a chronic form.
1. Onion (pyaz) helps in removing phlegm. Chop raw onions into fine pieces and extract the juice. Mix one tsp of honey with one tsp of onion juice and keep for 4-5 hours. Take this mixture twice daily. It is an excellent homemade cough syrup.
2. Take three peppercorns (kali mirch), and add a pinch of black cumin seeds (shahi jeera) and rock salt and consume it twice a day along with warm water. This is a good natural remedy to relieve cough.
3. Drink hot milk with honey at bedtime. The warm and soothing effect of this drink will give you relief from cough.
4. Make a decoction by boiling 50 grams fresh ginger (adrak) with five tablespoons sugar in two glasses water for half an hour. Drink hot, twice a day for cough relief.
5. Mix powdered cinnamon (dalchini), lemon juice and honey. Take two teaspoon two times a day. This is an effective home remedy for cough.
6. Add a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi) in a cup of warm milk and drink twice a day. This is an excellent home remedy for cough and nasal congestion.
7. Mix half a teaspoon of ginger juice (adrak) with equal quantity of holy basil (tulsi) juice. Add one teaspoon of honey. Take this mixture two or three times a day. This is a popular home remedy for cough.
8. Mix equal quantities (half a teaspoon) of honey and lemon juice. Take this mixture twice a day. Honey has a soothing effect and relieves the itchiness by moistening the throat passage.
9. Add a tablespoon of powdered poppy seeds (khus-khus) and a tablespoon of honey in ten tablespoon of coconut milk. Take this mixture every night before going to bed. This is another effective home remedy for cough.
10. Garlic-onion chicken soup is one of the oldest and traditional natural cough remedies. Take it steaming hot, to give relief from throat irritation.
11. Prepare a paste of betel (pan) leaves by crushing the leaves and adding water. Apply the paste on the chest. This is an effective herbal remedy for chest congestion.
12. Peppermint is beneficial in treating coughs, colds, and fever. It has decongestant and astringent actions that relieve congestion and stuffiness. It is available in the form of oils, tea and lozenges.
13. Crush a medium sized onion (pyaz). Add one tsp of honey, juice of one lemon and a cup of boiling water to it. Take this mixture two or three times a day for good relief.
14. Soak six kernels of almonds (badam) overnight and peel the skin. Make a fine paste and add 20gms of butter and sugar. Take this mixture twice a day for good relief from dry cough.
15. Drink plenty of water and fluids. This will help keep your body hydrated, which will in turn help lessen chest congestion that can cause an irritating cough.
16. Eat grapes, as it acts as an expectorant that will help relieve cough or cold. You can also drink a cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey for good results.
17. To get relief from dry cough, roast and then powder the roots of turmeric (haldi). Three grams of this powder should be taken twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.
18. Use vodka or brandy as a chest rub before going to bed. This helps relieve cough and chest congestion.
19. Aniseed (valaiti saunf) is a valuable home remedy for dry cough. It helps in breaking up mucus. Make a tea using aniseed and drink it several times daily for relief.
20. Pound black pepper (kali mirch) and jiggery (gur) together and make into small balls. Take one or two of these in the mouth during bouts of coughing and slowly suck them.
21. Chew few leaves of holy basil (tulsi), two or three times a day. It is very effective in relieving cough and other respiratory problems.
22. Pound two cardamoms (elaichi) to make powder. Add equal quantities of freshly ground pepper (kali mirch), dried ginger (adrak) powder and a tablespoon of honey. Take half tsp two or three times a day.
23. Suck a piece of dried roots of liquorice (mulethi). Alternatively, take half tsp powdered liquorice with a spoonful of honey twice as a cough remedy.
24. Lubricate your throat by taking a glassful of warm milk mixed with half tsp ghee or half tsp almond oil for dry cough relief.
25. Boil tamarind (imli) along with black pepper (kali mirch) in water and filter it. Add a little clarified butter (ghee) in this tamarind water. Drink this mixture.
