Coughs can help rid the body of irritants and infections, but persistent hacking can be very annoying to the affected individual—and everyone around them. If you’re ready to put an end to your constant cough, but want to start with a natural solution, we’ve got you covered. Following are six simple ways to stop a frustrating cough in its tracks—naturally!*
How to soothe a cough
1. Drink plenty of fluids.
Proper hydration is important for anyone experiencing a cold or cough. And consuming warm or hot liquids, such as broth, herbal teas, water and juices, may help alleviate various cold symptoms, including runny nose, sneezing and (you guessed it!) coughing, according to
research.
2. Have some honey.
According to
Mayo Clinic, honey may also be helpful in calming a cough. Adults and children over one year of age can take a spoonful of
honey to help ease hacking. Or, if you prefer, try adding one to two teaspoons of the sweet, sticky stuff to a mug of warm water with lemon or a cup of herbal tea and see if it quells your cough!
3. Grab some ginger.
Boasting antibacterial and antioxidant properties, ginger is believed to help alleviate dry coughs and coughs resulting from asthma. To stop this stressful symptom, you can try chewing on ginger root, consuming
ginger in capsule form or steeping peeled ginger root in warm water (a.k.a. ginger tea).
Bonus! Ginger can also help relieve nausea associated with motion sickness.
4. Get all steamy.
Wet coughs—you know the ones accompanied by mucus and phlegm—may see improvement with steam. To muster up some steam, take a hot bath or shower and allow the room to fill with condensation. Hang around until your coughing starts to subside. Or, invest in a steam vaporizer or cool-mist humidifier.
5. Gargle with salt water.
Believe it or not, a warm cup of water and a half teaspoon of salt may be all it takes to alleviate your wet cough. This treatment is best for older children and adults and should be repeated several times daily until the aggravating hacking subsides.
6. Stock up on cough drops.
Last, but certainly not least, natural cough drops may also be effective in reducing coughing. Here are some of our favorites:
Fight your cough naturally with
“The Original Natural Herb Cough Drops!” Formulated with elder, lemon balm, hyssop, linden flowers, mallow, horehound, peppermint, sage and wild thyme, these delicious drops use the “highest quality natural herbs cultivated in Swiss alpine areas to ensure optimum taste and effectiveness.”
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Enjoy quick and natural relief from coughing with these organic pine drops, which are “made according to world famous Swiss Naturopath Alfred Vogel's original herbal recipe.” Perfect for coughs caused by minor bronchial or throat irritation or a common cold!
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We previously mentioned that a little bit of honey can help quash a cough. These must-try drops combine honey with menthol, a cough suppressant and oral anesthetic, for soothing relief you can count on!
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Sugar free, and free of colorants and preservatives, these soothing gems offer cough-calming properties with help from extracts of 20 plants – and a boost of 90% of the daily requirement for vitamin C.
*Please consult a physician if your cough lasts longer than a few weeks or if you suspect it may be a symptom of COVID-19.
