Home Remedies for Cough - Causes, Symptoms & Cures

Cough is defined as a condition in which certain minute particles enter into the respiratory pathway and irritates the airways. This blockage hampers the normal flow of air from lung to nose and vice versa. This disease can attack person of any age group.
Person suffering from cough finds trouble in breathing, speaking, and finds difficulty in sleeping. If cough persists for more than 15 days, patient should immediately be taken for medical checkup as it may result in other severe diseases.

Causes of Cough

• The major causes of cough are: Cough, heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, viral, flu, and sinus.
• A cough may be caused by inflammation of the larynx or the pharynx.
• A cough can develop in the chest due to change in weather or seasonal changes.
• The real cause of this disorder, however, is clogging of the bronchial tubes with waste matter. This is due to wrong feeding habits. The reason for higher incidence of cough during winter than in other seasons is that an average person usually eats more of catarrh-forming foods such as white bread, meat, sugar, porridge, puddings, and pies during the colder months of the year. Being over clothed with heavy undergarments and other garments during this period also prevents proper aeration of the skin.

Symptoms of cough

• Person suffering from cough feel uneasiness, chest congestion, sore throat, body pain. The major symptoms of cough are: pain in body parts, poor throat, fever and pain in head, cold, trouble in sleeping, problem in breathing system and uneasiness.

Home Remedies for Cough

• This is good to use for a persistent, stubborn cough. Pour 2 1/2 cups of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of dried agrimony flowers or leaves, and 1 tablespoon dried parsley. Cover and steep until the mixture is cool. Strain. Use as a gargle to soothe sore throats. To stop persistent coughs, take 2-3 tablespoons of the infusion morning and evening.
• Grapes are one of the most effective home remedies for the treatment of a cough. Grapes tone up the lungs and act as an expectorant, relieving a simple cold and cough in a couple of days. A cup of grape juice mixed with a teaspoon of honey is advised for cough relief.
• Almonds are useful for dry coughs. Seven kernels should be soaked in water overnight and the brown skin removed. They should then be ground well to form a fine paste. A quantity of twenty grams each of butter and sugar should men be added to the paste. This paste should be taken in the morning and evening.
• Haldi (Turmeric) powder - Turmeric powder is not only a perfect remedy for Cough and cough, science has proved that turmeric powder is helpful for the cancer patients as well. Take a tablespoon of carom seeds or ajwain to a glass of water and add one tablespoon of turmeric powder to it. When the water reduces to half of its quantity, add honey to it. Take this syrup 2-3 times a day. This loosens the chest congestion and improves breathing. Take 2 teaspoon full of turmeric powder and add it to warm milk. This has a magical effect in loosening the cough and clearing the mucus membrane. This is one of the best home remedies for cough.
• Onion - Onion plays important role in the treatment of cough. The juice extracted from finely chopped onion helps in loosening the cough, and clears chest-congestion. cough syrup prepared by mixing onion juice with honey is highly recommended. Take 1-2 teaspoon of onion juice, add 1-2 teaspoon of honey into it. Keep this mixture aside for 5-6 hours, and then give a teaspoon of it to the patient at east two times in a day. Another cough syrup made from onion juice contains lemon juice mixed in water along with honey. Take 1-2 teaspoon of onion juice, add 1-2 teaspoon of lemon juice into it. Pour little amount of water and allow it to boil, later add 1-2 teaspoon of honey into it. Keep this cough syrup aside for 5-6 hours and give a teaspoon of it to the patient at least two times in a day.
• Adrak (Ginger) syrup - Ginger is one of the most used and effective home remedy. It is used for the cure of several diseases including cough. Prepare cough syrup by mixing a half tablespoon of ginger paste, and a half tablespoon of pepper powder. Further add equal amount (one tablespoon) of vinegar and honey into it. Mix with 2-3 tablespoon of water and keep it aside. Take this cough syrup 2-3 times a day. This is one of the widely accepted home remedy for the treatment of cough. This is one of the important home remedies for cough.
• Ginger, garlic tea - Like ginger, garlic too is a very old home remedy. Doctors all over the world have admitted the usefulness of these two natural doctors of mankind. Ginger, garlic tea not only sooths the throat, it also loosen the mucus membrane, and clears chest congestion. Prepare a tea by adding small piece of ginger cut in small slices, 1-2 garlic seeds, and small amount of lemon juice into the boiling water. Boil it around 15-20 minutes. Strain the liquid and keep it aside. Add a little amount of honey into it and give it to the patient. The lemon juice added to it loosens the cough and makes breath easy.
• Kali Mirch (Black pepper) - Home remedy for cough is incomplete without black pepper. It looses the mucous membrane, opens chest congestion. Patient may take 2-3 black pepper seeds and chew it, or fry it little in oil. If patient finds difficult in chewing it because of its strong bitter taste, add 2-3 pepper seeds in a glass of milk. Another way of taking black pepper is with cumin seeds. Take both black pepper and cumin seeds in small amount and add 1/2 spoon of salt to it. Chew it slowly.
• Long (Clove) - Take 2-3 cloves and fry in little oil. Chew those cloves; patient may also take little water after chewing it.