Any natural and easy cough remedys?

United States
October 17, 2008 5:07am CST
i dont know if my insurance is still in affect (probably not) and i wont have any way of even getting otc cough meds till tomorrow night and its 5am now and i have this annoying bronchitis type cough that i know is keeping my hubby up and he just started a new job so he doesnt need to be lacking on sleep etc.. any quick fixes that i can use and maybe temporarily soothe my throat? all the cold meds i have are for sinuses and my sinuses are fine FINALLY but just my chest and cough.. so i dont wanna take meds that arent even for it not to mention i have asthma and on a lot of meds so the more natural the better!! ive tried tea and drank my weight in water thinking i could lubricate my throat (which of course is irritated) but nothings helping.. any ideas so i can make it till tomorrow night?? or even beyond if it works??
2 people like this
13 responses
@ram_cv (16513)
• India
18 Oct 08
The best remedy for me is hot water gargling. I usually put in a pinch of salt to make it more effective. The other solution that we use here in India is something known as Tulasi leaves. Tulasi is a plant known for it's medicinal values in Indian Ayurveda style of medication. If you take a few leaves of it and grind it and either drink it with water or milk, it is very effective. Cheers! Ram
@ram_cv (16513)
• India
21 Oct 08
Tulasi is known as Basil in English. You can check out these two links for the same: http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/tulsi.htm http://www.indiaoz.com.au/health/ayurveda/h_r/herbs_Tulasi.shtml Cheers! Ram
• United States
21 Oct 08
hmm never heard of tulasi before.. i will have to look that up
1 person likes this
@arlerambabu (1079)
• India
18 Oct 08
Honey when taken with black pepper will loosen the mucous and make you spit the mucous Drinking red raspberry,honey suckle or ice tea with honey is helpful in treating cough within 2-3 days. Before going to bed just take a spoonful of honey with few drops of Vodka or Brandy in it.
• India
22 Oct 08
Use Raspberry's pulp It can be used as an external wash of mouth sores,ulcers and wounds.It helps in reducing sore throat,cold and flu Sip the nectar of trumpet like flowers of Honeysuckle from the bottom of the flower.Don't use the berries of Honeysuckle. They are poisonous.
• United States
21 Oct 08
the raspberry and honey suckle would be in what form? like a tea or something else?
@paid2write (5201)
17 Oct 08
Take one tablespoon of honey, mixed with a little ground cinnamon, and some lemon juice in freshly boiled water. When it has cooled a little, this soothes a sore throat, eases a bad cough and helps to clear the sinuses. Honey has natural antiseptic and soothing properties.
1 person likes this
@ClassyCat (1214)
• United States
17 Oct 08
I had been sent an email sometime last winter, about how to stop coughing at night, while trying to sleep. This sounds weird, but - the suggestion was to grease the soles of your feet well with Vicks Vapo Rub, and put socks on, when getting ready for bed. I have a friend, that said she tried it and it works - imagine that. I seem to remember that this used to be a very old household remedy from back in grandma's day. Strange - how many of those old remedies worked, and are being revived. Hope you're feeling better.
• United States
21 Oct 08
ugh i wish i didnt hate the taste of honey though!
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
20 Oct 08
My mom always used to give us tea with a bit of lemon and honey for coughs and sore throats. My grandma also said tea with ginger would help. I've read online previously for cough remedies and alot of the natural ones contain onion garlic or ginger...with honey.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
never heard of the onion and garlic before being added
@thanujad (405)
• Sri Lanka
4 Nov 08
Honey is well accepted way of providing cough relief. One way to us it effectively to combine it with the curative properties of the onion. To get rid of an irritating cough, pour 2 teaspoons of honey on a freshly cut slice of onion. Cover it and let it lie for 4 - 5 hours. Then take one teaspoon of the honey after removing the onion piece. You will find immediate relief. Repeat the second teaspoon after 3-4 hours. Another remedy effective in cough with a cold as follows. Take one onion, 5 basil leaves, 2 cloves and 5 peppercorns in 200ml of water. Boil them together till the water reduces by half. Sip this hot concoction, thrice daily to find substantial relief from cough and cold. A persistent allergic cough is very irritating. It does not seem to go away easily and keeps you irritated all day long. If you can't find a cause, try this cure. Take a guava (fruit) and bake it in an oven. Eat this baked guava once a day for 3-4 days and you will find substantial relief. Another quick fix for minor coughs is turmeric. Take half a glass of hot water and add a pinch of salt to it. Stir. Then add a half teaspoon of turmeric powder to it. Drink this mixture once daily for 3 days to find relief. This is also an effective pre emptive way to protect the throat from persistent infections. The above remedies are useful in curing minor throat problems. They can also be taken as an accompaniment to antibiotics for relief from cough and can replace commercial cough mixtures. However in cases of severe problems, try and take the advice of a trained doctor.
1 person likes this
• United States
6 Nov 08
hmm i had never heard of a lot of those!! thanks!!
• India
18 Oct 08
the best remedy i know is that take warm water. i mean enough that u can drink and then add one table spoon of lemon juice. ie freshly taken not the bottle on. drink it before u go to sleep and dont have anything after that. and u will see that all the cough will come out in the morning, and also when ever u drink drink only hot water and see it will work miracle...
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
weird that only hot water would help
• United States
18 Oct 08
Have you tried steaming yourself? Once when I had a really bad cold and congestion in the chest, I made up a really hot pot of water and then draped a towel over top and breathed deeply. Be sure the pot is not on the stove when you do that. That might help lubricate your throat. Also, when you sneeze, don't keep your mouth closed. I know that sounds weird. But just try it out. When I was sick last year, I made my throat very sore, by keeping my mouth closed while sneezing and trying to suppress the sneeze. Simply put the tissue up to your mouth and nose and sneeze into that while your mouth is open. Don't ask me why it works, but it does. My throat felt better almost right away. Also, if you have trouble breathing, use a drop of hot sauce in water. That will keep your sinuses clear and break up congestion in your chest. It might also help with the coughing. P.S. Have you tried warm soup? Get better soon!
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
i know i havent tried steaming like that but i know i couldnt do a hot shower because of my asthma.. never thought or heard of the whole keeping mouth open thing but i will try it
• United States
17 Oct 08
At the first sign of a sore throat, we take a teaspoon of natural honey. We also gargle with warm water and sea salt. Gargling can be done several times a day and eating honey can be done twice or 3 times a day. If you have a severe cough, all dairy products should be cut out. Dairy promotes mucous build up and that is what your cough is trying to rid your body of. Inhaling the steamed vapors of the essential oils bergamot, camphor, eucalyptus, lavender, pine, and sandalwood can help to relieve bronchitis symptoms.Eat hot, spicy organic foods, such as chili peppers, garlic, ginger and onions, in order to open the air passages and encourage the elimination of mucus. Spices such as mustard and horseradish can also be helpful for this purpose. If you have the ingredients for to make home made chicken, turkey or barley soup, make a pot. Warm soups, using natural ingredients (organic) will also help to thin out the mucous. You should drink plenty of pure, filtered water (bottle water is better than tap, if you don't have a filtration system) and when sick, you should drink approx 8oz every 2 hours and eliminate all dairy, and drinks containing caffine and artifical sweetners. I hope some of these tips will help...feel better soon!
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
i think i have much of those ingredients so i will have to try those
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
18 Oct 08
Seems most are telling you about the honey, lemon juice and warm water which is what i use..i also always coat my chest with vicks and use a humidifier to clean the air to breathe better or a vaporizer steaming with vicks..really need to coat your throat and breathe
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
i cant remember if i have a humidifier its been so long.. would i put anything in the humidifier? i know some people say salt but my hubby put in too much salt once and i woke up with my eyes and throat on fire lol
@Vladilyich1 (1454)
• Canada
17 Oct 08
Try bourbon, lemon juice, and honey. That works well for me. Another thing that works well for coughs and flu symptoms is a half pint of blackberry brandy.
1 person likes this
@tuyakiki (3016)
• India
17 Oct 08
Taking green tea with empty stomach is a good cough remedy.But it may have some side effects.So, Apart from it,taking one table spoon full of honey with balsam leaves in empty stomach also works.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
what kind of side affects? i have drank green tea before and i started hallucinating but i wonder if it was really the tea or something else some how
• India
17 Oct 08
it is a problem that troubles us at one time or the other. well i have tried some thing hope it works out for you. mix some honey with warm water and drink slowly. let it touch your throat. then rub vicks vapo rub on your chest and under your feet. hope it helps.
• United States
21 Oct 08
ill have to buy some vicks but i will do the feet thing since i dont want it on my chest lol
@ljq897 (77)
• China
18 Oct 08
Hey,little girl,why dont you have a whole checking-up in hospital.It is useful to cure your cough after a whole health care.You can get out what casuse your cough by which doctors will give you the best advance to cure your cough.And so on ,i felt you should increase physcial exercise in order to improve resistance.I think that it is better than you take meds to remedy your cough.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Oct 08
i dont have any medical insurance or else i would have.. i was gonna go to a walk in clinic but if i could manage to afford that i wouldnt be able to afford the medication