Coughing is the way of removing mucus from the upper airways or the lungs. Coughing is also a reaction to an irritation or allergy. Cough by itself is not a disease but only a symptom so it can be treated only when attending conditions are evaluated. Doctors learn to recognize the distinctive traits of coughs. Coughs are either productive or dry. A productive cough is a wet cough and it produces or brings out phlegm or mucus. The mucus could have trickled down the rear of the throat along the nasal passage or from the sinus cavities or it could have been brought up from the lungs. A productive cough should be encouraged and not suppressed as it removes mucus from the lungs.

Viral illnesses: Common cold is always accompanied by a productive cough especially towards the end of the cold.

Infections: An infection of the upper airway or the lungs can cause a cough. A productive cough could be a symptom of bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis or sinusitis.

Chronic lung disease: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could present itself as a productive cough.

Acid reflux: Gastroesophageal reflux disease causes acid to flow back into the esophagus trigger a cough. This kind of cough could occur at night or whenever the stomach is empty

Nasal discharge: This nasal discharge that flows down the back of the throat causes the individual want to cleat their throat constantly.

Tobacco smoking: Habitual smokers often have a hacking productive cough that is often an indicator of lung damage.

 

Non-productive coughs are dry and do not produce phlegm. The causes are common cold, bronchospasm, allergies, some blood pressure medications, dusty environments and asthma. Asthma will be accompanied by wheezing and difficulty in breathing. Coughs can be treated with home remedies initially, but it important to recognize when medical intervention is required. Coughs could be the first symptom of life threatening diseases and should never be neglected. If the cough is of viral origin, antibiotics are of no value. They can actually harm your cause by destroying healthy bacteria in the gut.

Gargling is no grandmothers unscientific remedy. Research has proved that it does shorten the span of a sore throat and associated coughs. It is best to gargle with saline though other gargles are also effective. Heat a cup of water and add half a teaspoon of salt to it and gargle with it. Do this at least four times a day. For those who gag on salt water, there are other options. The best is the turmeric and milk gargle. Heat milk with two generous pinches of turmeric and a 1 inch piece of cinnamon and 2 cloves and let it infuse for at least five minutes. Cool slightly and sweeten with honey. Those who like the taste can sip it slowly. Or use it to gargle.

Try the raspberry leaf gargle if you have a painful throat too along with cough. Boil a cup of water with a spoonful dry raspberry leaves. Let it steep for 10 minutes and strain, sweeten with honey and gargle or sip slowly. As the infusion coats your throat, you can feel the irritation reducing. Pepper is an irritant but this quality is what set the circulation going. The warmth that circulation generates loosens the mucus from airways allowing it to flow out. Mix a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper with a tablespoon of honey. Have small quantities. If this is too pungent, infuse it hot water and sip without straining.

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if you can stomach it, garlic is said to be one of the best home cough remedies. In a day, you need to consume at least 6-8 cloves of garlic. Cooking it will kill its goodness so it needs to be consumed raw. If the cloves are small, you could swallow them whole but if they are big, youll need to cheat by hiding them in a piece of banana and swallowing it. Tea made of thyme and sweetened with honey too works wonders on a cough. A traditional cough remedy is to grate an onion into a bowl and add several teaspoons of sugar into it and keep for a time until the juices flow and turn into a thick syrup. Have spoonfuls of this at intervals all day long.

This may not sound believable but many swear by rubbing Vicks Vaporub on the soles of the feet at night and going to sleep with warm socks on! There is no harm in trying it as it does not call for one to take anything internally. Honey, cinnamon and lemon make an unbeatable combination when it comes to cough. Fill a jar half way with honey and let it sit in a pan of hot water. When it turns runny, add two generous teaspoons of ground cinnamon. Stir to mix well and top the jar with lemon juice. Mix the whole thing well and use throughout the year whenever coughs or colds strike. Even children can have this without fear.

Yoga is a great way to ward off colds and coughs. The deep breathing helps to expand the lungs so that the lung capacity improves. Even if cough strikes, it will not last for weeks. Yoga also improves general resistance to diseases. And it helps to lose weight! What more can one ask for! Taking large doses of vitamin C from plant sources can help no end. Drink carrot juice that has been mixed with a little lemon juice. The beta-carotene-vitamin C combination will keep you healthy the year long. Ginger and lemon is also a terrific combination to knock out a cough. Grate fresh ginger into a bowl and squeeze out a tablespoon of juice. Add equal amounts of honey and thin it down with half a cup of real hot water and sip.