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Dry cough remedies
dry cough curing home remedies
(22 Jan 2008)
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A cough is our body's natural reflex towards any kind of irritation that may be experienced in the throat. A cough can either be dry or wet. A wet cough is generally accompanied by phlegm or mucus while a dry cough, as the name suggests, has no phlegm but causes a lot of pain on account of its nature.
A dry cough could be caused due to several reasons such as; pollution and dust, smoking, allergies and so on and so forth. Here are a few home remedies that can help in treating a dry cough. Almonds are considered to be extremely beneficial for a dry cough. Soak 5-6 almonds in a glass of water overnight. The following morning, peel the skin off and then grind them into a thin white paste. This should then be mixed with 20 grams each of sugar and butter. This mixture should be had twice a day, once in the morning and once at bedtime, to gain relief from an annoying dry cough.
Chop 2-3 garlic pods and place them in a bowl. Pour about three tablespoons of honey over the chopped spice, till they are totally covered in it. Keep this mixture aside in the refrigerator for a day, in order to let it marinate. The following morning, you will need to have a teaspoon of this mixture (diced garlic included) followed by a teaspoon at bedtime. This has also been found to be effective in treating a dry cough. Grate a piece of ginger in order to extract the juice. Mix a teaspoon of the extracted juice with an equal quantity of honey. This concoction should be had whenever you are faced with an urge to cough. It will help in soothing the throat.
Ginger tea also works well on this kind of a cough. Add chopped ginger to 2 cups of boiling water. Let the two simmer for a few minutes on a low flame. Take the mixture of the fire and strain the liquid into a bowl. Now add 4-5 basil leaves and a dash of pepper powder to the water. You could also add half a teaspoon of honey for taste purposes. Sipping on this hot tea will also help in gaining relief. Add one teaspoon of honey to a glass of warm milk. This should be had every night at bedtime. It will not only help in reducing the cough, but will help you sleep well too.
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answered by G M on 14 Apr 2010, 1:45:52
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A dry cough could indicate that you have just finished with a bout of inflammatory disease or that the inflammation has yet not dislodged the irritant in your throat. A cough can also because of an exposure to a mild irritant like pepper.
Dry cough usually follows a bout of infection like laryngitis or a sore throat. In this infection, as in all kinds of respiratory infections, an inflammation causes mucus secretions. These secretions may just seem like an irritation and an obstruction to proper breathing at the time but it is very useful for the body as it traps the invading pathogen or allergen in a specific area and provides a medium for the body’s attack mechanism to move in. This is the reason that sometimes mucus changes color through the course of an infection from a lighter, transparent color to a more white-yellow and sometimes even blood stained color. Blood stained sputum indicates a ruptured capillary after severe coughing – something that even you should be careful about when coughing and should avoid by not coughing too hard. When the infection goes away, so does the mucus; however, there sometimes can be a residual cough that occurs sometimes because of the medication that was administered at the time to reduce the amount of mucus production. This is also required sometimes because too much mucus can make it difficult to breathe.
One of the ways that you can rid your self of the cough is to induce mucus production and movement. This can be done with the use of peppers. Black peppers contain an active compound called piperine and chili the active ingredient capsaicin. Both of these have the ability to irritate the nose in a relatively harmless way if used in moderation. You could chew a black peppercorn or crush it and add it to a soup and then inhale as the pepper mixes. Chili can be used to irritate the nose by roasting it and then inhaling the flavors. This is such a powerful irritant that the mucus secretion will start nearly immediately. After this, you could get some relief. Another method you should also try is to soothe your respiratory tract by using steam. This method is called stem inhalation, as the steam moisturizes any dry areas of the throat. If this causes sputum to come out in the cough then it means that cough traveled down from your throat and has irritated the beginning of your lungs.
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answered by G M on 23 Sep 2009, 7:05:57
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Dry cough remedies A dry cough is among the most common medical complaints and is often effectively treated by some of the most common and simple home remedies. Possibly the most relief is provided by taking a teaspoon of honey every morning. You can add a pinch of turmeric to the honey for greater effect. Alternatively you can mix the honey with a few drops of ginger juice. Simply chewing on a thin slice of ginger a few times a day is also helpful. Although the ginger will give you a mild burning sensation as it is swallowed, it will provide subsequent relief. Before going to bed, you can also drink a small glass of milk mixed with a teaspoon of honey or a couple of pinches of turmeric powder, or both. Grape juice is also supposed to ease a dry cough, however some people find that it irritates the throat further. If you find that this is the case with you, avoid it. Other foods and drinks that you should avoid include colas, coffee, chocolate, pickles, and ice cream.
If your cough persists for longer than three weeks or is severe enough to disrupt your sleep and regular functioning, you should visit a doctor because there may be more serious underlying causes that need to be treated.
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answered by G M on 8 Feb 2008, 3:31:19
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