Cough

Despite its seemingly unhealthy sound, a cough is actually a vital bodily function. Even though you may not realize it, you probably cough once or twice every hour to clear your throat and air passages of debris. Coughing causes trouble only when an environmental substance or an illness makes you hack uncontrollably. Coughs can be dry and nonproductive, meaning they bring up no fluids or sputum; or they can be wet and productive, expelling mucus and the germs or irritants it contains.

When an irritant enters your respiratory system, tiny cough receptors in the throat, lungs, and air passages begin producing extra mucus. This action stimulates nerve endings and sets in motion a sequence that culminates with the forceful expulsion of air and foreign material through the mouth-the cough. A variety of factors can trigger this reaction. Bacteria or viruses-such as those that cause the flu or the common cold-lead to an overproduction of mucus, which initiates a cough reflex (particularly at night, when sinuses drain and set off tickly coughs). Asthma, bronchitis, hay fever, and environmental pollutants-such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, or perfume-are other culprits. Heartburn can also provoke a cough (when stomach acid rises into the esophagus, burning and irritating the throat). Coughing is a side effect of certain prescription medications, especially some that treat high blood pressure. Less commonly, persistent coughing can result from a tumor in the lungs, throat, or voice box or from fluid in the lungs caused by congestive heart failure.

Supplements and herbs

For mild coughs, natural cough remedies can be used in place of typical drugstore cough medicines. There are two primary goals in treating a cough: The first is to subdue the cough reflex, especially when a cough causes pain or interferes with sleep; the second is to thin the mucus, making it easier to bring up so the irritant can be flushed from the body.

A tea made from the herb slippery elm will soothe the throat and suppress dry coughs. You may want to include marshmallow in this mixture. When steeped in water, this herb releases mucilage, a gel-like plant substance that coats the throat and larynx and quiets the cough receptors. If you prefer, substitute mullein flowers instead; these also contain mucilage. Adding some licorice-one of the most effective expectorants-to the tea will loosen phlegm and relax bronchial spasms. (Using licorice for more than three weeks can raise blood pressure.) Horehound in tea form has the same benefit as licorice, but doesn't raise blood pressure. Combinations of these herbs are available as commercially prepared tea bags. If you don't like the tea, you can try tinctures of these herbs; follow package directions or add the tincture you're using to a small glass of warm water and drink three times a day.

Inhaling steam from hot water suffused with a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil can open clogged sinuses, clear respiratory passages, and minimize bronchial spasms. Cough drops or hard candies containing eucalyptus, peppermint, anise, or fennel increase saliva, causing you to swallow more-which also suppresses the cough reflex.

Homeopathy

• Aconite
  This remedy suits coughs that ate hoarse, dry, and painful. They may be quite violent, which causes breathlessness, and they tend to be worse at night. Try this remedy first for croup.
• Bryonia
  These coughs are hard, dry, and painful. The chest hurts so much that you hold it while you cough. You feel worse in warm rooms and better for sitting up and taking long drinks of cold water. Bryonia can also be an excellent bronchitis remedy if the above symptoms are present.
• Drosera
  Use Drosera for an incessant barking cough. This is the kind of cough that takes your breath away; you choke to the point of retching. It feels as if a feather is tickling the inside of your throat. The cough is so deep that you may have to hold the sides of your abdomen.
• Hepar sulph
  This remedy suits painful barking coughs, which are worse for cold air or getting cold. The chest rattles and is full of mucus, which you find hard to cough up; if any does appear it will be thick and yellow. You feel weak and bad tempered. Hepar sulph is the third remedy to try for croup; use it if Aconite and Spongia fail.
• Spongia
  This hollow, barking cough sounds like the sawing of wood. Your chest feels full and you feel suffocated by it. Spongia is the second remedy to try for croup, if Aconite has not worked.

Homeopathy

From a treatment perspective, it is very helpful to divide coughs into three symptom categories, each with their own group of appropriate homeopathic medicines. Dry coughs are tight, hacking and often associated with an irritating tickle. There is little or no mucus expectorated, either because little is being produced, or because it thickly adheres to the passageways. Loose or wet coughs result from an accumulation of mucus in the bronchioles and bronchi. There is a fine or loose rattling with the cough and possibly during breathing. Mucus may be very liquid and profuse, or more tenacious and difficult to expel. Viral infections generally produce clear mucus, while if bacteria are involved it may become yellow or greenish and foul-smelling. Spasmodic coughs have violent spasms, and often occur in prolonged episodes. This borders on asthma, or whooping cough, where long bouts cause a suffocative gasping or whooping for breath. Additionally, a cough that affects the larynx or voice box takes on a barking tone, and remedies in the Croup section should be investigated. Remedies that treat these coughs may overlap, so all three categories on the next pages should be considered for any cough.

The same remedies can be used for both chronic and acute coughs, and so one can take the medicine according to the severity and tempo of the illness. A 6, 12 or 30th potency might be taken hourly, or as little as once or twice daily. The remedy may have to be changed if symptoms alter.

What else you can do

• Drink lots of water, warm broth, tea, and room-temperature fruit or vegetable juice to help thin the mucus.
• Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten the air.
• Don't smoke and avoid contact with irritating fumes or vapors.

How much to take

Slippery elm

As a tea, 1 cup up to 3 times a day as needed.
Use 1 tsp dried herb per cup of hot water.

Marshmallow

As a tea, 1 cup up to 3 times a day as needed.
Use 2 tsp dried herb per cup of hot water; can blend with slippery elm.

Licorice

45 drops tincture or 1 cup tea 3 times a day.
Add tincture to water or to herbal cough teas. Or steep 1 tsp dried herb in hot water with slippery elm or marshmallow.

Horehound

As a tea, 1 cup up to 3 times a day as needed.
Use 1 or 2 tsp dried herb per cup of hot water. Can be taken alone or with other herbs listed.

For kids

See age-appropriate dosages of herbal remedies

• The herb coltsfoot helps to clear congestion from the lungs. Make a tea and give your child one dose, three times a day, for two days.
• Licorice tea or tincture has antibacterial properties, soothes the throat and respiratory tract, and tastes sweet. For a cough, licorice works best when taken warm. Give your child one dose, three times daily, for two to three days. A combination of coltsfoot and licorice can also be used.
  Note: Licorice should not be given to a child with high blood pressure.
• If your child has a cough with diarrhea, lungwort is the herbal medicine of choice. Lungwort is high in vitamin C, has astringent properties, and is known for its ability to help clear a cough. Give your child one dose, two to three times daily, for two to three days.
• Marshmallow root is soothing to the throat and respiratory tract. Make a tea and give your child one dose, three times daily, for two days.
• Menthol lozenges contain a purified and refined form of peppermint oil, which is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as an effective cough suppressant. Menthol lozenges made without sugar are preferable. Give your child one lozenge each hour, as needed.
• When your child first begins to cough, give her mullein tea. This is a very effective herb known to be highly beneficial to the throat and lungs. It is particularly good in the early stages of a cough, before an expectorant is needed. Give your child one dose, two to three times daily, for two to three days.
• Osha root, in tea or tincture form, is highly aromatic and helps to clear the lungs. It is especially good for a dry cough. Give your child one dose, three times a day, for three to four days.
• A tea made from sage and thyme helps to clear mucus out of the lungs. Give your child one dose, three times daily, for two days.
• Slippery elm bark makes a soothing lozenge or tea. Give your child one dose, three times a day, for three to four days.
• Many Native Americans used wild cherry bark, a flavorful and effective herb, in a tea or syrup for coughs, colds, and bronchitis. Give one dose, twice a day, for three days.
  Caution: Wild cherry bark can be toxic in large amounts. It should not be taken by children under four, nor by pregnant women.
• Try using an herbal rub. Take 4 tablespoons of olive oil and add 2 drops of one or all of the following: eucalyptus, sage, rosemary, and peppermint oil. To ease your child's coughing and soothe her respiratory tract, rub this mixture onto her chest.
• Prepare an herbal bath by putting a few drops of eucalyptus, sage, or thyme oil into a warm bath for your child. Breathing in the herbal vapors will soothe an irritated throat.

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