Home Remedies For Cough In Kids And Adults

Home remedies for cough in kids and adults. Coughing can be very easily relieved by using homemade natural remedies. There may be many causes behind cough formation other than just common cold. It is important to visit a doctor for long standing cough because it could be a sign of a respiratory disease. If there is no serious disease causing the cough, one can try numerous home remedies for relief.

Cough is broadly of two types - productive cough and non - productive cough ( dry cough  ). In productive cough, body produces phlegm and it is easier to get over this cough if you can expel phlegm out of your body. Dry cough is much more troublesome and you need to work harder and more perseverance to get over this one. But, don't you worry, your immunity will assist you big time.

infant coughing
                                                                                                           ( Photo Courtesy: ryanboren)

Home remedies for cough with natural expectorants
Some foods and herbs are expectorants, that is they help the throat and lungs to expel phlegm out of the body. One can learn to throw phlegm out and this provides great relief from coughing. ( In the end, I have listed some of the common natural expectorants from around the globe )

1. Fennel seeds with sugar cubes ( Finest remedy for cough )
Take fennel after eating food. It works quickly to relieve cough. Just chew nice and slow.


" You can also get sugar coated fennel seeds at a confectionery, particularly in Asia . Its used as a mouth freshener too. "

fennel for cough
                                                                                                                 ( Photo Courtesy: wordridden )

2. Honey Remedies ( The most versatile cough remedy on the planet ) 
If I don't have fennel seeds with me, I definitely go for honey. It is a wonderful expectorant. But, it should not be given to babies. Now, honey can be taken singly and you would help you a lot in suppressing the cough. But, there are numerous ways to increase the potency of honey against cough by mixing certain other ingredients to it. These are just some of them.

Honey - Turmeric
Take a pinch of turmeric. Dissolve it in 1 tablespoon of honey. Then gulp this down. The ultra powerful combo of honey and turmeric is sure to soothe your throat and relieve some of that coughing.

Honey - Black pepper
Take a pinch of black pepper powder and add it to 1 tablespoon of honey. This home remedy provides instantaneous relief from coughing.

Honey - Cinnamon
Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon to 4 tablespoon honey. Mix it really well and then eat it. Cinnamon helps to protect against cough.

"It is only now that we are beginning to realize the immense potency of honey against all kinds of cough. "

honey home remedies for cough
                                                                                                                  ( Photo Courtesy: sionakaren )

3. Sweeter than regular Lemonade
Taking a slightly sweet lemonade is a great home remedy for cough and cold. Lemon is soothing for the throat and it revs up the immunity. So, whatever infection is causing your cough, that is going to be cleared from the body. With no pathogens to promote the cough, it slowly subsides.



lemon for cough
                                                                                                           ( Photo Courtesy: billynata )

4. Ginger tea
It is awesome in taking out cough. It is nice, warm and soothing . One really enjoys ginger tea in winters, the time when cough can be even more distressing.



ginger tea - great for cough
                                                                                                               ( Photo Courtesy: vanessapoppe )

5. Any Tea 
Make a stronger tea with green tea leaves, honey, ginger, and cinnamon. This tea works best to reduce cough from the throat. You can combine any other ingredients that you like. It is just that warming and soothing sensation that tea provides to your throat which helps in cough. So, it doesn't matter what tea you are drinking ( green tea, black tea, oolong tea, pu erh tea, rooibos tea or any flavored tea ( chamomile, mint ) it works for cough.
These help in relieving cough by eliminating phlegm from the body. Some foods are quite potent in reducing the mechanism of cough.


6. Grapes 
They are excellent in reducing cough. They are in fact the best natural tonic for the respiratory tract. They were assigned immense importance in Ayurveda. Drinking grape juice or just eating grapes is excellent for cough.
Let us have a look at what grapes do for our breathing system.
  • They tone the respiratory tract.
  • They are powerful expectorants. 
  • They suppress the coughing reflex. So, if you just can't stop coughing, grapes are the answer. 
How much grape juice to drink ? 
In my opinion, it depends on the severity of cough. Drinking 1 glass ( 250 ml ) of grape juice about 3 times a day is enough. You should witness quick relief from coughing.

grapes for cough
                                                                                                                  ( Photo Courtesy: justsketchy )

7. Chicken soup ( also great for kids and toddlers )
It forms part of many home remedies. Not many people's minds would point in the direction of chicken soup. Chicken soup is warm and acts as tonic for the whole body. It helps in nearly every condition because it has tremendously rich nutrition. Taking ample chicken soup works great against cough.

chicken soup - baby cough remedy
                                                                                                             ( Photo Courtesy: stuart_spivack )

8. Salt Water Gargle ( My recipe )
Most people would advise you to gargle warm salt water. I make it more effective using this recipe.

  • Ingredients
    Salt ( 1 tablespoon )
    Cayenne pepper ( 1 pinch )
    Black pepper powder ( 1 pinch )
    Water
  • Directions / How to use
    In this twist from a regular salt water gargle, we add 1 pinch each of cayenne powder and black pepper powder. These add heat to the mixture. Dissolve these three ingredients in 1 glass warm water. Gargle with this water really deep. Let your mouth feel the heat and burning sensation.
  • Why it works ?
    This gargle more than stirs up the throat. Cayenne pepper is quite effective in cough produced from the above ( that is the sinuses ). In combination with black pepper, it forms a formidable home remedy.


gargle for cough
                                                                                                                      ( Photo Courtesy: neco299 )

9. Holy Basil Tea
If you can procure fresh ( or even dried ) holy basil, then you got a powerful cough remedy at your hands. Just make it into a herbal tea and drink this. You can add milk, sweetener and tea to it, or keep it a plain holy basil tea.
Why it works ?
Holy basil is a kind of cure all. It is highly revered in India. Drinking holy basil tea helps to get the sticking mucus moving and out of your body. It is also a powerful cough suppressant, technically speaking, an antitussive.

holy basil tea works for cough
                                                                                               ( Photo Courtesy: quinnanya )

10. Homemade Chest Rub for Cough
If you have a vapor rub, then it is great for clearing up chest congestion. You can also make a homemade vapor rub to help the lungs scratch out the congestion, clearing the passages and reducing coughing.

  • Ingredients
    Olive Oil ( 1/2 cup )
    Eucalyptus essential oil ( 10 drops )
    Peppermint essential oil ( 10 drops )
  • Directions / How to use
    Warm the olive oil a little ( by keeping it in front of some heat source ). Then add the essential oils. Massage this oil onto the chest, back, shoulders, neck and close to the nose. You can also smell it. The volatile oils from eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil enter deep into the lungs. Within half an hour, significant relief from chest congestion and cough can be obtained.
  • Why it works ?
    Eucalyptus oil is tremendously powerful for cough. It is also used for foot massage to ease coughing in kids as a home remedy. Its camphor like aroma is great healer for the lungs. Its vapors are antibacterial and antiviral. They help to kill the infection causing pathogens in the respiratory tract.  Combined with the cooling properties of peppermint oil, it forms a nice homemade vapor rub for kids and adults suffering from cough.


eucalyptus oil for cough
                                                                                                                       ( Photo Courtesy: azadam )

11. Peppermint leaves 
It is cool and soothing. Boil some peppermint leaves in water and take its steam. It is going to have a positive effect on your cough.

peppermint for cough
                                                                                                       ( Photo Courtesy: donabelandewen )

12. The Onion Cure
Lots of people recommend this strange remedy for cough. But it is quite powerful. What we do is that we create a sugar syrup with some onion juice in it. The essence of onion would be extremely pungent and sharp on our throat , if taken directly. That is why, mixing it with sugar syrup is a comfortable way of taking the benefits of onion for coughing. The method of preparing it was perhaps well known to our grandmothers, it used to be prepare overnight. But, I have a relatively faster way of preparing it.

  • Ingredients
    Onions
    Sugar syrup
    Juicer
  • Directions / How to use
    Juice a few onions in the juicer.
    Take a jar and fill two thirds of it with sugar syrup. Now, add 4-5 tablespoons of onion juice. Mix it well. This forms your wonderfully potent homemade cough syrup.
  • Why it works ?
    Onions are powerful immune boosters. They were immensely used in traditional medicine in Ancient Egypt. They promote your body to eliminate the infection causing the cough. It is particularly effective against bronchitis.



13. Thyme Tea ( Natural Cough Suppressant )
Drinking thyme tea is quite pleasurable for me. It has got that lovely smell. It works great as a natural cough suppressant.

  • Ingredients

    2 tablespoon dried thyme
    1 cup water
  • Directions / How to use
    Make a strong herbal tea using dried thyme and let it cool a bit. When you open the kettle lid, let the vapors enter your nose and breathe in. Let thyme goodness penetrate your lungs. Then drink this tea. It should definitely reduce the frequency of coughing.


thyme tea for cough
                                                                                                                 ( Photo Courtesy: richardnorth )

14. Garlic Milk
Take 1 glass of milk and add 2 grated cloves of garlic. Then boil this milk. Later, strain the milk , so that garlic remains are sieved out. Then drink this milk. It might taste garlic like and would give you the famed garlic breath, but it is good for non productive cough.


15. Star Anise Tea
Star Anise is a sweet condiment. It coats the throat and works similar to fennel. Now, I mentioned that fennel is excellent for alleviating coughing. Star Anise is also quite similar in effect. Star Anise coats the throat and reduces the urge to cough.


16. Eucalyptus Oil Steam
Taking steam may help with chest congestion, nasal congestion and thus reduce phlegm. Inevitably, the cough dies down.

  • Ingredients
    Water
    Eucalyptus Essential Oil
    A Towel
  • Directions / How to use
    Boil a pan of water. Add 3-4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil ( Yes, that should be enough ). Now, take the steam from this mixture. It will be very soothing to your respiratory tract. Keep taking the steam for 3-5 minutes.
  • Why it works ?
    Eucalyptus essential oil, as I mentioned, is a great expectorant. It is excellent for any kind of cough.


In some cases, these home remedies may not be able to reduce cough. Then, one can try herbal remedies. These have been in use since many centuries and some are even mentioned in ancient medicine texts of civilizations of the past. But, before taking any herb, one should consult a herbal practitioner and a doctor.

Herbal remedies for cough

Sage : This wonderful garden herb is excellent remedy for cough. It is taken in the form of herbal tea.
Violets : These flowering herbs are also good for controlling cough. A decoction of violet leaves is prepared in boiling water. This is strained and then mixed with honey. This home made remedy works to control cough. It is an antitussive.
Bibhitaki : This tree is well known by its biological name - Terminalia bellirica. It is a large tree and its fruits are used in making the popular Ayurvedic medicine known as Triphala. So, one can actually take tripahala powder. Dissolve some of it in water and let it stay overnight. The excess salt settles at the bottom but the rest forms a suspension. Drink this liquid. It tastes really bitter but it helps in chest and throat infections. Triphala is used by people as a remedy for digestive troubles too.
Hibiscus : One may be wondering how hibiscus works against cough. It is a remedy mentioned in the Ancient Egyptian remedy. How to use it ? Pluck some flowers of hibiscus. Wash them and put them in boiling water. Now, the water starts to get the nutrients from hibiscus. Strain the water and drink the solution. It soothes the throat and curbs the urge to cough. Slowly, the cough goes away.

List of ( commonly available ) natural expectorants ( This might be of help to you to design home remedies in case you don't have the above mentioned item. And by the way, whats the harm in a little playing around with foods and recipes )
  • Licorice : You can make licorice tea and drink that. But, licorice is known to worsen blood pressure issues, so be cautious. 
  • Slippery elm : It is a demulcent. Its mucilage coats the throat and dulls the coughing reflex. 
  • Mullein : This herb has been used in Native American civilization to treat all kinds of issues of the respiratory tract. It works very good for cough. But, it should be taken under the guidance of a trained herbalist. 
  • Elderberry : This herb can be used to make a homemade herbal cough syrup. With ginger in it, it forms a formidable home remedy to drive cough away. 
  • Angelica root : The sweet smelling herb angelica works for cough. It is made in the form of a herbal tea.
Some important discussions regarding cough and its home remedies

Most of the times, getting a cough and / or a cold is just normal. Its just so common in the flu season. But, many times a cough is not a passing by matter, like you when someone asks you and you just say " Oh, its just a cough ! " There are infections, like bronchitis, pneumonia, costochondritis, whopping cough and many other conditions. In that case, cough might get chronic and painful. If you are having cough and even after using some home remedies, it doesn't resolve even after a week or two, then you should get it checked. A persistent, nagging and deep cough is usually a sign of severe infection.

Cough Remedies for Toddlers
Among the home remedies mentioned above, some are particularly more suitable for infant cough. You can use chicken soup, homemade chest rub, tea, ginger. Do not give a baby grapes or honey until he or she is 1 year old.

If you are having a cough with headache, facial pressure and heaviness in the head, it can be due to a sinus infection. The eucalyptus oil steam is great home remedy for this condition.