Herbs That Heal Coughs
May 03, 2016
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Coughs
Coughing occurs when the nerve endings in your airways become irritated. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. Certain substances (such as smoke and pollen), medical conditions, and medicines can irritate these nerve endings.
A cough can be acute, subacute, or chronic, depending on how long it lasts. An acute cough lasts less than 3 weeks. Common causes of an acute cough are a common cold or other upper respiratory (RES-pi-rah-tor-e) infections. Examples of other upper respiratory infections include the flu, pneumonia (nu-MO-ne-ah), and whooping cough.
Symptoms
The symptoms of whooping cough usually follow a cycle that lasts for a number of weeks.
- Loss of appetite
- Slight fever
- Watery, running nose and eyes
- Fatigue
- Sneezing
- Irritating cough (particularly at night)
- Severe coughing spasms
- A high-pitched "whooping" sound when inhaling after a coughing spasm (the "whoop" sound may not occur with young infants)
- Vomiting or turning blue due to severe coughing or choking on mucous
- During this stage symptoms subside, though subsequent respiratory infections, even months after the initial whooping cough infection, can cause a recurrence of the coughing spasms.
How can I know if I have Cough?
If you have or have had any of the following:
- Absence of phlegm
- Itchy and dry throat
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
- Fatigue
Ayurvedic Cure
- Take ½ teaspoon of ginger powder with 1 teaspoon of honey. Black pepper can also be added.
- Chewing a piece of fresh ginger with a little salt on it will ease coughs.
- Half a cup of warm water mixed with one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey can be taken several times a day.
- Equal quantities of powdered fenugreek seeds, turmeric and ginger powder can be mixed together. One teaspoon can be taken in the morning and evening.
- In cases of a sore throat, a clove or two cardamoms or a few raisins can be chewed.
- Gargling with warm salty water is also beneficial. This can be done two or three times a day.