Natural cough remedies can help alleviate your symptoms. However, medical consultation is advised if the cough persists over time.
Cough is a respiratory condition that affects many people each year. It can occur more frequently during the night hours, especially at dawn, when it is colder. However, its repetition at different times of the day makes it interesting to learn about natural remedies to alleviate your symptoms.
Just as there is no single schedule for it to appear, cough can be suffered by both children and adults. However, it is much more common in very young children and older adults.
This time, we are going to share with you some natural cough remedies, which could help you alleviate your symptoms. Keep in mind that coughing may be indicative of respiratory illness, so if it persists, you should consult your doctor.
Also, remember that many times there are no scientific studies that prove the effectiveness of natural remedies, but rather they have attributed properties due to their traditional use.
3 natural cough remedies
1. Lemon and honey
Grandmothers often argue that the lemon and honey are an excellent partner to improve symptoms of nighttime cough. This is due, on the one hand, to the antiseptic effects that various studies attribute to lemon. On the other, an article published in 2014 indicates that administering honey before sleeping would help alleviate cough symptoms in children.
To take advantage of them, they should be taken just at bedtime. Simply, you would have to heat a cup of water and add a tablespoon of honey and another of lemon juice. It is recommended to drink it hot and, immediately afterward, go under the covers.
This remedy is supposed to help decongest the throat and airways, thereby helping to minimize coughing episodes. After taking this preparation, you should not drink anything cold.
2. Onion syrup and honey
It is said that the syrup prepared with onion juice and honey would be effective to relieve cough. Especially, it would help prevent annoying coughing episodes that can occur in the early morning hours.
A Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences study suggests that onion would have antibacterial and antibiotic properties. Honey, meanwhile, would have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties.
According to Pharmacognosy Research data, the flavonoids and polyphenols in honey would act as antioxidants, preventing and alleviating certain discomforts. Combined, the properties of both products would form a natural cough remedy.
The way to prepare this syrup is quite simple. First, you should hollow out a large onion and add a few tablespoons of honey. Thus, it should be left undisturbed for at least a couple of hours.
During that time, the onion will release its juices, which will combine with the honey. Of this preparation, one tablespoon should be taken every hour.
There is another way to prepare this effective syrup. You can remove onion slices, place them in a bowl and then add the honey. In the same way as the previous one, a tablespoon of this syrup would be taken every hour.
3. Echinacea, ginger and honey tea
These two herbs are often used to improve the performance of the immune system and, in turn, to relieve cough and other flu symptoms. In fact, an extensive study on ginger indicates that it would have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-nausea effects.
For its part, echinacea has shown some stimulating evidence regarding the immune system in different preclinical studies. More research would be necessary.
To make this infusion, follow these steps:
- Add two tablespoons of the echinacea root or leaf and 5 centimeters of fresh ginger in one liter of boiling water.
- Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
- Strain and finally drink.
- You could repeat the intake 3 times a day at most.
When to see the doctor
If the cough appears as a result of irritation, the natural remedies we have shared with you could help you. However, it is necessary to consider that cough could be one of the first symptoms of conditions such as allergies, cold, flu or inflammation in the throat. In these cases, as well as when their intensity and extension in time exceed normal parameters, it is advisable to go to medical consultation.