How to Treat Coughing & Congestion
Your body makes you cough to help clear your throat & airways. Coughing can be caused by allergies, a cold, or any type of throat / airway irritation.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
-
-
1
If you have a cough that tickles your throat, cough lozenges or hard candy can help. Some brands are Vicks or Ludens Throat Lozengers.
-
2
Purchase a vaporizer or humidifier to put in your room, this will increase the humidity in the air and moisten your nasal pasages. Taking a hot steamy shower can also help a dry cough because of the increased humidity.
-
3
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids - water is the best over other sports or sugar drinks.
-
4
Taking a vitamin like Vitamin C can help with preventing certain conditions like colds that can lead to coughing. I like the Halls Defense Vitamin C.
-
5
Dairy products are a mucous producing food and should be avoided when you have a cold or are coughing a lot.
-
6
There are many over the counter medications that might help you.
Expectorants thin the mucous, making the mucus easier to cough up.
Cough suppressants, Robitussin, can decrease your cough.
Decongestants are used to clear runny noses & postnasal drips.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Take note that a true productive cough should not be suppressed as it is the body's natural way of helping itself heal an underlying problem.
Always consult your physician before treating any of your symptoms to make sure there won't be any negative side effects, especially if you have high blood pressure and/or are on other prescriptive medications.
