How to Ease a Cough

Coughing is a useful protective mechanism because it helps remove mucus and infectious agents from your respiratory system. Treatment that completely suppresses it could do more harm than good. Still, it's sometimes necessary to calm a cough, especially so you can sleep.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dehumidifiers
• Bottled Water
• Honey
• Teas
• Antihistamines
• Antitussives
• Cough Drops
• Cough Syrup
• Expectorants
• Throat Lozenges
• Dehumidifiers

1. Determine the cause. Since a cough is not an illness but a symptom, it's important to figure out what is causing your cough in order to ease it.

2. Eliminate smoking. Many coughs are caused by irritants to the respiratory system such as cigarette smoke.

3. Remove chemical irritants you may be inhaling.

4. Use a vaporizer or humidifier. Moist air can help relieve a dry cough and break up thick mucus.

5. Drink plenty of liquids, especially clear fluids such as water. This will help relieve a dry throat and also liquefy mucus.

6. Sip hot liquids such as broth or tea. Tea with honey can soothe a tickle in the throat.

7. Use an antihistamine or an alternative method if your cough is caused by allergies.

8. Suck on lozenges, cough drops or other throat soothers.

9. Use a cough medicine containing guaifenesin if you have thick mucus that you cannot get up. Guaifenesin is an expectorant, which thins mucus and makes it easier to cough up and get out of your respiratory airways. Carefully follow label directions.

10. Decrease the activity of a cough with an antitussive cough medicine. An antitussive reduces the frequency of a cough. Use it only at night to help you sleep. It is important not to use antitussives around the clock because a cough helps clear your airways. Carefully follow label directions.

Tips & Warnings

• Most coughs are not dangerous and usually just run their course. It is important not to use cough syrups around the clock to suppress your cough.
• See a doctor if your cough lasts for more than a week; if you are producing yellow, green, pink, blood tinged or rust-colored mucus; or if your cough is exhausting, persistent and/or accompanied by any of the following symptoms: a fever of 101 degrees F or higher, chest pains, wheezing, shortness of breath or weight loss.
• Any smoker whose cough changes should contact a doctor. as this may be an early sign of lung cancer.
• This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

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[evrlstngknwital]

on 9/9/2009 you retards. the mucous that causes irritation and that tickling feeling that makes you cough takes place IN the bronchial junctions/tubes, not the esophagus. makes sense to see that nothing you swallow down your ESOPHAGUS will have any impact on your windpipe, due to the epiglottis closing it off when you swallow. other than medication absorbed through the stomach

[bbgg]

on 11/16/2008 Hi viviena...
Just put a humidifier with vicks in your bedroom. It should help. I did this too when my baby was sick at 6 months. When a baby has colds, it's actually a good thing when he's coughing so don't give him/ her any cough syrup without doctor's permission... You just have to help him ease it because sometimes it can really be painful. Try to apply a thin layer of baby vicks at night, and put his head on a pillow so that his head is elevated and his body is in a slanting position. This will help him/her breathe better... and also you can search here about reflexology on the internet... There's a spot on a baby's feet where you massage it and it will relieve congestion... It's the part side of the heel and toes... Of course, as a mom, we don't want to see our babies sick so we should accept that this is just normal for babies because their immune system is still developing... So

[viviena]

on 4/25/2008 i have 5months old baby she has croup and she breath realli hard could anyone tell me how to make her breath easy???????

[viviena]

on 4/25/2008 i have 5months old baby have croup too ...she cough and she breath really hard so can anyone tell me how to make her breath easy again??

[Galskygge]

on 2/17/2007 Mix honey and lemon juice together, taking 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time just like you would with cough syrup. It helps to ease a sore throat temporarily, and if you are lucky it will help with your cough in return.