How to Ease a Cough

By eHow Health Editor

Rate: (14 Ratings)

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.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

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

Step1
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.
Step2
Eliminate smoking. Many coughs are caused by irritants to the respiratory system such as cigarette smoke.
Step3
Remove chemical irritants you may be inhaling.
Step4
Use a vaporizer or humidifier. Moist air can help relieve a dry cough and break up thick mucus.
Step5
Drink plenty of liquids, especially clear fluids such as water. This will help relieve a dry throat and also liquefy mucus.
Step6
Sip hot liquids such as broth or tea. Tea with honey can soothe a tickle in the throat.
Step7
Use an antihistamine or an alternative method if your cough is caused by allergies.
Step8
Suck on lozenges, cough drops or other throat soothers.
Step9
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.
Step10
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.

Comments

| View All Comments
Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 1/19/2006 A simple cough remedy:
Take an Asian pear or an apple, and cut it in half. Cut out the seeds and fill the space with a tablespoon of honey or a pinch of rock sugar. Cook the fruit in a pot with 1-2 cups water. When soft you can eat the fruit and drink the fluid. For yellow phlegm leave the peel on, for white phlegm cut the peel off. If the cough is at it's worst in the morning make it then, if worse in the evening (or trouble sleeping) eat before bedtime. The worst thing that can happen is a healthy snack.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 MucinexDM contains 30mg of dextromethorphan which has 3 times more of regular cough DM and 600 mg of guaifenesin. I couldn't sleep at night for 3 days and switched to MucinexDM, which saved my breath and helped me to sleep and function in daytime. The medicine is designed for extended-release, and it really does work.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 8/13/2006 After a cold with phlegm and fever symptoms, you end up with a persistent hacking dry cough. By encapsulating powdered slippery elm bark in "0" or "00" gelatin capsules, you make about 100 capsules.

You start by drinking reverse osmosis purified water with 5 capsules. The powder breaks loose into your system and attaches to the stomach mucus. You are coughing to release the mucus.

If you cough after 30 minutes of the 1st dosage. You eat 5 more capsules with water. And 30 minutes later, you take another 5 capsule dose. Slippery elm is not toxic.

There are Thayer's wild cherry slippery elm throat lozenges. They will accomplish the same effect for children or adults.
I prefer to buy the herb is bulk 1 lb. units. However, the price of slippery elm has been steadily going up.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 6/30/2006 Grind a few basil leaves and fresh ginger,strain and add some honey. My son prefers it to any cough syrup.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 I have been coughing all weekend. I came to eHow.com late at night so I could found out how to get some shut eye. If you lick your finger and put a little salt on it, then put the salt on the back of your tongue, it helps suppress your cough. It's the first time in 72 hours that I can breathe! Try it, you have nothing to lose.

View All

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article:  How to Ease a Cough

eHow Health Editor

eHow Health Editor

Category: Health

Articles: See my other articles

Related Ads

Health

DrJewell
Meet DrJewell eHow’s Health Expert.