It's a bad cough, what do you do? My name is Beverly Bitterman, ARNP, Health and Wellness Consultant and I'm here to give you a few strategies for how to deal with the cough. First of all let's start with why the cough might be happening. Oftentimes the cough is a part of the cold syndrome. Sometimes, it's what's leftover after the cold is gone away or after the flu has gone away. I'll focus my tips on those kinds of conditions and at the end we'll talk about when you need to see a doctor. Right now, let's say that you've got a cough and what you really want to do is sleep through the night. So here's some strategies. I would start with a hot shower or warm bath and if you can, you might even put, they've got some substances you can put in water, now you can buy them in the cold department that have eucalyptus in it. Something that would open up your nose. After you get out of the bath, have a cup of herbal tea or hot lemonade; water lemon juice and honey. Make a nice hot lemonade for a cold. I would consider using a nasal spray if it's really bad. Something like a nasal decongestant, something an Air Fran would be a brand name. You don't want to use this however, more than about three days in a row because you can get rebound stuffiness. So use it according to package directions, but it can help you sleep. Another thing that I like to do is suck on a cough drop, I even keep this by my bedside and use those. They have sometimes eucalyptus in them, they can have honey and lemon, things like that, that help open you up. And another favorite that I've used since I was a child is Vicks and it has a camphor in it and eucalyptus that helps open up your nose. I put a little bit right on top of my lip or on the side of my cheek. And those are some strategies. Sometimes it's well if you sleep on two pillows, it can help a cough. If the cough is persistent, lasts more than a couple of weeks, if you don't know why you got the cough to start with, then, if you're coughing out blood or a lot of sputum with it; if you're coughing, if it's very productive cough, if the productive cause, cough last more than a few days, those would be times that I would recommend that you go on and see your physician for further evaluation. You might need a different prescription medication. Meanwhile, try to keep your nasal passages clear and the mucus down. My name is Beverly Bitterman, ARNP, Health and Wellness Consultant and good luck getting over that cough.
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