To treat cough caused by allergy, infection, or inflammation with or without phlegm, the following remedies can help
- Dabur Honitus
- Himalaya RespiCare
- Pankajakasthrui BREATHE EAZY
- Throat coat
- Swasari.
- Vasaka
- Bronchial Support-Banyan Botanicals
- Drinking hot water
- Steam inhalation.
- Keep yourself warm, especially your legs with socks while asleep.
- Use hot water for the bath
Adults tend to develop cough, cold or sore throat frequently due to seasonal changes.
Some are genetically prone and get it in winters, while others, get them due to changes in climate, drinking water, infections, etc.
So being a pharmacist myself, I advice you to not rely on antibiotics immediately for the treatment.
In fact, as per world health organization, using them frequently can lead to antibiotic resistance inside you.
Instead, try above natural medicines to overcome symptoms like cough, sore throat, cold and even ear pain.
They work fast, are safe without side effects and also highly effective.
Further, frequent respiratory infections tend to decrease lifespan, so one should take medicines that not only fights the infection but also restores tissue health to retain life span.
Natural remedies mentioned above can reduce infection and enhances the growth of healthy cells and tissues, thereby restoring life span.
They belong to different classes of drugs with mechanisms and actions quite similar.
Remedies for Cough and Cold
Cough is caused by dust allergy, obstruction by phlegm in the respiratory system, allergies, infections, etc.
So the drugs must address the allergy (inflammation), sensitivity of tissue as well as infection damage. The medicine suitable are
Dabur honitus
Himalaya RespiCare
Pankajakasthrui BREATHE EAZY
Throat coat
Swasari.
Common drugs or remedies for colds include
1. Nasal decongestants
2, Anti-inflammatory drugs
3. Mucolytics
5. Counter irritants
Nasal decongestants
These are given to minimize nasal stuffiness. This enables free breathing.
These drugs act on the blood vessels to make them shrink and decrease the nasal mucosa swelling. Thereby, the nostril canals are widened for free airflow. These drugs are given for local application within the nose as drops to prevent side effects. Ex: Oxymetazoline
Anti-inflammatory drugs
When a person suffers from a cold, there is upper respiratory tract inflammation. This leads to profuse nasal secretion, coryza, etc. This inflammation is thought to be caused by the virus.
Further, the nasal mucous layer has a high blood supply due to inflammation. This makes the mucosa swollen, making the nose stuffy and difficult to breathe. There can even be a runny nose and an allergy.
So, drugs such as Cetirizine, a histamine antagonist, are given to minimize the inflammation.
3. Mucolytics
Profuse mucous secretion in the respiratory tract forms phlegm. This phlegm can be viscous and difficult to expel by repeated efforts. So mucolytics are given for easy expulsion out of the tract. These drugs cut the structure of the phlegm, making it loose and less viscous. This makes it easy for the expulsion of phlegm.
4. Counter irritant
These are essential oils like eucalyptus oil, menthol, etc. These are marketed as balms (aromatic balms) or gels. When applied on the nose’s surface and throat, they provide relief from congestion and enhance free breathing.
These balms have volatile oils like menthol, which enhance the blood flow in the region. Thereby, they bring in more warmth and clear congestion when applied.
However, colds have no direct medicine to counter the causative virus. Usually, colds should subside in a week or so; hence, remedies are given to cope with symptoms.
If you wish, you can try another natural anti-infective, namely giloy. It helps people recover quickly from upper respiratory infections.
Natural remedies for cough
Cough is an irritant reflex, so it is easy to control the irritation.
1. Drinking warm water:
Drink warm water if the cough is due to an itchy throat or a burning (inflammatory) sensation.
Warm water will soothe the throat and minimize the cough reflex.
2. Use salt: Use especially the pellet form of salt. It stays in the mouth for a long and releases salt, which helps counter the throat’s irritation. However, if one has high blood pressure, this is not recommended.
3. Apply Counter irritants to the throat: This is an easy method. When one applies a counter-irritant like zandu balm. As mentioned before, when applied locally on the throat, they enhance blood flow and soothe irritation. So the sense of tickling and irritant for cough are masked and so cough symptoms subside. This can last till the irritation drops.
4. Soothing agents or demulcents: These remedies soothe the irritated throat and relieve the cough.
Ex: Glycerin, cold milk, etc. However, in natural remedies, one can use elderberry syrup. These can be used even in children and older people as they are not harsh.
5. Pure water: Though remedies for cold and cough are available, it is good to prevent cough and cold. This can be done by drinking pure and safe drinking water.
6. Protein supplements: One needs sufficient protein supplements to boost immunity.
Protein-rich foods increase WBC count and antibody formation. This helps to keep the bacteria under control. Also, high protein content helps heal any inflamed tissue faster, so there is no irritant cough.
What to avoid to prevent cough:
- Avoid cold milk and other dairy products if you are allergic to them.
- Avoid going out in highly air-polluted areas.
- Cover your legs more than the upper half of the body. Keeping your legs warm can minimize cough.
- Avoid smoking, as smoke can trigger a cough.
Coughing up phlegm is normal, as is a sore throat. Both your lungs and throat are relining themselves with cilia, which you have removed by smoking. In the meantime, as a backup, your lungs have been overproducing macrophages to remove dust and other particles. This overreaction and inflammatory response is what causes COPD, i.e. progressive lung disease and failure. Hopefully, your overproduction of phlegm is not a sign that this process is already well underway.References : Was this answer helpful?