Natural tips against coughing
Do you suffer from a tickly cough? Are you going crazy because you have to cough all the time? With these natural tips against coughing you can get rid of it in no time. Including tips for coughing baby and toddler.
Coughing can have three causes:
– Cold (sometimes accompanied by the flu) or another virus, this cough is known as a non-productive cough, dry or tickly cough, but can also be a productive cough if it comes with mucus
- Fabric
- Smoke
- Allergy
- Bad ventilation - cough (also coughing can be a cause of even more cough)
Coughing is a response of the body to get rid of substances that are not supposed to be there. It does not matter what the cause of the coughing is. Coughing clears the lungs, throat and windpipe. If there is a respiratory infection, this is accompanied by coughing up (a lot of) mucus.
Whether you're coughing because of poor ventilation (itchy cough) or really suffer from a stuck cough, coughing is often difficult. Especially if this lasts longer. In principle, you can just treat a cough yourself and you do not have to go to the doctor for this. It is annoying, but usually goes away within 1 – 2 weeks. Consult a doctor if:
– You have a persistent cough for more than 2 weeks
– You cough up blood or light brown mucus (not if this happens occasionally)
– In addition to coughing, you suffer from shortness of breath or chills
– Do you have chest pain when inhaling? Or do you wheeze when you breathe? Then it's time to call the doctor
– A persistent hoarse voice for more than two weeks
– In case of fever, general malaise and feeling sick that lasts longer than a few days
In all other cases you can treat cough with the tips below.
The easiest way to combat coughing is to drink tea. In principle, it does not matter which tea you take. The heat of the tea already ensures that the mucous membranes relax. If you really want to tackle the cough, choose (organic) herbal tea, such as sage and basil, for example.
You can of course also opt for thyme tea or tea made from road bree. Compose your own herbs or opt for a ready-made tea. If desired, you can sweeten the tea with a little honey. If possible, drink a liter of tea a day, as hot as possible, without burning yourself.
Onions are a horse remedy when it comes to fighting colds and coughs. Rest assured, you don't have to eat raw onions to get rid of that pesky cough. With the instructions below you can make a homemade onion syrup for coughing:
– Take a small glass jar and put a small, peeled and chopped onion in it
– Add two tablespoons of liquid honey to the onion (possibly replace with sugar)
– Leave this for at least a few hours, preferably overnight (with lid on)
– Strain it all and you have homemade onion syrup
– Take a few teaspoons of this daily ( intermittently)
There is nothing more annoying than a (persistent) tickling cough. The more you give in to this, the worse it usually gets. Treat the tickly cough as soon as possible with the recipe below:
– 250 ml Milk
– 25 gr peeled ginger
– 2 teaspoons honey (preferably Manuka honey)
Peel the ginger and boil it with the milk for about 5 minutes. Season with the honey.
Do you have a persistent cough? Then make a compress for your chest. You can use different things for this. Think of potatoes, cottage cheese or thyme. It is important that you use a cloth that is large enough to wrap around your chest (preferably 2x). The most ideal fabric for this is linen or cotton. For potato poultice, boil 500 grams of potatoes (unpeeled). Drain the water, let it cool slightly, mash finely and spread on a cloth. Wrap the compress on the chest (make sure it's not too hot!). Another large towel around it and your compress is ready. The heat also ensures that your throat is less bothered.
For a cottage cheese compress, do not heat the cottage cheese! You apply the cottage cheese to the cloth and tie it around the breast. You then heat the compress with the help of a pitcher. This method is perfectly suitable for coughing in babies and toddlers.
Do you want to make a thyme compress? Then first make tea from the thyme. Dip the cloth in this and tie it as hot as possible (without burning yourself) on the chest. An extra cloth around it ensures that the heat is retained for longer and the vapors that are released can do their job optimally. Thyme is antibacterial.
Do you still suffer from a tickly cough? Relax your body with a steam bath. You can use a steamer or you can do it very easily and on a low budget with a bowl and a large bath towel. Fill the bowl with nearly boiling water and add chamomile, thyme, or something else to the water. You can use dried herbs, tea herbs or essential oil for this. Now hang your head over it and cover the whole with the towel, so that the vapors remain under the towel. The vapors provide moist mucous membranes and release excess mucus.
It is recommended for children to use a steamer. Hot water in a bowl and a child is simply not a good combination.
Does your child have a cough? Then it is advisable to tackle this as soon as possible with natural means. It is important that you make sure that your child has really stopped coughing quickly and that he has no other signs of illness. Very small children, in particular, can develop bronchitis and, in the worst cases, pneumonia due to persistent coughing. Is your child still coughing after a few days? Then it is advisable to consult a doctor.
As with everything, not all natural remedies are suitable for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. For example, babies up to 1 year old should not use honey due to the risk of infant botulism. Menthol and eucalyptus should also not be used for small children. This is because the oils contained in it are particularly sharp and can cause shortness of breath.
You can use the following home remedies for your baby, toddler and preschooler
– Tea
– Compress
– Humidifier
– Steam device if your child is big enough
Reading tip:Tips against coughing in children
What do you prefer to use for coughing?
