The best home remedies for cough
If you ask your grandmother which home remedy works best for a cough, you’ll receive many good pieces of advice. Whether chest compresses with potatoes, juice from radish and rock sugar, or honey, every family swears by its own particular traditional recipe. But what about the actual effectiveness of home remedies for cough?
Home remedies for cough are recommended even by physicians
The effectiveness of home remedies is often not scientifically proven. Nevertheless, physicians advise their patients to resort to them in some cases. Cough is not regarded as a disease from a medical perspective. Rather, we respond to health problems with coughing in order to expel them. It is a natural reflex by which the body attempts to clear the airways of pathogens. The following home remedies can indeed provide relief for cough.
Tipp 1 Hausmittel gegen Husten: Inhalieren-bewährt bei Hustenreiz mit schleimigem Auswurf
If you have a cough, doctors and pharmacists often advise you to inhale. Inhalation is particularly effective for an existing cough reflex accompanied by expectoration. For this, pour hot water into a vessel equipped with a nose-and-mouth attachment, then breathe in and out deeply. Repeat this procedure regularly at three-hour intervals. A bowl is of course also suitable for inhalation: cover your head with a towel and breathe in the steam. Bear in mind — an inhaler is easier to use.
Tipp 2 Hausmittel gegen Husten: Honig und Zwiebelsaft
You can easily prepare the oldest home remedy yourself. Make your cough syrup quickly and simply from onion juice and rock sugar. Simmer the diced onion with rock sugar over low heat. After the brew has rested and cooled, strain it through a paper filter or a cloth. Then spoon the cough syrup. The essential oil contained in the onion, as well as its other constituents — flavonoids and sulfur-containing compounds — are said to have bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects. This allegedly produces a soothing effect on your bronchi and the urge to cough should subside. If you have no rock sugar, simply use honey.
Tipp 3 Hausmittel gegen Husten: Viel Trinken ist das A und O
Tea is a proven remedy for cough. Cowslip and thyme act as expectorants and support the clearing of mucus. You can also brew fresh ginger. Drink plenty during this time, because fluids prevent the mucous membranes from drying out. With adequate fluid intake, the mucus in your airways can liquefy more easily.
Tipp 4 Hausmittel gegen Husten: Salbeitee
Sage has antibacterial and disinfectant properties. For sore throats, coughs and cold symptoms of all kinds, sage tea is therefore the home remedy of first choice. The sage leaves contain essential oil composed of camphor and thujone. Sage also contains acids and flavonoids. Bitter compounds give the medicinal plant its characteristic taste.
Tip 5 Home remedy for cough: Potato compress
Prepare a potato compress. This is straightforward. Take four to six medium-sized potatoes. Boil them until soft and crush them in a dish towel. Let the compress cool briefly and place it, at a comfortable temperature, on your chest. The soothing warmth of the compress provides relief or a sense of well‑being. Additionally, rub your chest with an essential oil.
Tip 6 Home remedy for cough: Chicken soup
Even our grandmothers knew: if you are ill, prepare a tasty chicken soup, ideally with plenty of vegetables. The vapors and consuming the hot soup warm the airways. A homemade chicken soup contains certain aromas that promote the flow of nasal secretions, which helps flush viruses out of the body more easily. Chicken soup contributes to relieving cold symptoms such as cough. It is best to consume the chicken soup throughout the day.
Tip 7 for cough: Pay attention to indoor climate and temperature
If the airways are strongly irritated, ensure adequate humidity. An electric humidifier is helpful for this. Alternatively, you can place bowls filled with water or hang evaporators on radiators. Prop your head up with extra pillows, as this relieves the airways. Room temperature should not exceed 18 degrees Celsius. Regular ventilation prevents additional coughing irritation. Make sure you get sufficient sleep.
Conclusion: For a cough you need patience – waiting and drinking tea helps
As you can see, a cough can also be alleviated with home remedies. In any case, have some patience. Herbs and honey are particularly proven in combating persistent cough. The home remedies used in combination are ideal for helping you recover quickly. Act promptly at the first scratch in the throat. Drink sufficiently and follow a vitamin‑rich diet. Also note: you are better prepared against a cold with a healthy lifestyle, a vitamin‑rich diet, frequent ventilation, regular handwashing and sufficient exercise in the fresh air. In this way you strengthen the immune system and create the best conditions to protect yourself from illness.