Relieve a Nagging Cough, Naturally

For about a week now, my cough has escalated to the point where I feel as if I’m about to cough up a lung on my desk. And while I want to run outside and enjoy the crisp late fall air, I simply can’t until this cough is gone. I like to stay as natural as possible, so before grabbing the cough syrup, here is what I’ve been doing to seek relief for my coughing spell.

More Natural Remedies for Your Winter Cough
Good ole Ricola -Their trademark ‘Magic 10 herbs'(Lemon Balm, Horehound, Elder, Peppermint, Mallow, Sage, Thyme, Lime Flowers, Hyssop & Wild Thyme) all happen to be within the mint (lamiaceae) or mallow (malvaceae) families, with the exception of the Elder. All of these plants seem to have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties to help fight bacterial infections. In my opinion, Ricola’s are also delicious so they’re not really a burden and taste much better than other cough drops.

Echinacea tea – This was a pleasant surprise! I was recently given a box of tea of what I thought was just peppermint tea (a natural decongestant), but when I opened the box I saw that it was also filled with Echinacea tea! Echinacea is great for your immune system, and has been used by Native Americans for over 400 years as a ‘cure-all’ plant. It contains flavonoids, alkamides, and glyoprotiens, all chemical components that contribute to this aster’s therapeutic role in herbal remedies. The combination of these two teas have definitely made my cough easier to deal with.

Local Honey – Honey is a natural cough suppressant. I have many memories of my mom making me and my cousins eat a spoonful of honey, lime juice, and a slice of a beet. I used to whine more than all the rest about this, but now that I’m older the trio isn’t bad at all… though I still don’t know why the beet was ever added to this mix.

Morning showers – I feel like a completely different person after a hot shower! It helps me loosen up the congestion that’s collected in my body throughout the night and lets me drain it all out without feeling dirty or gross afterwards. If I’m feeling really ambitious in the morning, I’ll put a few drops of Silk Swan eucalyptus essential oil in a dish and set it in the corner of my shower to aid the decongestion process.

Stadler Form Anton - Cool Mist HumidifierStadler Form Anton humidifier – this compact humidifier has been doing wonders for me this week! As the temperature drops, so does the amount of moisture air can hold, and putting much needed moisture back into the air is where a humidifier can make all the difference. As soon as I started to notice a drop in humidity, I pulled it out of the closet and plugged it in. Already I can feel a difference. Stadler Form humidifiers are nice because some models allow you to use essential oils in the tank, which I love.

Hopefully, with all of this natural relief paired up with plenty of sleep and water, I will be completely cough-free by next week. I think the most helpful tools that I’m using to fight this cough are my Stadler humidifier and the herbal teas. If you are trying to go on a natural path for decongestion and sore throat relief, I highly suggest seeing a naturopath first and foremost, followed by on your own using a humidifier, herbal teas with honey, and plenty of beauty rest! Lastly, people who have chronic allergies and related illnesses can benefit from visiting an ear nose & throat doctor who has had specialized Allergy Training, which can be helpful for those who don’t respond to allergy injections.

Author: R. Power

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.