Dry Cough Treatment: 9 Natural Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Dry Cough

Dry cough is a common problem that can make your life difficult. Luckily, there are many natural home remedies that can help you get rid of dry cough. In this blog post, we will discuss nine of the most effective home remedies for dry cough. We hope that this information helps you find relief from your coughing symptoms. Thank you for reading!

What is Cough?

Cough is a natural reflex action of human lungs and diaphragm which helps to release irritant from throat and allow cleaning of air passage. But repeated cough may cause serious discomfort and needs a proper investigation.

Chronic cough generally has two types; dry cough and wet cough. Both types of cough are interchanging. Because some time problem may start with dry cough but eventually lead to wet cough and vice versa.

Dry Cough Causes:

Many underlying disease may cause dry cough. Here are some common causes of dry cough:

1. Old viral or bacterial infection of throat: This is the most common cause of chronic dry cough. Sudden attack of pathogens makes throat more sensitive to small irritant also. This type of cough may last for 2-3 weeks.

2. Underlying health problem: Various diseases cause dry cough which are as follows:

• Asthma: Chronic cough may be a cause of asthma attack and asthmatic persons are prone for this problem.
• Hyperacidity and acid reflux: Regurgitation of stomach content to food pipe is other important reason for dry cough.
• Stress
• Depression
• Nervousness
• Tuberculosis infection
• Lung cancer

3. Lack of fluid intake: Good amount of water is needed to loosen mucus in airway. Insufficient amount of water may increase this problem. On other hand, excessive drinking of beverage like alcohol and caffeine also irritates air pipe mucosa and causes inflammatory reaction and dry cough.

4. Environment: Too dry or moist environment.

5. Allergen: Environment allergen like in coal mine, farms, and other environments of continuous allergen cause thickening of air pipe mucosa. This may lead to chronic problem.

6. Medication: Some medication causes dryness in whole body especially in air pipe. Medicine used for hypertension ACE inhibitor often causes it. Other than hypertensive medicine, depression medicine, excessive use of anta acid also influence dry cough.

7. Idiopathic: There are various cases where exact cause of dry cough are not recognized. These types of cough are classified as idiopathic cough.

Dry Cough symptoms:

Dry cough symptoms include a dry, hacking, or wheezing type of cough that only occurs at night or after a prolonged time of not coughing. Asthma dry cough is often associated with other asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. Other symptoms of asthma can include:

• Wheezing.
• Shortness of breath.
• Tightness or pain in the chest.
• Trouble sleeping because of wheezing or coughing.
• Coughing or wheezing attacks.
• A whistling sound while exhaling.

Asthma dry cough usually worsens over time and often requires treatment from an asthma specialist. If you experience dry, hacking, or wheezy type of cough then see your doctor to rule out any co-existing condition that may include: chest infection; sinusitis; and dry, irritable airways.

Dry cough treatment:

Treatment of this problem depends upon causative disease. Proper investigation through chest x-ray and various blood tests are mandatory.

a. Home remedies for dry cough:

There are various dry cough remedy which may also try for treatment.

1. Ginger:

Ginger is effective to treat dry and wet cough both. It has anti inflammatory and anti bacterial-viral properties.

For treatment of dry cough take 1 table spoon of fresh ginger juice. Mix with 1/4^th spoon of ghee in it and drink this solution with hot water. You can also use 3 gm of dry ginger powder if ginger juice is not available.

2. Lemon:

Hot lemon tea is a great immunity booster. Lemon extract also relaxes muscle of air pipe. Take 1 table spoon lemon juice and mix it with 100 ml of water. Sip this at night. It will not only relax throat muscles and also cause a good tight sleep.

3. Honey:

Honey is very good for all types of throat infection. It is used for this health issue from thousands of year in Indian system of medicine Ayurveda. Take a table spoon of honey mix with 1/4^th spoon of ghee twice in a day. Do not drink anything for next 15 minutes. In another way, you can also take 1 table spoon of honey mix with 100 ml of Luke warm water.

4. Marshmallow root:

Marshmallow roots had been used as dry cough remedy from thousands of years. Fresh root or dried marshmallow roots both are good enough for cough. Take ½ inch of dried root; add 1 cup of water. Boil this for 1 minute than drink as hot as it suits you.

5. Salt and water:

This is simple and commonly used effective remedy for treatment of dry cough. Add ½ spoon of salt in 200 ml of hot water. Gargle with this water for 2-4 times in a day. For this use only simple rock salt, not to be confused with black salt.

Here is an important tip for best effect. Add ½ table spoon of ghee with above. Divide this combination in two 100 ml parts. First gargle with 100 ml then drink other 100 ml.

6. Ghee:

Excess amount of ghee do cause throat infection and cough. But slight amount of ghee with other herb increases potency of herb and provide much relief. Add 1/4^th tea spoon of ghee in any above herb will ease this chronic problem.

7. Haritaki or Chebulic Myrobalan terminalia chebula:

Haritaki is known as the king of medicine in Indian system of medicine. Take ½ inch of roasted haritaki fruits and chew it. It may taste weird, but can effectively ease it especially dry cough at night. In 24 hour 2-3 fruits can be used without any side effect.

8. Basil:

Drink herbal tea of basil leaves as hot as suits you. It is effective treatment for the problem.

b. Dry cough medicine:

Ayurveda has lots of medicine for dry cough treatment. Some commonly used are:

• Lakshmi vilas ras
• Kapha ketu ras
• Swas kaas chintamani
• Kankasav
• Vasarisht
• Vasa avleh
• Chayan prash

Above home remedies are effective and tried by various doctor all over world. But for persistence problem it is best to discussed with doctor personally because there may be serious underlying issue. Do not take any ayurved dry cough medicine without consultation with an Ayurveda doctor.

Conclusion:

Although a dry cough can be irritating and frustrating, there are plenty of natural home remedies that can provide relief. Have you tried any of the methods listed in this post? If not, give them a try and see which works best for you. Remember to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest while your body fights off the cough. Stay warm and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Read more: Arthritis – How to Fight and Cure with Natural Herbs and Oils

Disclaimer:

Above article is only for knowledge purpose. Please contact your healthcare provider before using any of above medicine or method. For any query or personal consultation according to your health condition please contact your doctor.