What is a cough?
A cough is the human body’s natural reflex. Whenever the airways in our throat or lungs encounter an irritant or foreign body they signal our brain to cough in order to get rid of that irritant. Having a cough every once in a while is considered completely healthy and normal. However continuous coughing can be a sign of a viral infection, a bacterial infection or an allergy.
So if you have a cough that is not going away you must consult a General Physician in Lahore to rule out its underlying causes.
What are the types of cough?
There are two basic kinds of cough:
1. Wet cough:
Wet cough also known as chesty cough is a cough where a person coughs up phlegm and mucus. They are often a result of a flu, cold, or an infection in the chest.
2. Dry cough:
Dry coughs occur when there is no mucus in the throat or chest. They are usually a follow up reaction of the body when a person is healing from a cold or flu. Dry cough usually goes away on its own. But if your dry cough is not going away it may be indicating an underlying problem.
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What are the home remedies that can help treat coughs?
Almost every other thing that we find in our kitchens and pantries is packed with healing properties. Here is how you can use some of these things to treat cough:
1. Peppermint:
Peppermint may seem like mere leaves but they are so much more than that. Here is how you can make peppermint tea to treat cough:
- Boil a cup of water.
- Toss 7 to 8 peppermint leaves in this water.
- Let the leaves simmer for a minute.
- Turn the flame off and pour.
- Drink this tea twice a day until your cough goes away.
Another great way to use peppermint for treating cough and relieving mucus is using peppermint oil in steam treatment. Follow these steps to make a peppermint steam treatment:
- Boil three cups of water.
- Turn the flame off.
- Add 7 to 8 drops of peppermint essential oil.
- Cover your head with one half of the towel and use the other half of the towel to cover the pot.
- Gently blow over the water and let the steam rise.
- Inhale this steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat as necessary.
2. Honey:
Honey works like a charm in treating sore throat and cough. Here is how you can create your own remedy with it:
- Boil one cup of water.
- Squeeze half a lemon in it. (Optional)
- Now add 1 teaspoon of honey.
- Stir well and drink it.
- Repeat twice a day.
Honey will soothe your throat and lemon will relieve the congestion. Other than this tea you can also take honey as it is or use it as a spread to relieve cough too.
3. Turmeric:
Turmeric is a spice with potent anti-inflammatory properties. Here is how you can use it to treat cough:
- Simmer one cup milk.
- Add a pinch of turmeric.
- Now add a teaspoon of honey.
- Let it boil.
- Turn the flame off and let it cool down a bit.
- Now sip it gradually.
- Repeat drinking this golden milk every night until your cough goes away.
When should you see a doctor?
Coughs are pretty common especially during the winter season, so you must not worry about seeing a doctor if your cough is a symptom of your cold. However you must immediately consult a General Physician in Karachi for treatment of cough if:
- Your cough is causing breathing difficulties.
- Your cough is not subsiding even after taking over the counter medications and home remedies.
- Your cough is getting worse.
- You cough up blood.