How to Deal with Cough

Coughing is very troubling. If we don’t do something about it, it will surely linger for a very long time. We don’t want to deal with cough for a long time therefore we should look for ways to eliminate cough. But before anything else, we should identify if it is a dry cough or cough with mucus.

We should identify the type of cough so we will know what remedy to consider. Here’s a guide:

For coughs with mucus

If we want a temporary relief, try applying VapoRubs. It should be applied on the neck for 20 minutes. If we want to loosen mucus, we should consider expectorant. Expectorants are sold over the counter. After taking expectorants, let’s try to cough and spit mucus or phlegm as much as possible. Furthermore, if we want to feel better, let’s consider inhaling moisture with the use of humidifiers.

It is essential that we get a lot of sleep and more importantly, we should drink a lot of water. We should avoid carbonated drinks and citrus juices to avoid throat irritation.

For dry coughs

Dry cough does not produce phlegm or mucus. If we are suffering from this, we should purchase cough syrups. Aside from cough syrups, we can try brewing tea (thyme tea and marshmallow tea). We can also make homemade syrups. If we have honey and lemon juice, we can make a syrup that can help coat the throat so we can cough the mucus.

When to call the doctor

If the cough lingers for more than 4 weeks and if we are coughing green or bloody phlegm, it is time to see the doctor. Doctors are needed if the cough is accompanied by chest pains, chills and fever. This is important so we will know if we have other illnesses.