hi everyone welcome to medina's academy
today we are going to see some of the
very common treatments for dry cough
but before that let us understand what
is dry cough
a cough is nothing but a reflex action
that clears your airway of irritants and
mucus
there are two types of cough productive
and non-productive
a productive cough produces phlegm or
mucus clearing it from the lungs whereas
a non-productive cough doesn't produce
phlegm or mucus
this non-productive cough is commonly
known as dry cough
now let's see what are the common causes
of dry curve
airway hyper responsiveness is one of
the most common causes of dry cough and
other than that there are grd post nasal
drip and viral infection which can also
cause dry cough
there are many other less common causes
like environmental irritants ac
inhibitors whooping cough collapsed lung
lung cancer and heart failure
now talking about the treatment for dry
cough
first thing you should try for dry cough
is honey
honey has antibacterial and wound
healing properties
it can also help to coat the throat
which reduces the irritation pain and
inflammation
so it is very useful for both day and
night time cough
you can try taking honey by the teaspoon
several times a day or add it in a tea
or warm water to drink
but here you should remember one thing
never give honey to a child under one
year old
as honey can cause rare complication
called infant botalism or floppy baby
syndrome
it is due to ingestion of bacterial
toxin which can be present in honey
honey is harmless to the other kids and
adults
next thing you should consider is warm
salt water goggle
gargling with warm salt water is one of
the simplest and most effective home
remedy
the salt here helps to pull out the
mucus from your swollen and inflamed
tissue
salt water gargling helps to relieve the
discomfort and scratchy throat
add about 1 4 teaspoon of salt in
lukewarm water
do the salt water gargling for several
times each day
turn on the coal mist humidifier to
increase the moisture in your room
and if you don't have a humidifier you
can still get a relief by taking a hot
shower
steam from warm shower loses the mucus
and can moisturize and soothe your sore
throat
you can also take steam from hot water
in any container
ginger is very beneficial for dry cough
it can suppress the cough reflex by
relaxing the smooth muscles of the
airways
it also has antibacterial and
anti-inflammatory properties which
relieve pain and discomfort
studies have reported that gingerol a
chemical compound in fresh ginger is
able to suppress airway
that can trigger symptoms of asthma
including cough
ginger can be found in many teas as an
ingredient
you can also make ginger tea from ginger
root by steeping the peel or cut root in
warm water
adding honey may make it even more
beneficial for dry cough
however you should remember that
consuming too much ginger may cause
stomach upset heartburn or diarrhea
next thing we will discuss is thyme
it contains a compound called thymol
that is believed to have antispasmodic
effects
it can help relax the smooth muscles of
the throat
thyme is safe for occasional use only
you can make a thyme tea by infusing
three to four teaspoons of the dried
herb in 250 ml of boiling water
you can add honey for an added cough
relieving benefit
but here one thing i would like to
mention is that don't consume thyme
essential oil
it can cause a potential serious drop in
blood pressure
marshmallow is a type of herb
it's used in cough syrup and in lozenges
to soothe dry cough
a study found that it's an effective
treatment for soothing the throat and
reducing the irritation caused by dry
cough
marshmallow roots also have
antibacterial properties
peppermint contains menthol which helps
to numb nerve endings in the throat that
become irritated by coughing
this may provide pain relief and reduce
the urge to cough
peppermint also helps to reduce
congestion
you can take peppermint lozenges or
peppermint tea
if you are dealing with nighttime cough
then drinking peppermint tea right
before the bedtime would be very helpful
anti-tissue medications work by reducing
the cough reflex
this lessens the desire to cough making
them especially beneficial for dry cough
some additives contain codeine and are
available by prescription only
other over-the-counter medications
typically contain active ingredients
such as dextromethorphan camphor or
menthol
dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant
it affects the signals in the brain that
trigger cough reflex
however you should know that
dextromethorphone will not treat cough
that is caused by smoking asthma or
emphysema
so dry cough can be annoying especially
when it seems to continue for a longer
time
and if you're not sure what's causing it
then do consult your doctor to figure
out the best course of treatment
in the meantime a combination of home
remedies and otc medications can provide
some relief
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