Cough

Cough is a reflex action which clears the breathing passages like throat and respiratory tract from irritants, foreign material, and phlegm.
It is very common among the masses and it is not a sign of danger until it persists for more than three weeks (in this case you must consult a doctor). Coughing is good for the lungs as it clears air passage and thus increasing space for oxygen intake to the body, therefore it’s not wise to suppress it.
Cough usually goes away within few days and therefore they do not need much attention.


Types of cough: 
1. Non-Productive Cough (Dry Cough): The name of this type is self-explanatory, i.e., it is dry and irritating. In this case the phlegm is much more thickened and as a result it is not      easily expelled out. It affects the patient by exhausting and tiring him completely. Due to excessive coughing, there is acute pain in the chest region and throat. The sufferer may like to scratch his throat due to itchiness in the region as a result of dryness. It can have allergic origin or could be due to the reaction of an item that may cause coughing. 
2. Productive Cough (Chesty cough or Wet Cough):  This type of cough contains phlegm which is yellowish green in color. It is a result of viral or bacterial attack on the body and needs medical cure. In this cough, body expels harmful microbes and other toxins from the body in the form of phlegm, and therefore this phlegm should be expelled from the body, otherwise it could induce fever to the body. 
3. Congested Cough: It generally occurs when the body is attacked by some flu or during common cold. The sufferer is first attacked by non-productive cough which is followed by a productive cough. Running nose and sore throat is usually very common during this time.


Causes of Cough:
1. Sore throat with swollen lymph nodes which occurs due to some allergy or viral or bacterial infection. The trickling of mucus from nose to throat causes irritation and make you tired mentally.
2. Asthma can cause constriction in the air passages and thus introduces cough to the body.
3. Air pollution, dust, smoking, temperature and environment changes could also be responsible for dry coughs.
4. Inflammation of larynx or pharynx.
5. Bronchitis is also responsible for cough. The bronchial pipes are clogged with foreign material and thus prove to be an obstacle in air passway.
6. If the cough is persistent for more than four weeks, then it needs immediate medical care as it may be tuberculosis also.


Symptoms of Cough:
1. Sore throat followed by feeling of itchiness all around the region.
2. The affected cells may cause pain in the area and dryness may spread all around it.
3. Person may also develop fever followed by running nose.
4. Vomiting, headache, pain in the chest region is also seen during this disorder.


Precautions during Cough: 
1. Suppressing coughs may reduce the ability of the body to fight for infection. 
2. Always put your hanky before your mouth while coughing or sneezing so that the infection may not spread to others.
3. Milk and milk products are harmful during this condition as they may increase the phlegm and therefore there consumption should be lowered.
4. Vegetables and fruits (like oranges, melon, tomatoes, raspberry and spinach) should be consumed in greater amount. Remember to wash them thoroughly before intake.
5. Drinking lots of water and exercising can also help to remove phlegm from the body soon.
6. Cough medicines should be taken in minimum amount as they may cause sleepiness, drowsiness and dizziness. Infact below listed remedies could prove to be a miracle during treatment of deadly cough.


Home Made Remedies for Cough:
1. If you are suffering from wet cough then take about 10-12 leaves of the plant tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), two black peppers, 1 tsp rock salt. Add to 2 cups water and boil it. When half a cup of water is left remove it and add one spoon of sugar and mix it. When the water becomes mildly warm filter it and drink it while sleeping. Take this for about 3-4 days and you will see immense relief.


2. Take one big spoon of pure ghee (clarified butter) and 15-20 black peppers. Add them to a bowl and heat them on a flame. When the ghee and peppers start to crackle then remove it from the flame. After it cools a little add 2tbs of grinded crystalline sugar (mishri) and mix it. When it is lukewarm and eat it while chewing properly. Do not eat or drink anything till about 1 hour after the above intake. Repeat this treatment twice a day for 2-3 days and even your oldest coughs will get cured.


3. This a solution or whooping cough (pertussis). This generally happens to children in which the child coughs very frequently and his face reddens. Relief is felt only after the child vomits. To cure this take a few leaves of tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum) and grind it with pure honey. Take about half spoon of this and give it two the child every morning and evening on an empty stomach. Give him to drink 1-2 spoon cold milk to drink on top of this. There will be an immnse relief in his cough.
Precaution: Avoid the child to get in contact with coldness or cold winds.


4. This is a remedy for an infant who has cough. Not only the milk fed child gets disturbed but this is also a problem for the mother. We have a simple cure for this. Take some turmeric powder. Dip your hands in mustard oil and apply this with the turmeric powder on the babies neck, chest and back. Massage with very soft hands. Then take a clean cotton and roll and heat it very gently and put it on the back of the child and tie it there gently with a cloth. Take a warm cloth and heat it gently and cover the child with it and put him to sleep. The babies cough will be cured within 2-3 days.
Note: Infants are very delicate so massage the child as delicately as possible. Also the things that are to be warmed should be as slight as possible and touchable easily by bare hands as a baby is sensitive and it may burn his skin. Also tie the cotton gently as it may hurt the child. Please take care of this.


5. Get some Liquorice (mulethi) from the market and grind it as finely as possible. Take twice a day daily with lukewarm water and you will see immense relief from your cough.


6. As we all know ginger is a herb that cures many diseases that we ail from. Here also ginger comes to save the day. This is the easiest of all the remedies if you have a simple cough. Obtain the juice of ginger by crushing it and then filtering. Add this with pure honey and warm it slightly. Take 1-2 tbs twice daily and see great results.