12 Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus at Home


Cough is one of the means by which your body gets rid of irritants and infections. While that sounds like a good thing, cough is something you want to get rid of, fast.

Your body tries to get rid of excess mucus in your body by triggering a wet cough. This is a type of cough that pushes phlegm up your throat.

If you have had this type of cough before, you can tell it is not only uncomfortable, it is also embarrassing.

 

For this reason, people want to get rid of cough as soon as to comes up.

There are different ways to go about that but our concern today is to get rid of cough using natural remedies.

But before we get into that, let us take a quick look at what causes cough.

The reason for this is that if you know the cause, you will find it easier to get rid of cough.

 

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus at Home

 

 

Causes of Cough

There are different things that can cause one to start coughing. Most of them are temporary while others might be permanent.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons one might get bouts of cough.

 

  • Throat Clearing

As we mentioned above, coughing is a reflex action your body uses to eject mucus that might have clogged your airways or irritants such dust.

When you cough, your throat tends to push these things out. If it is mucus, it usually flows upward through your throat to your mouth.

This type of cough will usually reduce once the irritants have reduced to a level acceptable by your system.

However, if you remain exposed to smoke or dust, it might persist.

 

  • Smoking

Persistent smoking of cigarettes can lead to coughing as well. This type of cough is usually chronic (lasts for more than 8 weeks).

There is a distinct sound to it which makes it pretty easy to identify as a “smoker’s cough” as it is often called.

 

  • Bacteria and Viruses

These causes are quite common as they are an infection of the respiratory tract popularly known as cold or flu.

Cough causes by these usually last anywhere between a few days and a week.

However, if the cough is caused by the flu, it might take a bit longer. In most cases, these types of cough can be treated with antibiotics.

 

  • Leaving Cough Untreated

As uncomfortable as it can get, in some circles, certain types of cough are advice to let run its course.

Coughs that are side effects of certain types of drugs or cough that is caused by your body clearing mucus can be left untreated.

When the drug is discontinued, the cough too will stop on its own.

As for the mucus-clearing response, coughing will stop when your body notices it has ejected enough.

Now that we have all these covered, let us proceed to see the different natural ways to get rid of a cough.

 

 

Natural Remedies To Get Rid Of Cough And Mucus

 

1. Geranium for Cough and Mucus

Geranium is a chemical element that you can find in small amounts in some carbon-based materials.

This chemical has been said to treat a lot of conditions including Cancer, HIV, and AIDS.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

The waters of the grotto in Lourdes, France is said to have cured several diseases.

This miracle water is often attributed to the germanium content of the water.

Some common sources of geranium that you can find around you are ginseng, garlic, aloe, to mention a few.

You can use it as an essential oil for cough.

You can add geranium essential oil into a diffuser and enjoy the benefits that come with it. However, you have to be sure that you are not allergic to it.

 

Research has shown that an extract of geranium can treat cough, cold, and even bronchitis.

 

2. Cloves and Thyme

These spices have antimicrobial properties and their combination works great if you need to get rid of cough.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

Here is how you can use them to get rid of cough and cold:

  • Put fresh leaves of thyme and cloves in a container of water and let it boil for about 10 minutes.
  • Strain the leaves and drink.

It will help you get relief from respiratory infections that cause cough and chest congestion.

You could also use them as essential oils or tinctures.

 

3. Nasal Irrigation

This is a sort of personal hygiene that is used to flush out mucus and sinuses from the nasal cavity.

It is a good way to get relief from cough. There are different ways to perform nasal irrigation.

You can use a netti pot, bulb syringes, squeeze bottles, etc.

 

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

The aim is to use a saline solution to gently flush your sinuses. Typically, a netti pot comes with a prepackaged saline solution.

However, if you want to use other methods and need to make the saline solution yourself, here is how:

  • Put one teaspoon of pickling salt or sea salt into one pint of sterilized, distilled, or filtered water.
  • Table salts usually contain additives, so, using those is not advisable.
  • Add a pinch of baking soda into it and stir till the contents dissolve.

With the saline solution ready, here is how you perform nasal irrigation:

  • Before you start, be sure that you are standing over a basin or a sink to collect the fluid.
  • With whatever apparatus you are going to irrigate your sinuses with, spray or pour a generous amount of the solution into one nostril.
  • At this point, the other nostril should be tilted onto the collection bowl as the solution will flow out of it.
  • Once you are done with one nostril, do the same with the other.

 

4. Use a humidifier

Using a humidifier to get rid of cough can be quite useful. This is because a humidifier can help you prevent breathing dry air.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

The throat will naturally dry out at night and your cough can be severe if you breathe dry air on top of it.

It can be particularly useful to get rid of cough at night. Phlegm in your respiratory tract will become thinner and will easily move out of your lungs. That way, you will feel relief and will soon be done with coughing.

 

Read Also– How to Get Rid of a Canker Sore in 24 Hours: 11 Best Canker Sore Treatments

 

5. Honey

We are sure you won’t be surprised to see honey on this list.

This bee produce is useful for dealing with a lot of ailment. It works great if you want to get rid of cough too.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

 

A small study shows that eating a spoonful of honey will help a child with cough sleep better.

This method will also work on adults to get rid of cough at night and get a restful sleep.

An adult will likely need more than a spoonful for a better effect. Don’t forget that it has to be natural bee honey.

To further buttress the effectiveness of honey to get rid of cough, there is scientific evidence for it.

 

A 2007 study showed that buckwheat honey may be more effective at relieving cough than the traditional medicine used for it.

 

6. Essential Oils for Cough

Essential oils are useful for many things and getting rid of cough is one of them.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

Eucalyptus oil and peppermint oil are quite useful for decongesting mucus in the chest. These oils can be applied in two ways to get rid of cough:

Topically

  • Before you go ahead to apply either of these oils to your skin, it is important that you do a skin patch test first.
  • To do this, mix a drop of essential oil with 12 drops of jojoba or coconut oil. Then rub it on the inside of your forearm.
  • If there is no irritation after 24 hours, then you can go ahead and apply either the peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil directly on your chest.
  • You can do this as needed or as often as you want. However, be sure to keep these or any essential oils from your eyes.
  • Also, don’t use it on irritated or inflamed skin.

You can also diffuse it:

  • You can add some drops of essential oil into a diffuser and let it spread into your home.
  • If you don’t have a diffuser, you can add some drops into a bowl of hot water and let the vapor spread around your home.
  • Another way to do this is to add some drops in a bowl of hot water.
  • Then you cover your head close to the bowl to trap the steam.
  • Keep breathing the stream for about 5 to 10 minutes.

This method works great for releasing congestion in your chest thereby helping to get rid of cough.

 

Learn More- 12 Home Remedies for Nasal Congestion to Clear a Stuffy Nose Instantly

 

7. Vitamin C

Taking a large dose of vitamin c can go a long way in helping you get rid of cough.

This is so because vitamin c is known to boost the body’s immune system.

This will help you fight viral infection more effectively.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

Taking oranges or drinking fresh orange juice at least twice a day will give you a good dose of vitamin c that your body needs to win the battle.

 

8. Hydration

You must have heard this a lot. Drink a lot of fluids when you have cold or cough.

This advice is quite common for a simple reason, it works!

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

When you stay hydrated, you reduce the chances of your throat getting dry which can lead to inflammation and irritation.

Taking warm water flavored with honey or any of your preferred herb will work great to soothe the pains of coughing.

 

9. Ginger Tea for Cough

Ginger is very useful and it has been used for medicinal purposes for many years.

It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which is why it works well to get rid of cough.

 

 Ginger Plant- Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

You can crush ginger into a cup and add some warm water to it.

Drinking this mixture will give you relief in your throat and can help you get rid of cough.

This can also be used as a remedy for cough with phlegm.

 

10. Bromelain

You probably would never think of pineapples if you are looking to get rid of cough.

Bromelain is an enzyme found only in the fruit and stem of pineapples.

 

 

 

how to use a pineapple to get rid of cough remedy

 

 

This enzyme, bromelain, can help suppress cough and also loosen mucus in the throat.

Whether your cough is a result of an infection or an allergic reaction, bromelain can help out.

To this enzyme in your system, eat pineapples or drink about 4 ounces of fresh pineapple juice three times a day.

Now you have one more reason to take pineapples.

 

 

Learn More– How to Get Rid of Cold Sores Fast: 11 Best Home Remedies

 

11. Marshmallow Root

Althaea Officinalis is a perennial plant that flowers in the summer. This is the plant Marshmallow is made from.

Since ancient times, the leaves and roots of this herb have been used to get rid of cough and treat sore throat.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

The active ingredient in the plant is called mucilage and it coats the throat and soothes irritation.

You can get marshmallow root in the form of tea and capsule.

Drinking warm marshmallow tea can help get rid of cough and reduce the pain of sore throat.

However, it is important to note that marshmallow root is not recommended for children.

 

12. Salt Water Gargle

While this is a relatively simple remedy, it is quite effective for soothing an itchy throat that causes one to cough.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

Directions

  • Mix ¼ or ½ teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water.
  • Take a sip in your mouth and gargle it in your throat.
  • Afterward, spit it out. Repeat this process as needed.

This method is not ideal for kids under the age of 6. This is because they are not so capable of gargling and may end up swallowing it.

 

How to Prevent Cough

We have given you a lot of natural remedies to get rid of cough.

We want to go the extra mile by being proactive.

Remember, they say prevention is better than cure.

  • Personal hygiene is very important when trying to prevent cough
  • You should keep your office and home clean often especially tabletops, phones, and toys.
  • Keep away from people that you know have a cold or cough.
  • Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently.

 

Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Cough and Mucus

 

 

 

Now you know how to prevent cough and if you manage to get it you also know to get rid of cough.

Pay attention to the guidelines and use these remedies as described. Protect yourself always and stay safe.


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