13 Home Remedies for Cough That You Must Try

We cough when our body is working to rid us of any foreign particles, mucus, and bacteria. Growing up, we all had bouts of coughs which often irritated us to no end, and the discomfort would keep us up at night. Home remedies made by our parents always helped us.

Now you might’ve forgotten the recipe to these remedies or lost it somewhere, but that is okay as we’ve compiled for you a list of thirteen home remedies that will help you get ease from your cough.

1) Lemon and Honey Tea

Honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which eliminate unwelcome bacteria and fungi and helps heal infections. It also works as a cough suppressant which means that you can take a spoonful of honey and expect instant relief.

Lemons, on the other hand, have Vitamin C, which is an important nutrient and also acts as an antioxidant. Adding these two together will give you a nutrient-filled drink as well as relief from your cough.

Add one tablespoon full of honey, along with half a lemon in boiling water, and allow it to dissolve. Then, let it cool a little before enjoying your warm, soothing tea. You may also add beneficial spices like cinnamon and star anise to give your tea an extra kick and added satisfaction.

You should avoid making this if you are allergic to honey; stay safe!

2) Turmeric Tablets

Turmeric is another ingredient that helps aid a sore throat/cough. It has curcumin, a bioactive compound that helps battle such illnesses. It is widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern medicine for its properties.

Now, how do we make turmeric capsules? It is simple, just melt a cup of brown sugar in a pan and add a teaspoon of turmeric to it. Allow it to simmer before adding a little black pepper. Black pepper allows the curcumin to be absorbed into the bloodstream most effectively.

When your mixture has mixed properly, allow it to cool but not fully, and then on a piece of parchment paper, drop little circles of the mixture using a spoon, and dust them with powdered sugar. When your tablets are dried, you can take them off and store them in a container.

Take one whenever you feel that incessant cough coming up!

3) Ginger Tea

Fluids will be the most recurring in every recipe in this article. This is because it is necessary to remain hydrated for patients who are suffering from a cold or a cough. Through this article, we’ll show you different and delicious ways of drinking all that liquid to relieve your cough.

Ginger contains chemical compounds which help your body ward off germs. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which will help alleviate the symptoms of your cough. These compounds relax membranes in the airways, which reduce coughing.

Grate a piece of ginger and drain all the water from its fibres. Then, add the ginger water to boiling water and add any sweetener along with it- preferably honey. Take it while it’s hot and steaming! Don’t burn yourself, though.

4) Marshmallow Root Water

It’s famously used for cough and cold treatment because it has high mucilage content, which is great for giving relief to your throat. It has an earthy, root-like flavor which means that you’ll enjoy it as a form of tea.

You might find dried marshmallow root anywhere, in different forms. Just put it in boiling water and allow the mucilage to develop, and then drink it while it’s hot to retain its good effects for some time.

5) Peppermint Allsorts

Peppermint Allsorts is a hybrid mint- a cross between watermint and spearmint and it has menthol, a compound that numbs the nerve ending in your throat and gives you relief from coughing. It also reduces your sudden urges to cough, which is good for a long night’s sleep!

It has antibacterial and antiviral properties, which are good for your body overall and will help you rejuvenate your strength after all that coughing. You can make yourself peppermint tea to drink, or you can use peppermint oil and apply it a little under your nose so you can breathe it in.

Other than that, you can also add this oil to water and give yourself ten-minute steam before going to sleep. The menthol will give a cooling sensation, and it will take away the pain of a sore throat.

6) Capsaicin tea

This is a compound that is present in chilies. It helps aid chronic coughing and also gives you relief. Capsaicin can be used in various ways; it can be found in the form of pills, but you can also make it yourself.

Mix cayenne sauce into boiling water- beware, you might not be able to handle the spice but if you can, then add as much as you can handle and allow it to boil, and then drink it.

You can also steep red chilies in warm water and then grind them into a paste and add it into water. Do be careful, though, and it will burn.

7) Fenugreek 

Like star anise, fenugreek is also a good spice which we can take to battle coughs and colds. It has antiviral and antibacterial properties, which you can employ by putting it in your preferred tea, or you can mix it with ginger and honey.

This dried seed, with its nutty and bittersweet flavor, will give you pleasure in drinking as well as healing your sore throat.

8) Black pepper and honey 

As written previously in the article, black pepper allows curcumin to be absorbed in the bloodstream, but it can also act as a good combatant against flu and colds itself!

Black pepper has various antioxidants, and they help accelerate the body’s metabolism- thus helping you fight against the bacteria and viruses in your body!

You can take this spice by sprinkling it onto honey and taking a tablespoon full. This may be a little sharp to taste, but the sweetness of the honey compliments it well, and it allows you to get relief from the pain and discomfort of your pesky cough.

9) Gargling with salt water

This is something our mothers always recommend when we feel a scratchy and itchy throat oncoming, and they’re right for it!

We cough because phlegm and mucus develop in our throat to trap bacteria and viruses. Therefore the coughing motion helps rid them from our body. However, this can also be extremely uncomfortable and painful.

Saltwater helps reduce the phlegm and mucus buildup in our throats, which gives us momentary relief from the incessant coughing, and we can rest for some time.

Just mix salt into a glass of water and take small gulps and gargle it and then throw it in the sink. Repeat until the mixture is finished, and you’ll feel yourself relaxing, and you won’t have the constant need to cough.

10) Pineapples

There is an enzyme that is present in pineapples by the name of bromelain. You will find it in abundance at the core of this fruit. Bromelain has anti-inflammatory properties which soothe your throat from inflammation and also contain properties that help break down mucus and expel it from the body.

You can grind up a pineapple and drink the juice since its mucolytic properties will help in getting rid of the mucus, and you will feel your throat at ease.

However, according to Medical News Today, the bromelain content in pineapple juice won’t be enough to cover what you need, which is why you can opt for different methods. You can find capsules for bromelain. However, you need to keep in check with your medical history and make sure that you can take this without any negative side effects. 

11) Cinnamon

Yet another spice which has several health benefits to us. Cinnamon is abundant in antioxidants and also has healing abilities. Cinnamon gives a boost to your immune system, which allows you to combat cough and cold quite easily.

You can use cinnamon in any recipe mentioned above. It is a very dynamic spice and can complement any ingredient you use it with- granted that it is used properly. You can use it with honey, ginger, and star anise. Just boil it till you get all its rich goodness in your drink, then strain it, and you’ll have great relief.

12) Masala Chai

Masala chai is a traditional subcontinental drink that is also very beneficial for cough and cold due to the different uses of spices in it. Masala is Urdu/Hindi for “Spice” and Chai means “Tea.”

It includes spices like bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, ginger, and cardamom. What you need to do is boil water in a pan. Then add all your spices and allow them to steep and simmer in the water. Then, add your black tea leaves and the milk and allow your mixture to come to a boil.

Then you’re done, just strain the mixture and squeeze them in the strainer so you can get all that rich goodness into your cup. Enjoy!

13) Taking Steam

Taking steam is a great way to get momentary relief from your cough and cold. Add essential oils to the water and let it boil. Then place the pan under the blanket, elevate your head above the pan and let the vapors enter your airway, and feel the warmth throughout your chest.

Final Word

We hope these remedies helped you. Do try them instead of buying too much medicine. Sometimes home remedies are the best way to recover quickly.