How to get rid of a cough? : The best way to get rid of cough is mentioned here. Coughing, generally is a reflex phenomena that helps clear your throat from time to time due to presence of mucus or some foreign particle. Basically, it is an action that enables your body to get rid of those substances which irritate the air passage.

Types of cough

The kind of cough that troubles you has three broad categories

1. Acute Cough

Acute Cough lasts for utmost 3 weeks and you can probably get rid of it within 2-3 weeks.

Types of Acute coughs

Acute Coughs can be further divided into 2 types:

1. Infectious Coughs

Infectious Coughs are caused by an infection. Some of the common infection causes of acute cough are Sinus Infections (Sinus is a hollow space in the bones of the face or skull leading to the nasal cavity), Acute Bronchitis, pneumonia, viral upper respiratory infections (common cold) and whooping cough. On the other hand, if an individual suffers from chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma or some other environmental allergies, all these are known to be noninfectious causes of cough. There are certain signs and symptoms that help us distinguish between an infectious and noninfectious cough. For instance, fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, nausea, headaches, vomiting, running nose, sinus pressure, night sweats and post nasal drip all point out to the presence of an infection.

2. Noninfectious Coughs

However, if a person coughs when he is exposed to certain chemicals or irritants present in the environment or his cough gets worse at certain locations/due to indulgence in some activities, then these symptoms point out to a noninfectious cough.

2. Sub acute Cough

The second type of cough, that is Subacute Cough, generally lasts between 3-8 weeks.

3. Chronic Cough

Incase you are suffering from a persistent cough that has lasted for more than 8 weeks, then it is a Chronic Cough. Smoking cigarettes is one of the most common cause of Chronic Cough. An often ignored cause of Chronic Cough is GERD (Gastroesophageal reflex). It refers to a condition under which acid from the stomach travels up the esophagus, thereby leading to irritation and production of cough.

Coughing can become serious health problem

Coughing up blood or having a ‘barking’ cough points out to something serious and hence, there is an urgent need to consult a doctor. Generally, whenever it is observed that a person coughs blood, it indicates the presence of a lung cancer or a cancer of the air passages. Loss of appetite, unexplained loss of weight, worsening fatigue or a decline in the ability to swallow solid or liquid foods are some of the other symptoms that may warn of a cancer.

You may also need to see a doctor if your prescribed medication is showing no signs of reducing the cough, cough is associated with high fever, your cough is leading to difficulty in sleeping or you are experiencing shortness of breath.

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How to get rid of a cough?

To understand “How to get rid of a cough?” read the points mentioned below. Read on further to know about 10 ways to get rid of your cough. Afterall, it is important to ensure that nothing gets in the way of your good health and success.

1. Gargle Saltwater

This is the most recommended home remedy to get instant relief from cough. All you need to do is take a glass of lukewarm water and dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt into it. It helps soothe your sore throat and also loosens thick mucus.

Doing gargles for 3-4 times a day is really effective and even helps clear away irritants and bacteria in the air passage.

2. Sip a hot drink/Drink lots of hot water

Whenever you are suffering from a bad cold and cough, sipping a hot drink (be it Ginger Tea or Chamomile Tea) provides you instant relief. These liquids keep your body hydrated and the heat helps to lower chest congestion.

You can even drink lots of warm water that will lead to thin mucus and provide you relief from persistent cough. Moreover, drinking fluids makes it easier for your lungs to clear out the discharge.

3. Swallow some Honey

One can either take a tablespoon of honey or stir it into warm water. It acts as a cough suppressant (that blocks the cough reflex).

Honey has excellent healing powers and helps in soothing the scratchiness in the back of your throat. This particular remedy is suitable for adults and children over 1 year of age.

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4. Say no to Smoking

Smoking cigarettes/cigars are the major reason for chronic cough. This can become serious and pave the way for lung cancer as well in future. Smoking has severe impact on our body as it makes the tiny hairs lining our lungs (known as cilia) completely ineffective.

So, it is advisable to do away with smoking in order to lead a long and healthy life ahead.

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5. Clear all irritants from your home

Are you sensitive to perfumes and fragrances in air fresheners/shampoos/laundry detergents? It is important to move away all these things that may irritate your sinuses from your home. These things can increase the mucus production and thus may lead to cough.

Also, if you are allergic to dirt and pollen, then it is imperative to wash your sheets in hot water, clean your floors with HEPA-filter vacuum and scrub windows with a bleach solution.

6. Take Cough Suppressants and Cough Expectorants

Delsym, Vicks 44 Cough and Cold, Robitussin Cough are examples of a few products that contain a very common cough suppressant called dextromethorphan. On the other hand, Guaifenesin is an expectorant (which helps in thinning the mucus) that is found in products like Mucinex and Robitussen Chest Congestion.

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7. Sleep on an incline

Using an extra pillow to raise your head will help you avoid the irritation from your throat and mucus build-up.

8. Rinse your Nose

This process is an excellent way to get rid of cough inducing mucus and allergy particles from your nasal passage. All you need to do is tilt your head over a sink and then use a nasal cup to pour salt water in one nostril and allow it to drain out of the other.

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9. Inhale Steam

Inhaling steam is another very efficient way of getting rid from the persistent cough that is irritant you. You need to boil water and then pour it into a container. Cover your head properly, face the container and then inhale and exhale.

10. Moisten the Air

These days you can get an air purifier installed in your house as it will prevent from blowing bacteria in your house.

Health Tip

As it is rightly said that health is the only real wealth you have got. So, take care of your health and give yourself a priority first. An individual in a poor health won’t be able to enjoy the success of his life. Hence, it is essential that you follow a healthy lifestyle and introduce vitamins and minerals rich, green vegetables and fruits in your diet. Take out atleast 40 minutes daily for exercising in order to keep lifestyle diseases at bay.

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I hope you will find my article resourceful and you have understood that “How to get rid of a cough?”. Thank you for taking out your valuable time to give it a read!

Author: Manasvi Nagpal