Gaby
The more cough syrups you use, the more ampoules you’ll need to treat complications. It’s not the cough that needs to be eliminated, but rather the cold and inflammation.
Natural Response
Coughing is a physiological way to clear the bronchi and lungs; it’s the body’s reaction to mucus production. By increasing mucus, the body expels viruses and bacteria during respiratory inflammation. Without medical guidance, cough suppressants should not be used: the unwarranted use of broncholytin is prohibited, as is self-medication in general. Safe options include using ammonia-anise drops, potassium iodide, and medications that thin mucus and enhance bronchial contractions, such as bromhexine, Lasolvan, and Mukaltin.
When dealing with a cold or sore throat, it’s crucial to prevent mucus from drying out: keep the mucous membranes moist with hydration, cool air, and plenty of fluids. Gargling can soothe a dry cough accompanied by a sore throat, while compresses can ease a wet cough with difficulty in expectoration.
Gargling Guidelines
Gargling is recommended for a dry cough that comes with a sore throat. The goal of the procedure is to cleanse the tonsils of mucus. Here are some options for broths and warm solutions:
- For one cup of water – three drops of iodine and one teaspoon each of baking soda and salt;
- For one cup of water – one teaspoon of lemon juice;
- Half a cup of carrot juice, half a cup of water, and one teaspoon of honey;
- Half a cup of beet juice, half a cup of water, and one teaspoon of vinegar;
- For half a liter of water – three tablespoons of oak bark, coltsfoot, calendula, chamomile, eucalyptus, or licorice root: pour boiling water over the dry plant mixture, let it steep for an hour, and strain before gargling;
- To remove pus and blockages, gargle with a hydrogen peroxide solution mixed with water (1:3), followed by a propolis tincture (with alcohol strength of at least 70°, otherwise it won’t dissolve), diluted in warm water (one teaspoon in two-thirds of a cup of warm water).
You can gargle up to ten times a day. Do not swallow the gargling solution.
Expectoration Compresses
An expectoration compress can help manage a wet cough when expectoration is difficult.
Precautions:
1) When treating cough in children, the compress that contacts the skin should not contain vinegar or alcohol (risk of poisoning);
2) A warming compress should not be applied if there is a high fever and should not be placed over the heart (neither front nor back);
3) Remove the compress once you feel warmth.
Liquid Honey
Apply liquid honey to the chest, cover it with parchment paper, and then with a blanket.
Honey with Mustard
Mix one tablespoon each of mustard powder, honey, and radish juice, place it on gauze, and tie it with a wool scarf.
Vodka with Potatoes
Divide mashed potatoes into two parts, place them in plastic bags, shape them into cakes, and apply them to the chest and back, wrapping them with a scarf or towel.
Vegetable Oil
Soak a towel in room temperature oil, wrap it around the chest, cover it with parchment paper, and leave it on for warming until you feel warmth.
Vinegar
Adults can also benefit from a compress on the neck soaked in vinegar water (1:10) for sore throats.
External Heating
Mix one tablespoon each of instant coffee and yogurt, add half a head of garlic (crushed into a paste), and two tablespoons each of honey and corn flour. Apply the cream to the neck until recovery.
Grandma’s remedy for colds—mustard plasters—hasn’t gone out of style. In conjunction with prescribed medications, they can be used for coughs, ARVI, bronchitis, and pneumonia. This warming treatment helps thin mucus and expel it from the bronchi and lungs. The warming procedure should be done before bedtime: apply the mustard plasters, drink tea with honey or raspberry, and then go to bed under a blanket.
Precautions:
- Mustard plasters should not be placed on the heart or spine;
- Do not use mustard plasters if there is an allergy, tuberculosis, or cancer.
Homemade Mixtures
Homemade broths and tinctures can effectively replace pharmaceutical remedies.
Almond Oil
Almond oil is an effective soothing, anti-inflammatory, and expectorant remedy. Indications include cough, bronchial asthma, otitis, and pneumonia. The therapeutic dose for expectoration is 50 grams.
Contraindications:
1) Nut oil is dangerous for small children (risk of aspiration);
2) Possible allergic reactions;
3) Unripe almonds contain poison—cyanide.
Chest Collection
The herbal collection includes marshmallow and licorice roots, thyme and coltsfoot leaves, linden and chamomile flowers, and raspberry leaves and berries. Pour one cup of boiling water over the chopped raw materials, let it steep for two hours, strain, add one teaspoon of honey, and take one tablespoon three times a day.
Black Elderberry
This medicinal tea is made from dried black elderflower. For one teaspoon of the mixture, you’ll need one teaspoon of honey and one cup of boiling water. Drink one cup three times a day.
Radish with Honey
Peel the black radish, carve out a hollow, and pour in two teaspoons of liquid honey. After an hour, juice will start to flow from the root. Drink this juice throughout the day as it forms, every two hours.
Onion with Honey
Finely chop an onion, mix it with honey, and let it sit overnight to release its juice. Take a sip throughout the day.
Milk with Honey
Mix warm milk with alkaline mineral water in a 1:1 ratio and add honey (one teaspoon per cup of milk).
Operation “Inhalation”
You can use peppermint and eucalyptus oil for inhalations, as well as trusted folk remedies.
Homemade Inhaler
Take a narrow polyethylene bottle about 10 centimeters tall and poke a tiny hole for air. Chop an onion, place it in the bottle, and insert the neck into your mouth: inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose. The inhalation should last for 15 minutes. The treatment course lasts at least a week.
Berries and Herbs
Three times a day, inhale a mixture of dried herbs ground into powder: 20 grams of coltsfoot and 10 grams each of rue and elderberry. At night, you can inhale the steam from a wormwood or sage decoction. It’s also beneficial to inhale the hot steam from a decoction of raspberry or strawberry.
Essential Steam
Grate two tablespoons of garlic or onion, place it at the bottom of a glass, which you then set in a mug of hot water and cover with a funnel made of thick paper. Place the narrow end of the funnel to your nose and inhale for ten minutes, alternating nostrils. Repeat this procedure three times a day. This remedy is contraindicated for bronchial spasms.
Garlic Smoke
Separate a head of garlic, remove the core, and detach the dry stem. Hold the end of the stem near the flame for a few seconds, blow it out, and immediately inhale the smoke from the smoldering core.
Classic Potato
Inhale the hot steam from boiled potatoes and warm your face with a hot potato carefully to avoid burns. Quickly roll a hot potato in its skin over your forehead, nose, and ears, then cut it in half and apply one half to your forehead and the other to your nostrils. Use three potatoes throughout the day. After each procedure, place a wool wrap on your forehead.
Don’t neglect bed rest and get well soon!
