Coughing is the body’s natural response to any blockage of the airway which may be due to dust and traffic fumes or mucous resulting from infection. Coughing can also be a symptom of a number of more serious illnesses, so professional medical attention is needed for any cough which persists for more than a few days or for which there is no obvious cause.

Coughs can be dry and irritating or “productive” with phlegm which can vary in shade from white to green — darker colours generally indicating an infection. Dry coughs can often linger for weeks following a cold and in some cases coughing can become a nervous habit.

In traditional Chinese medicine the lung is associated with the emotion “grief” and chesty coughs or asthmatic problems can often follow some sort of shock, such as bereavement or redundancy. Remedies for the nervous system, such as lemon balm or St John’s wort, can be helpful in these cases.

In all cases, the choice of herbal remedy will depend on the nature of the cough — dry or productive — and whether the phlegm is thick and infected or thin and watery. Herbal cough remedies include expectorants which will encourage the coughing response and theproduction and excretion of phlegm, and cough suppressants which can ease a persistent dry, tickling cough.

Herbal BeautyTaking the wrong sort of remedy can do more harm than good. If there is an infection, for example, suppressing the cough and keeping the infected phlegm in the lungs is not a good idea. Equally, if there is no phlegm, taking an expectorant will just make a dry cough more violent. Many herbal expectorants are believed to work by irritating the mucous membranes of the gut, and then, by reflex action (owing to embryonic links between the tissues), also irritating the bronchial membranes so we cough and clear the phlegm. In large doses these herbs are often emetics (that is, they cause vomiting), so taking extra doses in the hope of clearing the cough more rapidly can lead to nausea.

Herbal expectorants are sometimes classified as either “stimulating”, which encourage ever more productive

Coughing, or “relaxing”, which have a more soothing effect and loosen phlegm rather than encouraging its violent removal. Elecampane is a stimulating expectorant, while coltsfoot, liquorice, marshmallow and hyssop are relaxing. Raspberry vinegar also helps clear phlegm and adding crushed raspberries to the remedy will improve the flavour.

As well as expectorants and suppressants, herbal cough remedies include demulcents, to soothe irritated mucous membranes, and anti-bacterials to combat infection. Marshmallow, liquorice and plantain are demulcent, while wild lettuce is a cough suppressant.

Suitable antiseptics for chest problems include thyme, which is especially good where the problem is a deep-seated lung infection, and garlic, which can be

Excreted only through the lungs or skin, so is another good herb for chest infections and one that can be used either as a special “medicine” or simply eaten in lots of very garlicky meals such as doll or dishes cooked a la provençale.

Many cough herbs can be made into syrups — as can onions or leeks — ideally using honey, which is also soothing and healing for the mucous membranes, rather than sugar.

Post-nasal drip — a common cause of coughs — needs an anti-catarrhal approach (see above), but it can also call for expectorants. Hyssop is ideal as it both acts as a gentle, relaxing expectorant and has an anti-catarrhal action. Fennel is also worth considering.

As well as taking cough remedies in teas and syrups, a chest rub can also be useful to help loosen phlegm. The following mixture can be helpful in many cases.

  • 5 drops each of essential oils of fennel and hyssop
  • 10 drops each of essential oils of eucalyptus and thyme
  • Dilute in 50 ml of carrier oil (e.g. sunflower or almond oil) and massage into the chest two or three times a day Alternatively, put a few drops of the mixture on a handkerchief and use as an inhalant. A few drops in a saucer of water on the bedside table at night can help relieve night-time congestion.

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Effective Herbal Remedies for Coughs, Live Naturally