5 Ways To Treat Dry Cough At Home

Coughing is a common reflex action that occurs when mucus drains down into your air passages. It helps clear your airways of irritants and mucus. Basically, there are two types of coughs: productive and nonproductive. While a productive cough produces phlegm or mucus, clearing it from the lungs, a nonproductive cough (dry cough) doesn’t produce phlegm or mucus. A dry cough poses a great diagnostic and management challenges, due to myriad etiologies and its many possible causes.

Other less common causes of a dry cough are environmental irritants like smoke, pollution, dust, mold and pollen that can irritate your airways; living in a dry climate; use of ACE inhibitors; whooping cough; collapsed lung; and even lung cancer in some cases.Regardless of the cause, an ongoing dry cough can have a huge impact on your day-to-day life. It can make it especially difficult to enjoy sound sleep at night.

* Honey

Honey is a very effective natural cure for a dry cough.

- Mix equal amounts of raw honey, ginger juice and pomegranate juice.
- Consume 1 tablespoon of this mixture 2 or 3 times a day.
- Alternatively, add 1 tablespoon of honey to a cup of hot water or herbal tea and drink it twice daily.

* Apple Cider Vinegar

Another simple, yet effective home remedy for an irritating dry cough is raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. This remedy is very effective if your dry cough is caused by heartburn or acid reflux.

- Mix 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of raw honey into a cup of warm water. Drink this tonic twice daily.
- Mix together ½ cup each of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove it from the stove. Put a towel over your head and inhale the steam for 3 to 5 minutes through your nose with your mouth and eyes closed. Repeat a few times a day.
- Mix 3 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper into a cup of warm water and stir well. Use the mixture to gargle 2 or 3 times a day to get relief from a dry, continuous cough.

* Steam Inhalation

Inhaling steam helps reduce inflammation in your respiratory tract and this helps in the treatment of a dry cough. It also aids in mucus drainage.

- Boil enough water to fit in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour the water into the bowl.
- Add 8 to 10 drops of essential oils to it.
- Give it a quick stir to release the vapors.
- Cover your head with a towel and lean over the bowl to inhale the steam.
- Do this for 5 to 10 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day.

* Salt Water Gargle

Another popular remedy for a dry cough is gargling with salt water.Salt water eases the discomfort caused by a cough and helps a sore throat-through osmosis. It helps dislodge any phlegm that’s hanging out and allows you to expel it easily.

- Add ½ teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of warm water.
- Stir it until the salt mixes in properly.
- Gargle with this solution for a few seconds, then spit it out.
- Do this at 2 or 3 times a day for a few days.

* Ginger

Ginger is also effective for a dry cough. Being an expectorant, it helps you expel any mucus and phlegm as well as reducing the intensity and duration of coughing bouts. It also helps reduce airway inflammation and inhibit airway contraction.

- Cut fresh ginger into small slices and crush them slightly. Put 1 teaspoon of the slices and 1 cup of water in a pan and bring it to a boil, then strain it. Drink it up to 3 times a day.
- Alternatively, mix together 1 tablespoon each of freshly extracted ginger juice and raw honey. Take this twice daily for a few days.
- Another option is to chew fresh raw ginger on and off throughout the day.