How to Stop Coughing and Treat a Cough Naturally
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It’s bad enough when you come down with a cold, but when it’s accompanied by a persistent cough that rattles the chest and keeps you up at night – no fun!
So how can you stop coughing and treat a cough naturally?
Cough medicines have shown that they actually don’t work, so turn to other alternatives to stop coughing and treat your cough naturally so that you can kick it for good.
Here are my tips to help you stop coughing:
1). Try Cupping to Clear Chest Congestion and Stop Coughing
Often a cough is accompanied by chest congestion so you end up coughing and coughing in an effort to clear out the chest gunk.
This constant effort at coughing to clear congestion can not only be tiring but also leave your chest and throat sore from the hard work.
Rather than turn to cough suppressants or mucus clearing medications that can come with side effects and added medications that you don’t need, you can try cupping to stop coughing.
Cupping uses plastic or glass suction cups that when placed on the upper back, can help to clear chest congestion and relieve a cough.
When the cups are placed on the skin, a suction is created to pull up the skin and muscle.
Cups either stay in place for up to 10 minutes or can be slid up and down the back. Most patients say that it feels like a massage.
After a cupping session, patients notice that their chest feels less tight and they are able to more easily cough up any phlegm.
2). Eat Honey to Stop Coughing
When you’re struggling with a cough, you can be desperate for relief and may be tempted to reach for over-the-counter-cough medicine, however there is no research to show that they work.
Even the American Academy of Pediatricians does not recommend any cough medicine for children under the age of 6.
The problem is not only that they may not work but that they often contain combinations of medications that you may not need, and taking medication that you don’t need or that could be harmful if you have another health condition such as high blood pressure, could be dangerous. (source)
Many doctors are now recommending honey as the first coarse or treatment for a cough.
One study looking at children showed that taking 1.5 tsp of honey before bedtime decreased coughing and improved sleep. (source)
Honey has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties plus it is soothing to the throat. Try a spoonful of honey to treat a cough or mix it with warm water and lemon.
3). Use an Essential Oil based Chest Rub to Stop Coughing
Essential oils are also a great way to naturally treat and stop a cough.
Chest rubs that include several cough-soothing oils are perfect to stop coughing during the day or night. I use this chest rub that includes eucalyptus, mint, rosemary, ravintsara and tea tree oils to promote better breathing and stop coughing.
I not only rub in on my or my children’s chests but also on the soles of our feet!
4). Try Acupuncture or Acupressure to Treat a Cough
Several acupuncture points can be used in an acupuncture treatment if a patient comes in with a cough.
Acupuncture points can be used to stop coughing fits, treat a dry cough or a cough with phlegm.
Lung 7 is located about two finger widths down from the wrist crease on the inner arm, down from the base of the thumb.
Simply place your hands together, thumb and index finger between thumb and index finger. Your index finger should be pressing in a spot between the two tendons, which is LU7.
This point strengthens the lungs and therefore is a great acupuncture point for any lung condition and for treating a cough.