Home remedies for coughs: 5 good tips to calm the urge to cough
A mild cough in a child can be easily treated with numerous, well-tried home remedies. Here we show how inhalations or warm compresses can relieve children’s coughs.
Home remedies for cough: cough syrup
Coughing can be exhausting and annoying for children. With a cough syrup, which you can also make yourself , a child’s cough can be relieved in a natural and gentle way. Here we have put together some recipes that make it easy to make healthy cough suppressants.
- Onion Syrup: Onions are an effective home remedy for coughs. Due to their sulphur-containing ingredients, they have an anti-inflammatory and disinfecting effect on the mucous membranes of the throat. For a homemade onion syrup you first need an onion, which has to be cut into cubes. These are placed in a small bowl and sprinkled with two tablespoons of sugar. The onions then have to soak for a few hours. This creates a syrupy liquid that you can skim off and give your child to drink.
- Radish honey: Halve a black radish lengthwise and scoop out. Then fill both halves with honey and leave for eight to twelve hours. A teaspoon of the resulting juice, which should be kept in the refrigerator if possible, can be given to a child before each meal. The cough syrup calms the bronchi and prevents possible coughing attacks.
- Raisin broth: Briefly boil a handful of raisins, camomile blossoms and marshmallow leaves in water. Then add a tablespoon of honey. The child can be given a teaspoon of the decoction every hour. This cough syrup has an expectorant effect on the airways and can provide a peaceful night.
Home remedies for cough: cough tea
When children have a cough, they should drink plenty of fluids to keep the mucous membranes moist and make it easier to cough up. Certain herbs are also able to aid in the process of clearing mucus and killing pathogens. These include, for example, herbs such as thyme, sage, marshmallow root or buckhorn. We have put together some tea blends:
- Marshmallow root decoction: Pour a cup of cold tap water over a teaspoon of marshmallow root and let the mixture steep for about six to eight hours so that the herb can develop its expectorant effect. Strain the tea and then add a drop of aniseed oil and possibly some honey. The child can now be given a teaspoon of the decoction every two hours.
- Thyme-anise tea: Pour half a liter of boiling water over three teaspoons of crushed anise and three teaspoons of dried thyme. Let the tea steep for about five minutes. Then add the juice of one lemon and a tablespoon of honey. The tea can be drunk warm or lukewarm.
- Sage Thyme Tea: Mix equal parts sage, thyme, peppermint, and plantain. Pour boiling water over a teaspoon of this herbal mixture and let the tea steep for about ten minutes. Then he still has to strain. The tea should be sipped at regular intervals.
Home remedies for cough: chicken soup
If a child has caught the flu or a cold and coughing accompanies those conditions, chicken soup is just the ticket. Because it is the classic among home remedies for all respiratory diseases. Due to its healthy ingredients such as zinc and iron, it has an anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect and also ensures that swelling and redness of the mucous membranes decrease. It keeps the body warm from the inside and also serves as an important fluid supply to keep the mucous membranes moist. Here we show how to prepare a chicken soup.
Home remedies for cough: inhalation
Inhalation is an anti-inflammatory home remedy that is able to clear the bronchial tubes of a child from stuck, viscous mucus or other foreign bodies using vapors alone. Inhalation should ideally be carried out using a special inhaler, which is available in every pharmacy. This is particularly necessary when inhaling saline solution – here it is also essential to use the sterile saline solution from the pharmacy. For other accessories, you can also use a bowl and a towel.
With both methods, there are a few things moms should be aware of:
- The water for the application should not be too hot, otherwise there is a risk of scalding the child.
- Children should only be inhaled under the supervision of an adult, as inhaling can quickly put too much strain on a child’s circulatory system, which could result in dizziness or fainting.
- One often reads that inhalations with essential oils are helpful for respiratory diseases. Since essential oils can cause shortness of breath in small children, special caution is generally required when using them. Ideally, you should consult a pediatrician beforehand.
That’s how it works:
- One inhalation requires 1.5 to 2 liters of water. This should first boil up and then cool down for a while. Otherwise the water is too hot for the child.
- Fill the water in a bowl or in the inhaler from the pharmacy.
- Now the corresponding addition can be added. For inhalation with a saline solution, you should follow the pharmacy’s package instructions and use the inhaler as already mentioned. However, inhalations with herbal additives are also conceivable. Due to their expectorant effect, herbs such as chamomile, sage or thyme are particularly suitable. For such an inhalation, simply add two tablespoons of the dried herb to the water.
- If not using an inhaler, the child should now hold their head over the bowl. It should be ensured that a towel completely covers both the head and the bowl. In this way, not so much steam can escape and the mucous membranes of the child can be moistened more intensively.
- The application should be carried out for 10-15 minutes. Care should be taken to ensure that the child’s breathing is normal during this time, i.e. deep and as calm as possible. If the child feels dizzy while inhaling, this is a sign that the circulatory system is under too much strain. In this case, the application must be stopped immediately so that the child does not faint and the circulation can return to normal instead.
- After inhalation, it is important that the child’s head remains covered. Otherwise, the sudden temperature difference could lead to circulatory problems. After the application, the focus is primarily on rest and relaxation.
- One inhalation can be done twice a day for 10-15 minutes without hesitation.
Home remedies for cough: wraps
A child’s cough can also be relieved with a compress. Which type of wrap you choose is entirely up to you. Basically, a distinction is made between a warm and cold wrap application. Warm wraps should only be used if the child does not have a fever . When treating fever , care should be taken to dissipate the heat of the body with appropriate measures. A warm wrap, on the other hand, adds heat to the body and would be an inappropriate course of action. There are two possible applications, among others:
- Potato wraps for coughs: A warm potato wrap has an antispasmodic and cough-relieving effect. It also warms you up and promotes blood circulation. For this purpose, some unpeeled potatoes must be boiled, which are first allowed to cool, otherwise there is a risk of burns for the child. The warm potatoes are then crushed together with their skin and spread on a gauze bandage. Cover the “mashed potatoes” with the same gauze bandage and wrap it around the child’s chest. After that, the wrap is covered with a towel. It then has to act for 60 to 90 minutes.
- Quark wraps for coughs: The quark wraps, which have a cooling and anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membranes, are one of the well-established home remedies for coughs. Swelling and reddening of the mucous membranes usually subside quickly when it is used. Spread the room-warm quark about one centimeter thick on a gauze bandage. The quark layer is then covered with the gauze bandage and then wrapped around the child’s chest area. A towel is then placed over it to cover the wrap. It is best to leave it on overnight.