By Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua, ND

Just when you’ve settled down to sleep or read, you feel this little tickle at the back of your throat and the next thing you know, there’s an unstoppable cough! cough! COUGH!

The cough
Coughing is a sudden explosion of air from the lungs that is designed to clear materials (fluid, sputum or objects) from the airways. A cough can be dry, wet, irritating, spasmodic or painful. A cough can be productive, where yellow to green sputum may be coughed up. A cough can also cause difficulty breathing, night waking, difficulty talking and even give off “musical” sounds, such as a loud rattle over the chest (fluid in the lungs).

Coughing causes
A cough is a symptom of many diseases, ranging from the common cold to a heart attack. In most cases, a cough is benign. A persistent long-term cough, however, should always be checked out by a licensed healthcare practitioner.

Below, are a few signs and symptoms for you to note and report to your health practitioner. High fevers or coughing up blood should always be regarded as situations where medical care is needed. 

• When the cough started and how long you’ve had it
• What triggers the cough, e.g. cold weather, exercise, nighttime
• Sputum production and color, if any
• Coughing up blood, if any
• Any fever, chills or sweats
• Any pain in the throat or chest
• Any difficulty breathing
• Time of the day when the cough occurs
• Worse in any position

Cough remedies
A number of herbs that have been shown to be helpful in treating a cough; here are a few:

Marshmallow
Marshmallow is not just the fluffy white candy treat. Marshmallow the herb, also called by its Latin name Althea officinalis, has been shown to treat coughs and sore throats. Studies have shown that due to its high mucilage content, this plant is soothing to inflamed mucous membranes.

Licorice
Licorice has a long history of use in any condition where mucous membranes, such as the throat and respiratory passages, are irritated. Licorice has the ability to soothe sore throats, bronchitis and a dry cough. Licorice also has antiviral properties which come in handy when the cough is due to an infection. Licorice extract may increase blood pressure in some people. If you have high blood pressure, the licorice product DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice), which has no effect on blood pressure, should be used instead.

Sundew
Sundew, also known by its Latin name Drosera rotundifolia, contains compounds (naphthaquinones) that have antispasmodic properties. Sundew appears to relieve the respiratory tract from spasm and thereby, stops the cough. Sundew is often called an herbal antitussive, a substance that can relieve and prevent a cough, because in animal studies it has been shown to suppress the impulse to cough. Sundew has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of coughs associated with bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis and even whooping cough.

If your cough is as a result of the common cold or any other infection, you should consider taking immune-stimulating vitamins and herbs, such as vitamin C, echinacea, zinc, garlic and ginseng. Complete your Truestar Vitamins Profile today and choose our Healthy Immunity Plan.

References