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Cough and sore throat are very common illnesses. Typically caused due to change in weather, inhalation of allergens or pollutants, viral infection, common cold and flu, cough can also be a result of asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This regular looking health condition however, can be really uncomfortable, especially when it is persistent and ruining your beauty sleep. So what do you do? Book an appointment with the doctor or go to a nearby pharmacy store to buy an over-the-counter medicine? 

Contrarily, if you are someone who trusts home remedies as a go-to alternative to treat cough, cold, sore throat, flu and other common illnesses, then believe me, you are not alone. There are numerous people out there who first reach out to use natural kitchen cures to find relief against regular illnesses and infections before visiting a doctor. 

For those who prefer to stay away from chemical based medications, I have given below 5 all-natural cough home remedies that can help a great deal in providing relief against nagging cough, sore throat and congestion.

1) A Spoonful of Honey

Honey is a wonderfully sweet liquid containing high levels of glucose, fructose and monosaccharides. However, apart from providing sweetness to your recipes, honey is known to exhibit antibacterial, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. This naturally tasty ingredient is also laden with antioxidants. Additionally, honey is also known to possess soothing effects, which makes it a perfect ingredient to fight cough and congestion and offer relief thereafter. The so many benefits of honey, especially raw honey and manuka honey, is the reason why even the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends honey as a natural home remedy for cough. 



How to Prepare & Use: 

Using honey as a home cure against cough and sore throat is honestly pretty simple. You can have a spoonful of raw honey, twice a day - especially before going to bed at night. You can also make a homemade drink by mixing 1 cup of hot water, 1 spoon of lemon juice, grated ginger and 2 spoons of raw honey that you can consume during the day. 

You must have heard of the very popular and effective grandma's recipe for wet cough i.e. honey and pepper tea. If you have wet cough, mucous and chest congestion, then I highly recommend this tea to you. It is honestly quite effective. To make this drink, mix 1 big glass of water, 2 teaspoon of honey and 1 spoon of freshly ground black pepper in a saucepan. Bring this mixture to a boil. Off the heat and cover the lid. Let it steep for 8-10 minutes. Strain this mixture and sip on, till you finish it off. 

Honey-ginger syrup is again a very helpful home remedy for cough and sore throat. To make this syrup, take 1 to 2 inch ginger, peel and then finely grate/crush it. Squeeze out ginger juice from it as much as possible. Thereafter, add this ginger juice to a spoonful of honey and mix it thoroughly. Consume this syrup right away, by swallowing it slowly. Try consuming this syrup twice a day.

2
) Turmeric Milk or Golden Milk


Often referred to as the Golden Milk, warm turmeric milk or haldi doodh (as commonly known in Hindi) is one of the trusted and recommended home remedies to fight persistent cough, cold and throat infection in Ayurveda. 

Turmeric as a spice and medicinal herb, is often used in homemade skincare recipes and cooking a variety of dishes, especially in Indian cuisine. However, apart from its use in creating different recipes, today turmeric is widely acknowledged for exhibiting a number of medicinal properties. Its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and naturally strong anti-inflammatory properties have proven time and again to give many health benefits to its users. Likewise, the combination of turmeric and milk has gained world-wide popularity for being a potent remedy in relief against cough, congested nose, sinuses and sore throats.



How to Prepare & Use:

If you go online, then you will find many variations of preparing turmeric milk. But the basic recipe includes milk, turmeric, honey and spices. Likewise, you can alter the types of spices, as you prefer. However, the most loved of all the recipes is given below. 

Before making this simple turmeric milk recipe, do gather the needed ingredients - 1 1/2 cup milk (cow/almond/soy - your choice), 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 2 teaspoons of honey, a small piece of fresh ginger that is grated or 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder,  a pinch of black pepper powder and a pinch of cinnamon powder.

To prepare golden milk, mix all the ingredients in your saucepan and bring the spicy turmeric milk concoction to boil. Reduce the heat thereafter. Let this mixture simmer, till you get a flavorsome aroma. Strain this mixture in your mug. Now, what are you waiting for? Drink it.😀

3) Ginger Root

Ginger, a pungent and spicy root herb that is often used in Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and other Asian cuisines, is widely known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. If this is not all, then fresh ginger also showcases antioxidant properties, which is known to aid in fighting infections and providing effective relief against dry cough, sore throat and tonsillitis. No wonder, why ginger is often touted as a go-to herb  and effective home remedy in times of need.



How to Prepare & Use:

To get relief from sore throat and cough, you can chew on freshly grated or thinly sliced ginger sprinkled with common salt. If you do not prefer this method, then you can prepare ginger tea at home.

To prepare ginger tea, heat 1 cup of water. Take an inch of fresh ginger, peel and finely slice or grate it. Add this ginger slices to hot water and bring it to a boil. Off the heat. Let it steep for 8-10 minutes. Strain this concoction in a cup and add 1 teaspoon of raw honey and 1 spoon of lemon juice (optional) to it. Mix it well. Your hot ginger tea is ready to be consumed. 

4
)  Thyme


Thyme is an aromatic herb that is used both fresh and dried. It is typically used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Often used in natural remedies, thyme is found to be effective in relieving cough and other symptoms of acute bronchitis due to its many valued properties. Thyme has antimicrobial properties and is known to be rich in antioxidants and compounds called flavonoids which help in calming inflamed throat and airways while also lessening cough.



How to Prepare & Use:

Thyme tea is an easy and impressive natural suppressant against persistent coughs and colds. To prepare this simple beverage, take 1 cup of water and add/mix 2 spoons of crushed thyme to it. Bring this concoction to a boil. Off the heat, once the mixture boils. Cover the lid and let it steep for 7-10 minutes. Strain it. To this, add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1/2 a spoon of lemon juice and mix it well. These added ingredients will not only enhance the flavour of thyme tea but also add soothing power to the drink.

5) Warm Saltwater Gargle

One of the most effective and easiest home cures against cough and sore throat is by gargling with warm saltwater solution a couple of times a day.

A time-tested cure for many, the reason why this simple home remedy has proven wonders against cough, sore throat and other infections of the mouth and throat, is because of the presence of salt and its properties in creating an inhospitable environment against bacteria and other irritants present on the mucous lining of the affected throat. The salt present in the solution is proven to pull out mucus and fight against these irritants and help provide relief against discomfort and inflamed tissues.




How to Prepare & Use:

Preparing saltwater for gargle is pretty easy. For this, take 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm to semi-hot water. Stir these two components to form a solution. Easy isn't it?

To use saltwater for gargling, take a large sip of the saltwater solution and gargle it for about 30 seconds. Meanwhile also try and swish the solution around your gums and teeth before spitting it out. Repeat this process, till you finish off the entire cup of salt water.

* In addition, to the above home remedies, it is vital that you keep yourself sufficiently hydrated during cough, sore throat, common cold or any other illnesses. And this can be easily done by consuming warm to semi-hot drinking water, nourishing broths, beverages like lemon-honey tea, masala chai, cinnamon tea, herbal tea and/or the above mentioned concoctions.

By the way
, do use the comment box below to tell me which among the above-mentioned cough remedies worked for you. If you have any other homemade recipe that has helped you immensely in providing relief against cough, congestion and sore throat, then you are free to write about it too.

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