Natural Remedies For Dry Cough: Are They Effective?

Sleeping well, staying hydrated, following your doctor’s instructions, and using certain natural remedies can help cure a dry cough. Find out more below.

Dry or unproductive cough, that is, without phlegm, can be a real nuisance. Its causes can range from a cold to irritation from an environmental factor, such as dust. Now, when this cough occurs as a result of a cold, it is convenient to treat it with the appropriate elements to make it disappear.

If the dry cough and the rest of the symptoms of the cold are not addressed, the disease could have major consequences on the health of the person. Hence the importance of going to the doctor and following his instructions.

Dry cough can occur so frequently that it can even prevent night’s rest. For this reason, most natural remedies offer solutions to have before going to sleep and thus obtain a good rest. After all, getting enough sleep is necessary for healing.

Remedies to relieve a dry cough

1. Black and white garlic

Garlic is an excellent natural remedy to end dry cough problems, since its antibacterial properties are of great help to alleviate a large number of conditions that attack various parts of the body, including the respiratory tract. In the same way, it is a very effective natural remedy to ‘uncover’ the bronchial tubes.

Ten garlic should be crushed and left, overnight, in a cup of olive oil along with a few sprigs of thyme. The next day, this mixture is passed through a strainer and placed in a jar with a lid.

You should take a tablespoon of this remedy every day on an empty stomach, until the contents of the bottle are finished. With the first spoonfuls, the improvement will already be appreciated.

2. Eucalyptus and lemon mist

Mists are the best allies in promoting relief from cold and flu symptoms. To steam properly,  boil half a liter of water with some eucalyptus and lemon leaves. You can also add the juice of several lemons but it is not mandatory.

When the preparation is boiling, it is lowered from the heat and very carefully, a towel is placed over the head and the face is approached, at a safe distance, to the steam that comes out of the container.  Inhaling the vapors will help bring relief and end the annoying cough, both dry and productive.

3. Ginger, honey and lemon

This is a classic combination of natural ingredients that is very powerful in treating cold and flu symptoms such as a dry cough. You just have to boil water with a little ginger zest and, once warm, add a few drops of lemon juice and honey to the water.

There are alternative ways to prepare this same remedy that include whole lemon slices (with everything and skin) and gelatin. An alternative is the following:

Cut several slices of lemon and ginger root, place in a glass container with the honey and close the container. It is taken to the refrigerator and left there until a kind of ‘preserve’ forms. When serving, add a teaspoon to a cup and pour boiling water over it. This remedy can be kept, at most, up to 3 months in the fridge.

4. Natural carrot juice

A good remedy to relieve a dry cough is to consume warm carrot juice two or three times a day. Carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals that help strengthen the immune system and, in turn, their juice has a texture that soothes throat irritation (which causes a dry cough).

You can also cut three onions, place them in a container with four tablespoons of honey and cook in a double boiler for at least two hours. Then let it rest and strain. Two tablespoons should be taken every three hours.

Additional tips

These natural remedies, by themselves, will not cure the flu but they can offer support to the treatment prescribed by the doctor. Therefore, its use does not exclude the use of various drugs and medications.

Since these are natural ingredients with antibacterial properties (such as honey), its main contribution is to strengthen the immune system.  

There are certain herbal teas that can also relieve a dry cough naturally. For example, you can  boil three tablespoons of flaxseeds in a cup of water for five minutes, strain and add the juice of a lemon  with a tablespoon of honey. You should take a tablespoon three times a day, to notice an improvement.

If after a week the dry cough does not disappear, it is best to consult your doctor. Similarly, an urgent consultation is made if there is fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing or other symptoms that prevent a normal life.