If you are feeling a bit under the weather and you are really struggling to feel healthy especially during the cold season, then you would find the stubborn cough very irritating and fairly uncomfortable. In fact, excessive coughing may cause your throats to bleed and your sides to hurt – and these can mean a lot of trouble especially when you have to go out, brave the cold weather, and go to work.

A lot of factors can cause excessive coughing such as a respiratory tract infection, extreme change of temperatures and even allergies.

A cold is considered to be an acute inflammation of your upper air passages which can sometimes involve the throat and the eyes. With it being so universal for an ailment, it is really quite hard to identify the solid symptoms behind it. It is just normal to feel a general sense of weariness when your cold has gone worse – the coughing may keep you up for most parts of the night.  But before you reach for that cough syrup bottle, know that there are natural ways which you can readily do at the comfort of your home in order to help you get rid of that stubborn cough.

The Connection of Cough with Reflux

According to a recent study published at the official journal of AGA or the American Gastroenterology Association Institute Journal, coughing episodes can be considered related to gastro reflux in those who experience stubborn coughing. This reflux happens when the acid contents of the stomach comes back up into your esophagus. This then produces a great deal of heartburn that creates a burning sensation in the parts where your ribs meet.

The lead author of the study, Jaclyn A. Smith, PhD, MRCP, said that their approach has helped in linking coughing events to the instances of reflux. The rest of the researchers found out that 70 percent of the patients under the experiment experienced temporal associations of the two health trouble instances of reflux and stubborn coughing. The results of this study can partly explain how some traditional medicines are not so effective in terms of treating gastric acids with the treatments used for chronic coughing.

Ways to Say Goodbye to that Stubborn Cough

When you search a lot of health sites today, you would find a multitude of resources that would tell you of how to get rid of your almost endless coughing. But here are ten ways that you can do naturally which you can do on your own, and which can also help you save yourself from expenses and possible side effects from taking medicines.

1. Use Lemon. Mix some lemon juice with hot black tea to serve as a potent soother to your throat. Its warm liquid juice can provide some relief from coughing and can make things more manageable for your very itchy throat. You can also try mixing some chamomile with your lemon juice before you doze off to sleep at night.
   
   
2. Treat it With Some Steam. When going for a facial treatment, the steam helps by opening up your pores and increase blood circulation.  In the case of that stubborn cough, steam can actually help dilate the blood vessels allowing oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to flow smoothly.  More importantly, the steam widens the diameter of the bronchioles in the lungs, which helps improve gas exchange and makes breathing a whole lot easier. In order to do this, simply fill a bowl with boiling water and let the steam rise up to your face. Your cough would subside in a couple of minutes.
   
   
3. Try Eucalyptus. You must know that the essential oils of eucalyptus are soothing and can even render relief to your stressed body and mind. It can help battle all the symptoms of an incoming flu and you can easily purchase any spray items or oils in the market today which contains eucalyptus.
   
   
4. Get a Massage. Coughing is your body’s natural defense to get rid of all that extra mucus in your lungs. Hence, a full body massage can help get rid of toxins easily and ease off all the possible symptoms of your cold possibly getting worse.
   
   
5. Vitamin C Helps. When you have a cold, this means that your immune system may be running low and hence you need to remind yourself to get a lot more of those daily minerals and vitamins. You can try to get some drinks that are infused with big amounts of vitamin C like fresh oranges and grapefruits or even some strawberries. It can also help to relieve some symptoms of a cold.
   
   
6. Drink a lot of Water. This is a no-brainer.  Water helps dilute the sticky mucus and phlegm present in your lungs and this helps mobilizing and expectorating it much easier. In order to soothe your throat, go for warm or lukewarm water. You may also try the hot water and salt mixture, and then gargle it for about 10-15 seconds, spit it out and then repeat the process.
   
   
7. Quit that Smoking Habit. Everyone knows that smoking is definitely bad for your health since it damages the cilia in your lungs which make it harder for it to take out your phlegm and extra mucus in it. Second hand smoke can also be as worse as smoking on your own. The smoke that enters your lungs are causing further irritation, and once you do not decide to put your foot on the matter, you just cannot expect your cough to simply go away on its own without you doing some lifestyle changes.  
   
   
8. Try Some Apple Cider Vinegar. This can help in lessening the amount of mucus that is formed within your throat and passageways. All the minerals and the other properties in the vinegar can level the pH balance in your body which is helpful for your colds. Try to mix two teaspoons of the apple cider vinegar with 5 ounces of cold water. Stir it well and take gradual sips whenever you feel that stubborn coughing would come. You can sweeten it with some honey.
   
   
9. Soy Milk and Honey. When you cough a lot, it irritates your throat and leads to more coughing. Hence, it is important that you find ways to sooth your throat and two of those are soy milk and honey.  These can reduce severe coughing. Warm the soy milk up and mix it with a tablespoon of honey. Stir it well so that both would mix properly.
   
   
10. Experience Aromatherapy. There are scents and oils that can help you with your breathing.  So go ahead and look for what works for you.  Fill your room with this soothing scent, especially when you are about to sleep at night.  This can help you achieve a well-rested state and a fitful sleep which is essential to your recovery.

Sources
hindustanlink.com
sciencedaily.com
ehow.com
healthmad.com
associatedcontent.com