Getting sick with a cough can be quite uncomfortable. Coughing frequently can put pressure on the bladder, which can drive you rushing to the bathroom out of the blue. Not only that, if you cough and cough for a long time, you can also end up with a headache.
Sleeping at night can be quite a challenge, too. Also, if you do manage to doze off, you’ll wake up not long after due to another coughing fit. Sleep simply won’t come easily if you do not take a 24-hour cough medicine that provides full relief 30 minutes after intake.
It goes without saying that the best situation is to avoid getting a cough, which you can do with proper hygiene and a healthy immune system. However, if the cough and cold virus proves greater than your immunity, the only thing that you can do is to manage your cough well. This is to ensure faster recovery and less discomfort.
How do you do that? Here are seven useful tips to follow.
1. Keep your throat hydrated at all times
A dry throat can trigger a coughing fit. So, keep a tumbler of water with you at all times. This way, every time you feel a scratch in your throat, you can soothe it with a wave of water. Avoid cold water, though — opt for room temperature water.
2. Keep a humidifier on
If you often stay in an air-conditioned room, balance the dryness it creates by turning on a humidifier. This is one of the best ways to get chesty cough relief because it prevents the throat from becoming too dry.
Also, you will notice that when you have a cough and cold, your skin tends to feel dry. Keeping a humidifier running can work against that effect as well.
3. Suck on a cough pastille
Sucking on cough pastilles will not only treat your throat and immune system to vital nutrients that can expedite your recovery. It can also stimulate the production of saliva to keep your mouth and throat moist. A moist mouth and throat do not get itchy easily, meaning you will cough less.
4. Massage vapor rub on your back, chest, neck, and feet
The application of vapor rub can make your body feel warmer, which can provide some relief. If you massage it in the critical areas mentioned, you can undo tension knots and even dislodge sticky mucus.
Meanwhile, vapor rub on the soles of your feet is believed by many to boost the immune system. According to massage therapists, the cold that enters through the feet actually can arrest the immune system. Therefore, it’s important to keep the feet warm by massaging them with vapor rub, and then covering them with warm socks.
5. Drink ginger, honey, lemon tea
This warm beverage is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants to fight the cold virus. At the same time, vitamins and antioxidants have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Plus, lemon is alkaline, which can make your body more receptive to the medication you’re taking for the cough and cold.
6. Take warm showers
While cold showers may be more refreshing, generally, warm baths are more advisable to take for when you are sick. The steam from the water is good for your nasal passage and throat. Plus, warm water can ease some of the tightness you may be feeling in your chest and back that makes breathing difficult at times.
It’s worth noting as well that going to sleep at night may become more manageable after a warm shower due to the sense of relaxation it can bring.
7. Treat yourself to clear soup
Quite often, when you are sick with a cold and cough, you not only lose your appetite but keeping food down can be difficult as well. So, instead of your typical regular meals that may scratch your throat or have ingredients that take a longer time to digest, consume more clear soup such as chicken soup.
Hot soup can sublimate the mucous membranes and make breathing easier. Also, the warmth of the soup can soothe an easily irritated throat.
All of these tips are easy enough to implement. So, if you or a family member needs relief from a cough, use these healthy tips not only to get relief but also to recover faster.