Ever been in public and started coughing uncontrollably and people look at you as if you have the bubonic plague? Even if their reaction isn’t quite so extreme, it can still be an embarrassing situation. Fortunately, this is one of those problems that is easy to solve. Here is how to get rid of a cough quickly.

Unless you have some serious congestion that your body is trying to clear out, a cough is usually caused by throat irritation. Ingesting something to soothe your throat will usually take care of the cough. That is why a cough drop can often help. The sugar coats your throat and the medication numbs it. The problem is some people don’t like the taste of cough drops and some don’t like the medicine aspects of them.

Tickly Cough

If you would rather know how to get rid of a cough without medicine, the easiest solution when you’re on the go is actually a simple drink of water. If you don’t have anything to drink, try to find something that will make you salivate like sucking on a peppermint or chewing a piece of gum.

Photo by Scientific deliriums

Chesty Cough

Water and gum chewing can especially help with a tickly or dry cough. However, those don’t work long term if you have a chesty cough. That condition generally indicates the presence of an infection. Fortunately, there are foods that can help to fight an infection. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and is easy to integrate into almost any food. You can also find garlic supplements to get it in a more concentrated form. Cinnamon has been shown to help with cold and flu symptoms. Basil and oregano have anti bacterial properties.

Cough Treatments from Around the World

According to Chinese beliefs, ingestion of a banana can help a person to put an end to a series of coughs. Chinese feel that the smooth nature of that fruit eases any irritation to the throat. The Chinese also view citrus fruits as a possible source of such irritation. In contrast to that view, Persians urge a coughing person to eat a tangerine, or to drink some orange juice.

Both cultures have uncovered useful advice if you are having trouble sleeping because of a cough. The Chinese believe in the calming effects of ginger. A bulb of ginger can be shred into a small sauce pan full of milk. This mixture can be heated and consumed at bedtime. It will then coat and the throat allowing you to get a few hours of sleep.
The Persians also have a way to use warm milk as a cough-fighting tool. Persians put honey in milk and warm it at bedtime. Like shredded ginger, the honey coats the throat.

As tea drinkers, the citizens of ancient Persia found that certain other substances could also help to end a round of coughing. They would put honey and lemon juice in their tea to get rid of the unpleasant noise that is associated with an irritation of the airway. Sometimes the effectiveness of the lemon and honey can be increased by adding a tiny bit of hard liquor. (Whisky works well for this. Obviously, don’t go around giving whisky shots to anyone underage or pregnant.)

Now, you can see that there are a lot of options here. The reason is, there really isn’t a way to cure a cough, you can only treat the problem that is causing the cough. Once you have figured out what is causing you to cough, there are a plethora of treatments to get rid of a cough naturally.

When a person has acid reflux, he experiences the regurgitation of stomach acid in his esophagus, causing heartburn and vomiting. Usually, everyone experiences reflux every once in a while, but chronic reflux can lead to severe effects. The lining of the esophagus could be burnt by the stomach acid and even cause esophageal cancer.

The disease is quite easy to cure, as long as proper medication is observed. However, some people believe in the power of home remedies and natural treatments. Medications can help in correcting the disease, but they may have side effects that could cause more harm to the body. There are several natural remedies for acid reflux. Most of them use simple ingredients that are not only easy to get but economical as well.  In fact this is the basis of the Reflux Remedy Report.

Apples are very well known for helping ease acid reflux. Because apples are naturally alkaline, they compete with the acid in the stomach and send a message to the brain that enough acid has been produced. This relieves the regurgitation and stomach pains. Eating apples before breakfast and after every meal can help control reflux throughout the day.

Photo by AndyRob

Apple cider vinegar is also effective in relieving acid reflux. Although it is an acid, apple cider is a good acid which fights against the bad acid that the stomach produces during reflux. Take a tablespoon or two when regurgitation occurs or dilute the same amount in a glass of water to prevent reflux.

Ginger root has acid-absorbing abilities that reduce the amount of stomach acid and prevent regurgitation. It can also calm the nerves, making the person feel light and relaxed. There are ginger root capsules available in the market today.

Aloe vera is also a popular reflux remedy. It is effective in relieving acid attacks. Natural juice directly from the aloe vera leaves is not good to take, though, because it has laxatives. Aloe vera extracts that are for oral consumption can be found in health stores.  Be sure to consult your doctor before pursuing natural reflux remedies instead of traditional medicine.

You are what you eat. I am not referring to the diet program aired in United Kingdom in 2004 to 2007 or even the 1968 American documentary film. I am merely referring to the fact that one who eats horrendously, is not astoundingly sick compared to one who eats healthily. The food that gets into the mouth and down the stomach for food processing becomes the body’s medical supply like water reserve in a camel’s humps. Feed your body with the wrong stuff and the insides go chaotic. Feed it with better food and you experience body wellness. This, however, is just the beginning.

Healthy diet is favored but regardless of whether good or bad food lands on your internal grinding machine, it is recommended that at least once a day, you get to move your bowels. Less than this leads you to becoming a “sick man (or woman) walking”. A lot of waste will be derived from three meals’ worth in a day. Missing one day will stack up with another batch of meals the following day. The colon is our body’s sewer system so the longer the waste matter stays on our bowels, the more we expose ourselves to a variety of diseases. Decaying matter becomes the source of bacterial growth and may cause the transfer of harmless flora to other parts of the body. Upon transfer, these harmless floras may become dangerous and disease-causing. To cut the story short, everything that goes into our bowels are converted to toxins, thus, the need to flush them out.

A very good way to restore the normal flow of bowel movement is through cleansing of the intestines. It is often the very first step recommended in the body detoxification process. Laxatives are the drugs of choice in constipated cases but there are also natural means to purge your colon out of destructive particles. It involves the incorporation of medical herbs that may either contain good bacteria or enzymes that instigates the colon to move bowels. To name a few, peeled and dried roots of rhubarb contain glycosides that function as a mild laxative in high doses of one to two grams. It may function as a standalone drug or in combination with other medical herbs. The motility of the colon is done through the inactivation of certain enzymes responsible for the slow movement. The “transit time” becomes faster as a result. It is not recommended for more than two weeks of usage as it may lead to the swelling and discoloration of the colon.

Another laxative that exhibits the same effect is the Cascara Sagrada. Not only does it relieve constipation but it also invigorates the muscles in the intestines. Coriander leaves, garlic, mint and onions may be eaten in trace amounts for the purpose of colon cleansing. Each herb has its own independent therapeutic effect apart from its ability to rid the colon of toxins. Fennel seeds, ginger and lemon may be mixed with lukewarm water and triphala, an herbal powder, to formulate black tea.