Cure That Cough.(Brief Article)

Try these herbs and remedies to get to the root of the problem without nasty side effects

Sometimes the stuffy nose and sore throat that come with a cold are almost tolerable compared to coughing that can interrupt daily activities or prevent a good night's sleep. Desperate for relief, many people turn to the shelves of the local drugstore. But while over-the-counter cough remedies make some tempting promises, they don't treat the cause, only the symptoms. And like most pharmaceutical drugs, they are not free of side effects. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternative remedies that can quell coughs by encouraging the body's healing processes. Here are some to consider.

COUGH MANAGEMENT 101

To find an appropriate, effective remedy for a cough, says Dr. Melissa Metcalfe, assess your specific symptoms, such as whether the cough is wet or dry. "If your cough is part of a cold and you have a fever, yellow mucus and a lot of phlegm, it is probably caused by a bacterial infection," she explains. "A dry cough is more likely viral, and needs to be treated differently."

In the case of a wet cough, the lungs are trying to clear away mucus that has accumulated. In that situation, some experts recommend moderate workouts and/or deep breathing exercises to speed the process along by filling the lungs with extra oxygen. Also, inhaling steam from boiling water -- laced with a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil -- can relieve congestion and upper respiratory inflammation by making coughs more effective at expelling mucus. Both eucalyptus and peppermint can also be taken as teas to ease coughing.

HERBS THAT KEEP COUGHS AT BAY

Wet coughs respond well to herbs that have expectorant qualities, says Metcalfe, which simply means that they thin mucus, making it easier for the body to eliminate it.