Oh, boy… the season of runny noses, feverish headaches and dry coughs is here. Don’t get us wrong; we adore autumn for many reasons, just not its inevitable side effects due to chilly weather. It seems that we can wrap ourselves (and our child or children) in scarves, furry caps and gloves all we want, but it’s like there is no way out of getting a nasty cough at one point or another during fall. What starts off as a casual cough quickly turns into a persistent dry cough that keeps us up at night and all we want is to get rid of it as fast as possible. Before we get into details about persistent dry cough treatment, you are probably wondering why this condition takes place. The causes of persistent dry cough pointed out by the Health department at Harvard are: postnasal drip, asthma (especially in the case persistent dry cough child), gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic bronchitis (frequent when experiencing persistent dry cough at night), treatment with ACE inhibitors, lung cancer or infections. You do not have to panic, though; these are just a few drastic cases in which other diseases are involved. A few common causes are use of tobacco, allergies, or just persistent dry cough after cold. If you are undergoing the symptoms of persistent dry cough, you should look into our home remedy list to learn how to put a stop to those painful coughing fits. All of the ingredients are 100% natural and won’t cause your body any further harm; also, most of them can already be found in your home or can be bought from your local store or market. Say good bye to persistant and dry coughing with these awesome home remedies below!

* If you experience persistent dry cough no other symptoms and you find the situation worsening day by day (especially after you have tried a few of these home remedies), I advise you to consult a professional doctor about the possibility of having any of the diseases briefly mentioned above.

1. Steam

Before you even begin to pile up on medication or other remedies, you must try breathing in steam for persistent dry cough. All you will need is a large pot of boiled water and a clean towel (optionally, you can get another heat-safe container to put the water in while you carry out the remedy). Place the towel over your head and bend over the pot, until your face is directly above it. Breathe in the steam for as long as you can until it becomes too hot.

2. Honey

One of Mother Nature’s gentlest and sweetest home remedies is honey. This delicious solution will soothe your aching throat and speed up the healing process, thanks to its strong antimicrobial, analgesic and antioxidant properties. There are many ways in which you can consume honey for treating persistent dry cough, but we recommend mixing it into a glass of hot milk for delightful results.

3. Hot Shower

Just like in the case of breathing in steam from a pot, taking a hot shower or bath will do wonders for getting rid of that never-ending cough. To boost the effects of this home remedy, turn on the hot water and close the bathroom door while it runs, in order to allow steam to form. Make sure that after you take the hot bath or shower you get on warm clothing and climb into bed under blankets to avoid any harmful exposure that will aggravate the cough.

4. Oregano

The last place you ever imagined seeing oregano as an ingredient is probably on a list of home remedies for persistent dry cough. We usually associate this yummy herb with hearty, home-cooked meals, but it also serves as a trusted solution for calming down coughs. Studies show that a particular type of oregano is good for getting rid of dry coughs, namely marjoram. All you have to do is boil a bit of oregano into one cup of water, strain it and enjoy it as a tea.

5. Peppermint

Aside from having a highly pleasing scent, peppermint is also a super duper cough buster. Healthline explains that the “menthol in peppermint soothes the throat and acts as a decongestant, helping to break down the mucus”. You can enjoy all of peppermint’s benefits for treating coughs by sipping on some hot tea or by inhaling steam with a couple of drops of peppermint oil in it. We guarantee that you will enjoy either one of these two methods.

6. Gargle

As far back as we can remember, salt water gargle has been one of the most tried and proven methods of battling off persistent dry cough. Even when we were children, our mothers would always trick us into gargling with salt water when a cough creeped up on us. Even though we always despised the taste (and, frankly, we still do so now), we are aware of how beneficial it can be to our health. You know the drill – add salt to a glass of warm water and gargle daily. The effects will always be surprisingly pleasant.

7. Carrots

While you might believe that carrots should not be on a list for treating persistent dry cough, think again; have you ever realized how many nutrients these delicious orange veggies have? Let’s just take a quick look: carrots come packed with Vitamin A (a whopping 334% of your daily recommended value in just 100 grams of carrots), dietary fiber, Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B-6, calcium, magnesium, sodium, protein and iron. Take four or five carrots and juice them, adding a teaspoon of honey if you want to sweeten the juice up a bit. It is recommended that you repeat the process three or four times daily so you can feel better.

8. Ginger

Ginger literally is a miracle worker for persistent dry cough. It can be consumed in several different ways, all of them equally effective in helping you get well. If you can take the powerful taste, sprinkle a bit of salt on a piece of ginger and gnaw on it for a couple of minutes. If you want an easier solution, you can brew a pot of fresh ginger tea. Slice up the ginger into tiny pieces and boil as you would do so normally. In the end, add a bit of honey to sweeten the tea up and drink when you feel that your cough is getting out of control.

9. Turmeric

You can make an excellent herbal tea out of turmeric to fight off that worrying cough. Take one teaspoon each of carom seeds and turmeric powder and boil them, adding honey at the end. Another tea you can make with turmeric contains black pepper; follow the same instructions given for the herbal tea. No matter what turmeric tea you choose to prepare, make sure that you drink it two or three times a day in order for the remedy to be effective.

10. Lemon

Another old yet reliable solution for combatting persistent dry cough is by using lemon, particularly in combination with honey. The high levels of Vitamin C included in these fruits (88% of your daily recommended value in 100 grams) will encourage rapid healing while rebuilding your immune system. All you have to do is squeeze a fresh lemon into a glass of warm water and add honey to taste, repeating the remedy every time your cough starts acting up again. This solution works so well because lemon relieves congestion, while honey soothes your aching throat.

11. Onion

Remember what we said earlier about home remedies for persistent dry cough from your childhood? This is definitely another one that has stood the test of time. Personally speaking, when I was young my chronic bronchitis led me to infinite fits of dry coughing, my mother would brew up some onion tea that she almost had to force me to drink down. I was equally surprised every time to see how amazing I felt afterwards. As a tip, try holding your nose before you can feel the smell of onion and add some honey to help wash it down.

12. Liquids

By all means, make sure that your body is permanently well-hydrated for as long as you are experiencing persistent dry cough. This means that you should be drinking more water than usual and packing up on herbal teas as often as you can. It is best that you enjoy liquids warm to hot, whether you drink a cup of tea or eat a bowl of soup. The inflammation caused by the cough will be reduced and your body can start getting back to normal in no time.

If you went through all of these home remedies for persistent dry cough and you can’t seem to find one that works for you, consult these bonus solutions as well:

• Garlic
• Almonds
• Thyme
• Licorice Root
• Aloe Vera

Let us know how you are feeling and which natural solution worked the best for you in your recovery!

Image sources: 1, 2.