5 homemade recipes to relieve cough

Handkerchiefs in hand, runny nose and cough. With the arrival of winter and the drop in temperatures in most parts of the country, coughing attacks increase, which bother and even embarrass. Who has never had to withdraw from an environment because of so much “cof-cof”? “Cough is a symptom that increases in winter, as there is a higher frequency of respiratory diseases, such as flu and allergies. And diseases like asthma get worse”, says Jairo Araujo, from the Brazilian Society of Pneumology and Phthisiology.

The body’s defense mechanism, coughing clears the airways. Therefore, it is not good to inhibit it. “The cause must be taken care of and, for that, the diagnosis of a doctor is fundamental”, warns Araujo. Some homemade recipes, however, can ease the discomfort in less severe cases. “These are palliative measures, which alleviate crises”, says herbalist Luiz Antônio Batista da Costa.

NATURAL SOLUTIONS TO MAKE AT HOME

flower syrup

For coughs caused by allergies, such as rhinitis and sinusitis

Ingredients

5 tablespoons of sugar

½ lime

1 tablespoon honey

½ liter of water

1 tablespoon calendula flower petals

1 tablespoon chamomile flower

Preparation mode

To make the syrup base, burn the sugar in the pan. Then add lemon juice and honey. Reserve. Boil the water, remove it from the heat and add the calendula and chamomile flowers, leaving the solution muffled for 10 minutes. Strain and add the tea to the syrup base, stir and then pour into a smaller container. “Have a dessert spoon three times a day,” says Costa. “Calendula and chamomile have anti-allergic and cough-soothing action”, he adds.

onion essential oil

To expectorate phlegm

Ingredients

3 onion rings

2 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation mode

The onion is a food that you have in the fridge and that helps to relieve the cough, expectorating the secretion. “This onion essential oil is a potent antibiotic”, says aromatherapist Sâmia Maluf. Cut the onion, add the sugar and set aside. Let the mixture rest overnight. It will form a broth. “Take a teaspoon three times a day”, advises the expert.

quick fix

There’s no reason to panic if a crisis happens at the office. “Dip a drop of peppermint oil on a handkerchief and sniff it several times until the cough calms down”, Sâmia guides.

Inhalation with essential oils

In 5 to 10 ml of saline solution, add a drop of essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus, peppermint or tea tree – found in health food stores – and inhale. “The oils help in the treatment of colds and flu and, consequently, relieve coughs”, says Sâmia. If you don’t have an inhaler, do it like this: add five drops of one of these oils to a container with 1 liter of very hot water. Cover your head with a towel, like a hut, close your eyes and inhale the steam.

garlic tea

For coughs in cases of flu and colds

Ingredients

1 cinnamon stick

2 cloves

½ liter of water

1 clove of garlic

Preparation mode

Boil the cinnamon and cloves in water for 5 minutes. Take the tea off the heat. Crush the garlic and add it to the tea, leaving the solution muffled for 10 minutes. Finally, strain and drink two or three cups of the drink throughout the day. “Crushed garlic releases substances that have anti-inflammatory and antiviral action”, explains Costa. Cloves and cinnamon help clear the airways. And they don’t give off breath, see?
Don’t let the cough get you!

To avoid flu, colds and complications that result in the “cough-cough” symphony, Araujo recommends:

– Hydrate yourself.

– Leave your home environments ventilated and sunny.

– Wash your hands before eating, handling food or touching your eyes and mouth, which avoids contamination.

– Eat and sleep well.

– Whenever you cough, bring your hand to your mouth.

– Get vaccinated against the flu.