Complementary Cough Remedies

As Spring turns into Summer (due mostly to the release of pollen), and Autumn eventually heads into Winter, the sound of coughing becomes common!

Here are 3 things you can do to help yourself and banish that cough......

1. In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) terms the energy of the Lung meridian normally travels down the body. When that normal direction is reversed and moves up, a cough is the result.

So to reverse your Lung energy, press on the acupuncture point LU5 (the 5th point on the Lung meridian - see the picture.) To find it, bend the elbow and find the outer (elbow end) of the elbow crease.

Press into it, directing the gentle force towards the inside of the arm, for 2-3 minutes and then

work on the other arm. The point may feel tender. Don't overwork it - you can keep coming back to it.

I once did this on a coughing waiter who was trying to serve at our table. He looked dubious, but when he returned to our table with the wine a few minutes later he said "I'm not sure what you just did, but my cough has stopped!"

2) Another home remedy to banish coughs is steam inhalation. Your lungs are naturally moist in their healthy state. When you have a cough they have become dry. Central heating, air conditioning, pollen, windy weather and plane travel can all irritate and dry the lungs.

Steam inhalation, either using the bowl and towel method or a dedicated facial steam machine, both help to moisten the lungs and also loosen any trapped catarrh in the sinuses, should you have sinusitis.

A drop of tea tree or eucalyptus can be added to the water. Children should be carefully supervised so that scalding is avoided.

3) Here is a simple 'sipping drink' that helps to relieve coughs:

Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 1 tablespoon of honey and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Add just enough hot water to melt the honey. Allow it to cool and then sip it slowly off a teaspoon, so that the mixture coats the throat as it goes down. This is also soothing for sore throats.

Help yourself to feel better, whatever the season.