Herbal Expectorant
Facts About Herbal Expectorant
A consistent cough and congested chest could be helped by using an herbal expectorant. When it comes to the common cold and coughing, there are 2 ways to address a cough that will not go away. The first type of medicine used is called a suppressant. Cough suppressants help to quiet a scratchy cough. They work to suppress and eliminate coughing, keeping it to a minimum. This is great for a person who has no other symptoms but it should never be used for people who have high fevers, a congested chest and nose or nausea and vomiting. If this is the case, you will need an expectorant. This type of medicine encourages coughing and an herbal expectorant can be as effective as an over the counter version of cough medicine.
An expectorant is used when a person has a congested chest and this is usually due to either a bacterial or viral infection. Rarely, it can occur because of an allergy. But it in this case, it can be cured easily by eliminating the offending substance. It is considered an upper respiratory illness or bronchitis and when the bacterial or virus invades the body, the lungs become inflamed. Mucus and phlegm are produced within the lungs to coat and protect them but the over accumulation of mucus can cause coughing. In severe cases, the lungs may start to restrict and breathing might become difficult. It may also become hard to cough up the mucus and phlegm. This is when an expectorant type of cough medicine is needed. It helps to relieve the inflammation in the lungs, so that the mucus can be easily removed by coughing it up and spitting it out.
Different types of cough medications or syrups contain high amounts of sugar and alcohol and people can become concerned about these ingredients. But there are many types of herbal expectorants that have been used for thousands of years to address this medical problem. Many of these herbal remedies work just as well as an over the counter cough medication and if you prepare them yourself, you will not have to be concerned with other unhealthy ingredients. An herbal expectorant can also be less expensive than an over the counter brand. There are many different types of herbs that are known to be successful expectorants.
You can use fresh herbs everyday to help with a congested cough. You can use them separately or you can combine them to work more efficiently. For example, most everyone knows that a cough can be soothed by adding honey and lemon to a hot cup of tea.
Garlic is considered to be nature’s natural antibiotic. It enhances the immune system and it is also an antiviral and an antibacterial. It is also thought to be very good for the lungs. This herb can really be a great herbal expectorant but it can also benefit the body in so many other ways. You can put in just about any dish to enhance the flavor but it is better to eat it raw, so that you can get all the nutrients.
Another herb that makes a good herbal expectorant is elecampane. You can grow this plant yourself or purchase it in a dried form at your local health food store. Add the roots and leaves to water and slowly boil it to make a tea. You can add a bit of sugar for taste but honey is better. Honey is a soothing for the throat and it sweetens the tea without having to use sugar. Lemon juice can also be added to enhance the effectiveness and the flavor.