Tag Archives: cough

Where Coughing Comes From

Coughing is a common ailment that sends plenty of people running to the doctor’s office. Occasional coughing can be good for you — it can clear out particles in the lungs that can lead to infection. Persistent coughing isn’t quite so helpful. Most of the time, a cough is a symptom of something else. Maybe you’ve got allergies or post-nasal drip. Maybe a medication (like a nasal spray) is making your throat irritated. Maybe something more serious — like a heart condition, serious sinus infection, the flu, or gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD) — is hiding behind that cough. Your doc will … Continue reading →

Cold Relief Away From Home

Are you at home, close to your medicine cabinet every time a sore throat strikes? I’m not. I can remember coming down with a nasty upper respiratory infection while I was on a long car ride. With every mile, my throat hurt worse and worse until I was just about ready to cry. I didn’t even have a cough drop in my purse, just miles of misery. One of the best things you can do to relieve a sore throat is to gargle with warm salt water. But what can you do if you’re away from home or stuck at … Continue reading →

Horehound

Horehound has been around for a long time — as candy, throat lozenges, tea, and syrup. The plant’s name comes from Horus, the Egyptian god of sky and light. It has many uses over the centuries. Ancient Greeks used horehound to cure the bite of mad dogs. Other medicinal uses for horehound included treatments for hepatitis, tumors, tuberculosis, typhoid, snake bite, worms, jaundice, bronchitis, and more. Horehound with rose oil was thought to cure earache. Horehound sniffed or used on the eyes was thought to improve eyesight. The herb was used to relieve liver and spleen obstructions. Folk legend says … Continue reading →

Elecampane

The flowering plant known as elecampane has a poetic history and many nicknames. If you’ve heard of elfdock, elfwort, wild sunflower, horseheal, and scabwort — these are all names for elecampane. The plant’s Latin name — innula helenium — gives a clue to the plant’s origins. One legend says that the species originated with the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen of Troy. She may have carried a handful of elecampane with her when Paris stole her away. Another story says that elecampane sprang up from the tears of the goddess Helena. A third story suggests that the plant … Continue reading →

Fight A Cold With The Right Foods

Stuffy nose? Check. Scratchy throat? Check. Tickling throat and cough? Check and check. Sounds like the formula for a few days of misery while your body fights off a cold. Running to the kitchen can help ease your symptoms and help you feel better faster. Chicken soup. An oldie but a goodie! The salt in the broth is soothing to sore throats. The warmth can help break up mucous. The veggies are full of vitamins and minerals your body needs. What’s not to like? Whole grains. The zinc in whole grains helps your immune system keep running at peak performance. … Continue reading →

Eight Great Ways To Beat A Winter Cold

Gargle with warm water — or better yet, warm salt water. Why? Because gargling can help flush out mucus that drains from the sinuses down your throat. And the water will help hydrate the cells at the back of your throat. If the cells there are dry, they will be less effective at keeping germs out of your respiratory tract. Drink hot tea. Researchers from Harvard University found that tea drinkers have immune system responses that are FIVE TIMES faster than coffee drinkers’. Why? Tea contains catechins, which may help your immune system spring into action against viruses. Another study … Continue reading →

Slippery Elm

Slippery Elm is a species of elm tree found throughout North America from Texas and Florida to North Dakota to the southern parts of Quebec. Also known as Red Elm, Grey Elm, and Moose Elm, this deciduous tree has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries. The inner bark of the Slippery Elm can be ground into a nutrient-rich gruel. With a consistency like oatmeal or porridge, elm gruel is gentle on the digestive tract while still providing the essentials. You can actually survive on only elm gruel for a short period of time… useful knowledge if you’re ever … Continue reading →