Homeopathic medicine for cough is very effective with no side effects. Therefore, it is suitable for all age groups, including babies & infants.
As we all know, cough is a common disease, but it affects most people when the season changes. Although If you treat cough on time, it disappears within days, it becomes severe if you leave it.
You might have come across various treatments, including home remedies to allopathy. But homeopathy is the most effective and natural.
Moreover, It is not bitter like home remedies and has no side effects like allopathy. Sometimes, allopathy is not recommended to small kids and those already on some other kind of medications.
On the other hand, you can use homeopathic cough medicine while on other medications and even on infants.
This article will go through the most effective homeopathic medicine for cough based on the various symptoms. These medicines not only treat your cough but also make a complete recovery in a natural way.
Homeopathic medicine for cough mentioned in this article has covered all kinds of cough like – dry cough, rattling cough, paroxysmal cough, nocturnal cough, spasmodic cough, etc.
Apart from this, you will get a homeopathic remedy for the cough that arises from diseases like – asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema, etc.
So let’s get started!!
What is Cough?
Did you know that cough is the body’s natural defense mechanism against harmful outside agents? The harmful agents could be dust, pollen, foreign objects, smoke.
When these unwanted things enter your airway, your brain is immediately alerted. The alert brain then sends a signal through one of the various nervous pathways to the lungs and chest.
In response to this, lungs contract and create a condition where the foreign, unwanted object is expelled out. This is what we call the Cough Reflex, or simply a cough.
Therefore, cough is the body’s natural way of clearing the airways of irritants. Sometimes, cough is a symptom of underlying medical conditions. And the type of cough helps us to diagnose the underlying cause and severity of the disease condition.
Types of Cough
Cough can be classified based on different parameters.
Out of these, two parameters are the most common to classify the types of cough.
- A-Based on the duration of cough
- B-Based on the mucus formation
Cough Types Based on Duration
Classifying based on the duration is the simplest way of understanding the cough. As per this, your cough could be-
1- Short-term/Acute Cough–
Sometimes, when your mother is cooking lunch for you, you hear her cough uncontrollably. This may be because some strong odor of a particular ingredient may have entered her airway, and the cough is her body’s way of expelling it. This cough goes away on its own after a while.
Cough is a symptom that remains after a viral disease is long over from the body. This is called a post-viral cough. This, too, lasts for a short period.
So, most acute coughs are allergic or recuperative. They can also be a symptom of some minor diseases. These acute coughs usually resolve on their own, sometimes with mild medications.
2-Long-term/Chronic Cough–
Any cough that has lasted for more than a month should be considered chronic.
Chronic coughs are almost always symptoms of some underlying disease, usually a serious one like tuberculosis, emphysema, bronchitis.
Chronic coughs are always accompanied by other symptoms like weight loss, shortness of breath, etc. They require medical attention and proper medical care.
Cough Types Based on Mucus Formation
Depending on whether you cough out mucus, cough is classified in two ways-
1. Dry Cough / Non-Productive Cough–
In this type, you do not get mucus formation. This cough is usually restricted to the upper part of your airways, like the throat.
Generally, you feel a lot of irritation or tickling sensation in your throat. You may feel the need to hawk and clear your throat frequently as if some foreign particle is lodged in your throat.
2. Wet Cough / Productive Cough–
You will keep spitting a lot of mucus and feel a cough deep inside your chest in this type. Mucus production indicates that the disease location is deep down the airways, i.e., in the lungs.
Chronic abuse to the lungs due to tobacco, bacterial and viral infections, Emphysema, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, and Bronchitis are some of the diseases causing the wet cough.
Cough Treatment
If you have been coughing for a while, the first instinct is to try home remedies. Warm water, honey, homemade concoctions of various spices are known to us all.
But if these home remedies give no relief, do visit a doctor. What will happen at the clinic when you visit the doctor for a cough?
Cough is a symptom and not a disease in itself. So a doctor will assess you, keeping the following facts in his mind.
1. The doctor will ask you to open your mouth wide and check your throat and tonsils area.
2. He will check your chest sounds with the help of a stethoscope to see if there is any mucus present.
3. He will ask about cough duration and any other symptoms like weight loss, loss of appetite, involuntary passing of urine while coughing, etc.
Generally, cough syrups are the best options to treat cough. The contents of the cough syrup vary according to the nature of your cough. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics and lozenges, seeing after assessing your condition.
Most cough syrups come with the side-effect of drowsiness so that the doctor will give you proper advice regarding the same.
Homeopathic Medicine for Cough
Homeopathy is a gentle system of medicine that cures the body without any side effects. Homeopathic remedy for cough is highly effective in most cases.
Homeopathic medicine for cough is made from natural substances, and therefore, they are safe to use. These remedies work to treat the cough’s cause and bring a complete recovery from the severe conditions.
Let us look at the top 15 homeopathic medicine for cough based on a patient’s symptoms. You can prescribe a particular medicine to a patient who has symptoms mentioned below every homeopathic medicine.
1-Spongia Tosta: Homeopathic Medicine for Dry Cough
There is marked dryness of the entire airway. The mouth is dry. The cough is very loud. There is no mucus production at all.
The reason for the cough is usually drinking something cold or being out in the open air. Warm drinks soothe the throat a little. Along with cough, there is an extreme weakness.
The cough drains the energy altogether, leaving the person breathless. The cough is worse on inspiration.
Every time the person breathes in, the cough starts. So the person will often breathe in short gasps and will look as if he is panting.
Even though exposure to cold air is the triggering factor for cough, a patient feels better in the fresh air. Being inside the house in a warm room makes him feel suffocated and aggravates his cough more.
Spongia is a remedy that also effectively cures thyroid problems and heart issues. And a cough may be a symptom accompanying thyroid issues or heart diseases.
2-Drosera Rotundifolia: Homeopathic Medicine for Whooping Cough
The hallmark of Drosera is that the cough comes in Paroxysms. There are short episodes of cough that come in quick succession.
The attacks are so frequent that the person hardly has time to breathe. The coughing spell leaves him blue in the face.
The continuous, rapid coughing leads to retching and eventually vomiting. These symptoms, when found in little children, Drosera is the remedy that will act correctly.
In adults, Drosera works well in those people who have to talk a lot professionally, like teachers, lawyers, public speakers.
Overuse of the larynx leads to hoarseness of voice in these people. The entire throat feels raw and scraped.
A feather tickling sensation is felt in the throat, leading to constant hemming, hawking, and clearing of the throat.
Drosera acts well in a post-viral cough. Cough after an attack of measles in children is one of the significant symptoms pointing to Drosera.
3-Antimonium Tartaricum: Homeopathic Medicine for Rattling Cough
Rattling cough is a term used when the chest is full of mucus, and the cough makes a rattling sound.
While coughing, one can make out that it is wet cough. But the person cannot cough out the mucus. He keeps trying to cough and expel the mucus, but his efforts are in vain.
The person who requires Antimonium Tart is quite the harassed person. A person cannot sleep at night when the cough is worst.
If a person lies down for a while during the daytime, the cough gets worse. A person can sleep neither at night nor during the daytime, leaving him exhausted. If only he could expel some of the mucus and feel free for a while.
4-Sambucus Nigra: Homeopathic Medicine for cough in Child & Babies
The cough is in violence. The characteristic here is that the cough starts around midnight. A child coughs continuously in explosions and sits up feeling suffocating.
The suffocation is so bad that the child turns blue. Sitting up in bed or walking around a bit helps relieve the cough and suffocation. There is the inability to breathe out.
In small babies, there is a blocked nose along with a cough. While feeding, the baby often lets go of the nipple to breathe through the mouth. So a paroxysmal suffocative cough in little children is the right indication for Sambucus Nigra.
5-Arsenicum Album: Homeopathic Medicine for Asthmatic Cough
The air passages are constricted. The attack usually comes around midnight. There is a tight, constrictive feeling around the chest area. The person clutches his chest and coughs in pain.
He is often breathless and pale. The cough has a wheezing sound to it. Thick, tenacious yellow-green mucus may be present. This mucus is usually frothy.
Sometimes a person may cough up blood too. There is burning pain along the upper part of the right lung. The episode of asthma with suffocation and cough leaves the person very anxious and restless.
A person is terrified and very sure that he is going to die. He even predicts that he will die at a particular hour.
He refuses to lie down and rest as this increases his cough, and he feels that he will die coughing. A person denies all food and drinks too.
Read More about Arsenic Album.
6-Bryonia Alba: Homeopathic medicine for pneumonia
Bryonia is a remedy that is well-suited to severe pathological conditions like pneumonia. Generally, it is the right lung that is affected.
Cough affects the mucus membranes and causes much dryness in them. When the person coughs, there is an intense stitching type of pain.
An acute stab of pain renders him breathless. His breaths are usually short. He feels that there needs to be more air in his lungs and breathe deeply, but he cannot do so because of the pain.
The pain while coughing is so bad that the person feels his chest will burst. So he has to hold his chest while he coughs.
The mucus in the cough is very thick and tenacious, and it is not quickly expelled. When the person enters a warm room, his cough gets aggravated.
Sitting up makes the cough worse. A person is always lying on the affected side. Applying hard pressure on the chest also makes him feel better.
7-Hepar Sulph: Homeopathic Medicine for Dry Cough with Rattling & Chilliness
Chilliness with a dry rattling cough is the guiding feature of this remedy. The cough is dry initially but soon changes to a rattling type.
Thick yellow, loose mucus is expelled. There is general chilliness felt by the person, which is due to the lack of internal body heat.
The slightest exposure to cold air brings on the cough. Even if a small part of his boy is left uncovered, it is enough to make the person feel uncomfortable.
Being exposed to cold air or having a cold drink makes his throat sore. The person loses his voice, and then the disease travels further down the airway, causing a loose rattling cough.
Cough, which is better when sitting up and bending head backward, is the characteristic symptom found in Hepar Sulph.
8-Natrum Muriaticum: Homeopathic Medicine for Chronic Cough
This remedy is well-suited to longstanding coughs of any pathology. A patient gets a cough accompanied by tears in the eyes.
There is an involuntary urine leak while coughing. A patient feels the weakness of all muscles.
Coughing causes a lot of pain, and the person has to hold the chest while coughing. A person sits down while coughing, as coughing leads to the squirting of large amounts of urine.
Going up the stairs brings on a suffocation episode. The person has to stop, breathe deeply, and then continue.
Cough often triggers a headache, which is mostly frontal and left-sided. Cough is a symptom of poor stress management.
Often speaking kindly and lending a sympathetic ear brings on the cough and all the symptoms back.
Natrum Mur is suited well to women who are sad and weepy with a tired look about them.
9-Natrum Sulphuricum: Homeopathic Medicine for Cough in Damp Weather
Natrum Sulph is a remedy well-suited for individuals who have all their complaints during damp, wet, cloudy weather.
People living in coastal areas or mountain regions where it rains incessantly are most suited to the use of this remedy.
The cough in Natrum Sulph is the remnant of long-healed pneumonia. The person has a history of pneumonia, and the cough is the only symptom that keeps coming back, especially if the weather is damp and cloudy.
The cough comes with breathlessness and tightness in the chest. The symptoms typically start between 4 AM to 5 AM.
The person coughs out thick greenish-colored mucus. Natrum Sulph is well suited to asthma in young kids.
The child is breathless, and in between coughs, he has to pause to take in-depth. Natrum Sulph is suited to pneumonia, where the lower lobe of the left lung is affected.
The natrum Sulph cough is aggravated early in the morning and in damp weather. Listening to music makes the person sad, and his symptoms worsen.
10-Nux Vomica: Homeopathic Medicine for Cough with Stomach Problems
Nux vomica is a beautiful remedy for cough that is associated with the gastrointestinal system. There is severe acid reflux causing cough and vomiting.
Overuse of stimulants like alcohol and caffeine, sedentary lifestyle, high-paced jobs, and unhealthy eating habits leads to severe acid reflux, gas accumulation, constant sour belching, and vomiting.
Nux Vomica is the perfect remedy for type A personalities. They are people with a highly competitive streak within themselves. They are extremely irritable and moody. It isn’t easy to please the patient.
11-Conium Maculatum: Homeopathic Medicine for Cough Worse at Night
A patient gets coughing when lying down.
Sometimes cough at night becomes so severe that a patient becomes restless and used to sit up. Because after sitting, he feels relief from coughing.
A tickling sensation is a very prominent feature inside the throat. Some patients may complain about a dry spot inside the larynx. A patient gets a headache after coughing.
12-Ipecac: Homeopathy Remedy for Cough with Difficult Phlegm
A patient puts a lot of pressure and effort during coughing; then, he can expel phlegm. During coughing, a patient feels constricted feeling in the chest and shortness of breath.
A patient feels suffocating while coughing due to the severity of the problem. A person gets nausea and vomiting, along with a cough.
13-Corallium Rubrum: Homeopathic Medicine for Cough from PND (Post Nasal Dripping)
PND is a condition when a secretion from the nose starts and drains down to the throat. Allergies or the common cold usually cause postnasal drip.
Secretions from the nose that drain down into the throat, causing congestion and cough. A person may get a series of coughs one by one after getting PND.
A patient feels exhausted after extreme coughing. A patient feels a chilled sensation in the throat after inhaling fresh air.
14-Millifolium: Homeopathic Medicine For Cough with Bloody Sputa (hemoptysis)
When a patient gets blood in phlegm after coughing, then it could be a bad condition. Although a patient gets scratches in the throat after severe coughing, a lung disease also makes the phlegm bloody.
Apart from bloody phlegm, a patient may suffer shortness of breath and pain in the chest. A patient suffering from hemoptysis can also use this medicine, which helps treat the condition.
15-Senega: Homeopathic Medicine For Cough in Older Adults
Senega is like a panacea for older adults suffering from cough. An older adult feels a rattling sound from the chest.
A patient feels soreness and suppress sensation in the chest and may feel back pain while coughing.
An older adult may also suffer from asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema, and having cough problems. In all the above conditions, a patient must take a senega for a sure shot.
Dosage and Repetition
The dosage and repetition of a remedy are determined by how perfectly the medicine matches your vase and how pathologically advanced the disease condition is.
Depending on these factors, a Homeopathic Medicine for cough in 30 to 200 potencies would be the ideal dose.
A homeopath can prescribe the suitable repetition of the prescribed homeopathic medicine for cough.