| Respiratory specialist | | | | wild cherry bark (Prunus serotina). For dry |
| | | | coughs accompanied by thick mucus that won't |
| A cough usually occurs in response to viral | | | | clear out, take black horehound (Ballota |
| damage to air passageways. Even after the | | | | nigra), which will help bring up more phlegm. |
| infection is gone, tissues may take a while | | | | For a moist cough, add elecampane (Inula |
| to heal; the resulting cough can linger for | | | | helenium), which will help dry up the excess |
| weeks or even months. In most cases, | | | | mucus. Finally, yerba santa (Eriodictyon |
| medication won't make the airways heal | | | | californicum) is well known for helping |
| quicker. To speed healing, avoid exposure to | | | | sufferers get over chronic coughs after a |
| a very dry environment. In the winter, keep | | | | bout of flu. |
| indoor air moist by running a humidifier. | | | | |
| | | | —Chris Henderson, ND, Calistoga, |
| Also, try not to cough harshly. Calmer coughs | | | | California |
| allow for quicker healing. But avoid cough | | | | |
| suppressants, because they generally are not | | | | Chinese herbalist |
| effective at this stage. Antihistamines can | | | | |
| also dry out the airways. If possible, stay | | | | In the practice of Chinese medicine, several |
| inside during very cold weather—a | | | | herbs promote healing by helping to thin |
| strong trigger for coughing—and | | | | mucus and calm the coughing reflex. Luo han |
| minimize exposure to other infections, which | | | | guo (Momordica grosvenori) is commonly |
| could cause further damage. Most important, | | | | available as a tea in natural product stores. |
| be patient. The body has a natural healing | | | | Brew one tea bag, and drink three times |
| process—let it run its course. | | | | daily. Bei mu (Fritillaria spp) contains |
| | | | alkaloids that serve as reliable cough |
| —Steven Boas, MD, founder of | | | | suppressants. Look for it in syrup form and |
| Children's Asthma, Respiratory, and Exercise | | | | take according to directions on the bottle. |
| Specialists in Glenview, Illinois | | | | Pi pa ye (Eriobotrya japonica), or loquat |
| | | | leaves, can help alleviate coughs. The |
| Naturopath | | | | combination of pi pa ye and bei mu is common |
| | | | in Chinese herbal cough syrups. |
| When you have a cough, a few things can | | | | |
| inhibit healing. Dairy and other | | | | Keep in mind that these herbs won't inhibit |
| mucus-producing foods can slow the healing | | | | infections, but they can help with symptoms. |
| process. And if you're prone to respiratory | | | | Given time, and with relief from herbal cough |
| allergies, they can exacerbate a cough, too. | | | | remedies, the disorder should clear up. |
| Herbs that help heal coughs caused by viruses | | | | However, if the condition persists or |
| include lomatium (Lomatium dissectum), | | | | worsens, a visit to your doctor is in order. |
| gumweed (Grindelia camporum), and licorice | | | | |
| root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract. The dose | | | | —Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD, director |
| in tincture form is 30 drops, three times per | | | | and founder of the Institute for Traditional |
| day. For an especially persistent cough, try | | | | Medicine, Portland, Oregon |