Herbs to Make for a Cough Medicine

During the cold and flu season, you may find yourself with an uncomfortable cough. While you have access to a variety of cough medication choices, you might prefer to use natural ingredients found in apothecaries or health food stores. To help relieve coughing symptoms, follow the basics: Drink plenty of fluid, and use a humidifier to add moisture to dry air.

Coltsfoot

• Coltsfoot---also known as Tussilago, which translates to "cough dispeller,"---plays an important role in the herbal treatment of coughs. The herb works in the body as an antispasmodic; use it to treat cough from a cold or from acute or chronic bronchitis and asthma.

  Health World Online recommends making a tea out of dried coltsfoot leaves and flowers. Boil a cup of water and steep 1 tsp. of dried coltsfoot for 10 minutes. Drink the tea three times each day; the heat of the drink will also soothe your throat and suppress coughing.

Licorice and Marshmallow

• Licorice and marshmallow both soothe by reducing inflammation to the chest. Do not use licorice if you have high blood pressure, which it may cause to increase. Licorice comes in dried root form; use it as part of a hot drink to reduce coughing. Boil the root in a cup of hot water for three to four minutes, remove the root and drink.

  Marshmallow leaves most commonly play a role in cough treatments, while the root aids in digestion. The leaves reduce inflammation and irritation in the mucous membranes, and can especially benefit anyone suffering from respiratory ailments. Look for the herbal leaves in liquid form, called tincture, at an apothecary or health food store. Use 1 to 4 ml of the tincture three times each day as the cough persists.

Thyme

• Many over-the-counter cough syrups contain thymol, oil derived from thyme. An antispasmodic, thyme helps soothe coughing. Boil a cup of water and steep 2 tsp. of dried thyme for 10 minutes. Drink the infusion three times per day as the cough persists.

  If any cough lasts longer than three days, see a physician to rule out serious illnesses or infections of the respiratory system.