The Best Way to Get Rid of a Severe Cough

Severe and continuous coughing can eventually take its toll on the body. The back of the throat becomes extremely sore and headaches may also be induced. Luckily, there are ways to help alleviate severe coughing, but not every cough is the same. There are two main types of coughs: coughs that result from congestion (e.g., resulting from the cold or flu) and dry coughs. Dry coughs usually result from irritants like smoke inhalation. It is important to understand why your body is coughing in order to effectively treat the cough.

Things You'll Need

• Apple-cider vinegar
• Vaporizer
• Eucalyptus

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Instructions

Congestion Cough

• 1

  Sit up or prop your head up in bed. Elevating the head will cause the mucus in the nasal passages to drain. This will alleviate the irritating sensation of a postnasal drip.

• 2

  Place a vaporizer next to the bed and breath in the vapors. Moist air helps loosen phlegm in the throat and also helps reduce the feeling of soreness. Adding eucalyptus to the vapor is helpful as well.

• 3

  Throughout the day, drink at least eight glasses of water. The extra water will help loosen phlegm and thin mucus in the back of the throat.

Dry Cough

• 4

  Lightly spray apple-cider vinegar on a pillow and lie down. The vinegar will help reduce the inflammation caused by the irritant.

• 5

  Keep your head propped up on the pillow to allow any mucus to drain. Mucus can sometimes form in the back of the throat when an irritant is inhaled.

• 6

  Place one or two teaspoons of apple-cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink the mixture every time you have the urge to cough. The apple-cider vinegar will dissolve the phlegm in the throat.