Dry Cough vs. Productive Cough: Ayurvedic Remedies for Each

From an Ayurvedic perspective, most coughs are caused by excess pitta or kapha in the bronchial tree, causing congestion and irritation of the bronchial mucous membrane. The basic strategy for managing this condition is to reduce the unwanted pitta or kapha that is creating the congestion. To treat a cough most effectively, you need to determine whether it is a dry cough (vata) or a productive cough with mucus coming up (kapha), or whether pitta has also become involved. DRY COUGH For a dry cough or a cough without much mucus, eat a ripe banana with 1 teaspoon of honey and 2 pinches of ground black pepper.

You can eat this 2 or 3 times a day. Rx for a Stubborn Cough Chop a clove of garlic, and boil it in a cup of milk. Then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric. This creates a golden yellow milk that tastes like garlic soup.

This garlic-turmeric milk is effective for soothing and healing most types of cough. • Try chewing ¼ teaspoon of ajwan mixed with 1 teaspoon natural organic sugar. • Make talisadi tea, made of talisadi powder ½ teaspoon licorice powder ½ teaspoon with a little honey added. This tea is quite effective.

• Dry cough or irritation in the throat may be due to slight congestion in the tonsils, or a congestive condition in the throat such as pharyngitis or laryngitis. To relieve this condition, boil 1 cup milk with ½ teaspoon turmeric and ¼ teaspoon ginger, making a golden yellow milk. If you drink this at night, it will relieve the irritation in the throat and take care of a dry cough. PRODUCTIVE COUGH For a productive or kapha cough, the simplest home remedy is black pepper.

Mix ¼ teaspoon of the powder with 1 teaspoon of honey, and eat it on a full stomach. (If your voice is hoarse, use 1 teaspoon of ghee instead of the honey.) The heating quality of black pepper helps relieve congestion and drives out the cough. Take 2 or 3 times a day for 3 to 5 days. • A tea made from ½ teaspoon ginger powder, plus a pinch of clove and a pinch of cinnamon powder in a cupful of boiled water, can offer relief from your cough.