12 Best Remedies To Say Goodbye To Your Dry Cough

Nothing is more annoying than a persistent dry cough that can drag on over weeks due to the common cold, flu, or allergies. The good news is that there are lots of home remedies and over-the-counter medications and treatments that can provide quick relief from a dry cough.
In this article, we’ll give you our 12 best home remedies so you can say goodbye to your dry cough and feel better fast.

What is a Dry Cough?
Coughing is a reflex action that helps clear your airway of irritants and mucus. There are two types of coughs - dry cough (non-productive) and chesty cough (productive).
A dry cough does not produce mucus or phlegm but is often connected with a scratchy and tickly throat that triggers coughing fits. 

Dry Cough Causes
There are many things — from cold to acid reflux to allergies — which can cause a dry cough. Regardless of the cause, an ongoing dry cough can be a major annoyance to your day-to-day life, especially if it’s worse at night and keeps you awake. 

Dry Cough Remedies and Treatments
1. Honey
Honey works great at relieving dry coughs. Not only does it give the throat a protective coating to soothe irritation, but it also has antibacterial properties.
You can add it to tea or warm water to drink or just take a couple of spoonfuls daily.

2. Turmeric
Turmeric is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Its active ingredient, curcumin, has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties to help with a dry cough.
Turmeric can be taken in tea, food, tinctures, or pills. Whether you use turmeric use in your cooking or as a supplement, try to pair turmeric with black pepper to increase the bioavailability of curcumin. 

3. Ginger
Most dry coughs are a result of inflammatory issues, like irritation and swelling in the throat and lungs. Ginger reduces these symptoms naturally because it has immunity-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties. Add either dried or fresh ginger root to curries, stir fry, curries, baked goods, or hot water for tea.

4. Marshmallow root
Marshmallow root is an antibacterial herb that is commonly used in cough syrup and throat lozenges to soothe a dry cough.

5. Peppermint
Peppermint contains menthol, which helps to numb nerve endings in the throat that become irritated by constant coughing. It reduces the urge to cough and provides pain.
To benefit from peppermint, you can suck on peppermint lozenges, use peppermint essential oils, or drink peppermint tea right before bed to help alleviate nighttime coughing.

6. Masala chai tea
Masala chai tea is packed with all kinds of healthy spices that taste great and work wonders on dry coughs.
Masala chai contains several anti-inflammatories, expectorant, and antioxidant ingredients including cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. 

7. Lozenges
Cough drops are medicated lozenges that help soothe and lubricate dry irritated throat tissues. Many contain menthol, which is a numbing agent that reduces the frequency of coughing.

8. Eucalyptus essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil is a decongestant that eases dry coughs. Try adding eucalyptus to a diffuser, spritzer, inhaler, or to bowl of hot water and inhale the steam.

9. Use a humidifier
Humidifiers add moisture into the air, which can provide relief if you have a dry cough since dry air can aggravate an already irritated dry throat.

10. Use an air purifier
Air purifiers can help filter out airborne irritants such as dust, pollen, and pet dander in your home which may be triggering your allergies and causing a dry cough.

11. Gargle with salt water
Gargling with salt water a few times a day serves as a disinfectant to remove irritants that can cause a dry cough.

12. Antitussive cough syrup
Antitussive dry cough syrup is perfect for dry persistent coughs, it works by diminishing the cough reflex. Cough relief syrups such as Robitussin Dry Cough Medicine alleviates the desire to cough, making them especially beneficial to relieve dry cough.