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Cold & Flu
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Cold & Flu

Get the latest facts about the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for the flu. Learn expert prevention tips, plus advice on how to boost immunity and what to know about the influenza vaccine.

LEARN MORE
  • 1What Is the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
  • 2Cold and Flu Symptoms
  • 3How Do You Treat a Cold or the Flu? Medications, Home Remedies, and Other Treatment Options
  • 4Cold and Flu Complications: How Dangerous Are They?
  • 5How Long Does a Cold or the Flu Last?
  • 6Do I Have a Cold or the Flu?
  • 7Flu Shot: What You Need to Know
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7 Home Remedies to Stop a Bad Cough

Whether you opt for tea with honey or sliced onions, these home remedies may help keep your cough in check.
By
Madeline R. Vann, MPH, LPC
Updated on September 11, 2023
by
Natalia Johnsen, MD

Next up video playing in 10 seconds

7 Home Remedies To Stop A Bad Cough

A cough is actually a good thing. It’s your body’s way of clearing your airways in response to an irritant, according to the Mayo Clinic. But a cough can also keep you up all night and make you generally miserable — and sometimes it feels like it’s never going to go away.

If you’re struggling with how to get rid of a cough, here’s the good news: Most coughs clear up on their own without treatment, according to a study. In the meantime, there are several natural and home remedies for cough that have proven benefits, says Stephen Russell, MD, a physician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham department of medicine and an expert in upper respiratory infections.

Some coughs can be cured by eliminating the source, such as avoiding smoke and other irritants, as well as allergens like mold or pet dander. If that doesn’t work, try Dr. Russell’s favorite home remedies for cough, many of which you probably already have in your kitchen or medicine cabinet.

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Have Some Honey — It’s a Natural Cough Suppressant

Honey pot and stick
Everyday Health

If you enjoy the taste of honey, you’re in luck. “Hot liquids with honey can soothe and treat cough for short-term periods,” says Russell. Use plain hot water or a favorite hot tea, and add honey and lemon to taste (the lemon is just for flavor).

Honey right from the spoon is another low-cost cough home remedy with proven benefits. In one study, children age 2 and older with upper respiratory tract infections resulting in cough were given up to 2 teaspoons of honey at bedtime. Not only did the honey reduce nighttime coughing, it also improved sleep.

Another study found that honey had modest benefits in reducing nocturnal cough in children ages 2 to 18. But never give honey to children under age 1, Russell says, because in rare cases it can cause infant botulism.

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838

Suck on Lozenges or Hard Candy to Help Stimulate Saliva

cough drops lozenges
Everyday Health

Lozenges and hard candy help stimulate saliva or increase secretions in the mouth, which can dampen any cough you may have, explains Russell. This works especially well as a dry cough remedy, he adds. There is not a lot of scientific evidence to back up herbal lozenges like those containing zinc, vitamin C, and echinacea, notes Russell, but they may have modest benefits — even if it’s just a placebo effect — and none of them, if used moderately, is harmful.

839

Drink Fluids for Hydration and to Boost Your Immune System

glass of green tea
Everyday Health

Drinking fluids of all kinds — especially warm ones like hot water, chicken soup, and tea, according to a study — is another good home remedy for a cough, says Russell. “Many people who have a cough tend to get dehydrated,” he explains. In addition to hydration, fluids also help your immune system fight off the source of the infection or virus that may be causing your cough, and soothe the sore throat that is common with a cough, he adds.

840

Gargling May Make Your Cough Go Away Faster

Saltwater salt water glass and salt shaker
Everyday Health

Have some table salt at home? Go ahead and add some to warm water and gargle with it. In a small study, simple water gargling tended to weaken the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (aka the common cold) and even prevent the infections from happening in the first place.

In a pilot study, gargling with warm salt water (along with nasal irrigation) was also been shown to have some benefits for improving cold symptoms and reducing the duration of symptoms like cough. For gargling, dissolve about one half teaspoon of salt per cup of warm water.

841

Use a Humidifier or Take a Steamy Shower to Ease Congestion

humidifier
Everyday Health

If you’ve ever noticed your cough or congestion easing up as you enjoy a hot bath or shower, then you know the value of humidity for easing cold symptoms. You can create this simple cough remedy at home by taking a steamy shower or by using a cool mist humidifier.

Humidifiers add moisture to the air, and cool-mist humidifiers may help ease coughing and congestion due to a cold, according to the Mayo Clinic. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s directions to keep your humidifier clean and avoid encouraging bacteria and mold.

842

Cut Up an Onion to Relieve Your Cough (or So People Say)

yellow onion
Everyday Health

Many people start to cry the minute they begin chopping up an onion. But while there isn’t any science behind it, some people swear that the strong vapor an onion emits when it’s cut helps relieve a cough, says Russell. Before you go to bed, cut an onion into quarters and leave it on a plate on your bedside table or at the foot of the bed. Although using onions may sound like nothing more than an old wives’ tale, Russell says it’s quite popular in Spain and France.

843

Use Over-the-Counter Cough Medicine if Nothing Else Works

cough syrup
Everyday Health

If you’ve tried other cough remedies and you’re contemplating the stash of cough and cold products in your medicine cabinet, read the labels first

Studies have shown that those with dextromethorphan may be slightly better than placebo in helping to reduce cough, says Russell. Products that contain pseudoephedrine can help stop postnasal drip from a virus or allergies and may also reduce cough, he adds. But these medications have their limitations: Dextromethorphan is not safe for children under age 5, notes Russell, and pseudoephedrine tends to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

When it comes to nighttime cough medicines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl), they typically contain an antihistamine that makes you feel sleepy, according to one study, as well as helping to stop your cough. Benadryl may have side effects for people over age 65, such as reducing stability in the middle of the night, cognitive impairment or confusion, and urinary retention. Russell advises trying natural remedies before turning to cough medicines, and then proceeding with caution.

Additional reporting by Jennifer D’Angelo Friedman.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Additional Sources
  • Cough. Mayo Clinic. June 13, 2020.
  • Morice AH, McGarvey L, Pavord I. Recommendations for the Management of Cough in Adults. Thorax. September 2006.
  • Wagner JBC, Pine HS. Chronic Cough in Children. Pediatric Clinics of North America. August 2013.
  • Paul IM, Beiler J, McMonagle A, et al. Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents. JAMA Pediatrics. December 2007.
  • Saketkhoo K, Januszkiewicz A, Sackner M. Effects of Drinking Hot Water, Cold Water, and Chicken Soup on Nasal Mucus Velocity and Nasal Airflow Resistance. Chest. October 1978.
  • Satomura K, Kitamura T, Kawamura T, et al. Prevention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections by Gargling: A Randomized Trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. November 2005.
  • Ramalingam S, Graham C, Dove J, et al. A Pilot, Open Labelled, Randomised Controlled Trial of Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation and Gargling for the Common Cold. Scientific Reports. January 31, 2019.
  • Warm-Mist Versus Cool-Mist Humidifier: Which Is Better for a Cold? Mayo Clinic. May 11, 2023.
  • Lee PCL, Jawad MSM, Eccles R. Antitussive Efficacy of Dextromethorphan in Cough Associated With Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. February 18, 2010.
  • Curley FJ, Irwin RS, Pratter MR, et al. Cough and the Common Cold. The American Review of Respiratory Disease. August 1988.

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Natalia-Johnsen-bio

Natalia Johnsen, MD

Medical Reviewer

Natalia Johnsen, MD, practices internal medicine and lifestyle medicine. She works as an internist for the Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Washington.

Johnsen trained and worked as ob-gyn in Russia before coming to the United States in 2000. Subsequently, she interned in internal medicine at the University of Nevada and completed her residency at a Stanford-affiliated program in Santa Clara, California. After that she worked as a general internist for two years before to switching to full-time hospital work.

Johnsen has always been fascinated by the effects that lifestyle can have on physical and mental health, and she fell in love with the concept of lifestyle medicine as a specialty after seeing patients struggle with issues that could have been prevented had they known more about a healthy lifestyle. To make an impact on her patients through lifestyle interventions, she launched her own lifestyle medicine clinic, Vivalso Health and Longevity.

See full bio

Madeline R. Vann, MPH, LPC

Author

Madeline Vann, MPH, LPC, is a freelance health and medical writer located in Williamsburg, Virginia. She has been writing for over 15 years and can present complicated health topics at any reading level. Her writing has appeared in HealthDay, the Huffington Post, Costco Connection, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Huntsville Times, and numerous academic publications.

She received her bachelor's degree from Trinity University, and has a master of public health degree from Tulane University. Her areas of interest include diet, fitness, chronic and infectious diseases, oral health, biotechnology, cancer, positive psychology, caregiving, end-of-life issues, and the intersection between environmental health and individual health.

Outside of writing, Vann is a licensed professional counselor and specializes in treating military and first responders coping with grief, loss, trauma, and addiction/recovery. She is a trauma specialist at the Farley Center, where she provides workshops on trauma, grief, and distress tolerance coping skills. She regularly practices yoga, loves to cook, and can’t decide between a Mediterranean style diet and an Asian-fusion approach.

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