Cough Chart To Aid Diagnosis and Alternative Treatments for Coughs

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available.  As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  

Coughing isn’t actually a sickness; it is a sign of a multitude of different conditions that affect the throat, bronchi, or lungs. A person coughs because his body is attempting to expel the phlegm and microbes in the respiratory system. So for most rapid recovery, the coughing shouldn’t be stopped. Rather, it’s best to loosen the phlegm and mucus so that the body can expel them more easily. Even with a severe, dry cough, the body is still trying to expel mucus and microbes. However, in order to recover, the body needs to be able to rest.  So, in this case, the coughing does need to be stopped.

First and foremost, the most essential treatment is to drink lots of water to loosen the mucus. Next, breathe hot water vapors. This is most easily accomplished with a pot of boiling water on a table or between the patient’s feet, with a towel draped over the patient’s head and pot to concentrate the vapors. Breathe deeply for 10-15 minutes, several times per day. The steam alone is sufficient, but essential oils or fresh leaves, especially peppermint or eucalyptus, may be added (but not for a person with asthma).

Type of cough	Illness	Alternative and conventional treatments
Dry cough with no phlegm or very little phlegm	Cold or influenza	Thyme, honey, catnip, Japanese honeysuckle, gumweed, lomatium
	Measles	Juniper, Japanese honeysuckle, calendula
	Smoker’s cough
	Worms (when passing through the lungs)	Mebendazole
Cough with a little or a lot of phlegm	Bronchitis, pneumonia	Usnea, thyme, plantain, gumweed, guaifenesin
	Asthma	Honey, Brigham tea, plantain, gumweed, oregano, coffee/caffeine
	Smoker’s cough, especially in the morning
Cough with wheezing or whooping and difficulty breathing	Asthma	Honey, Brigham tea, plantain, gumweed, oregano, coffee/caffeine
	Whooping cough	Blackberry, red clover, gumweed, thyme
	Diphtheria	Echinacea
	Heart problems
	Foreign object in throat
Cough that sounds like a seal bark	Croup	Oregano
	Foreign object in throat
Chronic/persistent cough	Asthma	Honey, Brigham tea, plantain, gumweed, oregano, coffee/caffeine
	Chronic bronchitis	Usnea, thyme, plantain, gumweed
	Emphysema	Plantain, gumweed
	Smoker’s cough
	Tuberculosis	Usnea, Japanese honeysuckle, juniper, peppermint
Coughing up blood	Pneumonia (yellow, green, or blood-tinged phlegm)	Usnea
	Cancer of the throat or lungs
	Tuberculosis	Usnea, Japanese honeysuckle, juniper, peppermint
	Worms	Mebendazole

Cough syrup may be given for all kinds of coughs, but it is most effective with a dry cough. To make your own, mix equal parts honey and lemon juice. Offer a teaspoonful every two to three hours. Alternatively, a spoonful of honey may be taken alone, without any lemon juice. Do not give honey to infants under one year of age. Make a syrup with sugar instead.

Guaifenesin (Mucinex) is an expectorant for loosening mucus. It does not work for a dry, non-productive cough. It works well for coughs with a lot of phlegm. 

Doctors used to prescribe codeine for severe, dry coughs. One-quarter of a Tylenol-3 has enough codeine in it to calm most coughs. 

Mebendazole is an anthelminthic, a dewormer for people.  Available by prescription only in the US, it's easily obtained through overseas pharmacies.  Fifteen treatments (thirty tablets) will run about ten dollars.

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8 january 2020