Which helps best with cough

Naturopathy and recovery help with cough

23/10/2014

The fall and the flu season is coming up again. One of the most common symptoms is the common cold, according to Die Welt, responsible for 14 percent of sick leave and 6.5 percent of days off sick. For the treatment of coughing many ask themselves about the choice of the means - which examinations and medicines are necessary, which help and which are rather superfluous or even harmful? And how do the medications affect the duration of the disease??

The physicians Felix Holzinger and Sabine Beck of the Institute of General Medicine of the Berlin Charité: "A cold cough is usually self-limiting in otherwise healthy - even without medication," as the world continues to report. Therefore, it would need no treatment with drugs. Nonetheless, physicians extensively examine and treat patients with appropriate symptoms, right through to prescribing antibiotics. Holzinger and Beck now have the most important advice from the new guideline for the effective treatment of common cold cough developed by the German Society for General Medicine and Family Medicine (DEGAM) „German Medical Weekly“ summarized.

A physical examination for diagnosis is sufficient
In order to distinguish a normal cough from a serious lung disease, a simple physical examination and simple questioning of the patient is usually sufficient. A further investigation, for example in the laboratory, is therefore not necessary, the world continues, citing the German Medical Weekly. Symptoms such as fever and sputum are the result of normal endogenous defense reactions against viruses, which are responsible for the cough in most cases. They therefore require no further technical investigations. "Technical investigations are only necessary if there is a suspicion of a dangerous course (for example, pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax)," said Holzinger and Beck in the "German Medical Weekly". In addition, over 40-year-olds "must also be considered for other conditions, such as gastric acid reflux (GERD), COPD, a sedative lung disease, or drug side effects."

Doctors should enlighten instead of prescribe prescriptions
Since most cough diseases are virus-related, there are no drugs that can significantly shorten the course of the disease. Usually, such a disease takes about three weeks to complete recovery, as the guideline stresses the world: "It is correct to enlighten the patient that a simple cold cough heals without therapy usually after two to three weeks without consequences Use of medication should therefore be critically weighed. " Also, the benefit of so-called mucus removers, such as ACC was just as little demonstrated as the cough-suppressing effect of codeine. Therefore, physicians should inform their patients that such medications may only be used in exceptional cases, such as be taken in the night with agonizing coughing as the world reports.

Effective help
Basically, you should drink a lot in case of a cold cough, so that the mucus can be coughed off better. Suitable are teas or the well-known hot milk with honey. The use of essential oils and the intake of herbal home remedies such as ivy extract, myrtle, thyme or combinations of ivy and thyme or the application of various wraps to bring relief. However, it must be borne in mind when using or taking such medication that infants and young children do not tolerate any herbal or home remedy. Thus, e.g. "Honey can be dangerous for infants under one year of age, and even essential oils can be dangerous for infants, and compatibility should be discussed with a specialist or alternative practitioner."

Antibiotics promote resistance
On the other hand, prescribing and taking antibiotics is strongly discouraged, since these only shorten the course of the disease insignificantly, cause serious side effects and can also develop resistance, according to Holzinger and Beck, according to Die Welt in the "German Medical Weekly"..

Above all, it makes no sense to take antibiotics because antibiotics are directed exclusively against bacteria, the colds but mainly virus-related (Heilpraxisnet.de reported).

To treat chronic coughs on a trial basis
Approximately 40 percent of chronic cough in adults is due to reflux disease. Should the suspicion of reflux be confirmed during an examination, this should be tested by medication with so-called acid inhibitors.
In addition, the side effects of many medications such as ACE inhibitors, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs or beta-blockers are also considered to be the cause of chronic coughing. Even birth control pills can trigger chronic cough.

Smokers should wean
Another cause of chronic cough is smoking. It increases the risk of cold and significantly promotes the development and duration of respiratory diseases. This also applies to passive smoking. Other natural home remedies for cough can also be found on our pages. (Jp)