Stubborn Cough? Five Likely Causes that You Can Fix

 

If you’ve been dealing with a cough that seemingly refuses to give up, there’s probably a significant underlying reason. Instead of merely dealing with your cough by pacifying it with minty lozenges, find the root cause for your cough and help yourself feel better in a jiffy!

 

Smoking Cigarettes

If you’re a smoker, you may have never considered the fact that exposing your throat and lungs to tobacco smoke and toxins could be the underlying cause for your cough. What’s surprising is that a cough associated with smoking is more than likely to remain chronic rather than temporary. To get rid of a cough associated with smoking, begin searching out help for your tobacco use.

 

Household Mold

If your home has sustained any water damage, you might be surprised to find that your cough could be an irritation to a possible mold formation. Mold spores can develop from water damage, and this causes various types of sicknesses and irritations in the body. To clear up this type of cough, be sure to contact a water damage repair company such as Cleanrite-Buildrite Water Damage Repair. Remember that if a mold problem is left ignored, more serious health complications could arise. It’s best to tackle the problem as early as possible because of this.

 

Nasal Discharge

Nasal discharge is a common culprit behind a pesky cough. Nasal fluids discharge from the nose to the throat, causing irritation. This in turn can cause a persistent cough. Nasal discharge can be controlled by taking over the counter allergy medication or using allergy nose sprays.

 

Infection of the Lungs

Infections are always a possibility when it comes to narrowing down a cough’s cause. Common types of infections that can bring about a cough are bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, sinusitis, and more. Infections can typically be cleared up by visiting a physician who will diagnose the condition and, in turn, prescribe an antibiotic medication to cure it.

 

The Common Cold

Lastly, beware of the cough that comes paired with the common cold. The common cold is a condition that is highly unavoidable, but luckily, it typically only lasts from twenty-four hours to a few days. You can soothe your cough associated with the common cold by using lozenges designed to soothe the throat and suppress coughing, using throat sprays, drinking homemade solutions of salt and water. In most cases, however, a cough associated with the common cold must be waited out.

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Categories: common, cough, cough nasal, nasal discharge, nbsp, stubborn cough, Throat, Water

5 Things you Didn"t Know that Stain Your Teeth

 

It is common knowledge that sugary candy, coffee consumption, and the unhealthy habit of smoking all cause unpleasant staining on your teeth. These are not the only culprits behind staining, however, and some may be more shocking than others.

 

1. Pickles

The process of making pickles involves soaking the cucumber in very acidic vinegar. It is this process which makes the pickles sour, salty, and dangerous to your tooth enamel. According to ABC News, a 2004 study showed that pickles were the number one food most closely linked with tooth wear and that eating them more than once a day increases the chances of wearing down, and ultimately staining, your teeth by 85%.

 

2. Cough syrup

We know that sugar and acid will cause tooth decay and staining, but it may be a surprise that most cough syrups and cough drops have these exact ingredients. The sugars sucrose and fructose are commonly listed ingredients. Additionally, many include citric acids. According to Eastgate Dental Centre, if you take some cough syrup or suck on a cough drop right before falling asleep, it will remain on the teeth and cause even more damage.

 

3. Regular swimming

Those who swim very regularly in the pool are subject to the chlorine used to keep the water clean. The chlorine will, however, damage the enamel over time by stripping your teeth of its essential minerals. Even those who prefer the ocean need to be cautious as well. The salt water will dry out your mouth.

 

4. Teeth Grinding

Teeth grinding is known to cause pain and headaches, but it may be a surprise that it also can leave your beautiful teeth more likely to stain. Though teeth are designed to chew and grind food, grinding and clenching your jaws at night over time can result in cracks in the enamel. These cracks make your teeth much more susceptible to decay, staining, and can even wear down pointed teeth.

 

 

5. Medications

The most surprising culprit of staining your teeth is your medications. Many common medicines, including some antibiotics, are proven to cause staining. Tetracycline medicine, for example, is not given to children under eight years old or pregnant women due to the child’s developing teeth.

 

Our perfect smile’s most dangerous enemies can also be the most surprising ones. It’s not easy to resist temptation from indulging in a sweet candy or hot cup of coffee, but preventing staining is made easier by knowing all the causes.

 

Categories: cough, cough syrup, Dental, dental care, dental health, healthy teeth, nbsp, pickles, staining, teeth, teeth grinding, teeth nbsp, white teeth

Get Well Sooner: 8 Home Remedies for Coughs and Sore Throats

 

No one likes having a cough, but how do you take care of your wellbeing without resorting to drugs? Complementary wellness expert Melissa Breyer outlines the best at-home remedies for coughs and sore throats – get well soon!

 

1. Homemade Honey Cough “Syrup”: According to Breyer, ‘There is scientific evidence that honey can be effective in treating coughs and sore throats. You can take it straight, or mix honey with coconut oil and lemon juice for extra benefits. You can also try many a grandmother’s old standby before bedtime: a shot of bourbon mixed with honey.’

 

2. Thyme Tea: ‘In Germany, thyme is an officially approved treatment for coughs, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis and whooping cough,’ notes Breyer. ‘The herb’s little leaves pack a potent punch of cough-calming compounds that work to relax tracheal and ileal muscles, and reduce inflammation. You can make a thyme tea by steeping two teaspoons of crushed thyme leaves in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain. Adding honey and lemon rounds out the flavour and adds extra soothing power as well.’

 

3. A Hot Shower: ‘Crank up the hot water, close the windows and turn off the exhaust fan,’ Breyer instructs. ‘Steam can be a cough’s worst enemy, and thus, your best friend. Steam works to soothe the airways and loosen sinus congestion and phlegm in your throat and lungs. (Although take note, WebMD warns that steam may exacerbate coughs caused by asthma.)’

 

4. Black Pepper and Honey Tea: Breyer suggests, ‘For a wet cough, you can try a black pepper and honey remedy that is said to work because the pepper stimulates circulation and mucus flow and the honey is a natural cough reliever. Use one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper and two tablespoon of honey in a mug, and fill with boiling water. Cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes, strain and sip.’

 

5. Plenty of Liquids: Breyer points out, ‘Drinking a lot of liquids, whether any of the teas listed here or even just an increase in your daily water consumption can be helpful for a cough. Fluids help thin out the mucus in postnasal drip and keeps the membranes moist, which can help to reduce the need to cough.’

 

6. Suck a Lemon: ‘Pucker up and suck a lemon?’ asks Breyer. ‘Indeed, this popular remedy calls for sprinkling a section of lemon with salt and pepper and sucking on it. (If nothing else, you will probably be so distracted by having a mouthful of lemon that you may forget to cough.) And if the idea of sucking on a lemon lacks appeal, you can try a hot-buttered lemonade…and swap the sugar with honey for good measure.’

 

7. Liquorice: ‘If you think liquorice has a medicinal taste, two points for you,’ says Breyer. ‘Liquorice root, the flavour from which liquorice candy originated, has long been used to treat coughs. Real liquorice — or candy made from it — can help soothe inflamed and irritated throats and help to ease coughing. Slice one ounce of candy liquorice (that contains real liquorice) and steep it for 24 hours with a quart of boiling water; sip as needed.’

 

8. Ginger: Breyer details, ‘Ginger has a lot of secret powers and it has been used for its medicinal properties since antiquity. Practitioners of Eastern medicine commonly prescribe ginger to treat symptoms of colds and flu because of its antihistamine and decongestant capabilities. You can make ginger tea by adding 12 slices of fresh ginger in a pot with three cups water. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes and remove from heat. Strain, add one tablespoon of honey and a squeeze of lemon, and taste; if it’s too spicy, add more water.’

Categories: black pepper, boiling water, breyer, cough, ginger, home remedies, honey, real liquorice, sore throats, thyme tea

Stubborn Cough? Five Likely Causes that You Can Fix

If you’ve been dealing with a cough that seemingly refuses to give up, there’s probably a significant underlying reason. Instead of merely dealing with your cough by pacifying it with minty lozenges, find the root cause for your cough and help yourself feel better in a jiffy!

 

Smoking Cigarettes

If you’re a smoker, you may have never considered the fact that exposing your throat and lungs to tobacco smoke and toxins could be the underlying cause for your cough. What’s surprising is that a cough associated with smoking is more than likely to remain chronic rather than temporary. To get rid of a cough associated with smoking, begin searching out help for your tobacco use.

 

Household Mold

If your home has sustained any water damage, you might be surprised to find that your cough could be an irritation to a possible mold formation. Mold spores can develop from water damage, and this causes various types of sicknesses and irritations in the body. To clear up this type of cough, be sure to contact a water damage repair company such as Cleanrite-Buildrite Water Damage Repair. Remember that if a mold problem is left ignored, more serious health complications could arise. It’s best to tackle the problem as early as possible because of this.

 

Nasal Discharge

Nasal discharge is a common culprit behind a pesky cough. Nasal fluids discharge from the nose to the throat, causing irritation. This in turn can cause a persistent cough. Nasal discharge can be controlled by taking over the counter allergy medication or using allergy nose sprays.

 

Infection of the Lungs

Infections are always a possibility when it comes to narrowing down a cough’s cause. Common types of infections that can bring about a cough are bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, sinusitis, and more. Infections can typically be cleared up by visiting a physician who will diagnose the condition and, in turn, prescribe an antibiotic medication to cure it.

 

The Common Cold

Lastly, beware of the cough that comes paired with the common cold. The common cold is a condition that is highly unavoidable, but luckily, it typically only lasts from twenty-four hours to a few days. You can soothe your cough associated with the common cold by using lozenges designed to soothe the throat and suppress coughing, using throat sprays, drinking homemade solutions of salt and water. In most cases, however, a cough associated with the common cold must be waited out.

Categories: common, cough, cough nasal, Flu, illness, nasal discharge, nbsp, Throat, Water

Could the Desire to Cough be a Reflex We"ve Imagined?

A recent study has claimed that the desire to cough can be reduced psychologically, as the irritation may not be just a reflex action. The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia, made all of the participants in the study breathe in a small amount of capsaicin, which is a throat irritant. They were previously given some inert gas which didn’t impact their need to cough. However, some of the participants were told that the gas wouldn’t be able to help them when it came to coughing, and others were told that they were given liodcaine – a local anesthetic. The results of the study showed that people who were told they had consumed a local anesthetic had a 45 percent lower urge to cough, compared to the other participants. This study shows that the urge to cough can be controlled with psychological willpower, by certain thought centres in the brain.

 

Professor Omer Van den Bergh, from the University of Leuven in Belgium, explained that it is as though the brain has some occasion to control when it needs to cough, and when not to. Other studies show that the brain does respond to placebos, with people suffering from depression or even urinary problems reacting positively to placebo treatments. Sometimes, the effect of counselling or anti-depressant medicines can influence the effect as well. Lead researcher Stuart Mazzone exclaimed that the team were surprised by the effect of placebos in this study – a placebo is generally effecting around 25 to 30 percent where pain reduction is concerned.

 

The study confirms that placebos can be as effective in reducing coughing as some anti-cough medicines can be. While this is the case, researchers are unsure why it is that we respond so well to the placebos when we feel the need to cough. It’s thought that the cough reflex in people is less hard-wired than the pain reflex, as the latter is more necessary for survival. Researchers are keen to analyse this subject further in order to see whether the brain can be made to believe that a substance can soothe a cough.

Categories: Brain, cough, local anesthetic, new study, placebo, placebos, reflex, study

Dry Cough? Look No Further than Your Own Kitchen Cupboard

Dry cough can be a horrible experience for your child, but you don’t have to let it get in the way of family wellness. Your kitchen cupboard is full of simple solutions to combat dry cough, and you won’t put your child’s wellbeing at risk to any negative side effects that you might find with medicines. However, it’s always a wise idea to check with a GP before starting any remedy.

 

1. Honey and lemon: There are many natural properties in honey which are soothing to both your child’s throat and stomach, while the vitamin C and antioxidants found in lemon will help to cure coughs and colds.

 

2. Steam: OK, this one isn’t in your kitchen cupboard, but the water vapours present in steam helps to loosen the tightness in your child’s chest, and the moisture will also help to calm your child’s dry or tickling throat.

 

3. Eucalyptus oil: If you add eucalyptus oil to a warm compress, the fumes can help to break up congestion, and ease the tickling and scratchiness in your child’s throat which leads to coughing. You can also try adding a few drops to your child’s humidifier at night, as this might help him or her to sleep better.

 

4. Miracle paste: Combine ¼ teaspoon of fresh ginger paste, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a tablespoon of honey, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and two tablespoons of water. Giving this paste to your child every few hours reduces a dry cough.

 

5. Broth: This vegetable broth not only reduces dry cough, but will also flush unnecessary toxins out of your child’s body. Simple let three skinless potatoes, a carrot, a celery stalk, garlic, onion, salt and pepper simmer together in water for 30 minutes, let it cool a little, strain it and give it to your child.

 

6. Vitamins and phytochemicals: If your child’s cough was caused by allergies, quercetin and bromelain can help, so give your child colourful fruits and vegetables, as well as pineapple. To build immunity, your child needs zinc so try kidney beans, green peas, cheese, milk and yogurt.

 

7. Turmeric: This reduces the inflammation in your child’s throat and soothes the throat lining.

Categories: Child, cough, Dry Cough, Eucalyptus Oil, Honey and Lemon, kitchen cupboard, nbsp, paste, Throat, turmeric