Top 9 Homeopathic Remedies For Cough

Cough refers to a natural protective reflex action of the body to get rid of dust, mucus, germs like (viruses, bacteria) and other irritants that have entered the airway. It can arise from various causes ranging from mild to serious ones. Cough can be dry (non-productive cough where no phlegm is produced) or loose (i.e. productive cough in which mucus/phlegm is produced). Cough can be attended with many signs and symptoms depending on the cause behind it. These include expectoration, breathing difficulty, wheezing, chest tightness/pain, fever, throat irritation or pain, PND (post nasal drip), and nasal symptoms like nasal discharge, sneezing, and blocked nose.
Homeopathy is a 200-year-old healing science known to treat health issues most naturally. So, homeopathic medicines for cough work in a similar manner. Homeopathy uses organic ingredients for treating cough and they are, therefore, safe to use. As cough can occur from various causes, homeopathic remedies aim to treat the underlying cause behind the cough to bring about a complete recovery. Mainstream medicines mainly consist of cough suppressants and antibiotics for treating cough. They give temporary relief and have side effects as well. However, homeopathic medicines do not cause any adverse effects as they aim to cure the cough rather than simply provide temporary relief.
Homeopathy gives excellent results in acute as well as chronic cases of cough. Any type of cough, including dry cough, a loose rattling cough, spasmodic cough (violent cough attack ending on vomiting), paroxysmal cough (intermittent, uncontrollable violent cough attacks with breathing difficulty and exhaustion), nocturnal cough (means cough at night), all are wonderfully treated with homeopathy. Also, cough arising from various diseases like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and pneumonia is treated remarkably well with homeopathy.
Along with coughing, the attending symptoms like wheezing, expectoration, difficulty in breathing, and shortness of breath also go away with the use of homeopathic medicines. The results, however, vary depending on the intensity of these symptoms.
Homeopathy is suitable to manage cough in persons of all age groups. The homeopathic medicines go to the core of the issue to bring excellent results. The best part of using these medicines is that they do not contain any toxins or chemicals.

Top 9 Homeopathic Medicines for Cough

There is a long list of therapeutics for the treatment of cough. Among them, the top-ranked medicines include Bryonia Alba, Antimonium Tart, Spongia Tosta, Drosera Rotundifolia. Hepar Sulph, Arsenic Album, Ipecac, Corallium Rubrum and Cina.

1. Bryonia Alba—For a Dry Cough

Bryonia Alba is a very effective medicine to deal with cases of dry cough. The cough gets worse from eating or drinking. The cough is dry and hard in most cases is attended by chest pain on coughing. There is such heavy coughing that a person has to put hands on the chest. Another prominent symptom is stitching pain in the chest which gets worse on inhaling. The chest pain may get better from lying on the painful side. Headache may also occur while coughing. In some cases, food gets vomited out while coughing.

When to use Bryonia Alba?

Its use is highly suggested to manage dry cough mostly attended with pain in the chest and head while coughing.

How to use Bryonia Alba?

It may be used in 30 C potency twice or thrice a day.

2. Antimonium Tart—Medicine for a Loose, Rattling Cough

Antimonium Tart works very well in cases of loose rattling cough. The lungs feel full of mucus. The cough remains constant in the day and night. The patient faces excessive difficulty in raising the phlegm. Besides, breathing is difficult, mostly at night, which awakens a person from sleep. In addition to the above symptoms, a burning sensation in the chest may be present. Chest pain on coughing also arises in some of the cases. A cough that worsens after each meal is yet another characteristic feature pointing towards the use of Antimonium Tart.

When to use Antimonium Tart?

It is best-indicated medicine for managing loose rattling cough with difficulty in expectorating the phlegm.

How to use Antimonium Tart?

Though it can be used in both low and high potencies, initially 30C potency is mostly preferred. Antimonium Tart 30C can be taken two to three times a day as per the intensity of the symptom.

3. Spongia Tosta—For a Cough with Dryness In Air Passages

Spongia Tosta is a medicine that is highly useful when there is a cough with extreme dryness of all the air passages. The cough is an exclusively dry, barking, hacking type. Chills may attend the cough. Warm drinks may offer a little relief.  Along with this, shortness of breath and labored respiration may also be present.

When to use Spongia Tosta?

This medicine is highly recommended for managing dry cough with absolute dryness of all the air passages and when coughing gets better by warm drinks.

How to use Spongia Tosta?

It is best to take it in 30C power once or twice daily.

4. Drosera Rotundifolia—For cough worse on lying down

Drosera Rotundifolia is a very effective homeopathic remedy for coughing that begins on lying down. Cough is usually a dry, irritative type. Episodes of cough attacks are felt one after the other. A marked fatigue attends the coughing episodes. Other accompanying symptoms include tickling in the larynx, scraping sensation (like in a sore throat), and fetid breath along with the cough. Bouts of vomiting with cough may also arise. The cough usually worsens after talking or laughing.

When to use Drosera Rotundifolia?

This medicine is usually prescribed to manage cough that gets worse on lying down as soon as the head touches the pillow. Cough is dry and irritative in nature

How to use Drosera Rotundifolia?

It can be taken in 30C potency three or four times a day initially, gradually decreasing the dose once relief sets in.

5. Hepar Sulph—For loose cough with thick, yellow expectoration

Hepar Sulph is a highly beneficial medicine for managing loose cough with thick, yellow expectoration. The sputa is sticky type. A very characteristic feature is cough which gets worse from exposure to cold air, while warmth relieves it.

When to use Hepar Sulph?

Opt its use to manage loose cough with thick, yellow expectoration and also for cough that is worse from cold air exposure.

How to use Hepar Sulph?

It is advised to use Hepar Sulph 30C two to three times a day.

6. Arsenic Album—For an Asthmatic Cough

Arsenic Album is an excellent choice of medicine for an asthmatic cough. The symptoms indicating the use of Arsenic Album are a cough with shortness of breath, and wheezing/whistling in the chest. There is worsening of complaint around midnight. Tightness in the chest may also arise. There may be tenacious expectoration of yellow/ green color. Other attending feature is suffocative attacks during sleep. Anxiety and restlessness may occur in persons along with the above symptoms.

When to use Arsenic Album?

Its use is highly recommended to manage asthmatic cough with breathing difficulty and wheezing that gets worse around midnight along with anxiety and restlessness.

How to use Arsenic Album?

This medicine can be used in 30C potency two to three times a day as per the severity of the symptom.

7. Ipecac—For Loose Cough with Vomiting

Ipecac is a suitable medicine for a loose cough with vomiting. Nausea is also present. There is also a complaint of difficult expectoration with cough. A constricted feeling in the chest and shortness of breath may arise. Suffocative spells may accompany the cough.

When to use Ipecac?

It works great when loose cough is accompanied with nausea and vomiting,

How to use Ipecac?

It is usually recommended in 30C potency that can be taken one to two times a day.

8. Corallium Rubrum—For a Cough from PND (post nasal dripping)

Corallium Rubrum is for a cough that results from PND (post nasal dripping). The cough appears in quick, short attacks that follow each other in quick succession. Along with the cough, excessive hawking is also present. Extreme exhaustion is felt along with the cough. A vital symptom that attends the above symptoms are extremely sensitive air passages to air (inhaled air feels cold).

When to use Corallium Rubrum?

This medicine proves beneficial for managing cough occurring in quick short repetitive attacks arising from post nasal drip.

How to use Corallium Rubrum?

It works well in both low and high potencies. Initially, it is best to take it in 30C potency two to three times a day.

9. Cina—For a Spasmodic Cough

Cina is a significant medicine for a spasmodic cough. Cina is helpful when there is a violent cough that ends in vomiting. The cough is so intense that it brings tears. The cough usually appears in paroxysms with attending shortness of breath.

When to use Cina?

It is an excellent medicine for spasmodic cough in which violent cough occurs that ends in vomiting.

How to use Cina?

One may take Cina 30C once or twice in a day.

Causes behind Cough

Cough can happen due to various reasons. The first cause can be an infection of the upper respiratory tract, usually a viral infection like cold or flu. Further causes include bronchitis, asthma, emphysema and pneumonia. Bronchitis is a condition occurring from inflamed bronchial tubes. Asthma is a respiratory disease in which narrowing and swelling of airways occurs with excessive mucus production resulting in difficult breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing. Emphysema is a condition in which the air sacs in the lungs are damaged. Pneumonia refers to a condition in which there is inflammation in the air sacs of lungs caused by an infection. Smoking also may lead to coughing. Other causes may be allergies or PND (post nasal drip) in which mucus drips from the back of the nose into the throat). The use of certain medicines, like angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, used to treat high BP and heart disease may also result in coughing. Rarely, lung cancer could be the cause.