Jasmine Kamal 
Although everyone keeps arguing about winter and summer and which season is better, there is no doubt that all of us, including winter lovers, dislike all the health problems accompanying the cold season. 'Cough' is one of the most common symptoms when it comes to winter, it hits almost all of us. Thus, here is all what you want to know about cough for both children and grown-ups, its causes and its treatment methods, and guess what? No tip includes medicine or drug prescription!
So first, what is coughing?
You should know what the definition of coughing is. It's simply an attempt by the body to expel unfamiliar substances or bodies that may hit the respiratory tract. Therefore, you will notice that infection is related to influenza most of the time.
In fact, there are many reasons for coughing, whether for children or adults. Therefore, we decided to condense these causes in the following list of points:
1. Viral diseases/viruses such as influenza
2. Pneumonia, which is one of the most dangerous reasons.
3. Pollution of the respiratory tract
4. Inflammation of the nasal pockets
5. Lung diseases
6. Smoking in all its forms
7. Sitting for long periods with/among smokers
8. Sensitivity from some types of birds and/or animals
9. Some mental illnesses
There are different types of cough, so you must determine the type first before you determine the treatment:
1. Dry cough, which is not accompanied by Sputum and causes a painful throat.
2. Whistling cough, which has a similar sound to whistling.
3. Sputum cough, which for sure, contains sputum.
From the previously mentioned points, it is obvious that coughing is sometimes not a concern and some other times it is a very crucial indicator. So, here is when it's essential to see a doctor:
In case of an adult:
1. Pain in the abdomen and stomach area.
2. Fainting or loss of consciousness.
3. If these symptoms are frequent and accompanied by continuous tiredness and fatigue.
In case of a child:
1. Difficulty in breathing.
2. Continuous cough for two weeks or more.
3. Frequent vomiting.
4. If the child is less than three months old.
5. Fever that never goes away.
How to treat coughing without medicine:
After you determine the cause(s) and type of cough, you can start home treatment if it's one of the applicable cases.
How to treat coughing for adults:
1. Take 3 tbsp of honey every morning.
2. Drink 2 cups of warm Liquorice daily (2 tbsp for each cup).
3. Gargle with a cup of warm water with one tbsp dissolved salt.
You can also add apple vinegar to the warm water and salt and use it to gargle for 30 seconds.
4. Drink a glass of boiled ginger daily; slices of lemon can be added to it.
5. Drink a cup of diluted carrot juice daily, you can sweeten it with honey to double the effect.
6. Boil some water with guava leaves and drink a cup of it daily.
Natural ways to treat coughing for children:
1. A cup of anise every morning.
2. A cup of hot lemon juice with honey in the morning and another one in the evening.
3. A cup of boiled water with guava leaves.
4. A cup of almond drink in case the cough was accompanied by sputum.
6. A daily cup of milk with honey.
Also, it's so useful to apply sesame oil on the child's chest area and keep him/her warm well afterwards.
Main image credits: aufeminin.com
