Tea with honey is one of many treatments to reduce smoker's cough while your lungs heal.
Long after you quit smoking, your body is still affected from the damage of tobacco and produces a phlegmy cough known as smoker's cough. According to Wrong Diagnosis, your body's cilia (hair-like structures in the lungs) protect your lungs by removing allergens and other irritants from them. Smoking damages the cilia, and reduces their ability to properly function. The healing process can take several months to complete, which in the meantime produces a chest-rattling cough that causes the expelling of mucus. According to the Mayo Clinic, the severity of the cough can be reduced with liquids and other natural supplements that soothe the throat and maintain hydration.
Instructions
1. Drink eight 8-oz. glasses of water daily. Water is a natural lubricant that aids in reducing the pain associated with smoker's cough.
2. Use throat lozenges. Similar to water, throat lozenges increase saliva production and decrease the severity of your coughing episodes.
3. Avoid alcohol and coffee, which dehydrate you and worsen the effects of the cough by producing more mucus in your lungs. Switch to tea, water, or juice to stay hydrated throughout the day.
4. Drink tea. Hot tea with honey soothes the throat and reduces coughing. Add two tablespoons of aloe juice to your tea to relieve your scratchy throat, as the aloe vera plant's juice is an amino acid that aids in soothing your lungs, according to Health911.
5. Warm one cup of water and mix in one tablespoon of carrot juice and honey. Sip a tablespoonful of the mixture four to five times a day, or when you begin to cough, to minimize the severity of the cough.
6. Fill your bathroom sink with hot water and stand over the sink to breathe in the steam. Place a towel over your head to keep the steam trapped under the towel, and slowly inhale and exhale for five to 10 minutes. The steam eases irritation in your lungs, and can also be inhaled while taking a hot shower.
7. Use a humidifier in your home to provide moisture to the air, as dry environments aggravate your lungs.
8. Avoid cough-inducing foods. Dairy products, meat and fried foods increase mucus production, which leads to coughing to clear the airways.
9. Fill a pot with one quart of water and turn the stove's dial to a high-heat setting. Wait for the water to begin boiling, and mix 10 to 15 drops of thyme oil into the boiling water. Stand over the pot and inhale the fumes to soothe your lungs.
10. Prop your head up with firm pillows to keep it slightly elevated while sleeping. Coughing occurs when your nasal passages drain during sleep and the liquid collects in your throat while you are lying flat.
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