Treating a cough with honey

The healing properties of honey

In addition to glucose, sucrose and other carbohydrates that give a pleasant taste, “liquid amber” contains a whole range of vitamins and microelements (although their concentration is not too high).
The anti-inflammatory properties of the main beekeeping product and its ability to fight the development of bacteria have long been proven. When treating colds, not only these qualities are valued, but also the fact that the process of liquefying mucus and its separation is accelerated. The use of honey for coughs is also due to the fact that it soothes and softens the mucous membrane of the larynx. Its enveloping effect helps get rid of soreness and reduce the load on a damaged throat. Honey is recommended as a means to strengthen the immune system and improve body tone.

Does honey help with cough?

To answer, you need to figure out what a cough is? As a result, this unpleasant symptom appears and what therapeutic agents can be used to get rid of it.

Let's start with the fact that even a severe cough is not a disease - it is an innate protective reflex of our immune system. Its main task is to cleanse the respiratory tract of foreign substances:

• sputum;
• mucus;
• pus;
• dust, etc.

Honey also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It contains vitamins and beneficial microelements. But how can it help with cough? The antitussive properties of honey include:

• softening of the mucous membrane - when consuming a bee product, the mucous membrane of the throat is coated, which leads to a decrease in the sensitivity of receptors, a sore throat and a decrease in the frequency of coughing attacks.
• sputum thinning – the product facilitates easier removal of mucus and phlegm from the lungs;
• anti-inflammatory properties - help relieve inflammation and swelling;
• antibacterial properties have a detrimental effect on pathogenic microflora.

Moreover, honey tones, improves mood and strengthens the immune system. The product can be used as an independent medicine in the initial stages of the development of colds, and as an adjuvant in more severe cases.

Does honey really help with cough?

Cough occurs for various reasons. For example, it can be caused by dry throat (appears with a cold, exacerbation of chronic diseases or fatigue). Honey will soften a damaged throat and alleviate the general condition, as a result of which the cough will go away. Treatment of cough with honey will be effective in the early stages of the disease and when the first symptoms of a cold appear.

But if we are talking about a serious illness like bronchitis, then folk remedies alone cannot do it. It is better to consult a doctor and be treated according to the plan he has drawn up. However, a tasty bee product can help here too. It helps to dilute the mucus that “clogs” the bronchi, and enhances the effect of drugs that remove it out.

Properties of honey

Due to its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and warming properties, honey treatment can:

• eliminate cough;
• remove sore throat;
• promotes thinning of mucus and its removal;
• acts as an expectorant.

Honey helps with dry coughs and also eliminates wet coughs. Thanks to the active components included in its composition, it increases the production of mucus and saliva, thereby softening the throat and causing coughing.

It is advisable to use bee nectar for bronchitis, pneumonia, acute respiratory infections, pleurisy, ARVI, tracheitis, tracheobronchitis and other similar diseases.

Rules for choosing honey

For the honey remedy to work, it is important not to make a mistake when purchasing the main ingredient. A good product cannot be too cheap - a low price, especially in a store, often indicates low quality. There is a good chance that it was diluted with sugar syrup or melted in production. Or a careless beekeeper placed the same syrup next to the hives to increase productivity.

When choosing honey for cough, you need to take into account that the beneficial properties depend on the variety. The most valuable are:

• lime;
• angelica;
• melilot;
• buckwheat.

They contain the most anti-inflammatory substances.

It is advisable to buy fresh honey (liquid, not yet sugared) from trusted beekeepers. It should be quite thick so that it does not flow off the spoon, but “wraps” around it. The fact that the product is spoiled is indicated by foam on the surface, a sour smell and the taste of alcohol - this means that fermentation processes have begun.

Healing properties

Recently, people have become sick more often. This is due to the ineffectiveness of drugs, modification of diseases, and weak immunity. Honey is a storehouse of useful vitamins and microelements. Acting as a natural energy booster, it perfectly helps get rid of inflammatory processes and perfectly strengthens the immune system.

This is due to a number of its beneficial properties:

• enhances metabolism;
• has anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, bactericidal effect;
• promotes tissue regeneration;
• normalizes the gastrointestinal tract;
• has a tonic and absorbent quality;
• strengthens the nervous and immune system.

When coughing, honey is used to soften mucous membranes. Thanks to its antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, it fights infections and reflex spasms of the respiratory tract that accompany a cold.

Natural energy drink is used for severe symptoms of ARVI, as it not only relieves them, but also cures the very disease that causes them. It also acts as a powerful preventive weapon in the fight against viral diseases.

Honey is effective for coughs because it helps to activate the synthesis of compounds that suppress the cough center. Its enveloping property softens sore throat. In addition, honey contains ingredients that promote liquefaction, which means they help release mucus from the bronchi. Therefore, the beekeeping product is beneficial in the treatment of dry and wet cough.

It is used as medicinal syrups, inhalations, and drops. They are often rubbed on the back and chest; compresses made from them are effective.

How to take honey for cough correctly

There are many ways to take honey for coughs, from adding it to tea to making multi-component medicines. You can relieve a cough by slowly sucking a teaspoon of “bee gold.” Alcohol infusions are used - both internally and as lotions and compresses. A good effect is achieved by simple rubbing, when the chest and back are intensively rubbed with fresh honey, the patient is wrapped in a blanket, and after 3-4 hours the remains are removed. In addition to honey, other remedies that increase sputum production and improve immunity also help with coughs. It can be:

Rosehip decoction for cough

• infusions of linden, elderberry and coltsfoot;
• decoctions of viburnum and rose hips;
• raspberries;
• warm milk and lemon.

It is worth considering that when heated, honey loses some of its beneficial properties, so you should not add it to hot drinks. But eating a little, washed down with ginger or herbal tea with lemon, would be the right decision.

Honey in combs is quite rare on sale, but it has no equal in treating a sore throat. You can simply chew it like a treat, and the anti-inflammatory substances contained in the wax will disinfect the throat and reduce soreness.

How to take and use honey for cough correctly

Does honey help with cough? When used correctly, yes. Below we will describe the basic features of using a natural remedy to stabilize the function of the respiratory tract. In each individual case, the patient decides which of the given examples of natural medicine suits him best.

Compresses

Honey compresses are a good way to eliminate dry and wet coughs. Appropriate treatment is based on the effect of warming deep tissues and stabilizing microcirculation.

The recipe with apple cider vinegar, which is pre-diluted with boiled water, remains popular. A beekeeping product is added to the appropriate mixture. Next, the resulting solution is applied to gauze, which is placed in the following areas of the body

The gauze is covered with polyethylene on top to enhance heat transfer. For maximum warmth, it is additionally recommended to wear warm woolen clothing. The average duration of one session of such treatment is 15-20 minutes.

Important! For infants, pregnant women and patients with fever, the use of honey cough compresses is contraindicated.

Trituration

Important! The use of honey for rubbing should be accompanied by caution. External application of a natural product most often causes local allergic reactions.

Honey rubbing is a simple and affordable way to cope with a mild cough. This technique is not suitable in the presence of serious organic disorders of the respiratory tract.

Honey massage is a type of corresponding rubbing. The bee product is applied to the back or chest area. Next, rub with smooth movements and light pressure. To increase effectiveness, you can add a few drops of essential oil to honey to taste.

Situations in which grating the corresponding natural sweetness is contraindicated:

1. the presence of open lesions of the skin;
2. individual intolerance to the product;
3. the presence of inflammatory skin diseases;
4. oncological diseases.

When applied externally, honey not only helps treat coughs, but also stabilizes skin function. It is possible to eliminate excess dryness of the epidermis, strengthen local immunity and microcirculation. After proper rubbing, the skin looks younger and more attractive.

Ingestion

The most common and effective way to use honey to treat a cough remains to be taken internally. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, natural sweetness has a complex effect on the entire human body.

Popular recipes:

• milk with honey. A folk remedy that helps fight pharyngitis and laryngitis. To enhance effectiveness, it is recommended to add 1-2 g of baking soda. The product envelops the upper respiratory tract and calms the patient;
• black radish with honey. The natural medicine helps to stabilize the function of the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi while simultaneously strengthening the patient’s immunity;
• honey candies. When independently preparing the appropriate sweets, the patient receives lollipops, which should be used for the slightest attack of dry cough. The beekeeping product envelops the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and prevents the progression of pathology;
• garlic tincture with honey. The essence of the recipe is to combine the powerful antibacterial properties of garlic with the anti-inflammatory effects of natural sweetness.

The choice of a specific prescription depends on the individual preferences of the patient.

Recipes and tips

When talking about ways to use bee products, it is worth mentioning the most popular recipes with honey.

Aloe mixture. It is best to use fresh, fleshy aloe leaves. Strain the juice squeezed out of them through a thin cloth and mix with honey in a 1:1 ratio. This mixture relieves inflammation in the upper respiratory tract and removes mucus well.

Drink with milk . For a glass of slightly warmed (not boiling) milk you need to take 1 tsp. honey and (optional) 0.5 tsp. butter, mix thoroughly and drink the drink warm. It is especially good to drink this remedy before bed. It will relieve cough and help you sleep. You can take it 3 times a day until the cold symptoms disappear.

Radish syrup. One of the oldest recipes for cough honey. A thoroughly washed black radish should be cut off at the bottom and placed vertically, and the top cap should be cut off. Then take out a little of the core to make a depression and pour liquid honey into it. Close the lid and leave for a day. Take 1 tsp. 3 times a day to facilitate mucus discharge.

Cinnamon mixture. To prepare 1 serving, mix tbsp in a small bowl. l. honey and 0.5 tsp. ground cinnamon. Take 3 times a day with milk or tea. This remedy causes profuse sweating and is useful for high temperatures.

Popular recipes with honey

There are more than a hundred cough recipes with the addition of honey. It is difficult to find the right one, since a certain part is suitable for the treatment of dry cough, pneumatic. Another part is used for heart failure, and a number of combined products will help remove phlegm.

Additionally, the age and condition of the patient are also taken into account. Therefore, your doctor can advise you on how to choose the right dosage form.

But there is a list that will perfectly cope with any type of cough, suitable for literally everyone who has no contraindications to the use of bee medicine.

Beverages

The combination of milk with honey and the addition of 1-2 components is an excellent option for adults and children. At the initial stage of the disease, use milk and honey. As an additive we choose:

• soda – 0.5 tsp;
• lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• sage – 1 tsp;
• butter or animal fat.

The component dissolves immediately after 200-250 ml of milk boils. Drink warm. Maximum temperature 40 degrees. Of all the proposed supplements, milk with fat is suitable for infants.

To ensure that the treatment goes without consequences, add ¼ - 0.5 tsp. badger fat. The substance has no contraindications, is hypoallergenic, suitable for all age groups and conditions.

Garlic or onion

For adults, with a strong tearing cough, it is recommended to take an infused liquid with honey, garlic and onions. The cough medicine is allowed for those whose kidneys and gastrointestinal tract function normally.

External Recipes

The precious beekeeping product can also be used externally to treat colds. It is most convenient to use it for compresses and rubbing.

With apple cider vinegar . First mix vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:3, then add honey. In the resulting composition, moisten a piece of clean cotton cloth, place it on the patient’s chest (avoiding the heart area) and cover with polyethylene. Cover the patient with a woolen scarf and leave the compress for 20 minutes. Vinegar and honey for coughs are the simplest and one of the most effective options.

With potatoes. Boil potatoes in their skins, peel and mash one tuber. For a portion of compress you need 1 tbsp. l. puree and 1 tbsp. l. honey, mustard and vegetable oil. Place the resulting mixture on gauze folded in 2-3 layers and apply to the patient’s back. Cover with polyethylene and a warm scarf. Keep the compress for 4 hours, lying under a blanket. Then remove the compress and lubricate the skin with nourishing cream.

With oil and alcohol. Honey is also a very popular way to treat coughs. Mix liquid honey, vegetable oil and alcohol or vodka in equal parts. Apply the mixture to waxed paper (baking parchment) and apply it to the patient's chest. Cover the top with polyethylene and a warm scarf.

With cabbage. Spread liquid honey on a cabbage leaf and apply to your chest. Cover with plastic and a warm scarf, wrap the patient in a blanket and leave the compress on all night.

When using honey externally for coughs, it is important to remember that high temperature in this case is a contraindication. We need to wait until it subsides and then apply compresses.

Honey with yolks and butter

Another recipe for everyone who suffers from cough. This is a fairly old and proven remedy. However, not everyone resorts to it. And all because it contains fresh yolks, and many of us are wary of unprocessed chicken eggs. Therefore, to protect yourself, it is advisable to use homemade eggs from a proven laying hen and thoroughly clean the eggshells.

So, for this recipe you will need:

• fresh chicken yolks – 2 pcs;
• bee nectar – 2 teaspoons;
• butter - about 1-2 tbsp. spoon;
• wheat flour – 1 teaspoon.

Preparation consists of combining and thoroughly mixing the indicated ingredients. All! The product is used at the required frequency. As a rule, it is consumed about 5 times a day, a tablespoon. Another useful recipe using bee nectar is waiting for you in the video below. Video from the channel Cooking with Irina.

What to watch out for when taking honey

Products based on bee products should be used with caution. They have a number of serious contraindications.

The main one is allergies. Honey intolerance is not very common, but the body can react not only to the natural product in folk remedies, but also to its derivatives in industrial preparations. Young children should not be given honey at all without consulting a doctor. You can check for allergies like this: apply a drop to your wrist or elbow - where the skin is especially delicate. If irritation appears after a while, it is better not to risk it and choose another remedy.

Restrictions on taking antitussive honey products are also imposed by some diseases, especially chronic ones:

• diabetes;
• liver diseases;
• dysfunction of the pancreas.

Related video: Black radish with cough honey

How to take honey for cough

Honey is considered a unique remedy for coughs and colds, which can be taken internally and used externally. To increase the effectiveness of treatment, doctors recommend simultaneously adding a sweet product to warm milk and making compresses based on it.

External use

The beekeeping product is used to prepare warming compresses and rubs. You can even rub the patient with pure honey, which has a vasodilating, anti-inflammatory and warming effect.

With honey you can make medicinal applications, like mustard plasters. They are placed on the chest and back, and then left for an hour. It should be borne in mind that the sweet product can only be applied to areas of the body where there are no wounds, ulcers, moles or neoplasms.

Internal use

When coughing, honey added to warm milk or tea helps a lot. Common medicines include radish with honey and milk with honey and soda. Thanks to these time-tested remedies, you can get rid of an annoying cough quite quickly.

For a dry cough, you can simply suck on ½ teaspoon of the sweet product. It coats the throat well, eliminates inflammation and swelling. Due to this treatment, it is possible to get rid of bronchospasms in just a few days.