Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of people with a dry cough. Even with all the rain we've had this year, the weather is already turning dry once more.
Not staying properly hydrated during this time of year can lead to stuck and stagnant mucus, the perfect home for summer cold and flu viruses.
The incessant weather extremes (both hot and cold) can make your lungs feel clogged and constricted or maybe you just get that annoying tickle in your throat. But don't worry! If you're looking for ways to get rid of a dry cough fast, there's an herb for that!
Types of Dry Cough
There are two main types of dry cough and it isn’t hard to figure out which one ails you once you understand them.
The first is a cough that feels like you have a swamp stuck in your lungs and no amount of forceful coughing will get the mucus out. You may feel like the chest is “tight” and there may be a wheezy sound when breathing.
Any mucus that does come out is thick and gooey. This often means that there is mucus buildup in the lungs and it has no plan on coming out any time soon.
The best herbs for this type of cough include both stimulating and relaxing expectorants as well as demulcent herbs to help thin mucus and allow for easier expectoration.
The second type of dry cough is the kind that leaves you doubled over and gagging with no feeling of mucus at all. These are referred to as a dry spasmodic cough.
The insistent dry hacking of these coughs can often keep people awake at night and the cough itself is painful, often with a burning sensation. The cough is almost always worse when you lay down.
Dry Cough Causes
A dry cough can be caused by a couple of things. The first cause, and most common, is from viral illnesses like a cold or flu.
The second cause is due to irritants, pollutants, and allergens which can cause the lungs to spasm as they try to eliminate the offending particulates.
Either way, no matter what is causing you to hack incessantly, there are plenty of herbs that can help ease a persistent dry cough - even a dry cough at night!
The Best Herbs for Dry Cough
There are a few ways to deal with both types of dry cough, no matter how debilitating they can feel.
Before using any of these herbs, please do your own research/talk with your doctor to ensure that they do not interact with any medications you may be taking.
Demulcent Herbs
Demulcent herbs are a favorite of mine to use when the lungs and throat are dry and you have that “tickle” that won’t go away. They are moistening and soothing and work best as a tea or lozenge and are some of the best dry cough remedies you can use.
Demulcent Herbs (Moistening Herbs) Include:
• Marshmallow Root
• Licorice Root
• Linden
• Plantain
• Slippery Elm
• Violet
• Sassafras
All of these herbs will help get rid of dryness so that your cough is much less painful. They will also help soothe sore throats from all the hacking too.
If your toddler has a dry cough, I recommend looking into slippery elm.
You can use these herbs as teas, as capsules, or as tinctures. Use them as directed on the packaging.
Antispasmodic Herbs
Antispasmodic herbs are another great way to treat dry coughs as they help to ease the spasms associated with excessive coughing, especially when you’re trying to sleep.
It’s important to use at least one antispasmodic herb when dealing with dry coughs so that your body can rest up and repair itself at night. Skipping these herbs may allow the cough to last much longer than it should so I can’t stress enough how important it is to pick up one of the following at your local health food store.
Antispasmodic Herbs Include:
• California Poppy- Best used before bed
• Valerian- great to use before bed!
• Mullein
• Thyme- I know for a fact that this herb works
• Red Clover
You can use these herbs as teas, as capsules, or as tinctures. Use them as directed on the packaging.
An Important Note About Mucus...
All herbs have energetic properties meaning that they can be warming, cooling, sweet, bitter…ect. Their effect on the body can often be determined by how an herb smells and tastes.
With that said, you need to know which herbs are going to be good for certain types of mucus and a great indicator for that is color.
Yeah, I know. This sounds icky but honestly, if you want to best results and fast relief for your type of dry cough, you’re going to need to know this stuff as it’s an important diagnostic tool.
So here it goes:
Yellow, green, and brownish colors indicate heat, so the herbs used should be cooling in nature.
Examples of cooling herbs for dry cough are:
• Peppermint- soothing for painful and dry coughs. Take it as a tea.
• Linden- A popular herb in France, this herb is great for quelling relentless coughs and is very soothing for inflamed throats. I love it as a tea.
• Slippery elm- One of the easiest to use, add slippery elm to oatmeal or tea for its moistening effects. You can learn how to make slippery elm lozenges (my favorite dry cough remedy) HERE.
• Marshmallow root- Moistens even the dryest coughs. I like it as a diluted tea.
• Plantain- a great herb for soothing dry mucous membranes. A must-have for dry, insistent coughs. I like it as a tea.
• Violet
• California poppy- Is a fantastic antispasmodic herb that works best for when your cough gets worse at night. I like using this herb as a tincture.
• Mullein- A wonderful herb for acute respiratory illnesses, mullein has been used for thousands of years. It is especially nice for deep spasming coughs. I like this herb as a tea.
• Red clover
• Licorice root
Clear or white color indicates cold, so the herbs used should be warming.
Examples of warming herbs for dry cough are:
• Valerian- Fantastic for the cough that won’t stop. Use as a tincture before bed.
• Thyme- This herb is great for getting out stuck mucus. A simple tea is all you need.
• Ginger- helps you expectorate mucus that is stuck like cement. Make a tea from the fresh root. Steep covered.
• Garlic
• Cherry bark- has a strong affinity for dry spasmodic coughs. Often found as a syrup(a very effective dry cough medicine)
These remedies should be taken 3 times daily for several days for best results. The only herbs recommended for dry coughs during pregnancy are ginger and peppermint teas.
What have been your favorite herbs for a dry hacking cough?
You may also enjoy reading:
12 Home Remedies for Cough That Actually Work!
The Best Home Remedy for Cough
Herbal Remedies for Wet Cough
Essential Oil Quick Usage Guide – Anti-Catarrhal
Sources:
Clinical validation of efficacy and safety of herbal cough formula: study of herbal cough syrup
Antitussive and expectorant activities of licorice and its major compounds
Slippery Elm, its Biochemistry, and use as a Complementary and Alternative Treatment for Laryngeal Irritation
[Marshmallow Root Extract for the Treatment of Irritative Cough: Two Surveys on Users' View on Effectiveness and Tolerability]
sofia decruz says
Hey! is the dry spasmodic cough harmful to us?
Ashley says
The best way to get rid of dry cough is to increase humidity level. The cool mist humidifier is the top one to do it!
A right humidifier will help you change air at home and improve not only the quality of your sleep, but also ease respiratory problems, allergy and asthma. Your skin also will be extremely thankful.
Moreover, the cool mist humidifier is safer for your children and become your best friend during pregnancy.
I use my cool mist humidifier usually at night, and it helps me get rid of cough effectively.
linda spiker says
I need this remedy right now. I got that flu that was going around in December and still have coughing fits here and there. Thanks!
Raia Todd says
I didn't realize plantain was good for coughs, too! I have a bunch of it in my backyard...
Renee Kohley says
I appreciate these details so much - my middle girl I always call her my "lung kid" because when our house gets an URI she always gets it the worst and longest. I'm going to try the warming ideas for her after school today - we got an early spring bug and she just isn't kicking this cough! Thanks!
Mickie says
So glad I found your site as it is VERY helpful. Thanks for this article in particular. I have had a nagging cough for a couple of weeks and plan to put your information to use today!
Tash says
Best of luck, Mickie! Those dry coughs are a bear to deal with!
Baptiste says
Came across your post and found quite helpful as using many of your tips and information on the different uses of herbs for colds and illnesses.Much appreciated as I have already shared.Blessings!
Richard says
Hello Tash,
Can you supply dates on your postings. It's not easy to see or tell if this posting in from 2003 or 2018. your comments section doesn't have any dates either.
A reader should be able to see if they are reading old information that say for example from 2003 .....well a lot can have changed since then.
Thanks
Tash says
Hi Richard!
I do not supply dates because I actually update my content every year 🙂 Also, Google doesn't like dates as far as SEO is concerned which is another reason I don't use them.
Heather says
Peppermint tea is dangerous during pregnancy. Pennyroyal used to be used to terminate a pregnancy or start contractions. I know several women who have weened using peppermint.
Sorry for the negative comment. Loved the rest of the article.
C Martin says
Weaning is not during pregnancy, but after pregnancy ... and pennyroyal, although in the mint family , is a very different herb from peppermint. Drinking peppermint tea as mentioned in this article to soothe a cough is totally appropriate during pregnancy .
Glenda says
I knew to come back here for help. My elderly father in law is recovering from an upper respiratory illness. He has dealt with bad coughing during his entire life when he gets sick. The illness is over but the cough wouldn't let up. He had to go back to the doctor who gave him some more tussin/codeine syrup. I would like to make him a formula for constant coughing during upper respiratory issues. Any suggestions for a cough blend to help and something that wouldn't taste to yucky. I knew about Wild Cherry bark and Slippery Elm but that's it. Thanks for ANY help you can offer!!!!!!
Mike Dy says
Thanks for sharing this information. Is this also good for children ?
Tash says
Hi Mike!
You can use peppermint tea and ginger tea for children 🙂
Elaina Newton says
Such excellent information! Bookmarking this for later. I feel really fortunate that I usually don't have to deal with coughs when I come down with stuff. It generally stays up in my nose and I try to use all my natural immune support stuff to kick it quickly.
Tash says
Thanks Elaina! I hope you never need to use these remedies 🙂
Daja at The Provision Room says
What a fantastic resource!!! So helpful--especially the parts where you describe the color and kind of mucous. So gross, but we need to know these things so we can apply the correct remedies! Excellent! Thank you!
Tash says
Yep! Unfortunately we need to know what mucus color means haha 🙂 I hope you find it helpful!
Carol says
This is a most informative post! It's so helpful to explain re the different types of dry cough and the energetics help people to zero in on the best possible herbs. Such a super alternative to commercial drug products! Thank you!
Tash says
Glad you liked it Carol! 🙂
Renee Kohley says
Oh this is SO helpful! Thank you!
linda spiker says
Pinned! I know my husband will need this...but I hope he doesn't 🙂
Megan Stevens says
Thank you for this fantastic information! We are no strangers to persistent coughs. They can be horrible, keeping everyone up at night and even getting scary. Violet is one herb I haven't used before and hope to.
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
This is great! I have used slippery elm, thyme, garlic and ginger before. I didn't know about a lot of the other ones. Thanks for sharing it with us.