Fats, Vitamins and Minerals

COUGH

COUGH

Cough is not an illness in itself but a symptom of a disease affecting the respiratory system of the body from the throat to the lungs.

Causes:

- Throat infections: laryngitis, pharyngitis
- Bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, pneumonia
- Cold, influenza
- Measles
- Diphtheria, pertussis
- TB
- Cigarette smoking
- Lung cancer or any tumor in the air passages
- Foreign bodies that lodge in the airways
- Asthma
- Some types of heart disease
- Emotional causes

Treatment:

Cough is a protective reflex of the respiratory system to rid itself of phlegm, microbes and foreign bodies that have lodged in the airways. Therefore, the aim of therapy is to loosen the cough and liquefy and expectorate the phlegm, and not to stop the cough. However, in cases when the patient is distressed by coughing and is kept awake at night, measures are taken to lessen the frequency of cough, such as giving of cough suppressants. Some guidelines to follow are:

- If the cause of the cough is known, treat and prevent the cause.
Example: Stop smoking of this is the cause of the cough.
- In order to loosen and ease cough, the patient should:
– Drink plenty of water and fruit juices. Adults can drink as much as 8 to 12 glasses of water a day.
– Breathe hot water vapors (steam inhalation) for 15 minutes 3 times a day.
– Use any of the suggested� edicinal plants. Consult a physician if there are no signs of improvement within 3 days.

- Consult a physician if there are indications of progression of the illness such as the following cases:
– The patient has distressing cough and with difficulty of breathing.
– The phlegm is foul-odored, yellow or greenish-colored, or blood-streaked.
– There is noticeable weight loss.
– Hoarseness of the voice is more than 2 weeks duration.
– Coughing episodes are frequent (more than 3 times a year).

- The patient should eat nutritious food, take plenty of rest and keep himself and his surroundings clean.

MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR COUGH

Plant material: LAGUNDI leaves

Preparation:
Amount of chopped leaves needed
Adult: 4 tbsp (dried) or 6 tbsp (fresh)
7-12 years: 2 tbsp (dried) or 3 tbsp (fresh)
2-6 years: 1 tbsp (dried) or 1 1/2 tbsp (fresh)

Boil the needed amount of leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes or until 1 glass of liquid is left. Cool and strain.

Direction for use: Divide the decoction into 3 parts. Take 1 part 3 times a day.

Plant Material: BALANOY leaves

Preparation:
Amount of chopped leaves needed
Adult: 4 tbsp (dried) or 6 tbsp (fresh)
7-12 years: 2 tbsp (dried) or 3 tbsp (fresh)

Preparation: As in LAGUNDI