11 Natural Solutions To Help You Stop Coughing, At Any Time Of Day

Here's how to stop coughing with natural solutions. 

A sudden coughing attack can be alarming, and you often need help fast to make it stop. Experts say these natural solutions can help:

If you're near a microwave or have access to a warm drink, that's even better, says Margaret Quinn, DNP, a clinical associate professor in the Rutgers University School of Nursing. "Warm fluids can help soothe the throat and loosen mucus," she says.

Ginger has two things going for it, according to Shapiro: It "acts as a decongestant and can also relax the muscles2 around the airway." Ginger is also "a wonderful anti-inflammatory3 and is commonly used in home cough remedies," says Jess Henning, APRN-CNP, a family nurse practitioner at the Ohio State University's Department of Family & Community Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine. 

If you feel like your cough is tied to a "tickle" in your throat, Shapiro recommends trying this hack: Sit down, try to stay calm, and breathe through your nose. "This opens up a different part of the airway and relaxes the muscles around the voice box," she explains. 

If you have a daytime cough that won't quit, these solutions may help:

Cough drops "release solidified sweeteners to coat the throat," Shapiro says. And, if you have a stuffy nose, you can reach for lozenges with menthol for a decongestant effect. 

To reap the benefits at home, Henning suggests mixing a tablespoon of dried thyme in a cup of boiling water, letting it steep for a bit, straining it, and then adding a little lemon juice and honey "for a throat-soothing tea you could sip on all day." 

Exposing your airways to steam—which can be as simple as running hot water in your shower and breathing deeply—can help thin out some of the thicker mucus in your nose and moisten the back of your throat, Shapiro says. "This will help loosen any congestion so one can clear it," she adds.

Horehound usually appears in the form of a cough drop, but it can also be brewed as a tea, with honey and lemon.

A nighttime cough can keep you awake. These solutions can help:

Research suggests that taking a spoonful of honey before bed can be more effective at stopping a cough than actual cough medicine. A study of 105 children between the ages of 2 and 18 with upper respiratory tract infections found that those who took honey at bedtime had the most relief1 from their cough and slept better than those who were given cough syrup or no treatment. "It coats the back of the throat, easing some of the discomfort and irritation that triggers the cough," Shapiro says. (Note: This should not be used in children under the age of 12 months due to a rare but potential botulism risk.)

Shapiro recommends avoiding those foods and drinks close to bedtime to lessen your symptoms. "Ideally, the last meal should be at least two to even three hours prior to lying down," Shapiro says.

Neti pots and other nasal saline irrigations are "fantastic" ways to clear out your nose and sinuses, Shapiro says—and that can also help your cough. "Congestion and sinusitis are common triggers for cough, due to postnasal drip to the back of the throat, especially during sleep," she explains. "Minimizing nasal and sinus issues, often the source of cough, can very successfully minimize coughing." 

Indoor heating will warm up your home, but it can also remove moisture from the air, Quinn says—and that can irritate your throat and lungs. A humidifier can help add that moisture back, she says. Extra moisture will cause less dryness and irritation "leading to less coughing," Shapiro says. 

If you've tried these natural solutions and you're still coughing after a few days, your cough is getting worse, you're having trouble breathing, or you've developed a fever, Shapiro says it's time to consult your care provider about the next steps.