Coughing is the body's natural way of expelling mucus or foreign objects that irritate the upper air passages causing inflammation. They can be dry or chesty, acute, sub-acute or chronic. An acute cough lasts up to three weeks. A sub-acute cough extends from three to eight weeks. While a chronic cough remains persistent after eight weeks.

Causes
Coughs are attributed to infectious and non-infectious causes including viral upper respiratory infections, sinus, bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, obstructive pulmonary disease, postnasal drip, diseases of the external ear, gastroesophageal reflux, emphysema, asthma and environmental allergies. Chest cavity and digestive problems are also contributing factors. While less common causes include cancer, sarcoidosis, diseases of the lung tissue and congestive heart failure.

Nutritional Advice
Avoiding refined and processed foods is essential ... all sugar and white flour!Dairy and greasy foods are phlegm forming so keep those off the list too! Avoid cooling drinks and foods such as ice cream, salads and most fruits except apples which have neutral properties, and spicy and deep fried foods. Consume more warming foods and drinks like ginger, cinnamon, onion, garlic, capsicum and root vegetables.

There are so many yummy natural cough syrup home remedies too so why not try them all! … Almonds are wonderful for dry coughs. Soak seven kernels overnight and remove the skin, then ground them into a paste and have a spoonful in the morning and evening. Raw onion and lemon juice are both useful in removing phlegm, making yet another excellent cough syrup, when mixed with honey. While turmeric root and aniseed are particularly helpful for treating a dry cough. For a dessert like healing syrup make raisin sauce by soaking 100grams of raisins in warm water and pureeing, then take twenty grams at bedtime daily.

Lifestyle
Keeping warm by dressing appropriately is important, in particular your feet and head. If you wash your hair make sure you blow dry it, otherwise this will let more cold inside your body. Reduce exercise and talking and get more rest and sleep. Rubbing tiger balm on the soles of your feet before you go to bed can help in reducing coughing in the middle of the night. Avoid smoking, polluted environments, and other irritants including dust, pollen and industrial chemicals.

Causes
• Viral upper respiratory infections
• Sinus
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Whooping cough
• obstructive pulmonary disease
• Postnasal drip
• Diseases of the external ear
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Emphysema
• Asthma
• Environmental allergies
• Chest cavity
• Digestive problems
• Cancer
• Sarcoidosis
• Diseases of the lung tissue
• Congestive heart failure

Embrace
• Organic
• Warming foods and drinks - ginger, cinnamon, onion, garlic, capsicum, root vegetables
• Natural cough syrups – almond paste; raw onion juice, lemon and honey; turmeric root & aniseed; pureed raisins.
• Dress warmly
• Rub tiger balm on the soles of your feet before bed
• Rest
• Sleep

Avoid
• Refined, processed foods – sugar, white flour
• Dairy
• Greasy foods
• Cooling foods and drinks – ice cream, salads, most fruit (except apple)
• Wet hair
• Exercise
• Talking
• Smoking
• Polluted environments
• Irritants – dust, pollen, industrial chemicals etc