WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT A COUGH?
Medline says that American children get an average of eight colds a year. These colds (along with other illnesses) are frequently associated with a great deal of coughing. It’s important that you understand that cough medications are extremely dangerous (HERE). However, there are a variety of things parents can do to ease the symptoms of a persistent cough —– without the use of dangerous medications. Oh, and if you are one of those people who is still SMOKING around their children or grandchildren, you need to be slapped.
- GOOD DIET: It all starts here. Eat lots of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Avoid SUGAR as it is the food of choice for both bacteria and viruses (HERE). Don’t bother with most store-bought vitamin C’s as they are SYNTHETIC (even though they claim to be “All Natural“). Get your nutrition from real, organically-grown food, or get it from WHOLE FOOD NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS. Hey, if you can talk mom into making some homemade chicken soup; all the better!
- STAY FAR AWAY FROM ANTIBIOTICS AND COUGH SYRUP: Hopefully you already know that coughs are hardly ever caused by a bacterial infection. To understand what ANTIBIOTICS are doing to your health, just click the link. Same thing for COUGH SYRUP.
- CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS: If you have followed this blog, you are aware that the NERVE SYSTEM is housed within the spine, and controls every function of the body. Adjustments can help with coughs, along with numerous other associated problems (INCLUDING EAR INFECTIONS).
- NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS: Speaking of WHOLE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS, there are two that I highly recommend for any illness. The first is an immune system booster by Standard Process called CONGAPLEX. Incredible stuff! The next is PROBIOTICS. Because so many people have had their children on numerous rounds of antibiotics, it is critical to take a broad-spectrum probiotic. Because antibiotics kill the good bacteria in your gut, and 80% of your entire immune system is found in the gut (HERE), it is imperative to replace and restore your good bacteria. SEE ENDOGUT for more information.
- LOTS OF WATER: Notice that I did not say lots of fluids. I said lots of water for good reason. Most other drinks tend to be high in sugar (HERE is an example). Some are OK, like hot tea. But you must avoid sugary drinks like soda and juices. Eat an orange instead of drinking OJ —- the mega-high Glycemic Index drink given to diabetics to rapidly increase low blood sugar.
- HUMIDITY: If you heat with wood, you are probably already using some form of humidifier. Heating a house causes a real drain on moisture. This is bad for a cough. Steaming in the shower can also be beneficial.
- INDUCE SOME FEVER: Sounds crazy but if the cough is associated with a cold or the flu, you do not want to suppress fever. In fact, sometimes the best thing to do is to actually create fever (HERE).
- GO AHEAD AND COUGH: If you or your child’s cough is “Productive” meaning that there is mucous being worked up when coughing, there is no reason to do anything to suppress it. Coughing is one of the best things that you can do to clear your lungs and body of many different kinds of illnesses. If the cough is chronic, you may want to READ THIS.
