Coughs are so tricky! Some are annoying, some last forever, and some can even be scary! As a mom who wants to treat as much as I can at home with homeopathic treatment and other natural options, step one was learning to identify the different types of coughs.
If you want to select the best homeopathic remedy for your child, you must learn how to listen and identify clues in your child’s cough symptoms. I’ve pulled some videos and examples to help us identify the type of cough we are dealing with so we can know how to address it. While there are other types of coughs, I’m going to focus on the 4 types moms see most often: dry coughs, wet coughs, croupy coughs, and whooping coughs.
(Before I begin, let me remind you that I am not a medical professional and this isn’t medical advice. Consider this a conversation between 2 friends. Please seek professional help when it makes sense to do so. This post contains affiliate links to help you find the products I’m referencing. You can read more in my policies and disclaimers. If you’d like to read more about my favorite places to purchase homeopathic substances, click here.)
Cough Type 1: Dry Cough
Description: A dry cough is caused by inflammation in the respiratory system. This is a tickly cough that might feel annoying, irritating, burning, or scraping. Some might describe this cough as hacking. There may be sudden spasms that are easily triggered. A spasmodic cough like this may cause a sore throat.
Clues for Mom: Your child might need to sit up when coughing. He might clutch his chest or stomach while coughing. The child will not have any mucus to cough up. Dry coughs often get worse at night.
Listen to this Example of How a Dry Cough Sounds: (click below to hear)
Credit: Sound clip from Med Pulse
Source to Learn More about Identifying Dry Cough: Cleveland Clinic
Some Homeopathic Remedies to Consider:
- Bryonia– Big Clue: Holding chest because movement hurts. Read more about Bryonia in the Materia Medica by Dr. John Henry Clarke, MD. You might want to jump to part 17 & 18 on Respiratory and Chest Symptoms.
- Phosphorus– Big Clues: Cough comes from deep place in throat, needs to prop up to sleep, child wants cold water. Read more about Phosphorus in the Materia Medica by Dr. John Henry Clarke, MD.
- Ipecac– Big Clues: Nagging and gagging cough, might feel like they will vomit after a coughing spell. Read more about Ipecac in the Materia Medica by Dr. William Boericke, MD.
- Drosera– Big Clues: Rapid coughs that seem to choke, may hear a hoarse cough. Read more about Drosera in the Materia Medica by Dr. William Boericke, MD.
* For more information on each of these remedies, you can grab some Homeopathic Cheat Sheets or look into gathering some reference materials. There are many, many options for remedies, and these are just a few common ones.
Also Consider for Dry Cough:
- Running a humidifier in the room while sleeping to help with the dry throat.
- Giving Elderberry Syrup with honey. Clinical trials show honey to be more effective than over-the-counter cough suppressants (source).
- Giving a “Get Well Cocktail” of dietary supplements.
Cough Type 2: Wet Cough
Description: A wet cough is caused by either viral infections or bacterial infections. It will have lots of phelgm/mucus, and the child will likely be coughing it up. This is the body’s way of trying to clear the offending pathogen. There may also be a runny nose, congestion, post-nasal drip, or other typical cold symptoms. Wet cough is often called “productive cough” because they produce mucus. You may also hear a wet cough called a “loose cough” because the mucus is loose and moving. This is a chesty cough.
Clues for Mom: Lots of snot! You’ll see thick, yellow mucus (or green). You will probably hear the crackle in the cough as the mucus is breaking up and moving. This will be a gross-sounding cough that makes you want to back away!
Listen to This Example of How a Wet Cough Sounds: (click below to hear)
Credit: Sound clip from The Asian Parent
Source to Learn More about Wet Coughs: Healthline
Some Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Wet Cough:
- Pulsatilla– Big Clues: Child will be weepy and clingy and need lots of attention. Read more about Pulsatilla in the Materia Medica by Dr. William Boericke, MD.
- Hepar Sulph– Big Clues: Child may be grouchy, irritable, and cold. Wants to be covered with jacket or blanket. Read more about Hepar Sulph in the Materia Medica by Dr. James Tyler Kent, MD.
Also Consider for Wet Cough:
- Taking child into a steamy bathroom. Perform chest percussions to help the inhaled steam break up mucus. Read a description on how to give chest percussions from Dr. Josh Axe (jump to part 6).
- Giving Elderberry Syrup with honey. Clinical trials show honey to be more effective than over-the-counter cough suppressants (source).
- Giving a “Get Well Cocktail” of dietary supplements.
Cough Type 3:Croupy/Barking Cough
Description: A croupy cough may sound like barking. It’s caused by an upper airway infection. Due to the infection, the vocal chords and airways become swollen and inflamed. While inflamed, they are more narrow than usual. When the child coughs, the air is forced up through these narrow passage ways, resulting in croups signature barking sound.
Clues for Mom: The child may be hoarse or raspy (swollen vocal chords). These coughs often come in groups of 2-3 coughs at a time. You may also hear whistling or gurling sounds as the child breathes, again due to the inflammation in the air passages. You may also notice that the child’s cough worsens at night and the child will sit up quickly in the bed to get air.
Listen to This Example of How a Croupy/Barking Cough Sounds:
Credit: Sound clip from Doctor O’Donovan
Source to Learn More about Croupy/ Barking Coughs: Mayo Clinic
Some Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Croupy/Barking Coughs:
- Stage 1: Aconite– Aconite is often given at the beginning stages of many types of coughs and illnesses. So, even if I wasn’t certain it was a croup cough, Aconite would be a good starting place.
- Stage 2: Spongia– Spongia is often thought of for barking coughs. In fact, when I say “Spongia” in my head, I say it in 3 parts “SPON-GEE-AHH” to remind me that if I’m hearing barking coughs in groups of 2 or 3, I probably need to consider Spongia.
- Stage 3: Hepar Sulphur + Antimonium Tartaricum– Both of these are good when there is rattling in the chest or mucus of being coughed up. In the case of croup, I give both Hepar Sulph and Ant Tart at the same time.
Also Consider for Croupy/ Barking Cough:
- Taking child into a steamy bathroom. Perform chest percussions to help the inhaled steam break up mucus. Read a description on how to give chest percussions from Dr. Josh Axe (jump to part 6).
- Giving Elderberry Syrup with honey. Clinical trials show honey to be more effective than over-the-counter cough medicine (source).
- Giving a “Get Well Cocktail” of dietary supplements.
Cough Type 4: Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Description: A Whooping cough is caused by bacteria, and often looks like a common cold in the beginning. It can last for 1- 6 weeks. Whooping coughs bring long coughing fits. After a long spell of coughing, the person make gasp for air, causing the high-pitched “whoop” sound. The person may be very tired after a coughing fit due to the energy used during the cough as well as the struggle to catch a breath.
Clues for Mom: The big clue is the struggle to breath from a big coughing episode. The child may seem almost normal until the next coughing fit comes on.
Listen to This Example of How a Whooping Cough Sounds:
Credit: Sound clip from The Doctors
Source to Learn More about a Whooping Cough: Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Some Homeopathic Remedies to Consider for Whooping Coughs:
- Ipecac + Cuprum– These remedies are the Banerji protocol for Whooping Cough, so I would reach for this combo first.
- Drosera– Drosera is often recommended for spasmodic coughs where a hoarse voice develops. Often the child will feel a tickle in the throat, almost like a feather, that triggers the next episode of coughing. Read more about Drosera in the Materia Medica.
- Bryonia– Bryonia is often indicated for dry, painful, tickling coughs. It may help with the shortness of breath. Read more about Bryonia in the Materia Medica.
Also Consider for Whooping Coughs:
- The difficult breathing may be concerning to some moms. Having a pulse-ox meter on hand may be a helpful way to measure your child’s illness to determine if you need to seek the advice of a doctor. The good news is that sometimes these conditions may appear worse to tired, anxious moms. But having objective measurements to inform your decisions can help.
- Giving Elderberry Syrup with honey. Scientific research shows honey to be more effective than ove the counter medicines like cough syrup (source).
- Giving a “Get Well Cocktail” of dietary supplements.
- Offering bone broth to boost the immune system.
New to homeopathy? Here are some basic facts about its safety and effectiveness that everyone should know.
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