Gordolobo Tea and Other Great Cough Remedies are extremely effective and natural methods I use to treat coughs in both kids and adults.
Gordolobo Tea and Other Great Cough Remedies
{This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.}
The cold and flu season hit us hard this year. Now that it is May, I was hoping we were over all the sickness and was looking forward to some months of peace and health.
I was sadly mistaken.
It all started early in the week with my two-year-old son and a cough. A cough so incessant, so unrelenting, so annoying that it was almost impossible for him to get a good night’s sleep.
After a few sleepless nights with him, I was next. Then followed my four-year-old daughter and finally my husband.
Home Remedies to the Rescue
Whenever my family gets sick, we avoid using cold and cough medicines, especially for our children. Instead, I turn to the arsenal of home remedies I have learned from my parents.
Coming from Mexico my parents acquired many homeopathic remedies for all sorts of ailments, including coughs. When it comes to colds and coughs, my kids’ pediatricians agree that it is best to steer clear from medicines and recommend more natural approaches.
Read more about why pediatricians don’t suggest using over-the-counter medicines in this article from The New York Times.
After only a couple of days of using gordolobo tea and other great cough remedies, my little boy has noticeably improved. Now the rest of us are using these same remedies so that we too can get better soon.
In today’s post, I will tell you about Gordolobo Tea and Other Great Cough Remedies that have proven to be extremely helpful and effective for both kids and adults.
(Please keep in mind, it is always best to consult with your doctor before trying anything, especially with small children.)
Gordolobo Tea and Other Great Cough Remedies
Gordolobo Tea
This post is titled Gordolobo Tea and Other Great Cough Remedies because gordolobo is at the top of my parents’ list when anyone has a cough, and rightly so. Gordolobo, or mullein, is a plant with woolly stems and leaves. These are dried and used to make a tea to treat coughs and other respiratory problems. The tea is soothing, helps suppress coughs, and has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
Dried gordolobo, or mullein flower, can easily be found at Mexican or Latino markets as it is so commonly used in Latin America to treat coughs.
To use, boil 2 tablespoons of dried gordolobo (mullein) in two cups of water for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let it steep for 5 minutes.
You can also use a tea infuser or a teapot with an infuser, like the ones pictured below, to make this tea or any loose-leaf herbal tea.
Click here for a great article I found with more information about mullein and its other uses.
Oregano Tea
Oregano has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and helps with respiratory ailments.
To use, boil 1 tablespoon of dried oregano in two cups of water. Let the oregano boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for another 5 minutes.
For more information about oregano tea, click here.
Other Herbal Teas
There are many other types of herbal teas that are amazing at treating coughs and colds.
Click here to read the post Top Recommended Homemade Herbal Teas for Colds to find out more.
Honey
Most doctors recommend using a spoonful of honey instead of cough syrup. Honey works better than cough syrup at soothing coughs and sore throats. Plus it has a great taste, there’s no risk of overdosing, and it’s a natural antibacterial. Keep in mind that honey should never be given to children under the age of one because it could contain botulism spores.
Add a teaspoon or two of honey to any of the teas mentioned above. You can also use honey in one of the following ways for other effective methods to treat a cough.
Honey and Water
My kids and I have a hard time just swallowing a spoonful of thick honey. So instead, I dissolve a teaspoon of honey in a cup of warm water. This is especially great for little ones who may not like their honey mixed with anything else.
Honey and Lime
Another great way to take honey is mixed with lime (or lemon) juice. Mix the juice of half a lime (or lemon) with one tablespoon of honey and drink. The lime juice helps reduce inflammation and mucus, and provides vitamin C that helps the immune system.
If you’re not afraid of a little kick, add a pinch of powdered cayenne or piquin pepper. These chili powders have expectorant properties that can further help with phlegm.
You can also mix all of these ingredients into a cup of warm water to dilute the flavors and provide a warm, soothing drink.
Honey and Red Onion
No matter which of the listed remedies we choose to use, this is one that always makes the cut. This combination makes a homemade cold and cough syrup that works wonders on our kids and on us every time.
Click here to read a whole post on this Magical Home Remedy for Colds, Coughs and Sore Throats.
Vicks VapoRub
Although Vicks VapoRub is not an all-natural remedy, I highly recommend it to treat a cough. I have seen some all-natural vapor rubs out there, but I have not used them. Therefore I am going with what I know and what has proven effective for me.
Vicks VapoRub is a combination of camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that helps suppress coughing and ease congestion. Plus, I think there is something healing and comforting about a mother’s touch when massaging this ointment on your little ones.
To use, rub this on their throats, chests, and backs before they go to bed to help with their coughs. Better yet, also rub it on the soles of their feet and then cover them with socks. I do not know why Vicks on the soles of the feet work, but it really does!
Try applying Vicks to yourself too. You’ll be amazed at how much it helps reduce your cough.
Saliva on the Feet
Let’s say you don’t have any Vicks VapoRub or your child is too young and you don’t feel comfortable using that method. Well, look no further than your own trusty spit.
That’s right, rub your saliva on the bottom of your feet or your kid’s feet and then cover them with socks to ease coughing at night. This might sound unusual, but it is one of those old remedies that just works.
Humidifier
To help soothe a cough while you or your kids are sleeping, use a humidifier in the bedroom. A humidifier adds moisture to the air which will help lessen coughing and congestion at night. Cool-mist humidifiers are best if you have children to avoid the risk of accidental burns from a vaporizer or warm-mist humidifier.
NoseFrida
This last tip I learned when I became a mom and is specifically for little ones. Part of the reason my two-year-old has such a hard time getting over a cough is because he doesn’t quite know how to blow his nose. So much of that horrid mucus can’t be expelled leading to more congestion and a heavier cough.
To help him with this I turn to my NoseFrida. NoseFrida is a nasal respirator, or in other words a snot sucker for babies. It is much more effective than a bulb syringe.
To use, first put a couple of drops of saline solution in each nostril to loosen the mucus. You then place one end of the NoseFrida in your baby’s nostril and the other end in your mouth. Then you suck on it like you would a straw.
I know this must sound disgusting, but there is a filter inside the tube so nothing gets in your mouth. Instead you can see all of the snot accumulate inside of the clear tube. It is very safe to use and really helps clear their little noses.
Whether you choose to use one or a combination of these methods, I hope Gordolobo Tea and Other Great Cough Remedies will be as useful to you against a nasty cough as they are to us.
Do you have any other trustee remedies for coughs? I’d love to know in the comments below.