Take control of your cough

Once other causes are excluded:

• Decide if cough is “wet or dry”.
• If wet use usual chest clearance techniques with cough when sputum is in main airways.

If dry, learn to take control:

• Close mouth.
• Swallow.
• Sip water.
• Breathe gently in and out through nose, letting shoulders drop as you breathe out.

Other Tricks to Ease an Irritable Cough

• Always breathe through the nose, (see section on breathing techniques).
• Suck ice lollies, cough lozenges, frozen green grapes, or dark chocolate containing a high percentage of cocoa solids.
• Try steam inhalation – hot water poured over root ginger.