During cold and flu season, you or someone in your family will develop an acute cough. Coughs are symptoms with a real purpose, one greater than to just be annoying. A series of actions that begin in your brain lead to your cough, whether it is to clear thick mucus, respond to an allergen or was just a false message that causes a dry, irritating cough. Because coughs are clearing, suppressing them can cause acute symptoms to linger and lead to chronic inflammation. Is there another way to reduce a cough rather than suppress it?
Absolutely! Depending on the cough that is occurring, there is one of five Gemmotherapy extracts that will resolve rather than suppress it.
What should make Gemmotherapy extracts your first choice, over over-the-counter or herbal cough syrups, is their ability to clean, feed and fortify cellular tissue Because Gemmotherapy extracts contain the meristem cells of the tree of shrub used, there is cell-to-cell communication. The extract promotes actions that leave the upper respiratory system and immune system more resilient at the end of treatment. Since Gemmotherapy extracts lend themselves to home care in a variety of acute conditions, you will find protocols that can virtually replace all the supplements, herbal remedies and OTC medications you have on hand to care for yourself and family members.
Below, I will describe three general categories of coughs that can be cleared with the use of Gemmotherapy. Please keep in mind this article is referring to an acute cough, one that comes on suddenly or accompanies other upper respiratory symptoms. This article does not address chronic, long-standing coughs that require a different protocol. Here’s an article that helps explain the difference between acute and chronic symptoms.
- Postnasal drainage of mucus often leads to an irritated, inflamed throat that can produce an infrequent, dry and scratchy cough to clear. This particular symptom of the throat and the small cough responds very well to the Gemmotherapy extract Black Honeysuckle. Known for its ability to reduce inflammation by thinning mucus and increasing its fluidity, Black Honeysuckle calms and soothes while boosting the immune response. While often the first extract to be used in an acute inflammation, it is also used at the end of an acute cycle to thin the lingering mucus and prevent the build-up of scar tissue.
- There are times, however, when that sore throat progresses to a persistent, deeper cough, dry or wet. Then it is time for a new extract. Hornbeam Gemmotherapy extract supports the effectiveness of a mucus-clearing cough and resolves the dry irritable cough. As it works, Hornbeam extract addresses the upper respiratory inflammation, cleans and strengthens the bronchi and lungs, and boosts immunity.
- A spasmodic cough, one that leads to pulmonary spasms like asthma or croup, needs the soothing qualities of Lithy Gemmotherapy extract. These coughs appear “unproductive,” often accompanied by tightness in the chest, making an in-breath and out-breath feel challenged.
- Sometimes there is an acute cough that develops for completely different reasons. This is a dry, nervous cough that may show up at inopportune times, such as before a presentation or important conversation. This cough actually responds quite well to Silver Lime extract.
- Finally, once a virus with a cough has run its course and the acute symptoms have improved, some convalescence time is called for to improve and strengthen the bronchi and lungs. An evening dose of Hazel Gemmotherapy extract to support a return to health of the respiratory system will protect against future recurrences.
Each of these cough-specific Gemmotherapy extracts performs best in a protocol that supports the work of the immune system during this acute period. Combining the appropriate cough extract with Common Alder and Black Currant will provide the very best results.
If you want to know more about Gemmotherapy for coughs and other acute symptoms, be sure to subscribe to my Restoring Immunity podcast. Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Radio Public, Google Podcasts and Anchor.
Find all of my acute protocols using Gemmotherapy extracts in Gemmotherapy for Everyone: An Introduction to Acute Care.