Brew Up a Cough Taming Tea

Thyme is an expectorant and also contains substances that relax the respiratory tract. To make thyme tea, place 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (1 tablespoon dried) in a cup of hot water. Allow it to steep, then drain out the herb, add honey if you like, and drink.

Sip a cup of marshmallow tea. When combined with water, marshmallow yields a gooey mucilage that coats the throat and also thins mucus in the lungs, making it easier to cough up. To make the tea, steep 2 teaspoons of the dried herb in one cup hot water. Have a total of three cups a day.

Add 45 drops of licorice tincture to a cup of hot water and sip. Licorice loosens phlegm and relaxes bronchial spasms. A caution: Don’t take licorice for more than a few weeks, as it can raise blood pressure.

Steep 2 teaspoons horehound leaves or flowers in 1 cup boiling water, strain, and drink.

Practitioners of Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, recommend a spice tea that you can drink several times a day. To make the tea, add a half-teaspoon powdered ginger and a pinch each of clove and cinnamon powder to a cupful of just-boiled water and drink.