Coughing myths and cures

MANILA, Philippines -  Coughing is one health condition people have encountered at least a dozen times in our lives. Some people even go to the extent of using various remedies and treatments available in their quest to relieve their cough.     

However, there are many misconceptions and non-scientific practices in the treatment of cough, which may even prove detrimental to people’s health in the long run.

One popular practice is eating hot soup to help cure coughs and colds. While this practice does help soothe an irritated throat, it does not, unfortunately, help cure one’s cough.

Reliance on chemical medications may be second nature to most people, but there are hidden hazards to such a practice. 

Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com), a respected medical research organization of around 2,500 physicians, warns against giving children “two medicines with the same active ingredients, such as an antihistamine, decongestant or pain reliever.” 

“Too much of a single ingredient could lead to an accidental overdose,” it says.

There are also certain ingredients in some chemical-based cough medications that may cause serious and even life-threatening effects in children.

Codeine, which is found in cough suppressants, for example, may have adverse effects on the central nervous system.

Dextromethorpan (DXM), meanwhile, may lead to serious side effects such as brain damage, seizure, loss of consciousness and irregular heartbeat if not formulated properly.

Cough preparations such as carbocisteine have valid use only in persons suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).

The Philippine College of Chest Physicians recommends and advocates the following as best home remedies against cough: increased fluid intake, lots of rest, and good nutrition.

However, there may be times when you need added help to reduce the severity and duration of the cough, without necessarily resorting to chemical-based medicine that may have side effects.

The natural remedy? Take lagundi.

Philippine traditional medicine have long proven the efficacy of the lagundi plant in treating cough, as well as other common ailments such as fever, headache, toothache, asthma, and even superficial bleeding. 

Through the years, modern science has also validated lagundi’s power as an effective and safe cough and asthma remedy, through various clinical studies.

So what’s your best solution against cough? It’s the proven combination of nature and science — made from 100-percent lagundi leaves, like ASCOF Lagundi.

Clinical trials show that lagundi is much safer because it does not have the harmful side effects usually associated with chemical cough medicine. 

It works in three ways: one, it opens up the bronchial tubes to facilitate airflow, thus making it easier to breathe; two, it dissolves mucus so it’s easier to expel; and three, it reduces the inflammation in the respiratory passages due to its anti-histaminic action.

ASCOF’s efficacy and safety as a cough remedy is backed by two decades of research and analysis conducted by the National Integrated Research Program of Medicinal Plants, a consortium of top medical and academic institutions and scientists in the country.

What’s more, ASCOF Lagundi, a product of Pascual Laboratories Inc., is a convenient remedy for cough. It is available in tablet, capsule and syrup formats, and is available at leading drugstores nationwide.