Coughing is a common occurrence and can lead to various complications, such as pneumonia. However, there isn't a particularly effective method for stopping coughs and resolving phlegm. Nevertheless, some traditional Chinese medicine and folk remedies have excellent therapeutic effects.
1. Apricot kernels: There are bitter and sweet apricot kernels. Bitter apricot kernels contain amygdalin, which is a form of hydrocyanic acid and is mildly toxic, but it has the effect of stopping coughs and calming asthma. Because bitter apricot kernels are bitter and warm in nature, they are generally used to treat coughs caused by colds. Sweet apricot kernels are larger than bitter ones and contain very little amygdalin, so their effect in stopping coughs and calming asthma is poor. They are only used as a general food and not as medicine.
2. White radish: It has the functions of resolving food stagnation, regulating qi, transforming phlegm, and treating asthma. It is commonly said in folk medicine that white radish is cold in nature, so people with a weak and cold constitution or poor respiratory health should not eat it often. In fact, white radish is very effective for coughs caused by lung-heat colds. Additionally, white radish contains a bactericidal substance. For colds with heat pathogens and a sore throat, you can cut the white radish into small pieces, add honey, and after an hour, the radish will release its juice. Drinking this juice can help with coughs.
3. Water pear: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that a pear "in its raw state can clear the heat of the six fu-organs, and when cooked, can nourish the yin of the five zang-organs." Therefore, many internal heat conditions can be treated with pears. They can clear heat, reduce fire, and detoxify. For coughs due to lung-heat, a dry throat, and hoarseness, you can eat more raw pears. For symptoms of a cold cough, you can core the pear, add one qian (about 3 grams) of Fritillaria bulb, and cook them together for consumption.
4. Dried tangerine peel: The peel of a tangerine, after being salted and dried, becomes "dried tangerine peel." According to the clinical experience of traditional Chinese medicine, dried tangerine peel has the effects of strengthening the stomach, dispelling phlegm, suppressing coughs, and relieving stomach pain. For occasional coughs with phlegm due to a cold, even using fresh tangerine peel to make tea with rock sugar can be beneficial for stopping coughs and resolving phlegm.
Furthermore, some people, after catching a cold, find that their cough lingers and is difficult to improve. They directly purchase over-the-counter medicines like "Fritillaria Loquat Paste" to stop the cough and resolve phlegm, hoping to alleviate it. In fact, if it is a chronic cough with phlegm, accompanied by a dry mouth and throat, it can be used in moderation to alleviate symptoms. However, for acute coughs caused by bacterial infection with yellow, purulent phlegm, you cannot rely solely on Fritillaria Loquat Paste to stop the cough.