咳嗽停不下來?試試這些家常祕方吧

A cough might be the first warning sign that, yep, you're coming down with a cold or the flu. (Nooo!) But a cough can also be due to acid reflux, a battle with seasonal allergies, or bronchitis. "A cough is caused by an irritant that tickles your larynx, and your body is reacting by reflexively contracting muscles to expel it out," explains Leslie Mendoza Temple, MD, medical director of the Integrative Medicine Program at NorthShore University HealthSystem.

咳嗽是感冒或流感的第一大徵兆（不！）。但咳嗽也有可能是由於胃酸迴流、與季節性過敏作鬥爭或是支氣管炎引起的。"咳嗽是由刺激喉嚨的刺激物引起的，而你的身體會通過反射性收縮肌肉來將其排出體外，"北海大學健康系統中醫結合項目的醫學主任萊斯利·門多薩·坦普爾醫學博士解釋道。

The reality is that a cough is more than just pesky. It takes a while to go away-and that's totally normal. In fact, a cough sticks around for 18 days on average, according to a 2013 study in the Annals of Family Medicine. While many people turn to antibiotics in this instance, the meds are often ineffective. You don't need them simply because you've been coughing for a couple weeks.

事實是，咳嗽不僅讓人厭煩，而且還需要一段時間才能痊癒--這是完全正常的。事實上，據《家庭醫學年報》2013年的一項研究表示，咳嗽的平均逗留時間爲18天。雖然很多人會立刻服用抗生素，但這些藥物通常都是無效的。只是咳嗽了一兩個星期，並不能成爲你需要吃抗生素的理由。

Hit the shower

衝個熱水澡

When a cough crops up, take an extra-long shower. "Being in a hot shower is the best thing you can do," says Dr. Mendoza Temple. "Stick yourself in there and let the steam soothe your breathing passages," she says, adding that it helps reduce the over-excitement in your throat. It's a great alternative when you're trying to avoid giving kids (or yourself) cough medicine. There's no hard-and-fast rule about how long you have to stay in, but take your time. Step out and dry off when your cough starts to quiet down.

咳嗽的時候，洗個超長時間的熱水澡吧。"洗個熱水澡是最棒的事情，"門多薩·坦普爾醫生說道。"一直衝澡，讓蒸汽舒緩你的呼吸道，"她說道，並補充說這能幫助降低喉嚨過度興奮。當你試着避免給孩子或自己吃藥的時候，這是很好的替代方法。關於到底需要洗多長時間的熱水澡還沒有硬性規定，但當咳嗽漸緩時，就可以走出去擦乾淨啦。

Drink marshmallow tea

棉花糖茶

Warm tea and other hot liquids like soup are inherently soothing to an angry throat. "When you soothe the area, your body will stop trying to expel anything out," says Dr. Mendoza Temple. Hence, sipping tea throughout the day can help suppress coughs. She says that you can use any tea that you like-important since that means you're more apt to drink it regularly.

熱茶和其它熱飲（比如湯）本身就能舒緩發炎的喉嚨。"喉嚨得到舒緩時，你的身體就會停止嘗試排出任何東西，"門多薩·坦普爾醫生說道。因此，整天喝茶有助於抑制咳嗽。她說你可以喝任何茶，只要你喜歡--這一點很重要，因爲這樣你就更傾向於定時喝茶了。

Catch some z's

睡點覺

Your mom would probably tell you to get some rest to get rid of your cough-and she'd be right. Sleep may not be a fancy herbal cure for a cough, but the basics are just as important. "Sleep helps the body accomplish what needs to be done," says Feinberg.

你的媽媽可能會告訴你想要不咳嗽就得多休息--她說的話很有道理。睡覺可能不是治療咳嗽的神奇草本祕方，但基本原理也同樣重要。"睡眠有助於身體完成需要做成的事情，"範伯格說。