Covid-19 Advice: Simple ways to manage dry or wet cough while recovering

<p>At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the three basic symptoms of this viral infection identified by the World Health Organization was a cough. A patient recovering from COVID-19 could have either a dry or a wet cough to deal with.</p> <p>Managing the cough, clearing it out properly and being able to breathe freely again is a big part of the recovery process that every&nbsp;patient has to go through. Maintaining a good COVID-19 recovery diet packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can surely help deal with the cough to some extent. Here are a few tips recommended by the National Health Service that can help you manage both types of cough.</p> <p><strong>Tips to manage a dry cough</strong></p> <p>A dry cough can put a lot of strain on your throat and make sleep next to impossible. Cover your mouth with your arm when you cough and wash your hands with soap and water frequently.</p> <p>1. Drink plenty of water, especially lukewarm water throughout the day as staying hydrated is absolutely essential. You can also drink warm water with lemon and honey, kadha, clear broth or eat some yummy soup.</p> <p>2. Swallowing may be difficult when you have a dry cough and inflammation, so take small sips of fluids instead of gulping them down.</p> <p>3. In case you don&rsquo;t have any warm fluids nearby and your throat feels dry, swallow your saliva repeatedly to soothe your throat.</p> <p>4. Steam inhalation and gargling with saline water is a must if you want the dry cough to disappear quickly. Pour hot water in a bowl, put your head over the bowl, cover your head with a towel and breathe in the steam. You can also use a steam inhalation machine.</p> <p><br /><strong>Tips to manage a wet cough</strong></p> <p>Having to spit out your cough and phlegm frequently makes a wet cough very difficult to handle. It&rsquo;s important that you take every precaution and dispose of your phlegm safely to prevent the spread of the virus.</p> <p>1. Don&rsquo;t lie on your back while sleeping or resting. Lie on either side with your head elevated on two-three pillows, this will help you get some relief from the cough.</p> <p>2. It&rsquo;s important that you walk a bit around your room to clear out your chest.</p> <p>3. Drink plenty of warm and lukewarm fluids to loosen the mucus in your lungs and release the cough faster. Drink warm water, herbal tea, broth and eat soup to facilitate this.</p> <p>4. Steam inhalation, when taken thrice or more during the day, also helps loosen the phlegm in the lungs and clear it out.</p>