Cough

Cough is known as kasa in Ayurveda. Depending upon the involvement of the doshas and other factors, kasa has been defined to be of five types - Vataja, Pittaja, Kaphaja, Kshataj (traumatic) and Kshyaj (tubercular).

The causative factors of all the types are different. For example, excessive physical exercise gives rise to Vataja kasa. Hot and spicy food along with anger and heat exhaustion give rise to Pittaja kasa. Ingestion of excessive sweets, laziness and sleeping during the day induces Kaphaja kasa. Being overweight and extreme involvement in sexual habits would induce Kshayata kasa. Excess of sex, non-assumable food and suppression of natural urges would result in Kshayaja kasa.

Ingredients:

• Almonds
• Beleric myrobalans
• Black Pepper
• Butter
• Ginger
• Holy Basil
• Honey
• Long pepper
• Small cardamom
• Sugar
• Table salt

Common Recipes:

1. On a pastry board grind 4-6 black pepper seeds.  Add a teaspoon of honey and mix it thoroughly. Taking this paste several times a day relieves cough.
2. Almonds are a good remedy for cough.  Soak about 5-8 kernels in water overnight. After removing the brown skin grind the softened  kernels into a fine paste. Add 20 gms of butter and sugar to this paste. Eating this paste in the morning and evening gets rid of cough. This remedy especially comes handy in case you are suffering from a dry cough.
3. Take 10 gms of dried rind of Beleric myrobalans and  1/2 teaspoonful of black pepper. Grind them to a fine powder. Add a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoonfuls honey to this blend. Mix them well to form a paste.  Administered twice daily, this paste relieves cough.
4. Take about 10 gms of each of long pepper, dried ginger, holy basil leaves. Add 4-6 small cardamoms and grind to yield a fine powder. Consuming this powder with equal amount of honey relieves cough.