Coughing can be super irritating, especially when it goes on for weeks or burns your throat. A cough occurs when your body wants to remove foreign material or mucous from the lungs and upper airways. Sometimes, coughing is a sign that your body is reacting to an inflamed airway.
Moreover, a cough can be a symptom for many illnesses and infections including:
- Common cold
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Chronic lung disease
- HIV
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Lung damage
One way of remedying your cough is by applying a honey wrap.
What is a Honey Wrap
A honey wrap is a type of compress made with honey, flour and oil and wrapped in a napkin. This compress is used to help you cough up unwanted phlegm, mucus and any gunk in your lungs.
Benefits of raw Honey
This natural sweetener has been used for years to treat ulcers, gastric discomforts, skin wounds, and burns. It is also used to cure coughs and heal sore throats. In addition to its medicinal purposes, raw honey is sometimes used to make beauty products for its ability to moisturise. It has nutritional benefits as well as it is composed of water, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. One tablespoon of raw honey contains 64 calories and is completely free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.
Compared to your conventional, processed honey you see in stores, raw honey has a plethora of health benefits that are stripped from this food once it is pasteurized and processed.
Some reasons to choose raw honey include:
- It has a richer taste than processed honey
- Offers high nutritional benefits
- Promotes good bacterial growth in the intestine
- Has anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial purposes
- Wards off free radicals
- Supports heart health
- Boosts immunity
- Promotes digestive health
- Stabilizes blood sugar and blood pressure
- Aids sleep
How to apply honey
There are several different topical uses for raw honey.
- You can apply the honey directly to a burn or skin wound to improve healing
- Apply 20 mL of honey to reduce a mouth sore
- Use honey in a honey wrap to suppress a cough
The use of honey as a wound dressing dates back to ancient Greek times when physician Dioscorides applied it to sunburns and wound infections.
How to Make a Honey Wrap
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp of coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of raw, organic, unfiltered honey
- 1 tsp of flour
- gauze or napkin
- cheesecloth
- adhesive tape
Instructions:
- Place the flour and honey into a bowl and mix together.
- Warm up the coconut oil until it is gently melted and add it to the mix. Mix well.
- Spread the mixture onto a napkin or gauze. Do not fold the napkin/gauze over.
- Wrap the napkin/gauze in cheesecloth for added protection.
- Attach the honey wrap to your bare back or chest with adhesive tape so that the mixture side is touching your skin.
- Children should remove the compress after two hours. Adults may leave it on all night.
- Repeat for several days.
