Last updated on July 28th, 2022 at 01:56 pm

Can you imagine a form of medicine that comes in tiny pellets that your kids love to take and are so inexpensive that you can afford to buy several small tubes for your home and purse? These medicines are hiding in plain sight in your health food store and pharmacy. You’ve probably never noticed them, and you’ve probably never heard of them (because their makers can’t afford million-dollar ads on TV) until now. Welcome to the world of homeopathy.

Homeopathy has other advantages. It’s nontoxic and not habit-forming. They often restore health in other ways than just stopping a cough. You might see a child who becomes whiny or cranky when she’s sick return to her normal cheerful and cooperative self.

Any downside? It can take a little time to find the homeopathic medicine that works best for you or your child, and a little more time to get the hang of how often to take it and when to stop. It will require paying attention to your symptoms, a lost art in our fast-paced modern lifestyle. To find the best remedy for your cough, you’ll need to notice details like what triggers the cough (e.g., talking and cold air), what the mucus is like (if any), and how your moods have changed. Noting your specific symptoms is like getting fitted for a custom-tailored suit. It’s worth it, because once you find a remedy that really nails your cough symptoms, it’s likely to work for all your future coughs because people tend to get sick in the same way. Your symptoms will be different from family members, perhaps, but consistent for you. Not only that, your cough remedy might also work well for colds, flu and other acute illnesses.

Adapted from Cough Cures: The Complete Guide to the Best Natural Remedies and Over-the-Counter Drugs for Acute and Chronic Coughs by Gustavo Ferrer MD and Burke Lennihan RN now available from Moxie Life Press.