Mother and stepmother is a famous healing plant. It is especially popular as a cough suppressant - and not only dry, but also wet. The herbal decoction does an excellent job of eliminating harmful bacteria that have occupied the respiratory system.
If a person is unable to efficiently cough up phlegm, infection continues to develop in the lungs. This is fraught with inflammation and other equally serious complications. And the mother-and-stepmother also helps from coughs quite quickly, and generally has a good anti-cold effect.
Why is a mother-and-stepmother useful?
Many diseases of an infectious nature, including colds, are accompanied by a cough. If you ignore this symptom, bacteria that have settled in the lungs will actively develop and multiply. This situation threatens complications. To remove the cause of the cough - the causative agent of the infection and, accordingly, the symptom itself, you need to stimulate the expectoration of sputum. This is what mother-and-stepmother is for. This medicinal plant is versatile - it helps with both dry and wet coughs:
- When dry, the plant activates the production of mucus, which will remove harmful microbes to the outside.
- When wet, the grass liquefies the existing phlegm and makes it much easier to cough up. Its decoction helps soothe sore mucous membranes and relieves discomfort in the throat.
In addition, mother-and-stepmother is an excellent prophylactic remedy for colds. To help your own immune system, it can be brewed with tea or infused with honey from the plant.
In addition to removing accumulated phlegm outside, medicinal drugs from this herb cause profuse sweating. Thanks to this effect, the body temperature decreases, and toxins leave the body. Therefore, decoctions and infusions from this medicinal plant are recommended not only for coughs and colds, but also for tuberculosis (as an integral part of therapy).
Buy or collect
If you are going to purchase a ready-made herbal collection at the pharmacy, be sure to ask about its origin (where the raw materials were collected) and the expiration date. You can also buy dried herb from a market vendor. However, in this case, there is a risk of harm to your health instead of the expected benefit. After all, no one will tell you where the raw materials were collected, at what time it was done, how the drying and storage took place.
If you don't trust the sellers, you can harvest the herb yourself. This should be done only outside the village. Dry the harvested plants in such a way that they do not fall on the sun's rays. Otherwise, the mother-and-stepmother will lose most of her healing properties.
Cough recipes
Mother and stepmother for coughing can be used both fresh and dried. Most often, infusions and decoctions are used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Preparing them yourself is not difficult. The main thing is not to forget that any herbal medicine has a short shelf life. This means that it is not recommended to cook them for future use.
Decoctions
Classical
ClassicalOne of the most effective folk remedies is traditionally considered a decoction of the leaves. In this form, the mother-stepmother helps with coughs and colds. Such a drug has an expectorant, bactericidal, sedative and anti-inflammatory effect at the same time. It restrains a debilitating dry cough, dilutes accumulated phlegm well and eliminates it efficiently. This broth should be taken as part of the treatment of chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia.
To prepare such a medicine, you need to take dry leaves (2 full tablespoons) and pour half a liter of boiled water over them. Cover the container with the brewing leaves with something and leave for about an hour. You need to take the finished product three times a day, half a glass 30 minutes before meals. If the course of treatment is short, there is no need to be afraid of side effects.
- With licorice root and plantain
This herbal collection includes coltsfoot, licorice root and plantain. After its use, it is remarkably liquefied and sputum is excreted. That is why it is recommended for many diseases of a cold nature, which are accompanied by inflammation and an unproductive cough without sputum waste.
A decoction is made from this collection. To prepare it, you need to pour a tablespoon of the herbal mixture with a standard glass of cold drinking water. Boil the herbs in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then leave to infuse for 45 minutes. When the drug is ready, strain it thoroughly through a piece of gauze and dilute with pre-boiled warm water. As a result, you should get 200 ml of broth.
It should be taken in half a glass about 3-4 times a day. Shake the broth every time before taking.
- With oregano and marshmallow
This set of medicinal herbs consists of coltsfoot, oregano and marshmallow root. It is most often used as an effective expectorant for acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections with cough.
The method for preparing such a decoction is exactly the same as in the previous recipe. You need to take it in half a standard glass after meals three times a day. The course of treatment should not exceed 3 weeks.
Infusion
To prepare the herbal infusion, you need to take a teaspoon of dried inflorescences of coltsfoot and pour boiling water over it (one glass is enough). Then seal the container tightly and leave to infuse for an hour. The finished medicine must be thoroughly filtered through a piece of gauze. It should be taken warm at least 4 times a day in equal portions after meals.
Juice with milk
Such a drug can be made only in the spring. After all, it is prepared from fresh young leaves of mother-and-stepmother. They need to be picked, rinsed well under running water and squeezed out. To prepare this potion, you only need 2-3 teaspoons of juice. Add them to a glass of warm milk. You can drink juice with milk only freshly prepared. You cannot store it. It copes well with the debilitating dry cough in bronchitis and bronchial asthma, as well as the cough of smokers.
Leaf powder
Take the dried leaves of the plant and grind them to a powdery state. Mix the resulting powder with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio. If you are bothered by a strong cough, this remedy should be taken 2-3 times a day for a third of a teaspoon, washed down with warmed milk.
How to apply for children
To cure a child's cough, even pediatricians recommend using a mother-and-stepmother. They usually suggest using infusions of this plant as an expectorant. As a worthy alternative, you can mention teas, syrups and herbal preparations, which include coltsfoot.
If you are planning to purchase herbal tea at a pharmacy, carefully read the instructions. The fact is that some fees are prohibited for children under 12 years of age. If the annotation to the collection does not say anything about the peculiarities of admission for children, it is better to refuse to purchase.
Folk recipes also impose certain age restrictions. So, if the child is not yet 3 years old, he cannot accept the mother-and-stepmother. This medicinal plant is characterized by a very intense liquefaction and excretion of phlegm. It is hard for babies to deal with this, so the risk is completely unjustified.
Children from 3 years of age and older are allowed to take products prepared from mother-and-stepmother. Only in the lowest dosage. Pour a teaspoon of dried herb into a glass of boiled water. Then leave the drug to infuse for half an hour. It should be consumed three times a day, a teaspoon before meals. For 12 year olds, the dosage is increased to a tablespoon.
When using “grandmother's” recipes in the treatment of a child, do not forget that any such action must be controlled by a doctor. Indeed, sometimes herbal remedies alone cannot cope with the disease.
Prohibited
The use of a mother-and-stepmother is strictly prohibited when:
- pregnancy (the plant has an abortive property) and breastfeeding;
- serious kidney and liver diseases;
- chronic alcoholism;
- an allergic reaction.
Let's summarize
Mother-and-stepmother is a time-tested folk antitussive and anti-cold remedy. It is quite possible to replace them with any of the advertised pharmaceutical preparations. Thus, you can not only save money, but also avoid the risk of side effects.
It is very easy to prepare inhalations, infusions and decoctions from this plant. And their effect is noticeable, as they say, with the naked eye.
Like any other drug, mother-and-stepmother should be used with caution. Despite all its naturalness and environmental friendliness. Before starting to use, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.
Remember that this plant alone will not be enough to completely and quickly get rid of a cough. If you drink one coltsfoot, ignoring other drugs, you can get serious complications. But if you take such drugs wisely, they will be of great benefit and give the desired recovery.
