Other names for Cough (damp)

Wet Cough
Productive Cough
Phlegmy Cough
Mucus-Producing Cough

Synopsis of Cough (damp)

A damp cough, also known as a productive or wet cough, is characterized by the presence of mucus or phlegm being expelled from the respiratory tract. It is typically a symptom of infections, inflammation, or excess fluid buildup in the lungs or bronchi. The term "damp" is often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and holistic approaches to describe phlegm-damp patterns, which involve internal moisture, stagnation, and congestion.

Unlike dry coughs (which are often irritating and unproductive), a damp cough serves the purpose of clearing the airways. It can be acute (from cold or flu), subacute (post-viral), or chronic (from asthma, COPD, or environmental exposure). Persistent or excessive phlegm may indicate poor immune drainage or incomplete recovery from respiratory illness.

Types of Damp Cough:

• Acute Productive Cough: From viral or bacterial respiratory infections.

• Chronic Damp Cough: Seen in smokers, asthmatics, or those with sinus drainage issues.

• Cold-Damp Cough: TCM type involving clear, watery phlegm, often with chills.

• Phlegm-Heat Cough: TCM type involving thick, yellow mucus, often with fever or inflammation.

Common Causes:

• Upper or lower respiratory infections (cold, flu, bronchitis)

• Sinus drainage (postnasal drip)

• Asthma or chronic bronchitis

• Smoking or exposure to environmental pollutants

• GERD (acid reflux-induced cough with mucus)

• Allergies

• Fluid retention or poor lymphatic drainage (in TCM: spleen/lung dampness)

Severity Factors:

• Persistent thick, colored, or foul-smelling mucus may suggest bacterial infection

• Chronic damp cough can indicate underlying pulmonary or cardiovascular conditions

• Risk of pneumonia or bronchial complications if mucus is not cleared

• Damp environments or diets (excess dairy, sugar, fried foods) can worsen symptoms

When to See a Doctor:

• Cough lasts more than 3 weeks

• Mucus is green, yellow, bloody, or foul-smelling

• Fever, wheezing, or chest pain accompanies the cough

• Shortness of breath or fatigue increases

• History of asthma, COPD, or heart failure with worsening symptoms

Natural remedies for Cough (damp)

Steam inhalation: Helps loosen mucus and clear airways

Warm herbal teas: Ginger, licorice root, or thyme teas can soothe throat and break down phlegm

Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids to thin mucus

Postural drainage or gentle chest tapping: Promotes mucus expulsion

Avoid damp-producing foods: Excessive dairy, cold drinks, refined sugar

Add warming spices to meals: Such as garlic, turmeric, and pepper

Use a humidifier: To keep airways moist if dry indoor air is a factor

Ingredients

These raw ingredients are often used in alternative medicine to treat Cough (damp)

aloe vera
anthocyanins
astaxanthin
bilberry
bio ecolian (proprietary)
black currant
black pepper
radish
blueberry
chen pi
clove
cowage seed
turmeric
elderberry
garlic bulb
ginger
glehnia root
green tea
licorice root
natural flavor
oregano
parsley
pear
perilla
phellodendron amurense
platycodon root
pomegranate
quercetin
resveratrol
rhizome
spirulina
thyme
vitamin C
vitamin D
wasabia japonica
zhejiang fritillary
zinc
gastrodia
hyssop
atractylodes
alpinia galangal
ferula assafoetida
inula racemosa
anise
pistacia integerrima gall
fritillaria
coltsfoot
eucalyptus
horehound
Aster tataricus
Abies alba
Asafetida
Aroma
Alpinia katsumadai
Alpinia
African Ginger
Anamarrhena
Allium tuberosum Rottl.
Ajowan
Ammonium chloride
Asarum heterotropoides
Asafoetida
Artemisia
Asian Bayberry
Alpinia (unspecified)
Asam gelugor
Alkaloids
Aresaema (unspecified)
Atractylodes
Adenophora
Arabinogalactan
Allium tuberosum
Amomum subulatum
Asarum sieboldii
Asparagus adscendens
Atractylone
Botanical Blend
benzenoid (unspecified)
Batavia cinnamon
Bael
Butternut
Balloon-Flower
British Elecampane
banana
Black Pepper and White Pepper
Black Pepper
Bupleurum (unspecified)
Balloon Flower
Cinnamic aldehyde
Cineole
Chinese Chive
Complex
Color (Natural & Artificial)
Cinnamaldehydes
Cinidium
Chrysanthemum (unspecified)
Common madia
Clove
Chinese Licorice
chrysanthemum
Chinese Pine
Ceylon Ginger
Chekiang Fritillary
Chondrus
Dihydrocapsaicin
Dichrostachys glomerata
English Ivy
Elecampane
Essential oil (unspecified)
Elcampane
esters (unspecified)
Fritillaria (unspecified)
Flowering quince
Flesh-Finger Citron
Flavor (Natural & Artificial)
Fennel
Gelcap
Gastrodia
Glycyrrhiza (unspecified)
Grindelia
Gallesia
Gecko
Glycyrrhizinic acid
Galangal
Galanga
Ginger
Honey
hydrogen sulfate
Hoenelen
Horehound
Herbal Blend
Inula
Indian Elecampane
Indian Long Pepper
Ivy (unspecified)
Japanese Apricot
Japanese Kadsura
Javanese Long Pepper
Kurtha zopfil
lemongrass
Loquat
Leek
Lilium polyphyllum
Ligustilides
Lung
Lesser Galangal
Lemon
Loranthus
Ligusticum
Lung
Malabar Nut
Mentha haplocalyx
Monoterpenes
Magnolia biondii
Marshmallow
Malabar Nut Tree Leaf Extract
Ma Huang
Mucolase
Notopterygium
onion
Oxyephedrine
Osha
Pear
Poria Mushrooms
Palmyra
perilla
Pinellia Ternata
Platycodon
Phellodendron Bark
Pinellia
Ravinsara
Reed Herb
Ricinoleic acid
Spiked Ginger Lily
Solanaceae (unspecified)
Sodium metabisulfite
Stabilizers
scallion
Sage-leaf alangium
Sweet Violet
Shogaol
Star Anise
Sundew
Turnip
Trichosanthis
Taraxacin
Terminalia (unspecified)
Trichosanthes
Tamarind
Trachea
Visnea Mocanera
Vasicine
Vasicinol
Vasicinone
White Pepper
Wax Gourd
White Pear
Wild Mint
Zedoary