Cough is one of the biggest nuisances in winter, and the three tips below are intended only for relief. If you have a purulent (phlegmy) cough that lasts for several days, and you also hear wheezing sounds when breathing, it's a sign that you need to see a doctor. On the other hand, homemade remedies are most useful if taken preventively.

Caramel milk with sage
Put a large spoon of sugar in a pot and heat it until the sugar caramelizes. Then pour a cup of milk over it, stirring well until the sugar is completely dissolved in the milk. Remove the pot from the heat, add a few sprigs of sage to the milk, cover, and wait 5 minutes. Finally, strain the milk and drink it as hot as possible.

Black radish syrup
Black radish is among the healthiest foods we have at home these days. To make the syrup, hollow out a well in the radish into which you can pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey. Use the carved-out flesh to make a lid to cover the honey. Place the radish, which serves as your container, on the windowsill for 2 days. A spoonful of this syrup a day will greatly help fight off a cough.

Onion syrup
Onion is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, but its biggest problem is that we can't eat it in large amounts, unless you prepare it as a syrup. Chop the onion into small pieces, then add boiling water at a ratio of 1 : 1 (half a liter of water for half a kilo of onion). Mix everything well and then add a sweetener (either just honey, or a combination of honey and sugar) in the same amount as you added water. Let everything boil for about 2 minutes more, then pour it into a dark bottle. Store the syrup in a cool, dark place; you can eat up to 5 tablespoons per day.

Lemon and ginger
Grate the peel of one lemon into a small pot and add an equal amount of chopped ginger. Pour over a cup of water and heat for about 5 minutes just below boiling. Strain the water, and pour a cup of honey over the lemon and ginger. Heat again just below boiling, stirring well the whole time. Remove from heat after 5 to 10 minutes, when the mixture blends well and forms a thick syrup. Pour it into a container with a lid that you can keep in the fridge, but for no more than 2 months. You can eat up to 6 teaspoons per day.

Apple cider vinegar and pepper
If you need a remedy for cough immediately, the following tip might help. Mix together 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of ginger (grate fresh ginger root) in a glass. When you get a ketchup-like substance, you can dilute it with a bit of water and drink it.