Making a habit of hypnosis could cure your child's habitual cough.

At least, that was the conclusion drawn by researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University. The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, looked at 51 children who had habitual cough. Of those children, 78% were cured of the habit immediately after their first hypnosis session, while another 12% stopped within a month.

According to the American College of Chest Physicians, habitual cough is “a throat-clearing noise made by a person who is nervous and self-conscious.” The cough usually develops after a respiratory tract infection, but can continue long after the infection is gone. Habitual cough sometimes persists for years, and often disrupts a child's normal activities, such as school.

In this case, 93% of the children studied coughed throughout the day, as frequently as once every few seconds, while others coughed only in association with particular activities. Because habitual cough is often associated with certain activities, because there is usually no discernable medical cause, and because it stops while the child is asleep or distracted, habitual cough is considered just that – habit.

Habits are controlled by the subconscious. Since hypnosis deals with a person's subconscious, that makes it the perfect remedy for habitual cough. It's so perfect, researchers found, that it proved as or more effective than any other form of treatment in curing habitual cough. As an added benefit, the quick resolution of habitual cough using hypnosis was cost-effective, costing much less than drawn-out medical treatment or therapy. Finally, the researchers found that children also started using hypnosis successfully to deal with other problems in their lives, such as stress, fear or sports performance. The conclusion? Hypnosis offers safe, effective and inexpensive treatment for habitual cough and a variety of other problems.

This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. As always, check with a doctor before starting any treatment program. For more information on using guided relaxation and creative visualization to aid healing and enhance your quality of life, call Positive Changes at 1-877-POSITIVE.