Within three to four weeks, a cough will typically clear up on its own. That said, a persistent cough can sometimes be irritating. To help ease the symptoms, you may look towards over-the-counter medicines.
Cough medication helps to treat coughing. This typically occurs with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).
Although, the best cough medicine depends on your personal symptoms. Cough medicine is generally divided into two categories: those with a dry, tickly cough and those with a chesty cough.
With this in mind, this article will explore the best over-the-counter cough suppressants to help soothe your symptoms.
Let’s get started.
What Is A Cough?
As previously mentioned, there are two types of coughs:
- A dry, tickly cough
- A chesty cough
Coughs are generally associated with cold or flu symptoms. They can sometimes last over a week and are the last symptoms to clear up after experiencing a chest infection.
Essentially, a cough is a reflex that is the result of an irritation of the respiratory lining in the lungs, throat, and windpipe.
It is your body’s way of removing irritation. While persistent coughing can become uncomfortable and frustrating, it is generally not related to anything serious.
Causes Of A Cough
While an occasional cough is nothing to worry about, a persistent cough over a long period of time can be an indication of something more serious. Therefore, you may require a stronger suppressant.
Coughs are generally considered a protective response that helps clear the airways of foreign substances and excess fluids. That said, chronic coughing can seriously impact your quality of life.
Below, we have outlined the most common causes of a cough:
Common Cold
This is caused by an infection in your nose and throat. Despite being generally innocuous, it doesn’t always feel this way. Generally, the average person takes seven to ten days to recover from this.
Viral Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
This is essentially another term used to describe a common cold. It generally happens when a virus enters your body through your mouth or nose. It can be spread through sneezing, coughing, or touching.
Flu
Influenza is a type of viral illness that is contagious and impacts the respiratory system.
Despite being referred to as the ‘flu’, it has nothing to do with a ‘stomach flu’ – something that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Even though the yearly influenza vaccination isn’t 100% effective, it is a great way to protect yourself against illness.
Bronchitis
This is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. These are the main modes of air passage between the lungs.
Those suffering from bronchitis usually cough up thick mucus that can sometimes be a vibrant color. It is usually caused by a virus – typically the one responsible for the flu or common cold.
It is rare for it to be caused by bacteria.
Types Of Over-The-Counter (OTC) Cough Medicine
There are three types of OTC medication, this includes:
- Expectorants
- Suppressants
- Combination Medicines
Since each type of medication works differently from one another, the best cough medicine that works best for you is dependent on a range of factors.
Below, we will explore how OTC medication works to help you choose the best one for you to treat your cough.
Expectorants
These help to thin mucus – making it easier to cough out of your lungs. This type of medication is ideal for adults suffering from thick congestion that is hard to remove.
The longer mucus is able to sit in your lungs, the more at risk you are of developing a bacterial infection, for instance, pneumonia.
Here, coughing is beneficial since it helps to clear out the mucus and prevent bacterial overgrowth. Therefore, expectorants can help prevent serious illnesses.
The only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is guaifenesin. You can purchase this as a generic drug and is available from a number of brands, including:
- Mucinex
- Robitussin
- Multi-symptom cold and flu formulas
Suppressants
Cough suppressants are designed to help you stop coughing.
That said, in the medical community, the usefulness and effectiveness of these suppressants are heavily debated when it comes to adult use, especially when used for children, too.
Firstly, there is little research produced examining the effectiveness of these suppressants. In fact, a growing body of research has shown that they aren’t effective, especially when taken by children.
Plus, they have been seen to have serious side effects, too. Therefore, many healthcare providers recommend you avoid them since they aren’t worth the risk.
Since coughing is a natural reflex by your body to remove foreign substances from your airways, it is not always a bad thing to cough up.
If you are having trouble falling asleep as a result of coughing, then you can consider taking suppressants at night.
Some common cough suppressants that you can find over the counter include:
- Robitussin Cough
- Delsym
- Dextromethorphan (generic)
Another type of medication that falls into this category is cough drops. These work by slowly sucking on the drop which releases the medicine into your body.
That said, like cough suppressants, the effectiveness of these is questioned as a result of little to no evidence.
In fact, some healthcare providers suggest that hard candies are just as effective as cough drops when it comes to a cough.
Combination Of Cough Medicine For Adults
When it comes to cough medicine for adults, a lot of medication combines multiple types of medicine into one product. These are sold as ‘multi-symptom formulas’ and contain:
- Cough suppressants
- Expectorants
- Antihistamines (allergy drugs that can help flu symptoms)
- Decongestants
- Fever reducers/ painkillers such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen)
That said, these products aren’t always the best option for treating a cough. This is because both antihistamines and decongestants have a drying effect.
This causes the mucus to become thicker and harder to remove from your lungs.
Plus, if you aren’t congested, then you won’t need a decongestant. Likewise, if you don’t have body aches or a fever, you won’t need Avil or Tylenol, either.
Since all medication comes with risks of side effects, you should only take the medication you need.
Final Thoughts
Coughing is a natural reflex performed by your body to help remove mucus and foreign substances from your airways.
Therefore, taking cough-suppressing medication shouldn’t always be your first call of action – since they can sometimes cause more harm than good.
However, in instances where you’re trying to sleep and your coughing is preventing this, you may look towards these types of medication.
