How to choose the best medicine for your cough
Determining the type of cough you have and where it is coming from will help pinpoint the underlying cause and assist you with getting the right treatment
When a nasty wet cough or niggling dry cough hits, there are things we can do to allow us to recover faster and feel better while our bodies heal.
The key is to know what will work best for you by understanding your symptoms.
Why am I coughing?
A cough is a protective reflex, which helps to clear our airways from foreign particles, irritants, fluids and germs.
There are different types of coughs, which have varying underlying causes and originate from different parts of our bodies.
Determining the type of cough you have and where it is coming from will help pinpoint the underlying cause and assist you with getting the right treatment.
Wet or dry?
A ‘non-productive’ or dry cough is when there is no mucus produced, and the cough is frequently triggered by inflammation or irritation of the respiratory tract. Common causes include a virus, pollution, allergy or asthma.
Dry coughs aren’t always harmless and if this symptom persists for more than three weeks, a visit to your local doctor is recommended.
A productive or wet cough results from excess mucus production in the nasal passages, airways or lungs.
Causes of a wet cough include invasion of these areas by a virus or bacteria, which results in sinus infection, bronchitis or pneumonia.
In these situations, coughing is our body’s way of trying to protect our lungs and get rid of these unwanted germs.
Coughing can be persistent in certain conditions such as chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis, where there is an underlying abnormality of the lung or airways.
What can I do for my cough?
Simple measures such as using a cool mist humidifier, saline nose drops, nasal suctioning for infants, as well as drinking plenty of liquids to stay well hydrated, can provide some relief from coughs.
But sometimes these measures may not be enough, and we may need to seek the assistance of a local pharmacy to help with our symptoms.
Many cough medications exist on the market, so once you understand the type of cough you have, it makes it easier to find the most appropriate treatment for you.
Choose the right cough medicine
There are essentially four main types of cough medications.
1. Cough suppressants suppress the body’s urge to cough. There is little evidence that cough suppressants are effective. In fact, it may be harmful if you have a wet cough.
2. Expectorants increase the amount of secretion from the airways to make it easier to cough up mucus. These can be used for wet coughs, although there is also limited information to support their effectiveness.
3. Demulcents are soothing and contain ingredients such as honey and lemon. There is no evidence of their efficacy.
4. Mucolytics. These medications break the bonds in mucus resulting in thinner secretions, making it easier to move these out of the lungs, airways or sinuses.
Active ingredients in these medications are either N-acetylcysteine or bromhexine. N-acetylcysteine has been shown to decrease cough in children over the age of two and has an immediate effect to reduce the thickness of mucus, making it easier to clear the airways and nasal passages.
Examples of products containing N-acetylcysteine include ACC 200, Mucofizz and Solmucol.
When cough meds is not enough
It’s important to seek medical advice if symptoms continue for more than three weeks, or if you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, breathing difficulties, cough up blood, or other worrying symptoms such as weight loss, a change in your voice or lumps in your neck.
You should also talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medications if you suffer from chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.
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