A pharmacist recommends the best over-the-counter medicines for a persistent dry or chesty cough.
By Rita Ghelani (BPharm, MRPharmS)
Coughs will usually clear up on their own within three to four weeks, but persistent coughing can be irritating. There are a number of over-the-counter medicines that can help to ease the symptoms.
Cough medicines are used to treat coughing, which usually occurs when you have an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). The best cough medicine, however, will depend on your symptoms. Cough medicines are usually divided into two categories: those used to treat a chesty cough, and those used to treat a dry or tickly cough.
Pharmacist Rita Ghelani recommends the following over-the-counter medicines to treat both a chesty cough and a dry tickly cough.
What is a cough?
There are two main types of cough – a chesty cough or dry tickly cough. A cough is often associated with the symptoms of cold or flu. It can last for over a week and is often the last symptom to clear up after a chest infection.
A cough is a reflex brought on by irritation of the respiratory lining in the lungs, windpipe and throat. It’s the body’s way of removing the irritation and while a persistent cough can be frustrating and uncomfortable, it’s usually not related to anything more serious.
Best cough medicine for chesty coughs
A chesty cough occurs as a result of too much mucus being produced, which may be thick and difficult to cough up. Using medicines containing active ingredients such as guaifenesin, ipecacuanha, ammonium chloride and squill can help to break up any excess mucus that may have accumulated. These ingredients are known as expectorants.
Net Doctor