Best remedies for your cough this winter

A cough can be extremely irritating and can quickly get in the way when people are trying to go about their normal business. It can also be difficult for people to know what sort of cough they have and how best to treat it. Once the type of cough the patient is suffering from has been identified, then there are a range of over the counter cough remedies available that can help to sooth and clear it up.

A dry cough usually starts as an irritating tickle at the back of the throat. This is caused because the throat and airways have become inflamed and are often caused by a common cold or the flu. The actual cough itself is produced, because the brain believes that the inflammation affecting the throat and airways is a foreign object and the cough is the body’s way of trying to remove it. Dry coughs are also referred to as non-productive coughs, as there is no mucus present for the cough to dislodge.

A chesty cough is a cough where phlegm is being produced within the body and the cough is helping to remove the phlegm. Chesty coughs are also known as productive coughs, as they are helping the body to actually drive the irritant out.

Coughs can last for different periods of time, but the majority of coughs clear up within two weeks. An acute cough is classed as a cough that lasts for less than three weeks. A subacute cough is a cough that lasts for between three and eight weeks. While a chronic or persistent cough is a cough that lasts for over eight weeks. If a cough has lasted for over three weeks then the advice of a pharmacist or doctor should be sought.

If it is just an acute cough that the patient has, then there is a range of over the counter cough remedies that can help to ease the associated symptoms. If it is a dry cough that is causing the irritation, then it can be treated with a cough remedy that contains a cough suppressant, for example pholcodine or dextromethorphan. If it is a chesty cough, then a cough medicine containing an expectorant - such as guiphenesin, ammonium chloride, sodium citrate or ipecacuanha - can be used. These remedies can be purchased from supermarkets, chemists or online pharmacies.