Cough? When you want to give up more than drugs according to experts

(NEXSTAR) With so many viruses and even bacteria going around this time of year, there’s a good chance you or someone in your family has fallen victim to an illness recently. You might even be one of those unfortunate people who experience a chronic cough.

Before you reach for a dose of cough drops or cough medicine, you may want to consider all of your options.

As much as a cough can be annoying or even painful, it sometimes serves a purpose. A cough is your body’s reaction to something that irritates your throat or airways, explains the Mayo Clinic.

The main viruses currently circulating are COVID, the flu, and RSV can all cause you to cough. Other infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, can cause a chronic cough, as can a number of other diseases and conditions. There are different types of cough, the Cleveland Clinic explains: acute cough, which can start suddenly and last for weeks; A mild cough that lasts weeks to months after infection; Chronic cough, which lasts more than two months; and refractory cough, or chronic cough that has not responded to treatment.

The type of cough you experience affects the right treatment for you. For example, if your cough is due to an infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

But, according to health experts, over-the-counter drugs may not always be worth it.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a teaspoon of honey can work as well as a cough syrup or medicine. Doctors also warn that over-the-counter products often don’t contain enough of the necessary medicine to be effective.

It is best to let the cough take its course. Kaiser Permanente says you should avoid productive coughing, which brings up phlegm or phlegm, because it is often helpful. Avoiding coughing altogether can lead to pneumonia and lung damage in some cases, explains Dr. Harold Farber, a pediatric pulmonologist at Texas Children’s Hospital.

This can be true in children as well. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend cold or cough medicine for children under 4 years of age. Pediatrician Pamela Phillips explained in a Cedars Sinai blog post that these drugs can cause insomnia, irritability, and behavioral changes that outweigh the potential benefits.

So what can you do instead?

The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard Health recommend simply staying hydrated, especially if you have a productive cough with phlegm and phlegm. If you experience a sore throat with a cough, you can try drinking tea or warm water with honey or lemon juice; Warm salt water heating; snorting cough drops (which won’t affect your cough, warns Kaiser Permanente) or hard candy; spending time in wet weather (such as a hot shower); And avoid smoking or using tobacco. When sleeping, doctors recommend elevating your head.

You can also continue to use cough medicine. If you decide to reach for an over-the-counter product, Kaiser Permanente recommends avoiding those that treat multiple symptoms. Instead, try to treat each symptom separately.

For a helpful cough, you can try ovum, which works to reduce phlegm. If a dry cough is keeping you up at night, Kaiser Permanente recommends cough prevention, but also cautions that to prevent the cough from getting worse, remember that coughing clears mucus from the lungs and helps prevent bacterial infections. does Some of these products can help you sleep, something you may be missing out on at the expense of your cough.

If you think a product works well, it won’t hurt you, even though you may be paying for a placebo effect rather than a proven cure, notes Harvard Health. Before buying an over-the-counter product, be sure to read the label.

If an over-the-counter product doesn’t help, experts recommend talking to your doctor. You should also seek medical attention if you are coughing; have a fever that lasts more than a day or two, or a fever above 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit; Cold or mucus that is yellow, green or bloody, explains the Cleveland Clinic. If you feel like you’re tired, can’t breathe well, cough up a lot of blood, or have severe chest pain, you should seek emergency medical care.