Tips for Cough Relief

Having a cough can be uncomfortable and annoying when you are trying to get through your day, and a cough that acts up at night can also disrupt your sleep. So how can you get a much-needed break from a stubborn cough?

The following tips may help tame the hacking:

1. Try an expectorant. Over-the-counter (OTC) cough medications with an expectorant such as guaifenesin work by clearing the mucus and other secretions of a productive cough so that you can breathe easier.
2. Take a cough suppressant. OTC cough remedies often contain dextromethorphan, which may provide temporary relief from a dry, hacking cough. In fact, honey also works as well. However, it is not suggested for children younger than 1 year because of possible impurities and the risk of infant botulism.
3. Sip green tea. Hot antioxidant-rich green tea may also help reduce upper respiratory infection symptoms. Add honey for an extra boost.
4. Stay hydrated. Getting enough fluids is always a good idea, and even more so when you have a cold, as staying hydrated helps to thin mucus and make coughs more productive, and helps fight infection. Water is ideal, but soothing chicken soup counts, too.
5. Suck on lozenges. These cough drops are good for soothing a scratchy, dry throat and reducing the urge to cough. A hard candy also provides moisture and can help relieve a dry cough.
6. Zap your cough with a vaporizer. Using a vaporizer or a humidifier adds moisture to the air, which can moisten your airway passages, reducing the likelihood that a dry, hacking cough will wake you up.
7. Elevate your head while you rest. Sleeping with your head elevated can reduce coughing from post-nasal drip. Sleeping this way also helps alleviate GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which can cause coughing.
8. Apply vapor rub. The same menthol-scented balm your mother or grandmother rubbed on your chest when you were a kid can help clear nasal passages, which can help relieve nighttime coughing. It still works great on your kids as well.

However, “A persistent cough that doesn’t go away should be checked, as it may be a sign of something more serious, such as chronic sinusitis, reflux, asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia,” says Olveen Carrasquillo, MD, chief of internal medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.