Products available without prescription to help alleviate a cough. Coughing is a useful process in which secretions (mucus) are cleared from the throat and the lungs (a “productive” cough); productive coughs should never be suppressed, since they serve a valuable purpose. Sometimes, however, dry or unproductive coughing hurts the throat or interferes with sleep, and in those cases a cough remedy may be helpful. In all, there are more than 800 products on sale in the United States to help people cope with symptoms of colds, including cough.
There are several over-the-counter medications available for the treatment of coughs. While there is a wide range of preparations, the effectiveness of most remains unproven. Expectorant cough remedies are commonly believed to facilitate the expulsion of sputum by reducing its viscosity or stickiness. On the other hand, cough suppressants, which aim to control the cough reflex, may include certain antihistamine drugs and codeine. They can be useful in managing nighttime coughing that disrupts sleep; however, they often induce drowsiness and can lead to constipation as well.