How to stop coughing
A cough is clearing something. Calm the irritation, keep the air moist, and do not silence a cough that is bringing mucus up.
By How To Stops desk
Moisten the airway
Warm drinks, a clean humidifier, and a steamy bathroom break soothe a dry tickle. Honey in tea is a reasonable comfort for anyone over one year old. Honey is not for infants.
Match the medicine to the cough
A wet, productive cough usually should not be shut down. A dry nighttime cough in an adult is where a labeled suppressant is sometimes used. Read the box — many “night” syrups stack ingredients you may already be taking.
Look for the non-cold causes
Post-nasal drip, reflux, asthma, and blood-pressure pills in the ACE-inhibitor family all produce stubborn coughs. If a cold ended and the cough did not, that list is worth a visit.
Watch for this
- Trouble breathing, blue lips, chest pain, or coughing blood is emergency care.
- Do not give adult cough medicine to a young child.
When to get help
See a clinician if a cough lasts more than three weeks, wakes you with wheeze, or comes with fever that will not settle.