Cough not an unimportant, if it has attacked, cough can make you can not sleep. OTC cough medicine (over the counter) or that are sold freely without a prescription can be drunk if the condition is not severe.

If your cough is not a normal cough, Immediately contact your doctor. Most likely you are coughing should be with certain types of drugs.

Choosing a cough medicine that is not so easy. A friend had wrong choose for a cough medicine because they do not understand the actual cough medicine sold freely. His cough is quite dry, but even drinking expectorant cough medicine for cough with phlegm. So it is not match!

Then, what provision is needed so that we do not choose one for a cough?

Ask your doctor or pharmacist

Doctors (general practitioners and specialists tuberculosis) or pharmacist (pharmacists) can be a warehouse of information on various products that are required. They can be asked for opinions about drugs that match the conditions that you are coughing natural.

Cough medicines that are sold freely in fact quite safe because it is through examination of the clinical testing. People may choose to cough medicine. As far as the cough is not caused by bacteria infection, cough can usually overcame.

If in two days free use of cough medicine unfailing ease cough, a new physician evaluation is required. Immediately contact a doctor or health worker to know the exact cause of cough suffered.

Distinguish the type of caugh

Search for cough drugs that are sold freely without a prescription, can be detailed trough a cough type that you experienced. Experience what it is classified as dry cough or cough with phlegm. Incurred from the sound when you cough, there is usually “type” of cough.

In the dry cough (no mucus), a drug commonly used is the cough reflex with the nerve center in the brain. Drugs for tuberculosis is able to give sedative effect to calm.

There are types of cough medicines that can change the consistency or production of mucus. Cough medicine mucolitic wil “split” (thin) mucus, making them not so sticky, and easily removed.

Expectorant cough medicine useful in helping to lift the top of the mucus, making it easier for you coughing and mucus can be issued. Some. experts argued that the drinking water also a most effective way to remove the mucus.

For cough and cold

When cough you suffered is accompanied by a cold, you can search for combinations drug for the two types of this symptoms. Many cough and cold syrup OTC contains material such as press dekstrometorfan plus cough expectorant, even the painful abating agent.

The combination of cough and cold medicines may also contain antihistamine, decongestant, and painful abating agent. Combination drugs can provide this abating effect optimally, especially if you have a cold symptoms such as body aches, cough, and nasal congestion.

Pay close attention to drugs for children

We suggest that parents read the labels, especially to the ingredient first before give OTC cough medicines to children. Not advisable to provide the type of antitusif children.

If contain of antitusif, choose the second-generation as more secure. OTC cough medicines usually contain the first generation that can be dangerous because it work by thicken mucus.

The World Health Organization, WHO, recommends that parents give their children to drink lots of water during coughing. Can also be given traditional medicines such as lemon or soy sauce with other ingredients.

Here you can read some herbal ingredient for cough at Herbal Remedy | medical Online Media blog:
Coughing Dispel with Radish
Herbal remedies for Antihistaminic and Anti-influenza
Expectorants Herbal

Basically, when the virus as the cause of cough, the child does not need to be given special medicine.

OTC cough medicine may be given according to the needs of the child home. If in two days there is no improvement, to the health check. Maybe children need a certain type of cough medicine.

Do not buy a hit-and giving cough medicine to children. Giving cough medicine for adults to children, although by reducing the dosage, is a very unwise. Using the remaining drug from the doctor for the other child also should not be done.

Apply a balsam

Apply a balsam or cream that contains camphor and menthol in the neck and chest, can help ease coughing. Effect of the aromatic materials is to help relieve respiratory channel.

Materials are also available for inhalation summer. Menthol available in peppermint and chewing tablets.

Still in doubt

So many cough medicines circulating in the market, still leaving in doubt the experts. Do cough medicines really work well?

John E. Heffener, MD, pulmonologist and former head of the American Thoracic Society, as quoted WebMD says, “We want to believe this drug will work because we are not comfortable when sick. However, clinical testing does not indicate that cough medicines placebo rather than better.”

Why drugs is so popular? Because, as stated Norman Edelman, MD, chief medical officer American Lung Association, people like the use of cough medicine. “It’s nice to go to a pharmacy for a cough and then search trough the shelfs, pick it up, and said, ‘This medicine will help’, said Edelman.

In fact, be Heffner, most coughs are caused by infection of the virus itself will be improved in a few days. Apart from the results of research is, how wise if you keep consulting a doctor or health care when you want to buy OTC cough medicine.

Even if the cough never let up, immediately keep in mind that the cough you suffered is serious enough, so should the evaluation and handling of a doctor.