You’re not alone!
Over a fifth of over-the-counter remedy / “ medicine “ sales in the UK, and a large number in the Philippines, are for coughs. There’s little evidence, however, that that these remedies actually work, even if they are generally safe for adults. Simple, cheap home remedies, such as honey and lemon ( UK ) or pineapple juice ( Philippines ), may help ease a short-term cough.
An “ acute “ cough lasting for less than 2-3 weeks is usually due to a viral infection and will clear up on its own once your immune system has fought off the virus.
It may be “ subacute “ ( 3-8 weeks ) or “ chronic “ / persistent, lasting over 8 weeks.
The odds are stacked against a serious infection. In the UK, for every pneumonia, or TB in the Philippines, requiring hospital admission, there may be 100 cases of bronchitis requiring antibiotics ; 400 “ chesty colds “ ( with green or yellow sputum ) that probably don’t : and 1,600 dry coughs that definitely don’t.
Watch out for the ingredients in branded cough “ medicines “. Some may contain large amounts of paracetamol or ibuprofen. Others contain sugar - diabetics beware. Be careful if you are on other medicines, which may even cause a persistent cough. Be especially careful to give only simple preparations to children ( under 6 ) because the risk of side-effects is greater.
Apart from common viral causes, coughs may be due to allergy ( hay fever ) ; asthma ; chronic “ obstructive lung disease “ / bronchitis – especially in smokers ; and acid reflux from the stomach.
In a MINORITY, there may be alarming symptoms which need a healthcare professional’s opinion. These include persistence, with breathing difficulties, fever, chest pain, coughing up blood, and weight loss. Antibiotics may then be prescribed – but not over-prescribed, or just bought “ over-the-counter “ ( there is a worldwide problem with antibiotic resistance ). Sputum sample(s) may be taken for “ bug “ culture. Allergy testing, and a chest X-Ray may also be useful.
Timely vaccination, depending on age, can help prevent serious infections. Try to keep your own vaccine record, and inform your doctor, especially if moving to a new area, or from Philippines to UK.
A variety of “ remedies “ may be considered helpful by individuals – and at least they probably won’t do harm ! These may be relatively cheap – especially compared to branded cough “ medicines “. In the Philippines, they include garlic, lagundi leaves, turmeric ( luyang dilaw ), and chili pepper. Claims for Vitamin C lessening the effects of colds have not been proved.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cough/P...roduction.aspx
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/cough-medicines
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-styl...ough-colds-flu
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