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Cough, Cold & Flu
We all know what it's like to come down with a bad case of the flu or get a cold that just never seems to go away.
With the help of readily available over-the-counter (OTC) solutions, you can get your symptoms under control. We're here to support you by providing the resources you need to self-select and safely use the right OTC products. Even better, we'll provide you with ways to protect yourself early to hopefully avoid catching these nasty bugs altogether.
Cough
Did you know there are two different types of coughs? Let's take a look at how best to treat them:
- A chesty or congested cough is loose and accompanied by a buildup of mucus or phlegm in the lungs.
- There are also coughs where no mucus or phlegm is present.
A chesty or congested cough should be treated with a cough expectorant, however, both types of coughs can be treated with an antitussive, also known as a or cough suppressant, to help reduce the amount of coughing.
While a cough doesn’t require treatment most of the time, OTC cough medicines can be useful if your cough is keeping you awake at night or interfering with your daily activities. And while there are many OTC cough medicines on the market, there are still only two basic types – expectorants and suppressants.
Cough Expectorant
Cough Expectorant
Certain conditions, such as the common cold, can cause a buildup of mucus, leading to chest congestion and a chesty or congested cough. Cough expectorants are medicines that help loosen congestion caused by mucus so that when you do cough it is more productive, which means you are able to clear the mucus from your lungs.
Other examples of OTC cough expectorants:
- Robitussin® DM, Coricidin® HBP Cough & Cold
Contains the active ingredient Guaifenesin
- Store brands (ex. Walmart's “Equate” store brand or CVS Health's store brand)
Safe Use Tips for
Cough Expectorant
Always read the Drug Facts label carefully. The label tells you everything you need to know about the medicine, including the ingredients, what you are supposed to use it for, how much you should take, and when you should not take the product.
- Do not take more than the maximum number of doses recommended on the product’s label in a 24-hour period.
- A lingering cough may be a sign of a serious condition. If your cough lasts more than one week or is accompanied by fever, rash, or a persistent headache, you should contact a healthcare provider.
- If you have a persistent cough due to smoking, asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema, contact a healthcare provider before taking a cough expectorant medicine.
- Do not give a cough expectorant to a child under the age of 4.
Cough Suppressant
Cough Suppressant
Many of us are exposed to a variety of pollutants in the air, such as dust, exhaust fumes, and smoke, on a daily basis. When you develop a dry cough, it is your body’s way of clearing pollutants and other irritants from your airways. Cough suppressants, also known as antitussives, are medicines that are used to temporarily control or quiet a cough due to a cold, inhaled irritants, or minor throat and respiratory irritation.
Other examples of OTC cough suppressants:
- Robitussin® DM, Coricidin® HBP Cough & Cold
Contains active ingredient Dextromethorphan
- Halls® Cough & Throat Relief, Sucrets® Sore Throat & Cough
Contains active ingredient Menthol
- Store brands (ex. Walmart's “Equate” store brand or CVS Health's store brand)
Safe Use Tips for
Cough Suppressant
Always read the Drug Facts label carefully. The label tells you everything you need to know about the medicine, including the ingredients, what you are supposed to use it for, how much you should take, and when you should not take the product.
- Do not take more than the maximum number of doses recommended on the product’s label in a 24-hour period.
- A lingering cough may be a sign of a serious condition. If your cough lasts more than one week or is accompanied by fever, rash, or a persistent headache, you should contact a healthcare provider.
- If you have a persistent cough due to smoking, asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema, contact a healthcare provider before taking a cough expectorant medicine.
- Talk to a healthcare provider before using an oral or topical cough suppressant if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Do not give a cough suppressant medicine to a child under the age of 4.
- Talk to a healthcare provider before using a topical cough suppressant ointment on a child under the age of 2.
- Before giving a cough lozenge to a child under the age of 6, make sure the child is able to safely dissolve a lozenge in their mouth without choking. Read the Drug Facts label carefully for appropriate use in children and contact a healthcare provider as directed.
Cold & Flu
When you have a common cold or the flu, you may experience several symptoms at the same time—nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fever, headache, body aches, sore throat, cough, and chest congestion. So how do you pick an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine to treat your symptoms? It’s important to only use medicines that treat the symptoms you have.
Multi-symptom cold medicines, like all OTC medicines, contain certain active ingredients that make them work in the human body. Because multi-symptom cold medicines treat more than one symptom, they contain more than one active ingredient. Each active ingredient treats a different symptom caused by the common cold and/or flu.
Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu Medicines
Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu Medicines
These types of medicines, like all OTC medicines, contain certain active ingredients that help them work effectively inside the human body. Because multi-symptom cold & flu medicines can treat more than one symptom at a time, they may contain more than one active ingredient to help provide you with the relief you need.
Safe Use Tips for
Skin Protectants
Safe Use Tips for First-Aid Antibiotics
Safe Use Tips for First-Aid Antiseptics
Other examples of multi-symptom cold & flu OTC products:
- Theraflu® Flu Relief
Contains the active ingredient Acetaminophen
- Tylenol® Cold + Flu Severe, Advil® Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu
Contains the active ingredient Phenylepherine
- Alka-Seltzer® Plus Cold & Cough Liquid Gels
Contains the active ingredient Chlorpheniramine
- Robitussin® Severe Multi-Symptom Cough Cold + Flu Nighttime
Contains the active ingredient Diphenhydramine
- Coricidin® HBP Maximum Strength Nighttime Cold and Flu
Contains the active ingredient Doxylamine
- Theraflu® Nighttime Severe Cold (multi-symptom cold medicine)
Contains the active ingredient Pheniramine
- Store brands (ex. Walmart's “Equate” store brand or CVS Health's store brand)
Safe Use Tips for
Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu Medicines
Always read the Drug Facts label carefully. The label tells you everything you need to know about the medicine, including the ingredients, what you are supposed to use it for, how much you should take, and when you should not take the medicine.
- You should choose a multi-symptom cold medicine that matches only the symptoms you have. (See the “Uses” section of the Drug Facts label.)
- For liquid medicines, use the measuring device that comes with the product and do not take more than the recommended dose in a 24-hour period.
- If you have a bad sore throat, or if it lasts more than two days or is accompanied by fever, headache, rash, nausea, or vomiting, immediately contact your healthcare provider immediately.
- Certain multi-symptom cold medicines may interact with other drugs. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are on a prescription monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or a prescription drug for depression, psychiatric or emotional conditions, or Parkinson’s disease before taking a multi-symptom medicine.
- Talk to a healthcare provider before taking a multi-symptom cold medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Do not give any oral cold medicine to a child under the age of 4. Do not give a multi-symptom cold medicine or any OTC medicine that is only intended for an adult to a child. Never use any multi-symptom cold medicine to sedate or make a child sleepy.
Safety Tips for
Cough, Cold & Flu
Homeopathic Products
Homeopathic cough, cold and flu products are derived from plants, minerals, and animal substances that are known for their pharmacological or biological actions. For safety, read all instructions and warnings on the product label before taking any homeopathic product and follow all dosing instructions. Please be aware that products labeled as homeopathic and currently marketed in the U.S. have not been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent or mitigate any diseases or conditions.
- OTC homeopathic cough, cold and flu medicines include:
- Anas barbariae
- Drosera rotundifolia
- Ferrum phosphoricum
- Pulsatilla
- Rumex crispus
- Zincum gluconium
Just like the dosing instructions and additional information on the label, the expiration date on the packaging is there for reason. Once a medicine has reached its expiration date, it may not provide the treatment that you need. To ensure the medicines you take are both safe and effective, keep an eye on the expiration dates and safely dispose of any expired or unwanted medicines.
Dextromethorphan is an antitussive (cough suppressant) available in over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that control coughs due to minor throat and bronchial irritation, as may occur with the common cold or inhaled irritants. It can be the only active ingredient in a cough suppressant medicine or can be found in medicines that treat the multiple symptoms of cough and cold, and cough suppressant lozenges.
