DOCTOR’S ADVICE: HOW TO TREAT A COUGH

Think antibiotics are going to cure your cough and have you feeling better by morning? Think again. Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be the case. For the vast majority of coughs, antibiotics are completely ineffective and won’t do anything to help treat your cough. Instead, you need a tailored treatment to relieve your symptoms and fight your cough head-on.

As soon as you get a cough, do you retreat to the comfort of your bed for the foreseeable? It’s tempting to sit at home, shut all windows and crank the heating all the way up, but this can actually make things worse and be detrimental to your cough. Keep your heating on low and open a few windows to get the air circulating; this helps to stop dry air from irritating your throat further and is one of the best ways to treat a cough.

Avoiding exercise like the plague? Don’t. Gentle exercise can be a quick way to ease a cough and speed up your recovery. Stopping every form of exercise just because you’ve got a cough can be a bad thing. However, avoid any harsh, highly-aerobic exercise as this may irritate your throat and cause you to cough even more. Gentle exercise can help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

Finally, one thing we’re all guilty of when we feel under the weather: JUNK FOOD! While this seems like a great idea at the time, fast food won’t give you the vitamins or minerals you need to get your immune system in top form. The best way to relieve a cough is to focus on consuming a healthy and balanced diet, full of nutrients.

Ultimately, when it comes to how to treat a cough, get in there early, take control and speak to your pharmacist about getting the right treatment for you. 

Luckily, we also have a selection of effective cough and cold remedies to help ease symptoms. Feel the Power of Covonia.