In the event of an illness, you may be faced with the decision of purchasing either a cough suppressant or an expectorant. The majority of cough syrup manufacturers offer both formulas as they have different benefits from one another. Depending on the type of cough that you have and your personal medical conditions, you will have to choose between one or the other.
What is a Cough Suppressant?
Cough suppressants are generally popular as they help to ease the uncomfortable feeling associated with coughing. The only problem is that suppressants do not help you to get rid of a cough, they just help to mask the symptoms. This can be advantageous if you are going to bed or attending an event where you do not feel comfortable with coughing.
What is an Expectorant?
In contrast to a cough suppressant, expectorants are specifically designed to promote coughing. Expectorants help the body to produce mucous to force your body to get rid of the mucous in order to remove bacteria. There are a wide variety of different expectorants available on the market for purchase and they can be advantageous if you are spending time at home and wish to get rid of your cough as quickly as possible.
Type of Cough
Determining whether it is appropriate to purchase a cough suppressant or an expectorant depends solely on the type of cough that you have. If you have a cough that produces an ample amount of mucous, you will most likely want to purchase an expectorant to help your body get rid of the bacteria. Whereas if you have a dry cough that makes it incredibly difficult to sleep at night, you may want to consider purchasing a cough suppressant. Unfortunately dry coughs do not produce mucous, therefore an expectorant would have limited effects on helping get rid of the cough.
Although the two main types of cough syrups revolve around suppressants and expectorants, there are other types of coughs that can be taken care of with other brands of medication. If you find that you are in need of cough medicine, consider using the above tips to determine whether you should purchase an expectorant or a suppressant. By efficiently diagnosing your type of cough, you will be able to get the medicine required to assist you with getting rid of your cough and its associated symptoms.
