How to Get Rid of a Cough Without a Prescription: Tips and Over-the-Counter Cough Remedies

A constant cough can be uncomfortable. It can also come along with some unpleasant side effects, like sore throat, chest pain, and exhaustion. This is often true whether you have a “dry” cough (no mucus) or a “wet” cough (with mucus). 

The good news is there are many over-the-counter (OTC) treatments that can help to loosen a dry cough and dry up a wet cough. Let’s take a closer look at how you can get rid of your cough without a prescription.

Dry cough vs. wet cough

A cough can be either dry or wet. 

• Dry cough: A dry cough is a nonproductive cough. That means it doesn’t produce any mucus, so you won’t cough up any thick mucus or phlegm. Instead, it’s often triggered by the sensation of a tickle in the throat. Depending on the cause, it can be a chronic or long-lasting cough.

• Wet cough: A wet cough is a cough that has mucus with it. You may have phlegm in your throat or chest that you’re able to clear by coughing. 

Causes of a dry cough

The causes of a dry cough can vary. Common causes can include:

• Infections like viral upper respiratory infection

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

• Postnasal drip

• Asthma

• Medications like ACE inhibitors

Causes of a wet cough

A wet cough with lots of mucus production may be the result of infection or inflammation. Common causes can include:

• Pneumonia

• Bronchitis

• Flu

• Upper respiratory infection

• Asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

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• Causes of a persistent cough: There are lots of reasons for a nagging cough that won’t go away. Most of them aren’t serious. Learn which need treatment. 

• Can honey help your cough? Honey is a simple remedy for a nagging cough. Take a spoonful of it, or stir it into a hot drink to soothe and coat your throat. 

• Is your cough serious? Most coughs go away on their own. But sometimes they can be a sign of a serious health condition, like pneumonia or heart problems. Learn when to get checked for a cough.

• Can your cough tell you what’s wrong with you? You can learn about what type of illness you may have from the sound of your cough, its timing, and what you’re coughing up.

How to get rid of a dry cough

Treatment for your dry cough will vary based on the cause. For example, if the cause of your cough is asthma or GERD, managing the underlying condition can get rid of the cough.

Home remedies are worth a try too. They can help, depending on the situation. And, in some cases, OTC medications can also help ease symptoms. 

Here are some of your options. 

Home remedies for a dry cough

There are several natural remedies you can try at home to treat a cough. Many of them are safe to try for children as well. The following home remedies may work for a cough.

Honey

Honey helps to reduce your cough by thinning and loosening mucus. It can also coat your throat, protecting it from postnasal drip. Honey is safe for kids, but don’t ever give honey to children younger than 1 year. Children younger than 1 year can get botulism from eating honey.

Humidifiers

These devices help to loosen mucus and keep the airways from getting dry. Dry airways are more prone to irritation, which can trigger your cough reflex. Keeping your airways moist with a humidifier is a good way to help prevent this.

Steam treatments

Similar to a humidifier, steam treatments add moisture to your airways and loosen your cough. But humidity from steam is warmer than the humidity provided by a humidifier. The warmth from steam vapors can help break up dried mucus and open up your airways.

Menthol

When used as a rub, aromatherapy, or lozenge, menthol can help to improve a cough. It can also ease the feeling of irritation in the airway. While this doesn’t actually make the cough go away, it can make you feel better while you have a cough. 

Thyme and ivy leaf

As a syrup or in tea, the combination of thyme and ivy leaf may work to ease cough symptoms. One study showed that thyme and ivy leaf caused a significant improvement in cough severity with no associated side effects in people who used it.

Warm liquids

Warm liquids can help with a cough. Not only do they provide hydration, the warm fluids also help relieve cough symptoms. The steam that you breathe in while drinking warm liquids may also be a bonus to break up mucus and add moisture to your airways.

OTC dry cough medications

Cough suppressants are common OTC medications that can help treat dry coughs. These medications help stop your cough. Dextromethorphan (Delsym, Dayquil Cough) is a common active ingredient for cough suppressants that offers temporary relief from coughing. There are a handful of OTC cough suppressants you can choose.

Other OTC medications, like antihistamines and decongestants, can also help with a dry cough. They work by drying up irritants, like postnasal drip, that may be causing a tickle in your throat. These ingredients are also in combination OTC cough medications. These medications include:

• Loratadine (Claritin), an antihistamine

• Cetirizine (Zyrtec), an antihistamine

• Chlorpheniramine, an antihistamine

• Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), a decongestant

Similarly, nasal sprays may help with a chronic dry cough that postnasal drip triggers. These medications reduce sinus congestion and decrease irritation in the nasal passages.

OTC nasal sprays include:

• Fluticasone (Flonase), a steroid

• Budesonide (Rhinocort Allergy), a steroid

• Azelastine, an antihistamine

How to get rid of a wet cough

Expectorants are often helpful to break up the chest congestion for a cough with mucus and phlegm. These medications can thin and loosen the mucus you’re coughing up.

You’ll want to look for these products:

• Guaifenesin

• Robitussin

• Mucinex

Honey is also a useful natural remedy for a wet cough. It can help you clear phlegm from your airways and ease your cough.

When to see a healthcare professional for a cough

You can safely treat most minor cough symptoms at home. But there are a few signs that mean it’s time to get help managing your symptoms. You should give your healthcare professional a call if you have:

• Persistent cough for several weeks

• Worsening cough despite treatment

• Severe chest pain

• Wheezing

• Shortness of breath

• Fever

Get medical care immediately if you’re choking, having difficulty breathing or swallowing, or coughing up blood or blood-tinged mucus.

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Written by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

Reviewed by:

Farzon A. Nahvi, MD

Dr. Nahvi is an emergency medicine physician and author of “Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER.” He works clinically at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, and is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Prior to this, he worked as an ER physician and clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Mount Sinai Health System, NYU Langone Health, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and the Manhattan VA. He is a graduate of Cornell University and NYU School of Medicine.

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