The People's Perspective on MedicineArticles categorized as Coughs
Misdiagnosed Cough from Hell Makes Life Miserable
Some people describe it as the cough from hell. Others, call it the cough of death. It's not infectious, but it can easily be misdiagnosed.
Doctor Says Vicks on the Feet Calms Night Cough: Not a Placebo!
Many health professionals insist that home remedies are placebos. What if an MD recommends Vicks on the feet to calm a cough? Explanations?
Is Phenylephrine a Worthless Decongestant? FDA’s Dilemma!
Why did it take FDA SO LONG to realize the decongestant phenylephrine is ineffective? Have Americans wasted billions on worthless products?
Reader Spanks Us Over Phenylephrine Decongestant!
Phenylephrine is in cold, cough and allergy pills. The FDA says it doesn't work! How about the phenylephrine decongestant in nose sprays?
Show 1369: What to Do If You Catch the Flu
In this interview, an expert in critical care and pulmonology offers evidence-based tips on how to recover more quickly if you catch the flu.
Will You Catch Flu, RSV, COVID or Strep this Winter?
Did you catch flu in the last several weeks? Did you get an influenza vaccine? Did it work? Have you caught any other respiratory infection?
How to Make Onion Syrup for a Cough
Some readers like to make onion syrup when they have a cough. This home remedy seems to help calm a cough with minimal side effects.
How Can You Find Terpin Hydrate Cough Medicine?
Terpin hydrate cough medicine is not found in regular drugstores, but a compounding pharmacy can make some for you.
Home Remedies or Brand Names for the Common Cold?
Traditional cold and cough remedies may be at least as effective as the typical drugstore treatments but with fewer side effects.
Show 1360: The Pros & Perils of OTC Drugs
In this live radio show, get answers to your questions about the safety and effectiveness of OTC drugs. Can you trust them?
Will Honey and Chocolate Ease Your Cough?
Honey and chocolate are unorthodox cough remedies, but there is evidence they can be helpful to calm an unpleasant cough.
Will We Have a Bad Flu Season This Year?
Influenza was virtually nonexistent for the last three years. But now we could be facing a very bad flu season. Australia is being hit hard!
Did You Catch HMPV Recently Without Knowing It?
Have you ever heard of human metapneumovirus (aka HMPV)? We didn't think so. This upper respiratory infection is as bad as the flu or RSV!
Show 1274: Can We Make Sick Buildings Healthy? (Archive)
When we pay attention to fixing sick buildings, the people in them become happier, healthier and more productive.
Show 1340: Were the Old Wives Right?
The best way to find out if the old wives were right about a home remedy might be to give it a try. Do you have a favorite?
Can Vicks VapoRub on Your Soles Calm Your Cough?
Have you ever massaged Vicks VapoRub on your soles at night to get some sleep without coughing? Many readers find this is a helpful remedy.
Putting Old Familiar Brands to New Weird Uses
If you like to learn about new uses for old drugs, this article is for you! We love repurposing old familiar brands of household products.
Onion Cough Remedy
Onion syrup, made by cooking onions with honey or sugar, is a homemade cough remedy that can help ease a persistent cough.
How Long Do People Feel Bad After COVID-19?
Months after they expected to be recovered, some people still feel bad after COVID-19. They report fatigue, headache or other symptoms.
How Can We Tamp Down the Spread of COVID-19?
Data from cell phones show which locations are linked to higher infection rates. Reducing capacity could slow the spread of COVID-19.
How Many New Yorkers Have Contracted COVID-19?
When researchers analyzed 10,000 blood samples from New Yorkers, they found about one in five had been infected with COVID-19 by late May.
Can a Face Mask Protect You or Others?
Evidence is building that wearing a face mask can protect you and others around you, even in the risky environment of a long-distance flight. This tactic works best when everyone adopts it.
Show 1208: Keeping Kids Healthy in the Age of Coronavirus
How are parents and grandparents keeping kids healthy when they can't go to school or the playground? Dr. Alan Greene has suggestions for families, 4/18/20.
What Is the Impact of Herbal Treatments for Cough?
Herbal treatments for cough can help avoid overuse of antibiotics and prevent antibiotic resistance. Have you tried sage for sore throat & thyme for cough?
How Can You Find Natural Cough Medicine That Works?
A search for a natural cough medicine from Germany turned up several herbs that can be helpful. Have you tried elderberry, thyme or Andrographis?
Delayed Cough with Lisinopril Can Lead to Misdiagnosis
Most people are alert to drug side effects that arise after a few days or weeks. But what about a delayed cough with lisinopril that takes years to show up?
Can You Get Addicted to Cough Syrup?
Dextromethorphan is the active ingredient in many OTC cough medicines. Be aware that it is possible to become addicted to cough syrup.
Will Chocolate Calm Your Cough?
Might chocolate calm your cough? Some research is suggestive but inconclusive. Treat it as a possible home remedy and try it yourself.
How to Calm a Cough Naturally
Thymol in Vicks VapoRub or thyme tea can help calm a cough naturally. Here are instructions on how to make your own cough syrup at home.
Vicks on Soles of Feet Calmed Grandkids’ Coughs
You can ease grandkids' coughs at night by smearing Vicks on the soles of their feet at bedtime. This remedy works for grown-ups, too.
Terpin Hydrate Helped World War I Veteran
What do you do for a cough? Do you find that dextromethorphan (the DM in OTC cough meds) tastes terrible? Have you ever found that terpin hydrate helped?
Should You Pay Less for Vicks VapoRub®?
An irate reader discovered that a favorite rub now contains a synthetic ingredient instead of natural essential oil. Should we pay less for Vicks VapoRub?
How to Take Care of Kids with Colds
Parents should be wary of using OTC medicines to treat kids with colds. Some home remedies, such as honey for coughs, may be more helpful.
Can A Bar of Soap Stop a Cough or Laryngospasm?
Are you getting tired of reading that a bar of soap can ease muscle cramps? We get it. We frequently write about this remedy. But here are some new soap stories, including laryngospasm.
Beware Unnecessary Antibiotics from Urgent Care Centers
Have you ever been given a prescription for a cold or the flu? Unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are common, especially at urgent care centers. Read Joe's personal tale of woe and intrigue.
Spices for Unexpected Cough and Cold Relief
Sage, thyme and ginger can offer surprising cough and cold relief.
How to Make Your Own Cough Syrup
It is not difficult to make your own all-natural cough syrup at home using thyme, lemon and honey.
Twins Demonstrate the Benefits of Vicks VapoRub on the Feet
Recent scientific research suggests reasons why a "wacky" folk remedy–smearing Vicks on the feet–may help quell a persistent cough.
How to Calm a Cough with Crystallized Ginger
Crystallized ginger contains a compound that can reduce coughing without side effects. One extra benefit: it is very tasty!
Will a Whiff of Garlic Stop a Stubborn Cough?
Sniffing the aroma of fresh garlic activates TRP channels on nerve cells; this may stimulate feedback to the brain's cough center and calm a stubborn cough.
Terpin Hydrate Cough Medicine Disappearance Can be Overcome
Was terpin hydrate banned by the FDA or is it still available from special pharmacies? Why do some people still use this old-fashioned remedy?
How to Soothe Your Cough with Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper can make you cough, but it might also desensitize the nerves responsible for a long-lasting cough that lingers after a cold.
How to Calm a Cough with Thyme Tea
Sipping a cup of thyme tea can help calm a cough because thymol has antitussive activity. Add honey and lemon to taste.
Does Tasting Garlic Through Your Feet Offer Clues into Vicks for Coughs?
People have strong feelings about Vicks for coughs. Some say it's bogus. Others love this old fashioned remedy and wouldn't be without a bottle.
Will Cough Syrup Recall Protect Kids from Overdose?
Perrigo has initiated a cough syrup recall of several house brands of cherry or grape-flavored kids' cough syrup.
Skeptical Aussie Embraces Vicks VapoRub on the Soles of the Feet for Cough
Smearing Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet may be able to calm a troublesome nighttime cough AND overcome nasal congestion (stuffy nose)
If You Are Sensitive to Drug Side Effects There May Be a Reason
Patients differ dramatically in how they metabolize medicines. Some are far more susceptible to drug side effects than others. Your genes tell the story.
Why Do So Many Doctors Ignore Obvious Drug Side Effects?
Doctors are some of the most brilliant and well educated professionals in the world. How come so many can ignore one of the most common drug side effects?
Lisinopril Cough Caused Loss of Consciousness
Lisinopril cough is not a minor side effect. People have shared harrowing complications from drug-induced cough that could be life threatening.
Childhood Cough Remedy Is Gone, but Home Remedies Can Help
Although terpin hydrate is no longer available, many home remedies can ease a cough.
How to Calm a Cough: Drugstore Vs. Grandma
What is safer and more effective for battling coughs--Drugstore cough syrup or grandma's home remedies? You might be surprised.
Natural Cough Remedies
Ginger, thyme or honey offer natural approaches to calming a cough.
OTC Cough Medicine Effectiveness Questioned
There is not enough good research to establish whether over-the-counter cough medicine actually calms coughs.
Skeptical Rheumatologist Wants Info on Turmeric Side Effects
Do the benefits of turmeric outweigh side effects? Thyme tea for coughs and cornmeal mask for seborhheic dermatitis.
Changing Doctors Ended Drug Nightmare
Changing doctors helped one reader finally get rid of a cough caused by her BP medication. Her new doctor recognized a side effect the first doctor missed.
Lisinopril Side Effects Can Be Lethal
Blood pressure pills like Lisinopril are perceived as generally safe medications, but mysterious lisinopril side effects called angioedema can be life threatening.
German Cold & Cough Remedy Works Great!
Old fashioned cough and cold remedies containing the herb thyme may work surprisingly well against coughs and colds. There is some science behind thyme.
Horrible Cough from Blood Pressure Pill
A constant horrible dry cough that just won't go away could be a side effect of Lisinopril.
Cough Causes Loss of Bladder and Bowel Control
ACE inhibitor blood pressure medicines such as lisinopril can sometimes cause a terrible cough. In that case, an alternative may be preferred.
Unique Cough Remedy Worked Instantly
It seems unorthodox, but many parents report that Vicks on the soles of the feet helps ease a child's cough. What a unique cough remedy!
When Will Doctors Pay Attention to an ACE Cough?
ACE inhibitors like lisinopril or ramipril help control blood pressure, but they can also trigger a side effect that should be recognized: an ACE cough.
Cough Is Reaction to Blood Pressure Medicine
ACE inhibitor blood pressure medications can cause a persistent cough in susceptible people, but this side effect is not always communicated to patients.
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