Your Cough Syrup Doesn't Work

In case you didn’t already know, that nasty, fake cherry-flavored cough syrup you have in your medicine cabinet, isn’t good for you and doesn’t work.

Now, antitussive drugs (they might say DM or DXM on the box) are supposed to block the body’s cough reflex, expectorants should thin mucus to make it easier to cough, decongestants are supposed to open airways by narrowing blood vessels, and antihistamines reduce swelling in the nose and throat but- most studies show that they just don’t do the job properly. In fact, in many instances, they don’t even perform better than a placebo!

But there is good news, you don’t have to suffer with no relief…

First of all, make sure to allow your body to rest AND drink plenty of fluids (not coffee or juice or soda) like water and tea- stick to the basics. Then, make sure to up your daily intake of Vitamin D and C whilst you are under the weather. Next, it would help to run a humidifier or get into a hot, steamy shower to help break up the mucous. For your cough, you can either put raw cut onions on the bottom of your feet and put socks on OR take a teaspoon of honey before bed (although you can also put it in your tea). You could also use a homemade cough syrup like the one below.