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The type of award given was based on their index score. Some over-the-counter treatments may give you relief. Category winners and brands that were statistically tied with the category winner were given an award as long as their nominal score was not below another brand that did not earn an award. The results were then rescaled so that the winner in each category scored 100 points, while the other brands were scored along this 100-point scale. In most cases, OTC medications such as cough suppressants, decongestants, and lozenges can help decrease a dry cough. Best for kids: Little Remedies Sore Throat Pops - See at Amazon Little Remedies Sore Throat Pops use pectin and honey for natural sore throat relief, in a form your kids will love. There are many OTC cough medicines to help manage an acute cough everything from syrups and pills to lozenges. and a ton of money is spent on making and marketing drugs to manage it. Brands that had less than 1,000 monthly searches, on average, were excluded.Įach top-ranked brand scored five points, each second-place product was awarded three points and third-place winners racked up one point each time a pharmacist voted for them. The best medications for a dry cough may vary depending on the cause. Numi Ginger Lemon Tea combines soothing heat from the warm water with natural throat soothers. Acute cough due to a viral upper respiratory tract infection (URI) is the most common form of cough, though coughing can happen due to other reasons as well. The brands included in the survey were selected based on the average monthly user search volume in the last year. Topical anticholinergics, such as ipratropium bromide nasal spray, may help reduce a runny nose. In the end, nearly 740 individual products were included in the comprehensive survey. OTC medicine is unlikely to help relieve a runny nose due to a cold.
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Drinking a cup of hot herbal tea can hydrate you and loosen some phlegm at the same time. Staying hydrated also keeps mucus thin and flowing, so drink plenty of water. Diphenhydramine, such as: Diabetic Tussin Nighttime Cold and Flu (also contains acetaminophen, and dextromethorphan) Benadryl. Using a saline nasal spray can relieve postnasal drip and thin out cough-inducing mucus. Look for products containing: Cetirizine, such as: Zyrtec. Harris Poll, our partner for this year's Best OTC Medicine & Health Products, randomly assigned 352 pharmacists to rank their top three picks in each of the 99 over-the-counter product groups. Antihistamines may help to reduce the severity of overall cold symptoms for 1-2 days, according to the results of a large review.
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