Anti-Coughing.

Here are some random notes from my Respiratory Medicine (aka coughing!) lecture:

- No anti-cough medication has been proven (through research) to be effective for children (under age 12). As such, the government of Canada has made pharmaceutical companies re-label their over-the-counter cough medications to remove any dosing instructions for children.
- Honey has been shown to be just as effective at reducing cough symptoms as most over-the-counter cough syrups (this doesn't surprise me, they're all just sugar anyways... my professor joked about pouring cough medication over ice cream as a tasty topping).
- Menthol is a chemical that stimulates "cold" receptors, giving that "cooling" sensation. It's effect is extremely short lived, however. For this reason, in order to get the effect of cough drops and Fisherman's Friends, you have to keep sucking on them all day long. Once it has dissolved, the soothing effect is gone.
- There is controversy surrounding cough drops and lozenges. Do they contain ingredients that make you feel better, or is it just the fact that their flavor is making your body produce extra saliva, keeping the respiratory tract moist, and this moistness is what is helping...?
- How do asthma puffers work? They contain powdered medication that is aerosolized (the powder is mixed with air) when the canister is depressed. This way the drug is easily inhaled, reaching the depths of the lungs in order to achieve treatment.
- Beware of asthma medications depositing in the mouth. It can cause mouth infections if it doesn't get inhaled into the lungs and instead lands in the mouth.