How Do You Get Rid of a Cough Fast?

Treatment for a cough can include home remedies and medications such as staying hydrated, gargling with warm salt water, drinking tea with honey, cough lozenges, mentholated vapor rub, a steam shower, a humidifer, over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines, decongestants, and others.

A cough is the body’s way to help clear the airways of irritants and to prevent infection. Cough is not a disease in itself, but a symptom of an underlying medical condition.

Treatment to get rid of a cough fast depends on the cause and whether the cough is acute or chronic. Common causes include the common cold, COVID-19, whooping cough, bacterial or viral infections, asthma, pneumonia, smoking, COPD, GERD, and others.

If the cough is not serious, home remedies may help get rid of a cough fast, such as:

• Staying hydrated
• Gargling with warm saltwater 
• Drinking tea with honey
• Cough lozenges
  • Lozenges are not recommended for young children; they can be a choking hazard
• Using a mentholated vapor rub to help open airways
• Inhaling steam in a shower before bed (caution: steam can worsen cough in people who have asthma)
• Using a humidifier (caution: if cough is due to allergies to dust mites or mold, too much moisture can make it worse)

Other home remedies to help relieve cough include:

• Don’t smoke
• Avoid allergens such as pollen, dust, animals, or mold 
• Avoid inhaled irritants such as smoke, dust, and other pollutants
• For GERD: Avoid foods that increase reflux, avoiding meals before lying down, elevating the head while sleeping
• Wash bedding at least once/week in hot water to keep dust mites in check if cough is due to allergies

Medical treatment to get rid of a cough may include: 

• Over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines containing guaifenesin and/or dextromethorphan (available in cough syrups and in tablet form)
• Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), or nasal inhalers like ipratropium bromide (Atrovent) for postnasal drip 
• Antibiotics for infection caused by bacteria such as bacterial pneumonia and bronchitis
  • Antibiotics will not treat cough caused by viruses such as the common cold, flu, or COVID-19
• Inhaled bronchodilators and inhaled steroids to treat asthma and COPD
• Famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine (Zantac) omeprazole (Prilosec, Prilosec OTC), lansoprazole (Prevacid, Prevacid 24-Hour), rabeprazole (Aciphex), pantoprazole (Protonix), esomeprazole (Nexium) to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 
• If cough is caused by an ACE inhibitor, your doctor may switch your medicine
  • Never stop taking a prescribed medication without first talking to your doctor
• Pain relievers (analgesics) to treat the pain caused by coughing