What medicine should I take if I have a severe dry cough without phlegm?
Recently, dry cough without phlegm has become one of the hot health topics. Especially when the seasons change or the air is dry, many people experience persistent dry cough symptoms. This article will combine the hot discussions and medical advice from the entire Internet in the past 10 days to provide you with structured solutions.
1. Common causes of dry cough without phlegm

| Reason type | Specific performance | Proportion (recent search data) |
|---|---|---|
| upper respiratory tract infection | Early stage of viral cold, pharyngitis | 42% |
| Allergy factors | Pollen/dust mite allergies, allergic cough | 28% |
| environmental stimulation | Dry air, haze, cold air | 18% |
| other reasons | Gastroesophageal reflux, drug side effects, etc. | 12% |
2. Recommend drug treatment plan
| drug type | Representative medicine | Applicable scenarios | Things to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| central antitussives | Dextromethorphan, pholcodine | Severe dry cough affects sleep | Disabled when there is a lot of phlegm |
| peripheral antitussives | Phenproperine, Nocodine | Irritating dry cough | May cause drowsiness |
| anti-allergy medications | Loratadine, Cetirizine | Caused by allergies | Need to be taken for 3 consecutive days |
| Chinese patent medicine | Chuanbei Loquat Dew, Yangyin Qingfei Pills | Chronic dry cough treatment | Requires identification and use |
3. Recently popular adjuvant therapies
According to the popularity of social media discussions, the following non-drug methods have attracted more attention:
| method | Specific operations | heat index |
|---|---|---|
| honey water therapy | Take 1 spoonful of pure honey before going to bed | ★★★★☆ |
| steam inhalation | Hot water + peppermint essential oil fumigation | ★★★☆☆ |
| acupressure | Tiantu point + Lieque point massage | ★★★☆☆ |
4. Medication precautions
1.Duration warning: Some coughs have not been relieved for more than 2 weeks, and diseases such as tuberculosis and cough variant asthma need to be investigated.
2.drug interactions: People taking antidepressants should use dextromethorphan with caution
3.Special groups: Pregnant women are advised to give priority to honey therapy rather than drugs.
4.Latest research tips: In 2024, the journal "Respiratory Medicine" pointed out that vitamin D deficiency may aggravate dry cough symptoms
5. Q&A hotly discussed across the entire network
| High frequency problem | Professional answers |
|---|---|
| What should I do if my dry cough gets worse at night? | Raise the head of the bed 15° + use a humidifier in the bedroom |
| Do you feel more itchy and want to cough after taking antitussive medicine? | It may be an allergic reaction to the drug, please stop using it immediately |
| Dry cough after COVID-19 that hasn’t healed in three months? | It is recommended to do a bronchial provocation test |
Summary: The treatment of dry cough without phlegm requires first clarifying the cause. Recent data shows that the proportion of allergic factors is increasing. Drug treatment should be mainly antitussives, combined with environmental improvement measures. If symptoms persist or are accompanied by other discomforts, you should seek medical treatment promptly to check for underlying diseases.
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