Despite all our 21st-century medical advances, there is no cure to the common cold. This forces us to rely on home remedies to get through the day.

One popular option for managing those pesky respiratory symptoms is cough drops. But do these lozenges genuinely help you recover or just drain your wallet and fill you with sugar?

Here’s what the experts say.

How Do Cough Drops Work?

Cough drops contain specific ingredients that decrease the urge to cough and the pain in our throat, and make it easier to get mucus out of our nose and airways.

“Many over-the-counter cough drops contain menthol, which can temporarily stop your cough reflex and produce a cooling sensation that can help you feel like you’re less congested,” Dr. Patricia Pinto-Garcia , senior medical editor at GoodRx, tell

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