First there is a dry, irritating cough, and then the cough gets productive with the secretion of mucus - but no matter which cough, it is always annoying and unpleasant. Cough is a typical symptom of a common cold, and can be especially disturbing during the night. Coughing should not be suffered in silence - it should be properly treated!

There are two types of airway infections that may accompany a common cold:

• Upper respiratory tract infections, e.g. rhinitis or sinusitis
• Lower respiratory tract infections, e.g. bronchitis

In these cases coughing often is a symptom of acute infection of the upper and/or lower airways, for instance, accompanying a common cold. These infections are caused by viruses and usually last just a few days, possibly up to two weeks.

Grafic: Stages of cough & Active Components of Bronchostop Syrups

Generally speaking cough can be divided into two categories: dry cough and productive cough. It is not always easy to distinguish a dry cough from a productive cough and it even becomes more difficult during the overlapping periods.

Dry cough: is tickling and irritating, due to an irritation of the throat caused by foreign particles, dust or a throat infection. In this kind of cough no mucus or phlegm is produced. Dry cough is usually treated with antitussives.

Productive (Chesty) cough: is characterized by the formation of mucus or phlegm in the lungs. The cough reflex is a mechanism to expel all phlegm in order to clear the lungs. Chesty cough is usually treated with expectorants.

In cough, herbal preparations such as extracts made from thyme or marshmallow root have a long tradition for symptomatic treatment of cough. Based on long-standing use thyme facilitates expectoration of viscous, obstructive phlegm. And the polysaccharides contained in the root of marshmallow soothe the irritated throat and thereby help to relieve the urge to cough.