[Blog] Turning noise into knowledge with your Pharmacist… Cough& Cold by Kaajal Luckraz (née Nathoo)
You have googled your symptoms. You have scrolled through social media looking for answers. You have listened to podcasts, watched videos, and read personal stories from people who “had the same thing.” And now, you have a recommendation—from an influencer who seems confident it worked for them.
By this point, you probably feel more informed and you make your way to your local pharmacy. When you get there, the choice of medication is endless. Now you are possibly more confused. In the middle of all this information, one question remains the same: what is the best medicine for cough and cold?
And this is exactly where a conversation with your pharmacist makes the difference.
In my everyday practice, coughs and colds are among the most common reasons people seek advice. Yet they are also among the most misunderstood. Most people expect a single “strong” medicine to fix everything. In reality, a cough or cold is not one condition—it is a collection of symptoms with different causes and different chemistry behind them.
I will start with the basics- a common cold is usually caused by a virus. This means antibiotics do not treat it. Instead, the body’s immune system does the real work of recovery over time. What medicines can do is help manage symptoms while the body heals.
And that is where cough and cold remedies come in.
- A blocked nose, for example, is not caused by mucus alone. It is often due to swollen blood vessels inside the nasal passages. Decongestants work by narrowing these blood vessels, reducing swelling and allowing air to flow more freely. I can help you choose between a spray or drops or even tablets.
- A fever or body aches come from the immune system releasing chemical signals called inflammatory mediators. Medicines like paracetamol work by acting on these pathways in the brain and body to reduce pain and bring temperature down. I can help you choose from different formulations- a tablet, a fizzy tablet or a sachet.
- A dry, irritating cough is different again. It is often driven by an overactive cough reflex in the brain. Cough suppressants act on this reflex to reduce the urge to cough. I can help you understand the different ingredients.
- A chesty or productive cough, on the other hand, involves thick mucus in the airways. Expectorants and mucolytics help loosen this mucus, making it easier for the body to clear it naturally. I can help you choose from sachets, tablets or syrups.
Because most combination products on the shelf contain multiple ingredients, people often take them without fully understanding what symptom each one is targeting. Others may take products they do not actually need, or combine remedies that overlap in action. The latter is more dangerous as you might be overdosing on particular ingredients.
When you talk to us- we will ask you questions. These questions are not just routine—they help us determine which chemistry is appropriate for your body.
From my experience, two people with “a cold” almost invariably need completely different approaches. One may only need rest, fluids, and simple pain relief. Another may need targeted symptom control. And in some cases, what appears to be a simple cold may require further medical assessment.
So before you reach for the strongest product on the shelf, before you assume that one recommendation fits all, there is a simpler step that often changes everything- a conversation. Because talking to your pharmacist is not just about choosing a medicine. We can also help you by suggesting some home remedies and preventive remedies. We attempt to understand what your body is actually asking for—and match the chemistry to the symptom, not the trend.
By Kaajal Luckraz (née Nathoo), Pharmacist
