Customers coming into the pharmacy seeking 'something for a cough' will be a common occurrence all year round, although they tend to peak during winter. Therefore, pharmacy teams should be aware of the different types of coughs, their causes, and the products and self-care advice you can recommend to relieve them.

People often complain they 'have a cough', as if it were a condition in itself. However, a cough is actually a symptom of an underlying cause. Everyone coughs from occasionally and, although irritating, coughs are rarely serious and usually clear up within three weeks.

A cough is a reflex action to clear mucus and irritants from the airways. However, if the person is suffering from an infection, coughing can disperse germs into the air, which helps to spread the infecting organism.