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The 5 Best Cough Drops To Soothe A Sore Throat, According To Doctors
With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they're betting you'll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOPPicture this: You're at the drugstore, your throat is raw and irritated from a cold, and you're looking for some fast relief. This is the perfect time to search for the best cough drops for a sore throat. While you're walking down the cold and flu relief aisles of the store, you notice there are a ton of different cough drop brands and flavors to choose from. How do you know which is best for your symptoms?
"Cough drops can be helpful to soothe a cough during an upper respiratory infection," Carlos Galindo, MD, a family medicine physician at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano and with the Texas Health Physicians Group tells Well+Good. But in general, it doesn't matter too much about which brand you pick—they all get the job done in the same way. Most lozenges (a fancy word for cough drops that you might see on product labels) have active ingredients like menthol and eucalyptus oil that temporarily soothe or numb your throat. Plus, the extra saliva created from sucking on cough drops can hydrate your throat tissues, too. Eventually, you'll notice your urge to cough less, and your throat may feel a little more soothed.
"No one [cough drop] is superior to the other—it is all based on preference and taste," Dr. Galindo says. That said, if you're looking for a quick breakdown of some of the most popular options, here are five of the best that deliver results.
Best cough drops for a sore throatOur experts say these five picks have soothing ingredients that can offer some much-needed relief.
Photo: Amazon.Com Cepacol Benzocaine Extra Strength Sore Throat Relief Lozenges — $7.00
Key ingredients: Benzocaine, dextromethorphan
These berry-flavored drops contain benzocaine to make your raw throat feel better. "Benzocaine is an anesthetic, so it has a numbing effect," says Aaron Emmel, PharmD, founder at Pharmacy Tech Scholar. And thanks to the added dextromethorphan, they do double-duty as a cough suppressant, he adds. Also good: You'll feel the effects for up to four hours.
Photo: Amazon.Com Ricola Sugar Free Swiss Herb Cough Drops — $7.99
Key ingredients: Menthol
Throat-soothing herbs like mallow and thyme team up with menthol, a cooling compound found in mint that "provides relief of the nerves within the mouth which helps reduce pain and irritation," Dr. Galindo says. While these lozenges are sweetened with stevia, which can be helpful for people with diabetes, the taste of the herbs can be bitter and off-putting for others. It all depends on personal preference.
Photo: Amazon.Com Luden's Sore Throat Drops — $4.31
Key ingredients: Pectin
Unbearably dry throat? These cherry-flavored cough drops can help. They contain an ingredient called pectin—an oral demulcent that coats the membranes of your throat to ease dryness and irritation, Emmel notes.
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Photo: Amazon.Com Honees Honey Menthol Eucalyptus Drops — $2.53
Key ingredients: Menthol, eucalyptus, honey
These cough drops have cooling menthol and eucalyptus on the outside and are filled with honey on the inside. "There have been some medical studies that have shown honey can reduce cough frequency and cough severity," Dr. Galindo says.
Photo: Amazon.Com Cold-Eeze Soft Center Liquid Honey Zinc Lozenges — $12.49
Key ingredients: Zinc gluconate
Here's a cough drop that'll hydrate your dry, irritated throat while maybe helping you get better a little faster. "The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that zinc lozenges can help reduce the severity and duration of coughs," says Dr. Galindo. While it can't completely get rid of your cold, it could help you get over your cough sooner.
Generally, you should be able to pop some cough drops for a few days when sick without issue. However, certain cough drop ingredients can end up doing more harm than good if you take too much. "Moderation is generally a good option when approaching or seeking to alleviate symptoms with a cough drop," Dr. Galindo says.
Menthol lozenges, for example, might actually make a cough worse if you have too much of it, according to a March-April 2018 observational study in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. It can also irritate your stomach, Dr. Galindo notes. It's hard to say exactly how many cough drops will cause a problem because different products have different amounts of menthol, so it's best to consider asking your doctor if you have any concerns.
Another potential side effect? The sugar (or honey) in cough drops can add up if you live with diabetes or are trying to prevent raising your blood sugar. High quantities of sugar can also mess with your stomach, causing loose or watery stools, Dr. Galindo notes.
Lastly, cough drops (or any lozenge or hard candy, for that matter) can be a choking hazard for children under the age of six, per the American Academy of Pediatrics. So instead of giving your kids cough drops, ask their pediatrician for other cough suppressant recommendations.
When to see a doctor for a sore throatIf your throat is only sore for a couple of days (and doesn't come with other severe symptoms like fever, vomiting, or body aches), you can probably take care of it with home remedies like rest, soups, and of course, cough drops. But if your sore throat is lingering along or comes with other concerning symptoms, you should call your doctor. "Patients should seek out the care of a medical provider if an upper respiratory infection lasts more than 10 days, they have worsening symptoms, or a sudden fever," Dr. Galindo advises.
And keep in mind: While coughing and a sore throat usually stem from an upper respiratory infection, these issues can also be from chronic illnesses like asthma, acid reflux, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Your doctor will want to rule out these underlying concerns during your visit as well.
Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.
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12 Best Cough Drops 2025 – Top Lozenges For All Types Of Coughs
As we enter 2025, cough drops have evolved to offer more targeted relief and natural ingredients. Here's a list of the top 12 cough drops for various types of coughs:
When choosing cough drops, consider the specific symptoms you're experiencing and any preferences for natural vs. Medicated options. Always follow package instructions and consult a healthcare provider if symptoms persist.
Can't Shake That Cough? Walking Pneumonia Is On The Rise
Oct. 30, 2024 – Young children are increasingly being infected with bacteria that can lead to the illness known as walking pneumonia. A hallmark symptom is a cough that starts out dry but eventually produces moderate amounts of thick, non-bloody mucus. The cough can last for weeks.
It's an unexpected trend, since the bacteria -- called Mycoplasma pneumoniae -- was so uncommon during the height of the COVID pandemic that one medical journal ran an article suggesting that it may be gone forever. And the increase in illnesses among young children is also unusual, since documented cases usually occur among school-age kids or adolescents.
M. Pneumoniae typically causes respiratory tract infections and can cause damage to the throat, windpipe, and lungs. Most illnesses are mild, starting with a fever, sore throat, and cough and evolving into what may be viewed as a chest cold. The symptom onset is very gradual.
M. Pneumoniae often leads to what is known is walking pneumonia – a name given because it is typically less severe than other forms of bacterial pneumonia.
"People with pneumonia caused by M. Pneumoniae can seem better than expected for someone with a lung infection," a recent CDC alert stated. "With mild symptoms, people may not stay home or in bed."
The CDC issued the alert about the bacteria after noticing an increase in emergency room data listing mycoplasma pneumonia as a diagnosis. The increase was first detected in the spring, and cases appear to have peaked in August but remain elevated. The most surprising increase was seen among 2- to 4-year-olds, but a sizable jump was also recorded among 5- to 17-year-olds.
The bacteria spread through respiratory droplets, such as from a cough or sneeze. The long incubation period (one to four weeks) makes the bacteria prone to causing outbreaks, such as in residence halls, schools, and nursing homes. Coughing symptoms often last a long time, as well, which means outbreaks can persist.
A swab of the nose or throat can test for the bacteria, but this test is not as commonly offered by labs as the tests for flu, COVID, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). A chest X-ray is sometimes used to check for pneumonia.
Infections from the bacteria can be treated with a class of antibiotics called macrolides, which includes the drug azithromycin. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is resistant to other types of antibiotics, so making an accurate diagnosis is important although challenging since the symptoms can be so similar to other respiratory illnesses. About 10% of people go on to develop a true case of pneumonia.
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