Cough syrup is an over-the-counter medicine that is often used in our daily life and is especially popular among children and the elderly because of its good taste and ease of use. For the selection and use of cough syrup, the following points should be noted: Coughing is a defensive reflex activity that occurs when the respiratory system is stimulated. A mild cough that removes phlegm and foreign bodies from the trachea can be relieved naturally and usually does not require cough suppressants; a strong and frequent cough, especially a dry cough, may aggravate the condition and cause complications, and therefore requires additional cough suppressants along with treatment. When using cough syrup, the cause of coughing and coughing up sputum should be identified first, and then selected and taken in a targeted manner. Generally, for frequent dry coughs, or irritating coughs with little sputum, cough suppression should be the mainstay. Western medicines such as Federal Cough Drops, Ondine Cough Syrup, and Cough Syrup are central non-narcotic cough suppressants that produce cough suppression by controlling the medullary cough center, but it should be noted that they should not be taken for a long time to avoid dependence. Cough syrup alone should not be used for coughs with a lot of phlegm, as this may stop the cough and prevent the phlegm from being discharged and retained in the respiratory tract, causing or aggravating infection. For this type of cough, expectorant medications should be added, such as Mucosolvan and Expectorant Oral Liquid. As cough syrup is sweet, it is easy to accept. Some patients often overdose when coughing, unaware that this can lead to adverse reactions such as drug overdose. In addition, since syrup contains more than 75% sugar, diabetic patients should not take it. Cough syrup should not be taken before meals because sugar can promote the secretion of digestive juices, making the stomach full and affecting the appetite. As some of the cough syrup’s cough suppressant effect relies on the syrup covering the mucous membrane surface of the pharynx to reduce the inflammation on the mucous membrane irritation. If you drink water immediately after taking the drug will dilute the gastric juice, weaken the absorption of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract, and at the same time reduce the concentration of the drug on the mucosal surface of the pharynx, which reduces the cough suppressing effect of the drug, so it is not advisable to drink water immediately after taking it. Therefore, some doctors will advise patients not to drink water 5 minutes after drinking syrup to ensure the efficacy. If the sticky syrup is too irritating, you can also drink water, after all, most of the medicine can still be absorbed by the stomach and intestines.