Coughs, Colds and Flu

• A cold (the common cold) or the flu (influenza) is caused by a virus
• You can spread the virus by coughing and sneezing
• Another person can breathe in the virus from drops or even from touching things

• The viruses that cause a cold or the flu are not the same
• Consequently, your symptoms will be different
• You will feel sicker with the flu than a cold, with a fever ^2,11

The medicine that you will get from the clinic sister, doctor or pharmacist will help you feel better. This medicine can also be bought directly from a pharmacy.

Different medicines can help to:

• Take away the pain and fever.
  There are syrups for children or older people who may struggle to swallow tablets, as well as tablets for adults.
• Open your blocked or stuffy nose or help to stop a runny nose so you can breathe better.
  Some of these medicines are tablets that you can drink with water, and some are sprays that you spray into your nose. There are also syrups for children.

Important: Antibiotics will not help to cure a viral infection like a cold or the flu.

You cough sometimes when you are healthy, as this keeps your throat and lungs clean. ³

When you are sick, you cough a lot more because there is a lot of mucus in your throat, and your body is trying to make you better.¹⁵

Besides a virus causing mucus to drip down the back of your throat, you can also cough when:

• You inhale things from the air, like smoke or cold air
• You are allergic to something
• You have asthma
• You experience acid from your stomach pushing into your throat
• Some medicines you take regularly can cause a cough

There are different types of coughs that need different medicines. Therefore you will need to explain what you are experiencing.

You can’t stop yourself from coughing. However, you can avoid some of the things that cause it, or you can lessen it by:

You don’t always need to go to your doctor or clinic for the medicines  you need to use when you cough.

Most cough medicines you can buy from the pharmacy.^16,18

Wet cough:

• There are cough syrups that loosen the mucus or phlegm irritating or dripping down your throat.

Dry cough:

• When you have an irritating cough and cannot sleep at night, you can take cough syrup or a lozenge to stop.

Combination:

• When you have phlegm and cough a lot, you can get cough syrup or suck on a lozenge to loosen the phlegm and reduce the coughing simultaneously.

Don’t let a cough get in the way; start treatment from day 1.

Benefits of a Benylin Wet Cough range:

• Benylin Wet Cough Mucus Relief thins and loosens mucus, thus making it easier for you to get rid of thick, stubborn phlegm.
• It starts to work Quickly to Combat your Cough
• The range is available in Adult, Adult Menthol and Children’s variants
• Alongside our cough products for adults and children, we’ve also developed an effective range of products to help relieve the symptoms of colds and flu. Ask your pharmacists for the Benylin^®Solution best suitable for you and your family.
• DOKTOR MOM^®Herbal Cough Lozenges work to relieve your cough and soothe your throat when you are on the go. Alcohol-free and Tartrazine-free. It can be taken day and night.