If you find yourself barking away long after you’ve cleared that early January cold (or if you never had one in the first place), there could be other, sneakier causes at work: post-nasal drip, allergies, asthma, heartburn, or some combination. Regardless of the trigger, here’s how to attack the hack.

1. Try some honey coffee. Honey soothes the throat and may reduce inflammation- and combining it with caffeinated coffee might also stimulate your breathing and suppress coughing.

3000 saliva droplets expelled in one cough so, cover your mouth!

2. Have some Thyme Tea. Thyme is known to contain natural compounds that help curb coughing, relieve inflammation and even treat bronchitis.

3. How about a behaviour tweak? You will find that some chronic coughs turn out to be acquired habits. Try counting to 10 before coughing or distract yourself by breathing through your nose or squeezing your thumb. That can eventually disrupt the automatic response of coughing every time you feel the urge.

4. Maybe what you need is a med swap. Just one switch could make a big difference. However, it’s always best to ask your doctor about switching first.

5. Some good dual-purpose pills! Antihistamine and decongestant. The two together dry up mucus and open airways more effectively than one or the other alone. Some antihistamines suppress coughing a lot better than others. Avoid spray decongestants, they often worsen the problem over time.