Anyone who’s had a cold knows the annoyance the sore throat or cough can be. It can make you sleepy at night, cause an obstacle in keeping your focus and can bring a damper to your life. It is normal to pop in the form of a cough drop for instant relief from the uncomfortable and painful flu and cold symptoms. According to MadeHow the cough drop’s ingredients are comparable to the ingredients of a candy that is hard and contain corn syrup, sugar flavorings, colorings, and flavors. The most common ingredient that gives the drops the ability to soothe your throat are eucalyptus oil and menthol. Knowing that the essence of a cough drop is an edible candy that has essential oils and you’re wondering is it is safe to consume more than you need?
Healthline states that , while you can take an overdose on cough drops that contain the ingredient menthol, it’s very unlikely. An menthol overdose could occur following the consumption of an extremely high dose of menthol pure. The fatal dose of the drug is believed to be about 1,000 milligrams for every kilogram of body weight. Recipes for cough drops usually mix menthol with water and other ingredients meaning that the drops typically comprise between 3 and 10 milligrams of menthol in each drop.
A lot of cough drops could create these discomforting symptoms.
If your cough drops at breakfast or lunch, and dinner, and between, for weeks chances of overdose is low. Death is not away from the deck, however, there are some unpleasant signs that can occur if are dependent on these calming lozenges. Healthline lists stomach pains nausea, vomiting, a rapid hearts rate as well as confusion as possible adverse effects of excessive use to be conscious of. The drops of cough should be treated as any other medication. Also, the instructions included on the package must be read carefully.
Medical News Today reports that in rare instances exposure to menthol may have resulted in allergic reactions to the skin, also known as contact dermatitis. Menthol is also known to cause irritation for those who have sensitive skin. As previously mentioned the cough drops have similar ingredients to hard candy which implies that sugar may be lurking in the background of other active ingredients that soothe the throat. Healthline advises against drinking on cough drops frequently because the sugar content can result in weight increase. Since we now know that the cough drops do not pose a risk to our health when consumed in moderation, we are able to enjoy them whenever we have to cover the uncomfortable signs of coughing. We can then go about our lives.
Sugar-free cough drops can cause digestive discomfort.
Cough drops by themselves can trigger stomach pain, nausea or vomiting when consumed in large quantities, according to Healthline. However, the sugar-free cough drops can cause unpleasant digestive problems if consumed. In place in sugars, the items contain sorbitol, which is an alcohol that is sugar-based that helps in an absorption rate that is slow in the small intestine which then kicks our bowels into action and causes a laxative effect as per research that was which was reported in Lipids and Edible Oils.
Although sometimes used by physicians for treating constipation (via Cleveland Clinic), eating large amounts of sorbitol could cause cramping, diarrhea and gas. In some individuals even small amounts of sorbitol may be enough to trigger stomach discomfort, and this can happen even in quantities that are less than the typical dose of laxatives (per the Lipids and edible oils). Furthermore, gastrointestinal adverse affects can be particularly severe by those who suffer from specific medical conditions, like diabetes. So, it’s crucial to be aware of the amount of sorbitol we consume and to reduce the dosage of cough drops that are sugar-free.