A throat lozenge, cough drop, troche, or cough sweet is a small, medicated tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to temporarily stop coughs and lubricate and soothe irritated tissues of the throat

Throat

In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...

 (usually due to a sore throat

Pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the throat or pharynx. In most cases it is quite painful, and is the most common cause of a sore throat.Like many types of inflammation, pharyngitis can be acute – characterized by a rapid onset and typically a relatively short course – or chronic....

), possibly from the common cold

Common cold

The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...

 or influenza

Influenza

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...

. Cough tablets have taken the name lozenge

Lozenge

A lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...

, based on their original shape.

Lozenges may contain benzocaine

Benzocaine

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic commonly used as a topical pain reliever, or in cough drops. It is the active ingredient in many over-the-counter anesthetic ointments...

, an anesthetic

Anesthesia

Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...

, or eucalyptus oil

Eucalyptus oil

Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses...

. Non-menthol throat lozenges generally use either zinc gluconate glycine or pectin

Pectin

Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot...

 as an oral demulcent

Demulcent

A demulcent is an agent that forms a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane. Demulcents are sometimes referred to as mucoprotective agents. Demulcents such as pectin, glycerin, honey, and syrup are common ingredients in cough mixtures...

. Several brands of throat lozenges contain dextromethorphan

Dextromethorphan

Dextromethorphan is an antitussive drug. It is one of the active ingredients in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines, such as Robitussin, NyQuil, Dimetapp, Vicks, Coricidin, Delsym, and others, including generic labels. Dextromethorphan has also found other uses in medicine, ranging...

.

Still other varieties, such as Halls

Halls (cough drop)

Halls is the brand name of a popular mentholated cough drop. Halls cough drops are sold by the Cadbury-Adams Division of Cadbury plc and have long been advertised as featuring "Vapor Action". Halls was first made in the 1930s in Britain by the Halls Brothers company...

, contain menthol

Menthol

Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...

, peppermint oil and/or spearmint

Spearmint

Mentha spicata syn. M. cordifolia is a species of mint native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, though its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation. It grows in wet soils...

 as their active ingredient

Active ingredient

An active ingredient is the substance of a pharmaceutical drug or a pharmaceutical ingredient and bulk active in medicine; in pesticide formulations active substance may be used. Some medications and pesticide products may contain more than one active ingredient...

(s). Honey

Honey

Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...

 lozenges are also available.

Brands

• Cēpacol
  Cepacol
  Cepacol , styled Cēpacol, is a brand of personal hygiene products and products for relief of sore throat.They were originally recognized for their yellow mouthwash, the active ingredient of which is Ceepryn , hence the name. The distinctive flavor and color is known as "Original Gold"...
  
  
• Chloraseptic
  Chloraseptic
  Chloraseptic is an American brand of oral analgesic produced by Prestige Brands Inc, used for the relief of minor sore throat and mouth pain. Its active ingredient is phenol, a compound whose antiseptic properties were discovered by Sir Joseph Lister....
  
  
• Fisherman's Friend
  Fisherman's Friend
  Fisherman's Friend is a brand of strong menthol lozenges produced by Lofthouse company in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.- History :Fisherman's Friend was originally developed by a young pharmacist named James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various respiratory problems suffered by fishermen working...
  
  
• Gorpils
  Gorpils
  Gorpils is a line of medicated throat lozenges manufactured by in India since 1993. Gorpils is available in a variety of flavors* Strawberry * Orange* Lemon* Honey Lemon* Mentho – Eucalyptus-History:...
  
  
• Halls
  Halls (cough drop)
  Halls is the brand name of a popular mentholated cough drop. Halls cough drops are sold by the Cadbury-Adams Division of Cadbury plc and have long been advertised as featuring "Vapor Action". Halls was first made in the 1930s in Britain by the Halls Brothers company...
  
  
• Honibe
• Läkerol
  Läkerol
  Läkerol is a Swedish brand of candies currently produced by the Leaf confectionery company.The candies are sugar- and calorie-free pastilles with the major ingredient being gum arabic. The candies are produced in a variety of flavors....
  
  
• Linkus
• Lockets
  Lockets
  Lockets are a confectionery product manufactured by Mars in the UK. They are sold as medicated supplement to help nasal congestion and sore throats....
  
  
• Luden's
  Luden's
  -History:The Luden's brand was originally created by William H. Luden in 1879, and included several products such as candy and throat drops.Luden's was acquired in 1928 by Food Industries of Philadelphia, a holding company owned by the Dietrich family. In 1980 the company acquired Queen Anne Candy...
  
  
• N'ice
• Nigroids
  Nigroids
  Vigroids is the brand name of a liquorice sweet. The small black pellets are particularly marketed as an expectorant lozenge for singers, using the slogan "for clarity of voice"...
  
  
• Ricola
  Ricola
  Ricola Ltd./Ricola AG is a well known manufacturer of cough drops and breath mints in Switzerland. The company focuses primarily on using herbal ingredients. The head office of Ricola is located in Laufen, Basel-Country.-History:...
  
  
• Smith Brothers
  Smith Brothers
  The Smith Brothers were makers of cough drops.-Biography:William Wallace Smith I and Andrew Smith were...
  
  
• Strepsils
  Strepsils
  Strepsils is a line of lozenges manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser in Nottingham, United Kingdom. They come in a variety of flavours and are part of the Boots Healthcare International brands that Reckitt Benckiser acquired in 2006...
  
  
• Sucrets
  Sucrets
  -History:The product was introduced in Baltimore, Maryland by Sharp & Dohme in 1932.In 1966 the Federal Trade Commission ordered Merck and Company to discontinue the false claims of germ-killing and pain-relieving properties for its Sucrets and Children's Sucrets throat lozenges...
  
  
• Tunes
  Tunes (sweet)
  Tunes is a brand of lozenge manufactured by The Wrigley Company in the UK. It is marketed as a cough sweet or anti-congestant lozenge, containing eucalyptus oil and menthol. It is a relative of the now discontinued Spangles brand, and shares the same packaging and dimensions of that brand...
  
  
• La Vosgienne
• Vicks
  Vicks
  Vicks is a line of over-the-counter medications owned by the American company Procter & Gamble. Vicks manufactures NyQuil and its sister medication, DayQuil. The Vicks brand also produces Formula 44 cough medicines, cough drops, VapoRub, and a number of inhaled breathing treatments...
  
  
• Victory V
  Victory V
  Victory V is a British brand of liquorice-flavoured lozenges. Originally manufactured in Nelson, Lancashire they were devised by Thomas Fryer and Edward Smith MD in the mid-19th century and were initially made by hand to ensure that each sweet contained the correct amount of therapeutic...
  
  

External links

• Ingredients of a throat lozenge, Health Canada