But the pain and nuisance of a hacking dry cough is something we all go through from time to time, particularly as the days get colder and the winter digs in its icicle-fingered hands. Cough symptoms can leave you feeling weak, exhausted, embarrassed and too tired to enjoy all the things that usually make you happy—a big no-no for us at Buckley’s. That’s why we make cold and cough medicines for people who want to feel better, fast.

While “productive” coughing brings out mucus from your respiratory tract, a dry cough is non-productive. That means that—unlike its (cough, cough) chesty cousin—it produces little or no mucus or phlegm.

Allergies, acid reflux or air pollutants like cigarette smoke can all cause dry coughing, but most often it’s the result of viral infections like the common cold or flu. Coughing caused by a cold often lasts longer than other symptoms. Longer, more persistent coughs, however, may signal an underlying medical problem like postnasal drip, asthma, acid reflux, or chronic bronchitis, and should be assessed by your doctor.

No matter what the source or extent of the cough though, when you’ve got that twitch in the throat and can’t stop coughing at night or through the day, you just want relief. So here are some ways to help do it.