system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do cough drops work so effectively?

I'm sick, and I basically take cough drops religiously because I use my voice a lot. And Halls works incredibly (like they should). What causes them to work well? Is it just the recipe?
gpt
You cough as a reflex in response to irritation of nerves in your throat and lungs.   Cough drops makes those nerves less sensitive to irritation.  It doesn't resolve the underlying root cause of the irritation, the disease.