Which drug class is used to suppress cough?

The correct answer is focused on the drug class specifically designed to suppress cough. An anti-tussive is a medication that works directly to reduce the urge to cough, making it particularly effective for treating coughs that are dry or not productive. This class of drugs can act on the cough center in the brain or can also soothe the throat, thereby helping to alleviate the discomfort associated with persistent coughing.

Other drug classes, while they might have supportive roles in respiratory conditions, do not primarily aim to suppress the cough reflex. For instance, decongestants work by relieving nasal congestion, but they do not target the cough directly. Narcotics can have cough-suppressing effects and can also bring about sedation; however, their primary indication is often for pain relief rather than as a first-line cough suppressant. Hypnotics are used primarily to induce sleep, so they do not play a role in treating coughs. Hence, the specificity of the anti-tussive drug class directly aligns it with the function of suppressing coughs.