Coughing - effective cough suppressant

How to treat cough in adults?

To understand what to do if the cough does not go away, which effective cough remedy to choose, you should know the basic rules of therapy.

Basic principles

Dry and wet coughs are treated differently, and their nature determines which cough medicine should be prescribed.

It is forbidden to use medicines that suppress a cough if it becomes wet, especially if large volumes of mucus are formed. Otherwise, sputum produced continuously will block the bronchi, and mucus congestion will aggravate abnormal manifestations and develop pneumonia. Absolutely prohibited for children under 2 years old, women expecting a child, nursing mothers, patients with bronchial asthma and impaired respiratory function.

It is advisable to combine expectorant drugs in people prone to bronchospasm with drugs that expand the lumen of the bronchi to prevent their obstruction - clogging with thick sputum.

Dry cough in adults: expectorant

Often, a dry obsessive cough accompanies a lesion of the mucous membrane of the throat and trachea with pharyngitis, tracheitis, SARS. Trying to immediately eliminate it with expectorants will not improve the condition.

But if a dry cough develops against the defeat of the bronchi, then for productive expectoration it is necessary to increase the production of mucus and its dilution. However, in the first 24 to 48 hours, until a sufficient volume of mucus has developed, expectorants are not used.

The following drug groups are distinguished:

1. Medicines with mucolytic (thinning) and expectorant action, which violate the viscosity of mucus, increase its volume and excretion from the respiratory tract.

Important! Many of them are prohibited for children, asthmatics, pregnant and lactating mothers.

The main funds that remove sputum and restore the mucous membrane of the bronchi include:

• Acetylcysteine ​​(Fluimucil, ACC, Mucobene, Mukomist);
• Carbocysteine ​​(Bronchobos, Fluditec, Fluifort, Mucosol);
• Ambroxol (Bronchorus, Ambroxan, Flavamed, Ambrobene, Mukofar, Ambrohexal, Lazolvan);
• Bromhexine (Bisolvon), Codelac Broncho;
• Halixol (carboxymethylcysteine);
• Sodium ethanesulfate, bicarbonate, bicarbonate, citrate.

2. Medicines combining expectorant, anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator effects. They are able to slightly inhibit the function of the cough center and at the same time help the transition of cough to productive. But they are used with extreme caution: Stoptussin, Libexin, Omnitus, Tussin plus, Broncholitin, Hexapnevmin.

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3. Medicines with a plant base, which contribute to the discharge of sputum. These include: Prospan, Bronchoplant, Doctor Mom, Bronchicum, Sinupret, Thermopsis, Mukaltin, Gedeliks, Terpingidrat, Licorice syrup, Althea, Istoda, Breast elixir, Suprim-broncho, Licorin, Eucabal.

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It is unacceptable to forget that medicines with natural substances can cause acute allergies.

Strong expectorants are extremely undesirable to combine with medicines that suppress the function of the cough center, since such a combination can lead to blockage of a large amount of sputum in the respiratory tract and severe inflammation, including pneumonia and exacerbation of asthma.

Severe dry cough before vomiting in an adult

In adults, a severe dry cough, provoking a vomiting, occurs as a convulsive attack at the time of diaphragm spasm. The most favorable reason for this is the accumulation of mucus that is difficult to separate in the bronchi, which is not able to enter the external airways.

But vomiting cough can be a manifestation of an acute attack of allergies, asthma, acute heart failure, tuberculosis, helminthic invasion, and in babies - a sign of whooping cough.

The treatment for this type of cough is primarily determined by the causative disease or the factor that caused it. For example, in acute myocardial insufficiency or helminthic aggression, conventional antitussive drugs will not help until the underlying pathology is cured.

Features of the treatment of vomiting cough:

1. If a dry cough is caused by obstruction of the bronchi with stingy viscous mucus, mucolytics are required to reduce the density of sputum, and expectorant drugs that will help to remove it from the bronchi - Codelac NEO, Bronchobos, Bromhexine, ACC, Ambroxol.
2. Hexapneumin. Helps with vomiting and allergic cough.
3. Antitussive medicines that block the cough reflex, acting on the brain center, can both help and harm, therefore they are taken only with the permission of the doctor and the dosage prescribed by him. They eliminate a painful nagging cough, but they are allowed to be taken only in the absence of sputum. If the mucus is produced, and the patient does not cough up it due to inhibition of the cough center, this leads to stagnation of the mucus and the intensification of the pathological process. Drugs with narcotic effects that relieve cough, but depressing breathing, are prescribed only according to indications. These are: Terpincod, Codelac with codeine (not to be confused with Codelac Broncho), Hydrocodone, Demorphan, Codeipront, Ethylmorphine hydrochloride;
4. Effective, but more harmless antitussive drugs that do not affect the breathing process include Libexin, Glaucin (Broncholitin, Bronchoton), Sedotussin, Glauvent, Intussin, Pakseladin, Sinecode, Tusuprex.
5. AntiemeticsThey block the vomiting brain center, but provide only temporary assistance, because in order to prevent an emetic attack, the cough itself needs to be alleviated. The main ones: Bonin (Meklosin), Tserukal (including injection), Motilak (Passasix), Tropindol.
6. Resorption tablets Falimint, lozenges Dr. Mom, Eucalyptus-M, Halls lozenges. They help with a dry, irritating cough against the background of inflammation of the trachea, larynx, and throat in a mild form.

Cough preparations with sputum

A wet cough appears against a background of inflammatory phenomena occurring in the bronchi and lungs. When coughing with sparing discharge of sputum (unproductive) and wet cough with copious production of mucus, the main task is to make the secret more fluid and facilitate its discharge.

Medicines that change the properties of the mucous secretion and accelerate its exit from the bronchi:

1. Ambroxol (Ambrosan, Ambrolitin, Lazolvan, Mukofar), Codelac Broncho, Bromhexine, Flavamed;
2. Erespal (Erispirus, Siresp, Eladon). This unique medicine is prescribed for different types of cough. The active substance (fenspiride) has an antitussive effect, but without suppressing respiratory function, a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect relieves the manifestations of an allergic attack, relieves spasm in the bronchi.

Strong wet cough in an adult

Among the basic medicines needed to relieve intense cough with sputum, the following groups of drugs are considered:

1. Ambroxol. It has special properties among mucolytic drugs. It activates the functions of the epithelium of the mucosa of the bronchial tree, liquefies sputum, preventing the adhesion of the substance covering the alveoli (surfactant). Sputum becomes less viscous without an increase in volume; coughing is activated.

Therefore, medications with ambroxol are one of the most effective mucolytics, facilitating a strong wet cough.

They can be combined with other drugs, including antibiotics, while they give a minimum of undesirable reactions and are used in various forms - syrup, tablets, solutions for inhalation.

2. Do not forget that although a wet cough means the transition of the disease to the final stage, excessive production of viscous secretions can lead to obstruction of the bronchi due to excessive accumulation of secretions.

To prevent this, prescribe drugs with N-Acetyl-L-cysteine ​​(Acetylcysteine, Fluimucil), ACC, drugs that reduce abnormal hypersecretion of mucus with carbocysteine: Bronchobos, Fluifort.

3. If the cough is accompanied by a spasm of the bronchi, then, in addition to facilitating the process of expectoration, it is necessary to expand the narrowed bronchi to ensure easy passage of mucus, otherwise sputum will clog the lumens of the bronchi.

In such cases, when coughing with an abundance of poorly extending sputum, the doctor may prescribe a short course:

• xanthines (Theophylline, Eufillin);
• b2-adrenergic agonists (Ventolin, Salmeterol, Foradil, Formoterol, Terbutaline);
• hormonal drugs (prednisone).

All these drugs have pronounced adverse reactions, are addictive, so their independent use is prohibited.

The combined effects, which include salbutamol, guaifenesin, bromhexine, include: Ascoril, Joset, Kashnol.

Cough with bronchitis does not go away

If the cough with bronchitis does not go away, there may be three main factors for this:

1. The diagnosis was made incorrectly, and it is likely that the patient does not have bronchitis, but pneumonia, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchopulmonary obstruction, asthma.
2. The drugs are chosen incorrectly, without taking into account the diagnosed disease, the type of cough, and therefore are not effective, and, possibly, dangerous.
3. The disease continues to develop, the drugs taken do not cope with the abnormal process, and alternative medicines, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics must be connected.

Cough occurs in various diseases, so the doctor should choose the most effective medications for the treatment of causative pathology, eliminate a specific type of cough.

The pharmacological product Rengalin is able to alleviate a protracted cough (dry, wet, allergic), manifestations of acute pharyngitis, laryngitis, obstructive bronchitis, tracheitis, and reduces bronchospasm.

Coughing - medicine for children

Parents often give their children a cough medicine with a natural plant base - decoctions and pharmacy syrups for licorice, marshmallow (Mukaltin, Marshmallow syrup), thermopsis, ivy (Gedelix, Prospan), plantain, primrose, thyme (Herbion, Bronchicum), thyme, anise.

However, such treatment can be dangerous for the following reasons:

1. In babies, the lumens of the bronchi are very small, therefore, an increase in sputum volume leads to obstruction of the bronchi and serious complications.
2. Plant extracts are able to enhance dry cough, provoking an acute allergic attack up to swelling of the larynx and death.

When choosing a medication for a child, the form of release is important. It is advisable for babies to give syrups, elixirs, but effervescent or absorbable tablets for babies younger than 4 - 5 years old are not suitable.

Essential Drugs Overview:

1. Ambrobene (Ambroxol) in syrup is prescribed for children even up to 2 years old; Codelac Neo Syrup. With a dry cough, you can give to children older than 3 years. Elixir Codelac Broncho (with difficult sputum production); Libexin from 2 years old in baby syrup to remove viscous sputum.
2. The most safe and effective remedies include Erespal (in baby syrup) and its synonyms. It not only translates dry cough into productive, but also prevents bronchospasm, which is very important in pediatrics. It is allowed to be used from the neonatal period with different types of cough against laryngitis, rhinopharyngitis, tracheobronchitis and asthma, with catarrhal cough if the child is ill with measles, flu, whooping cough.
3. Broncholitin. Assign with a dry cough to children no younger than 3 years old. Relieves inflammation, has a mild antitussive effect, expands the bronchi. It is used in pediatrics for coughing against ARVI, a small catarrhal inflammation, bronchitis.
4. Tusuprex from 2 years (with caution) for the treatment of unproductive cough. Facilitates coughing for babies, slightly reduces the frequency of coughing attacks, but does not inhibit respiratory functions.
5. ACC. Acetylcysteine ​​preparations for expectoration in pediatrics are used very carefully, even in syrup for babies from 2 years old, since children often develop bronchial obstruction in the presence of thick, viscous mucus.

Attention! A long-term, convulsive, dry, coughing cough in a child that goes up to vomiting can be a manifestation of whooping cough. Attacks of this cough occur from 20 to 60 times a day. Calling a doctor in such cases is immediate!

The most effective folk remedies if the cough persists

Unfortunately, many healing substances and herbs can harm, and not benefit from coughing. It is dangerous for people prone to acute allergic attacks (especially young children) to use: essential oils for inhalation, honey, mustard, nuts, lemons, propolis and many medicinal plants.

More materials:folk remedies for cough for adults

Onions, garlic, spices (curry, cinnamon, turmeric) are also used only in the absence of contraindications. The same applies to mustard plasters, which are unacceptable to impose to patients with an allergic component.

All warming procedures are done only in the absence of temperature.

The safest recipes:

1. Compress against dry cough with pork fat, butter or vegetable oil. Soak cotton cloth with warmed fat, quickly rub the chest with a palm of your hand with warm oil or fat, put the soaked cloth on top and polyethylene, then several layers of dry cloth and a woolen shawl. They do it at night, it is allowed to treat children like this, including infants.
2. Onion with sugar. Dissolve 100 grams of sugar in half a glass of hot water, add the grated onion and cook to make a thick onion jam. Adults take a tablespoon daily with a warm liquid.
3. Compress with boiled potatoes. Use mashed hot potatoes, but be sure to check the degree of heat so as not to cause skin burns. Compress is removed when the potato mass becomes warm, preventing its cooling.
4. Hot (non-scalding) milk with butter and soda (1 teaspoon each).
5. Compress dry with salt. A wonderful, non-allergenic remedy. A sack of coarse salt calcined in a pan is placed on the chest, covered with polyethylene and fabric layers, to keep the heat longer.
6. Ancient "banks" (but not mustard plasters) on the back (except for the bone protrusions of the shoulder blades).
7. Inhalation of potato steam with soda. Boil a few potatoes, add a tablespoon of soda, a teaspoon of chamomile, sage, linden, calendula. Mash potatoes a little. Breathe over the steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. One gram of natural mummy (preferably in tablets) is dissolved in a glass of warm boiled water and drunk 2 times, washed down with warm milk.

If there is no allergy:

1. Hot milk or tea with raspberry jam, viburnum.
2. Turmeric drink with dry cough. A teaspoon of turmeric is stirred in 200 ml of hot water, and slowly boil until half of the liquid boils. After cooling, add a spoonful of honey. They drink two to three times a quarter cup.
3. Rubbing with fir oil. Heat badger or pork fat (1 large spoon), pour the same amount of fir oil. You can pour a teaspoon of honey. Rub the warm composition of the chest, top with cotton, cotton, cover with a warm scarf.
4. Warm broths from medicinal plants with an expectorant effect. These include: eucalyptus, oregano, calendula, plantain, St. John's wort, licorice root, coltsfoot, chamomile, thyme, linden, sage.
5. Breast collection of herbs, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.

These methods will make the cough more productive, but if the patient does not feel better within 2 days, it is necessary to immediately begin medical treatment after going to the doctor.