Cough may not always be a symptom of the disease, it is an important protective reflex of the body, allowing you to get rid of sputum and foreign bodies in the airways. In what cases should treatment be started and which cough medicines are best taken, you should ask your doctor. After all, not always the most expensive drug will be the most effective. If you think about it, sometimes the best cough medicine is just the right one, the price of which fluctuates within reasonable limits.
Reasons
The disease can be caused by a number of negative factors. A sudden cough reflex helps clear the throat and respiratory passage of foreign particles, microbes that irritate the mucous membranes. By its nature, it is both involuntary and intentional. There are three phases of the cough reflex:
- inhale;
- forced exhalation with a closed glottis located in the middle part of the larynx;
- when opening the glottis, there is an explosive release of air, thereforecough has a characteristic sound.
Illness is caused by respiratory tract infections such as the common cold or the flu. Viruses can settle in the body and manifest various symptoms after a few days. Smoking is also one of the most common causes of a cough with a characteristic sound called "smoker's cough". In this case, the disease is chronic and difficult to treat. Asthma most often develops in childhood and includes characteristic wheezing, making it easy to identify the disease. Severe forms of asthma require long-term treatment, otherwise the disease becomes chronic and stays with the person until the end of life.
Other triggers for the cough reflex include damage to the vocal cords, bacterial infections (pneumonia, whooping cough, bronchitis), pulmonary embolism, heart failure, gastro-intestinal reflux, as well as psychological problems and certain medications.
Disease classification
Before choosing a cough medicine for adults, you should determine what type it belongs to. There are the following types of manifestation of the disease:
- acute - appears suddenly and lasts up to 2-3 weeks;
- subacute - this type can last from 3 to 8 weeks;
- chronic - lasts more than 8 weeks;
- wet, moist or productive - proceeds with sputum that rises up the respiratory tract;
- dry or unproductive - excruciating barking cough that produces phlegmnot formed;
- night - occurs only at night, during the patient's sleep.
A correctly identified type of illness will allow adults to choose an effective cough medicine for adults, which will quickly relieve the symptoms of the disease and alleviate the patient's condition.
Disease diagnosis
As a general rule, an experienced doctor will determine the nature of the disease by referring to his medical experience, but sometimes additional diagnostic tests may be required. Before deciding which cough medicine is best in a particular case, one should exclude diseases of the internal organs (heart, stomach, thyroid gland), which provoke involuntary contraction of the lungs, diaphragm and cause illness.
Additional diagnostic tests include patient sputum samples, chest X-ray, spirometry, and more. A cough of an infectious nature is treated with the same drugs, for a bacterial one, completely different medicines are used. If, for example, a patient is diagnosed with asthma, the patient is prescribed specific remedies.
How to treat an infectious cough
Infectious, or viral, cough has its own characteristics. It usually develops suddenly, within 1-2 days, and can be quite annoying. Additional symptoms include headache, malaise, and sometimes fever. In some cases, the infection affects not only the respiratory tract, but also the nasopharynx, then a runny nose is connected to the symptoms. Throat and cough medicine in this case should be directed to fightwith a viral infection. Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, or Aspirin can help relieve symptoms while the immune system clears the infection. They will help reduce fever, reduce the manifestation of pain. Prices for such drugs are low and vary between 150-300 rubles. Before taking such a cough medicine during pregnancy, you should carefully study the instructions so as not to harm the unborn baby.
During treatment, the patient should receive plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and, as grandmothers like to say, “flush out” the infection from the body. An important component of treatment will be quitting smoking (if this bad habit takes place). Tobacco smoke not only provokes the disease, but also aggravates its course. Adults should not use any medicine for dry cough in this case. Sucking lozenges will help relieve irritation and sore throat. Antibiotics are not usually recommended as they do not kill the viral infection.
Bacterial cough treatment
Medications for bronchitis and coughs are aimed at thinning sputum and improving the process of its discharge. A disease of a bacterial nature is a complication of a viral infection, when secondary infection with microbes (bacteria) occurs. Such phenomena can lead to the development of bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, pleurisy and other diseases of the upper respiratory tract. In this case, the most effective cough medicine for adults is prescribed,called an antibiotic. It is needed to eliminate a bacterial infection, the symptoms of which are characterized by fever, fatigue, weakness, chest pain, heavy breathing, which is often accompanied by wheezing and wheezing. If the cough continues for a long time, blood may be present in the sputum. Unfortunately, bacteria are very adaptable, and prolonged use of antibiotics makes them more resistant to various therapies. In the conditions of inpatient treatment, patients are prescribed drugs for bronchitis and cough in various combinations of drugs in order to obtain more effective results of therapy.
It is important to remember that all antibiotics must be used as directed. The effect of these drugs on the body weakens over time. Failure to complete the prescribed course of treatment increases the likelihood that drug-resistant strains of microorganisms will develop. That is why it is very important to continue antibiotic treatment for as long as the attending physician prescribes, without stopping therapy after the symptoms disappear.
Productive or unproductive?
A productive, or wet, cough is often beneficial because it helps the lungs and bronchi get rid of mucus and phlegm, so there is no point in suppressing it. In more serious cases, the doctor may prescribe a special medicine for coughing up phlegm to improve the process of its elimination and make it easier for the patient to breathe.
Dry, or unproductive, cough is characterized by excruciating symptoms: a feeling of continuous sore throat, headaches and pain in the areatrachea (or bronchi). Sputum is not formed, which prevents the patient from coughing.
Dry cough medicine for adults should help to soften it and remove the resulting sputum. As soon as it begins to separate, we can assume that recovery is close, and until that time the infection will firmly "sit" in the respiratory tract. Which cough medicine for adults to choose depends largely on the cause of its appearance (infection, allergies, etc.). With an allergic nature of the disease, the patient is prescribed antihistamines, with a viral one - antiviral agents, and with a bacterial one - antibiotics. Drugs that alleviate the symptoms of the disease and improve the expectoration process include Bromhexine, Ambroxol, Muk altin and other mucolytics. If the symptoms of the disease are so painful that they interfere with sleep, then the best cure for dry cough for adults is suppressive drugs that suppress the cough reflex. These include medicines "Folkodin", "Kodterpin", "Sinekod" and others. Milk with the addition of baking soda, mineral water "Borjomi" or any other natural mineral water is very useful for an unproductive cough. A good expectorant are syrups and potions, such as the drug "Bronholitin", syrups of plantain, marshmallow root, ivy.
Cough medicines with phlegm are called expectorants. They facilitate the discharge of mucus from the bronchi and lungs and contribute to its rapid removal. Receptionexpectorants are needed if large amounts of thick mucus are produced. Such a category of drugs as cough medicines with sputum includes tablets and syrups "Lazolvan", "Prospan", "Givalex", "Flavamed", "ACC" and others. Prices for medicines range from 250-400 rubles. The same remedy should not be taken for a long period, as the body may become addicted to this drug, and the treatment will become ineffective. Walking in the fresh air, drinking plenty of water and inhaling are useful if a wet cough is diagnosed. The medications the patient is taking should be prescribed by a doctor, as self-medication can have bad consequences.
Treatment during pregnancy
During pregnancy, any treatment should be approached with great care, and coughing is no exception. Of course, waiting for the birth of a baby, a woman should take care of her he alth and try not to get sick. In case of illness, you can not self-medicate, because the best cough medicine during pregnancy is one that does not harm the baby. As a rule, expectant mothers prefer traditional medicine, but even here there are some pitfalls. The fact is that not all medicinal plants are equally useful: some of them can be poisonous or toxic. Before starting cough treatment during pregnancy, you should definitely consult with your doctor about the appropriateness and safety of taking certain drugs. Of the drugs sold inpharmacy, you can use marshmallow and plantain root syrup, Prospan, Givalex, Erespal syrups.
Folk recipes
Safe throat and cough medicine for pregnant women - homemade lozenges. The only contraindication to the use of medicinal lozenges (or to reduce their number) is an increased level of sugar in the blood. To prepare medicinal lollipops, you need to mix sugar with a decoction of thyme. Proportions for mixing: for 300 grams of sand, 100 milliliters of broth. Dissolve the sugar in the thyme broth, pour into an enamel bowl and put on fire. Boil the syrup for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. As soon as the mass begins to solidify, pour it into silicone molds for ice with a spoon. Such lozenges can be absorbed throughout the day, the cough will pass by the end of the first - maximum of the second day of treatment.
Cough medicine, which is relatively cheap, is also prepared at home. For pregnant women, this remedy is the safest and no less effective. To prepare it, you will need one liter of milk and 1 large carrot. Peel the carrots, cut into 2-3 parts, put in milk and put on a slow fire to languish. When the milk is reduced by half, it should be filtered, cooled and drunk during the day in small portions while warm.
Using a nebulizer to treat a cough
A nebulizer is a device that is used to deliver medicinedirectly into the airways to the lungs. It does this by converting liquid medicine into an aerosol that can be easily inhaled.
Cough nebulizer medicines include:
- inhaled corticosteroids - drugs that reduce inflammation in the airway due to swelling;
- bronchodilators are drugs used in the treatment of asthma;
- NSAIDs – reduce airway inflammation but do not control symptoms of allergic asthma.
Prophylaxis of cough in adults
If a person has a cough, treatment, drugs not only have a positive effect, but also have a negative effect on the body: they undermine the immune system. Rather, it will engage in preventive measures and strengthen the immune system in order to prevent the disease. Preventive measures include the following:
- You should avoid hypothermia, wear warm clothes in the cold season.
- Wash your hands often during the season of colds and infectious diseases. This will help prevent the spread of the cough-causing virus.
- Avoid contact with people who have symptoms of a cold or infectious disease, of course, if possible.
- Refuse to smoke any tobacco products (including hookah). A dry, hacking "smoker's cough" means the person has lungsconstantly irritated. This circumstance can lead not only to complications such as bronchitis or pneumonia, but also to more serious oncological problems.
- It is important to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke (called secondhand smoke) at home, at work, and in public places.
- Increase your fluid intake per day. This will keep the level of mucus in the airways within normal limits and prevent dehydration.
- During cold and infectious disease season, get an annual flu shot.
