expectorant, cough treatment: Not self-administered

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Cough with phlegm is a cough accompanied by the production of mucus. People with cough often feel short of breath and tired. To relieve coughs, patients can take cough suppressants with phlegm. However, do not arbitrarily use this medicine without the prescription of a specialist.

1. What is expectorant, cough medicine?


Cough is one of the symptoms of some respiratory diseases. Cough includes: Cough with phlegm (sputum cough) and cough without phlegm (dry cough). Cough with phlegm is a type of cough with the production of mucus or sputum, the most commonly used medicine to treat a cough with phlegm is an expectorant.
expectorant, cough medicine is also known as expectorant, expectorant. These drugs have the effect of loosening secretions from the tracheobronchial mucosa by changing the structure of the mucus, leading to a decrease in the viscosity and consistency of the sputum. This makes it easier for mucus to move and clear out of the airways.

2. Do not arbitrarily use expectorant and cough medicine for children


expectorant, cough treatment has 2 mechanisms of action:
Stimulates receptors to increase secretion of secretions in the respiratory tract. Effective doses often cause stomach upset and may cause vomiting, so caution should be exercised in people with a history of peptic ulcer. Some commonly used expectorants are sodium iodide and potassium iodide... when used for a long time, these drugs can cause iodine accumulation, so they should not be used as cough medicine for children, pregnant women, and people with goiter. Stimulates secretory cells. Some essential oils are volatile such as terpin, eucallyptol, gaicol. These essential oils also have an antiseptic effect. Do not use gaicol as expectorant, cough medicine for children under 30 months old.

Cha mẹ nên tham khảo ý kiến bác sĩ trước khi sử dụng thuốc
Cha mẹ nên tham khảo ý kiến bác sĩ trước khi sử dụng thuốc

Besides, it should be noted:
The expectorants, cough medicine for children only play a supportive role in treating cough with phlegm, avoiding abuse and indiscriminate use. Cough medicine, expectorant for children should be used at the lowest effective dose and for as short a time as possible to limit the side effects of the drug. Do not combine cough medicine with expectorant because it will cause more sputum to be secreted and cannot be expelled. Cough medicines that combine many ingredients (such as Neocodion, Codepect, Atussin, Arsiba...) in addition to side effects may also have adverse interactions with other drugs when used at the same time. Some drugs can cause nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, headache, allergic reactions such as N-acetylcysteine, so they should not be used concurrently with antitussive drugs or drugs that reduce bronchial secretion. When treating cough absolutely should not use expectorants in combination with cough suppressants, because there is little evidence for their effectiveness, while patients may experience undesirable effects. Expectorants, expectorants are only used for adults and children over 12 years old. Expectorants should not be used in case of chronic cough. It is best that patients only use expectorants and expectorants for children in inpatient treatment at medical facilities with supportive conditions such as sputum suction, vibration (when necessary) to help children spit out sputum. out easier.

Cha mẹ nên đưa trẻ đến gặp bác sĩ để được thăm khám và điều trị sớm
Cha mẹ nên đưa trẻ đến gặp bác sĩ để được thăm khám và điều trị sớm

3. Some methods to treat cough and expectoration

In addition to measures to use expectorant, it is possible to combine the use of a number of measures such as:
Sauna: Helps break up sputum and helps create a cough mechanism to cough up sputum Drink lots of water: Will help thin sputum and ease coughing to spit out more. Take a warm bath: To help break down phlegm, making it easier to expectorate. Actively rest and avoid places with cigarette smoke.

Uống nhiều nước tốt cho việc trị ho, long đờm
Uống nhiều nước tốt cho việc trị ho, long đờm

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