In the cool season, colds are considered the most common problem. In pharmacies, a large list of drugs for the treatment of any type is presented.
Coughing is one of the most unpleasant symptoms of colds, as well as inflammatory and tumor processes in the organs of the chest cavity. Coughing is considered a good sign that indicates a cleansing of the lungs.
Meanwhile, the pathological secret is far from always possible to eliminate on its own without difficulty, since the mucus can be very sticky or sticky. That is why doctors pay great attention to the dissolution of sputum when coughing with low productivity. What medications for thinning a sputum with a dry cough exist?
When are mucolytics used?
The main point in effective therapy is the diagnosis and determination of the cause of the disease. There are two types of coughs:
- Dry.
- Wet.
Dry occurs in the lungs and is characterized by the formation of a viscous pathological secretion and its small secretion. In therapy, mucolytic drugs are used.
Wet "tells" about the occurrence of the inflammatory process and its transition into the trachea, as well as deeper into the bronchi. In such a situation, medications are used to thin and sputum.
Expectorant medicines are needed when an inflammatory process appears, regardless of the type and origin of the disease. Simple actions and following the doctor's recommendations will help to avoid complications.
Properties of mucolytic drugs
Diluting pathological secret medications are prescribed in accordance with certain symptoms of the disease. Mucolytics are prescribed, as a rule, with a dry cough. They help to effectively thin and reduce the viscosity of mucus. In addition, drugs facilitate the elimination of sputum and reduce the symptoms of the disease.
When exposed to special enzymes, the work of the bronchial mucosa is stabilized. Medications for liquefaction of sputum in adults are presented in tablet form (Bromhexin, Mukaltin), as well as in the form of solutions and mixtures for inhalation (Berodual), powders and dragees for the manufacture of hot drinks (ACC). It is possible to purchase drugs without a prescription from a medical specialist.
When treating a wet cough, doctors prescribe a combination of drugs to thin the pathological secretion. For complications, medications for sputum reflex action are used. They help strengthen the urge to cough, this leads to accelerated elimination of mucus. As a rule, sputum pills "Mukaltin" are often prescribed, as well as syrups from marshmallow root or licorice.
Tablets and syrups: classification
The modern pharmacological market offers an extensive list of drugs for sputum. List of sputum thinners for children and adults:
- "Codelac Broncho."
- "Herbion".
- "Bronchicum".
- "ACC".
- "Ambroxol".
- "Lazolvan."
- Bromhexine.
- Mukaltin.
"Codelac Broncho"
The drug has a mucolytic, as well as expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect. Such biological effects are due to the active components included in the structure of the medication:
- Ambroxol dissolves mucus, and also helps to effectively remove it.
- Glycyrrhizinate has an anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membrane of the respiratory system, and also has antiviral and antioxidant activity.
- Dry extract of thermopsis has an irritating effect on the nerve endings of the gastric mucosa, due to which the secretion and excretion of pathological secretions are reflexively enhanced.
- Sodium bicarbonate shifts the reaction of the sputum medium to the alkaline side, which leads to a decrease in its viscosity.
The complex effect of the active components of Codelac Broncho helps to better discharge pathological secretions along with pathogens and foreign compounds.
"Herbion"
It is this drug that is prescribed to patients to eliminate dry unproductive cough. The natural components that make up have a mild sedative and enveloping effect on the irritated mucous membrane of inflamed organs. "Herbion" is an effective medicine for thinning sputum.
Ascorbic acid in the structure of the drug enhances the body's defenses, subsequently, the drug acts as an immunostimulant. The active substances of the Herbion syrup inhibit the activity of pathogens, which prevents the spread of inflammation to the lower parts of the respiratory system.
Plantain extract, getting into the stomach, begins to actively stimulate the production of bronchial glands, which reduces the viscosity of the pathological secretion and facilitates expectoration.
People who used Herbion syrup with a dry cough noted that a couple of days after the start of treatment, the mucus was well excreted, and the paroxysmal cough completely disappeared after a productive cough and a pathological secretion disappeared.
"Bronchicum"
The product is made on a plant basis from the group of mucolytic drugs. The syrup has a bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory, as well as expectorant and antibacterial effect. The use of "Bronchicum" helps to thin the mucus and facilitates its discharge.
"Bronchicum" is one of the good medicines for thinning sputum in children and adults. The drug is prescribed to patients from twelve years old at ten milliliters three times a day. For children, the dosage is slightly different:
- From six months to one year - 2.5 ml twice a day.
- Children from twelve months to two years - 2.5 milliliters three times a day.
- For small patients from two to six years old - 5 ml twice a day.
- Children from six to twelve years old - 5 milliliters three times a day.
The medication is recommended for use at the same time intervals throughout the day.
"ATSTS"
The active component of the drug is acetylcysteine. "ACC" reduces the viscosity of pathological secretions and improves its excretion from the respiratory system. In addition, the active substance has several additional pharmacological actions:
- Antioxidant effect.
- Detoxifying properties.
For prophylactic purposes, the use of a medication to thin the sputum in the bronchi reduces the likelihood of acute respiratory viral diseases that are accompanied by a cough.
The active component with the help of a dispersible form is rapidly absorbed into the blood from the stomach and small intestine, the pharmacological concentration is reached already fifteen minutes after using the solution, reaches its maximum content after three hours.
"Ambroxol"
Mucolytic medicine, which has an expectorant, as well as secretolytic and secretory motor effect. As a result, the drug helps to effectively reduce the viscosity of pathological secretions, normalizes the ratio of serous and mucous components.
In addition, the medicine "Ambroxol" increases the motor activity of the ciliated epithelium, and facilitates the removal of mucus from the respiratory system. The pharmacological effect occurs thirty minutes after taking the medicine.
"Lazolvan"
The solution is a mucolytic agent, the active component is ambroxol, it increases the pathological secretion in the respiratory system, and facilitates the discharge of mucus due to its increased dilution.
When using this medicine, people have a productive wet cough. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, prolonged treatment with the drug leads to a significant decrease in the frequency of disease repeats.
Bromhexine
If people in the medical history have had stomach bleeding or a stomach ulcer, the drug should be used under medical supervision. Patients with bronchial asthma "Bromhexine" should be used with extreme caution.
It is not recommended to simultaneously use the medicine and antitussive drugs that block the cough center. This medication is not compatible with alkaline solutions.
Mukaltin
When oral medication is used to thin the sputum when coughing, the active substance for a long time covers a thin layer of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system, protecting them from irritation.
As a result, inflammation decreases, and repair processes in the tissues intensify. With the help of reflex activation, the activity of the ciliated epithelium increases, the peristalsis of the bronchioles and the development of the secrets of the bronchial glands improve.
Inhalation
In cough therapy, in most cases, this technique is used to thin the pathological secretion. The use of inhalations improves overall well-being, and also accelerates the healing process. This procedure helps drugs get directly into the lungs, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract and circulatory system.
The most effective are inhalation with cold steam using a nebulizer, since hot steam negatively affects the state of blood vessels and can lead to burns of the mucous membrane. Inhalations can be carried out both with ordinary saline and mineral water. Such procedures are safe even for children and women in a “position” at any time.
Pairs of drugs enter the bronchi, diluting the pathological secret, and help its speedy elimination. In addition, inhalation helps to moisturize the mucous membrane and relieves inflammation. If drugs are used during the procedure, their dosage is determined by a medical specialist taking into account the age and health of the patient.
To dissolve the mucus, you can use Ambroxol, Fluimucil, Lazolvan. In order for inhalation to be more beneficial, you must adhere to certain rules:
- All medicines should be used in dissolved form.
- A certain amount of the drug is diluted with an aqueous solution of sodium chloride, and then inhalation is already carried out.
- It is not recommended to exceed the dosage prescribed by the doctor, since this action will not increase, but will only lead to various negative reactions.
Inhalations are carried out in courses from five to ten days. It is advisable to undergo therapy to the end so that the pathological secret comes out completely. One procedure lasts from five to seven minutes. Inhalation can only be carried out in the absence of an elevated temperature.
If it is higher than 37.3-37.5, then it is better to transfer inhalation, since it can cause an even greater increase in temperature. Before and after therapy, you should wipe the mask (nebulizer) with disinfectants. It is necessary to do the procedure one hour after and the same amount before meals. Immediately after inhalation, you should not eat, drink, smoke or go outside. If during treatment it became ill, dizziness, cough, an asthma attack appeared, the procedure should be interrupted and the doctor should be informed about it.
Opinions
Reviews of medications for thinning sputum are positive or neutral. The drugs are not toxic, do not provoke discomfort or discomfort. For example, "Mukaltin" can also be given to children, the medication is highly effective in all infectious processes of the upper respiratory organs.
As a rule, feedback about Bromhexine for adults is positive. The drug in most situations does its job perfectly, practically does not cause side effects.
The situation is a little more complicated when the question is about children and their parents who want to eliminate the child’s cough as soon as possible, and when this does not happen immediately. Then they are ready to speak negatively about any medicine.
Once again, Bromhexine syrup for children is intended to solve the problem of softening bronchial secretions, and various bronchopulmonary diseases may require treatment with different medications from other drug groups. Therefore, before giving children any remedy, you need to seek the advice of a therapist and follow his instructions.
On forums, responses about Lazolvan are left, as a rule, by patients who themselves used the medicine for treatment. They note that with respiratory diseases after the start of therapy, the patient's condition was relieved after a few days.
There are many positive reviews about other mucolytic drugs, about their quick and effective action.