An unproductive cough often occurs in infectious and inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory organs.
To eliminate this unpleasant symptom, adult patients are prescribed drugs that thin the pathological secret. The result of their use is a decrease in the density of mucus, a moderate anti-inflammatory effect and the prevention of adhesion of sputum to the walls of the respiratory system. What medications are diluted and excreted in sputum, we will talk below.
Causes
A cough with a pathological secret may be associated with certain processes, for example:
- Bronchitis (a disease of the respiratory system in which the bronchi are involved in the inflammatory process).
- Pneumonia (inflammation of the lung tissue, usually of an infectious origin with a primary lesion of the alveoli and interstitial lung tissue).
- Allergic reactions.
- Tuberculosis (an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis and accompanied by the formation of granulomas in various organs).
- Smoking.
- Inadequate humidity.
How to dilute phlegm in the bronchi
To reduce the viscosity of the pathological secretion in adult patients, medications that dilute sputum when coughing are often used. This type of drug includes strong, effective therapeutic agents. The main task of such drugs is to dilute the mucus, as a result of which it is more actively discharged, and the general condition of the patient is improved.
Modern medicines that thin the mucus are divided into several groups:
- Drugs that have a central effect.
- Medicines with peripheral influence.
- Non-narcotic drugs.
- Narcotic drugs.
Mucolytic drugs that thin the sputum when coughing do not belong to the drugs used in monotherapy. As a rule, they are used in combination with antimicrobial drugs.
Drugs that have a central effect
This type of medication is aimed at diluting bronchial and pulmonary pathological secretions. It is represented by the following means:
- Sinecode.
- Mucobene.
- "Atsestin."
Sinecode
The medicine is prescribed for the treatment of cough, which appears with bronchitis, tracheitis, whooping cough, or due to frequent smoking. The medication effectively eliminates the pathological secret, helps to stabilize breathing and improve spirometric indicators. "Sinecode" is made in the form of syrup, drops and dragees. The main active ingredient of the drug is butamirate citrate.
"Sinecode" is the best medicine that dilutes sputum in children (from three years old). A syrup can be prescribed to people with diabetes, since the composition of the drug includes sorbitol, which is not prohibited in this category of patients.
Since drowsiness and lethargy may appear during the use of a medication, during therapy it is necessary to refrain from driving vehicles and controlling complex equipment that requires increased attention from the patient.
"Atsestin"
Mucolytic, produced in tablet form. The main active ingredient is acetylcysteine. The drug helps to thin the viscous and mucopurulent pathological secretions in patients with acute and chronic bronchitis, as well as pneumonia, viral or bacterial tracheitis, sinusitis, bronchial asthma.
Together with the main pharmacological action, this medication provides an anti-inflammatory effect, suppresses free radicals, and helps detoxify harmful components.
With special care, you need to use a medicine that dilutes sputum in the bronchi in adult patients and children, with the following diseases and conditions:
- A history of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
- Bronchial asthma (a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract involving a variety of cellular elements).
- Obstructive bronchitis (diffuse inflammation of the bronchi of small and medium caliber, proceeding with a sharp bronchial spasm and progressive violation of pulmonary ventilation).
- Hepatic or renal failure.
- Histamine intolerance.
- Headache.
- Vasomotor rhinitis (respiratory failure through the nose due to narrowing of the nasal cavity, due to a violation of vascular tone in the mucous membrane).
- Itching
- Varicose veins of the esophagus.
- Diseases of the adrenal glands.
- Arterial hypertension (persistent increase in pressure).
When using acetylcysteine (active substance), people with bronchial asthma should ensure the release of pathological secretions. For infants, the drug is prescribed only for indications at a dosage of 10 milligrams per kilogram under the strict supervision of a medical specialist. Between receptions "Atsestina" and antimicrobial agents, it is important to observe an interval of two hours.
Peripheral drugs
A peculiarity of such medicines is considered to be the influence only at the local level, which leads to irritation of the walls of the respiratory system. Commonly prescribed drugs include:
- Ambrohexal.
- "Lazolvan."
- Libexin.
What kind of medicine dilutes sputum well?
Ambrohexal
The composition of the drug includes ambroxol (the active component), which dilutes the pathological secretion in the respiratory organs and improves its release. The drug is available in tablet form, has good tolerance, in addition, it is prescribed even at an early age.
The main indication for its use is the defeat of the upper and lower respiratory tract, which occurs with inflammatory processes and the release of viscous mucus.
Before starting therapy, it is important to study the annotation. During subsequent use, a number of special instructions must be taken into account:
- Use the medication for children under two years of age, women during pregnancy can only be with the permission of a doctor.
- Tablets can be consumed only after eating: this will reduce their detrimental effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum.
- During therapy with the drug, you need to drink more fluid, which will facilitate the dilution of the pathological secretion.
- The duration of treatment with this medication, as a rule, is four to five days, with prolonged dry cough and stagnation of mucus in the bronchi, the doctor can extend the course of therapy.
- Pills go well with other medicines. In particular, this drug increases the content of antimicrobial components in sputum, which helps to accelerate the elimination of bacterial infections.
- It is not recommended to take Ambrohexal at the same time with antitussive drugs that suppress cough, as this can lead to the accumulation of pathological secretions in the bronchial tree and lungs.
- With extreme caution, the medication can be used for concomitant pathological processes in the liver or kidneys, while it is imperative to regularly monitor their functioning.
- Tablets do not affect the patient's attention and the speed of his psychomotor reactions.
"Lazolvan"
The drug is prescribed for adult patients and children from the first months of life, has several forms of release:
- syrup;
- tablets;
- solution for inhalation and oral use;
- lozenges.
"Lazolvan" - one of the best drugs that thin the sputum with a dry cough. The medication contains ambroxol, with the help of which it stimulates the discharge of sputum in the bronchi, and also improves its outflow and facilitates coughing. The composition of the solution includes benzalkonium chloride, a component that, when inhaled during inhalation, can lead to bronchospasm in hypersensitive people.
In case of kidney damage with severe organ dysfunction, therapy with Lazolvana solution is possible only after consultation with a doctor.
In the recommended pharmacological concentrations, the drug does not adversely affect the functioning of the central nervous system and does not slow down the rate of psychomotor reactions.
The drug is strictly contraindicated in combination with treatment with antitussive medications, which have a direct effect on the cough center in the medulla oblongata.
Under the influence of Ambroxol, the pharmacological effect of antimicrobials is enhanced, as a result of which their dosage and duration of therapy may need to be reduced.
Non-narcotic drugs
The following centrally acting medications help thin the mucus:
- Glauvent.
- Sedotussin.
- Tusuprex.
Glauvent
The drug is available in tablet form. The active substance is glaucine hydrobromide. The medicine is highly effective for dry cough, which is associated with infectious and inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory organs, as well as bronchial asthma, pleurisy, tuberculosis and lung cancer.
Use "Glauvent" is prohibited with increased sputum production, as well as hypertension, after a recent myocardial infarction. It is not recommended to use the medication for a productive cough with the formation of a pathological secret, since as a result of a delay in bronchial mucus, there is a possibility of obstruction of the bronchi. People with labile blood pressure should take the medicine with extreme caution because of the possible collapse that is due to the sympatolytic effect of Glauvent.
Dyes E110 and E124 included in the structure of the drug can cause allergies. One of the auxiliary substances of the medication is wheat starch, in which it can be gluten, but only in small quantities. As a result, the use of the drug is harmless for patients with celiac disease.
Since drowsiness, as well as dizziness, fatigue, and weakness are likely to occur, people who drive a car and other sophisticated machinery need special care.
Tusuprex
The drug for eliminating the pathological secretion in adult patients is released in tablet form. The composition of Tusuprex includes oxeladine citrate. This component effectively eliminates the dry variety of cough, which proceeds with a complicated discharge of the pathological secretion.
Tablets for mucus are prescribed if the patient has:
- Asthma.
- Bronchospasm.
- Bronchiectatic disease.
For Tusuprex, it is not peculiar to provoke severe adverse reactions. In addition, the medication does not have a large list of contraindications and can be used during pregnancy.
Direct narcotic drugs
Medicines from this group have an effect, as a rule, on the central nervous system, reduce the viscosity of sputum and facilitate coughing. Among the most popular are:
- Codelac.
- Kaffetin.
Kaffetin
The drug is available in the form of tablets and syrup. The active components of the mucolytic drug are: propiphenazone, caffeine, as well as paracetamol and codeine phosphate. The complex composition of the product provides the best discharge of pathological secretions, neutralization of heat and drowsiness, increased efficiency.
Due to the ability to increase blood pressure, this drug is not recommended for use in hypertensive patients. In addition, the drug is prohibited during gestation and application of the baby to the chest, with leukopenia, hematopoiesis, as well as increased irritability, renal or hepatic pathologies.
Prolonged use of the drug must be carried out under constant monitoring of the functioning of the liver and peripheral blood. During therapy, it is not recommended to take alcoholic beverages, as it can provoke stomach and intestinal bleeding.
In the treatment, drinking caffeinated beverages can cause nausea, heart palpitations, tinnitus and other signs of drug poisoning. The effect of the medication can distort the results of doping control in athletes, causing difficulty in determining the diagnosis in patients with acute abdominal pain. The likelihood of a reaction of increased sensitivity is most prone to people with hay fever or bronchial asthma.
During the use of the drug, it is necessary to refrain from driving, as well as mechanisms and other activities, which require a high speed of psychomotor reactions and increased attention.
Conclusion
Most medicines of these groups can provoke an overdose. Therefore, if a patient has any side effects, it is urgent to consult a doctor to prescribe another treatment.
With the right selection of the drug, a person will not have negative reactions that can interfere with driving or with complex mechanisms.
Although some mucolytic agents are alcohol-based, they cannot be combined with alcohol anyway, as the toxic effect on the liver and kidneys is enhanced.
It must also be remembered that narcotic drugs that contribute to the discharge of pathological secretions are prescribed by a medical specialist and dispensed from pharmacies with a doctor’s prescription. Self-treatment with such drugs is unsafe, because it can cause dependence and negative side effects.