Cough is a classic symptom of a common cold that causes a lot of inconvenience. In this case, pharmacies sell a lot of drugs without prescriptions that can significantly alleviate the patient's condition. Sputum pills help cope with this common and unpleasant manifestation of bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia.
It is important to note that the choice of a drug depends on a large number of nuances, the main of which is the nature of the cough. In this article we will try to deal with them. Despite the availability of “cough” medications, it is recommended that you consult your healthcare provider who knows all the features of the disease before taking any medicine.
Type of cough
Before you start taking sputum pills, it is important to understand what type of cough you have encountered.
Specialists distinguish its two main types - dry and wet. At the first, which in medical language is called an unproductive cough, a person is tormented by constant systematic attacks, accompanied by unpleasant sore throat. In this case, it is required to take antitussive drugs. We will present their list below.
Wet cough (according to medical terminology, productive) helps relieve sputum. If it is poorly excreted, you should start taking expectorant drugs, which will increase its production. Another option is to drink mucolytics, which help thin the sputum, which facilitates its removal from the respiratory system.
Causes
A strong wet cough with a lot of sputum is a sure sign of acute inflammation with a cold. It indicates that the pathology has already reached the bronchi, and in some cases alveoli with bronchioles. In the worst case scenario, a wet cough can lead to pneumonia. The disease begins, usually with a dry cough, which in a few days turns into wet as the infection spreads.
In adult patients, this symptom causes a cold, which results in acute inflammation. In addition, there is the so-called "smoker's cough" that occurs due to the ingestion of dangerous resins and other substances into the lungs. It can be observed in a completely healthy person. It is important to start treatment of the disease in time, as a sluggish and prolonged inflammatory process can lead to the formation of irreversible changes in the bronchi.
Among the extrapulmonary causes of coughing can be diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Possible complications
A doctor should definitely prescribe sputum pills, because otherwise the development of a pulmonary disease without proper treatment can lead to serious complications. Sputum forms in the bronchi. If there are difficulties with its departure, then this becomes the reason for the reproduction and growth of microbes. As a result, the bacterial flora joins the inflammatory process that was originally caused by the respiratory virus.
The development of a secondary bacterial infection is usually regarded as a complication of the current disease. The most common of them are pneumonia, purulent bronchitis. These are quite serious ailments that can cause human death even in our time with the significant development of modern medicine.
Indirect symptoms may indicate a complication. Among them, a deterioration in well-being, a repeated wave of a significant increase in temperature, an increase in the amount of expectorated sputum, especially in those cases when it acquires a yellow-greenish tint with a characteristic purulent character.
Source of Wet Cough
To conduct effective treatment, it is important to find out what is the source of a dangerous wet cough. During the development of the inflammatory process, the normal functioning of the ciliary epithelium, which lining the bronchi from the inside, is disturbed.
Its main function is aimed at naturally cleansing the surface of the mucosa from the smallest foreign particles. With inflammation in the bronchi, mucus accumulates, its stagnation begins. As a result, viscous sputum is formed. Her clots in the lumen of the bronchi cause chest cough. The body tries to push them out of the airways to restore normal breathing.
It turns out that the role of a foreign object is sputum, which must be removed from the lungs using mechanical contractions. When its clusters become viscous and thick, it is much more difficult to push it out. The cough is dry. The patient's condition begins to improve only if the clots of mucus begin to recede. As soon as the viscosity of sputum decreases, the process of its withdrawal is much easier, and the cough is bubbling and wet. At this stage of the development of the disease, the most important thing is to dilute sputum as quickly as possible in order to facilitate its removal from the lungs. As a rule, a wet cough intensifies in the morning after a night’s sleep, as well as when the patient’s body position changes.
Complex treatment
Sputum tablets should not be the only way to treat the disease. Medical assistance is required comprehensive. The fight against the inflammatory process should be conducted in several directions.
It is important to start the fight against the inflammatory process itself, to stimulate the removal of sputum from the bronchi, to facilitate its dilution, if it is too viscous, to eliminate spasms in the bronchi when they appear.
In this article, we will talk about the most effective and common cough pills with sputum. These are Ambroxol, Bromhexine, Libexin, Mukaltin, and ACC. Consider each drug in more detail.
"Ambroxol"
One of the most popular cough pills with sputum is Ambroxol. This is a mucolytic agent, which is widely used during colds of the respiratory tract, as well as with a productive cough.
This drug effectively promotes sputum discharge, treats acute and chronic bronchitis. It is important that it can be combined with most other drugs, increasing the effectiveness of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy. It is believed that this tool is very safe, therefore, it is prescribed for both adults and children.
"Ambroxol" in the form of cough tablets with sputum should be taken after a meal with a significant amount of liquid. Adults are advised to establish a dose of one tablet three times a day. If agreed with a doctor, it can be increased to two tablets twice a day. Also, the drug is released in the form of a syrup and a solution for inhalation.
These tablets for sputum in the throat have contraindications, which must be taken into account. True, there are very few of them. Drinking this medicine is prohibited only in the first trimester of pregnancy and with hypersensitivity to the substances that make up its composition. These are ambroxol hydrochloride (active element), lactose, silicon dioxide, potato starch, calcium stearate.
These pills for the removal of sputum should be taken with caution during breastfeeding, in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, as well as in liver or kidney failure.
Bromhexine
Effective pills for sputum discharge - Bromhexine. This drug helps with a productive (wet) cough. In a pharmacy it can be found in the form of tablets or medicine (the latter option is considered more preferable for children). This drug causes sputum thinning and an expectorant process. As a rule, the result appears five days after the start of the drug.
"Bromhexine" is used for wet cough, acute or chronic bronchopulmonary diseases, for example, for emphysema, tracheobronchitis, cystic fibrosis, chronic pneumonia, bronchial asthma. These are the sputum pills you should take.
It is worth noting that they are contraindicated in pregnant women during the first trimester and children under the age of six. In some cases, it is allowed to take this drug for a whole month without interruptions. These sputum-thinning cough tablets should be taken with extreme caution by young children.
Among the obvious advantages: increased expectorant effect, complex treatment of the disease, the minimum number of contraindications. The drug is prohibited for patients with gastric ulcer. Also, it can not be combined with drugs, which include codeine.
Take one tablet three times a day.
Libexin
What other pills to drink from sputum? Doctors often prescribe Libexin patients. This is an effective tool, the effect of which is somewhat different from what mucolytics have. The composition of "Libexin" includes:
- Prenoxidiazine (active element).
- Povidone.
- Lactose Monohydrate.
- Talc.
- Glycerol.
- Magnesium stearate.
- Corn starch.
The drug acts like codeine (it is an opium alkaloid), but does not affect the functioning of the nervous system and is not addictive. The medicine is able to slightly expand the bronchi, which reduces the pressure of mucus on the receptors, their irritation decreases. The activity of the cough center located in the medulla oblongata also decreases. Thus, "Libexin" does not help remove sputum, but significantly reduces coughing. This drug helps in the treatment of respiratory diseases, regardless of what stage the disease is at. It very effectively blocks a cough, gives a person the opportunity to sleep, helps to cope with a catarrhal disease faster.
"Libexin" can not be taken for a long time.
Adults and children over 12 years of age are recommended to drink one tablet (100 mg) three to four times a day. If the situation is difficult, the dose can be doubled, but only after consultation with the doctor.
For children under 12 years of age, the drug is prescribed in a dose of 25 to 50 mg 3-4 times a day.
This drug is forbidden to take in the postoperative period, when the patient undergoes inhalation anesthesia, as well as with abundant bronchial secretion.
Among the side effects should be noted allergic reactions, dry throat or mouth, constipation, stomach pain, nausea. In some cases, fatigue and sedation appear in a mild form.
This drug is not recommended for patients with lactose intolerance, since each tablet contains up to 0.38 mg of this substance.
Mukaltin
Effective cough pills with sputum - "Mukaltin." The drug is a compound of polysaccharides based on the medicinal mallow, has an expectorant property. Due to reflex stimulation, the activity of ciliated epithelium significantly increases.
These cough pills removing sputum are recommended for chronic and acute respiratory diseases, accompanied by a large amount of sputum, which is difficult to secrete, too viscous. Such ailments include tracheitis, pneumonia, obstructive bronchitis, tracheobronchitis of the lungs.
These sputum excretion tablets should be taken orally by adults two at a time three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is from one to two weeks, which depends on the severity of the patient's condition. Children from 3 to 12 years old are recommended to give one tablet. Pills can be dissolved like candy, or dissolved in a glass of warm water.
Among the contraindications to this drug, hypersensitivity to the individual substances that make up this drug, as well as peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach, are noted.
The main side effect that you should be wary of is an allergic reaction.
"ATSTS"
Cough pills “ATSTS” will help to remove sputum. In the pharmacy you can find this drug in granules, which are intended for the preparation of a solution. The manufacturer also produces a drug in the form of effervescent tablets. They also need to be dissolved (1 pill per glass of water).
These effective sputum cough tablets have a high expectorant and sputum-thinning effect, are considered one of the most effective means to combat wet cough.
The drug "ACC" is safe and effective in the treatment of diseases of the bronchopulmonary system and nasopharynx, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, lung abscess, cystic fibrosis, tracheitis, sinusitis. These cough pills that thin the sputum have anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects, help thin the sputum, especially purulent and mucopurulent sputum, which many other medicines cannot handle.
"ACC" is often prescribed for children. For them, the drug is available in the form of granules for the preparation of syrup with an orange flavor.
It is important to remember that “ACC” is contraindicated in pregnant women. During lactation, it should be used with extreme caution. The drug can not be combined with other antitussive agents. With complex therapy with antibiotics, you need to take a break of at least 2 hours between taking these drugs and the “ACC”.
These are very good sputum cough tablets. Among their obvious advantages should be highlighted a pleasant taste, practical packaging. This medicine quickly and effectively relieves cough and removes sputum, helps with a large number of various ailments associated with the respiratory system.
In this case, patients should be wary of developing allergies. ATSTS has a lot of contraindications. It can not be taken with a fairly wide range of diseases and pathological conditions. These include:
- Hemoptysis.
- An ulcer of the duodenum and stomach in the acute stage.
- Pregnancy.
- Pulmonary hemorrhage.
- Hypersensitivity to acetylcysteine, as well as other components of the drug.
- Effervescent tablets should not be given to babies up to 2 years old, and granules - up to 6 years.
With caution, “ACC” should be taken by minors, as well as patients with an increased risk of hemoptysis and pulmonary hemorrhage, with varicose veins of the esophagus, with diseases of the adrenal glands, bronchial asthma, and renal failure.
Adults and adolescents over the age of 14 should take two effervescent tablets or two sachets of granules two to three times a day. At the age of 6 to 14 years it is recommended not to exceed the dose at the rate of one effervescent tablet three times a day. At the age of two to five years, the doctor prescribes the dosage. When prescribing this drug for children under the age of 14, it is imperative to discuss the rationale for choosing this particular drug with a doctor.
When diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and a total body weight of up to 30 kg, he considers the feasibility of increasing the dose to 800 mg of acetylcysteine per day. This issue also requires coordination with your doctor.
We examined which sputum pills should be taken.