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Cough medicine
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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In all cases of cough, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease (sinusitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, left ventricular failure, etc.). Regardless of the cause of the cough, all patients must quit smoking.
To treat cough as a symptom, cough suppressants may be prescribed. These cough suppressants are indicated for dry, severe coughs that do not produce sputum. Such coughs occur with whooping cough, laryngitis, pleurisy, compression of the trachea and bronchi by enlarged lymph nodes, mediastinal tumors, or aortic aneurysms; laryngeal cancer; goiter, reflex cough, and in some cases chronic pharyngitis. Antitussives include centrally acting drugs (inhibit the cough center) and peripherally acting cough suppressants (reduce the sensitivity of cough receptors).
Expectorants for cough are prescribed for diseases accompanied by the appearance of sputum. Such agents include drugs that stimulate expectoration (reflex and resorptive action); mucolytics (ambroxol, acetylcysteine); mucoregulators (carbocysteine and its derivatives); mucohydrants (promoting sputum hydration); bromchoroics (volatile balms). The use of expectorants should be combined with postural drainage of the bronchi.
In cough variants of asthma, treatment is carried out in several directions:
- Elimination measures - maximum possible limitation of contact with the allergen in case of atopy.
- Basic anti-inflammatory treatment is carried out (ketotifen in combination therapy, cromoglycates, nedocromil, antileukotriene drugs, inhaled glucocorticoids). In some cases, both with "eosinophilic bronchitis" and with "cough" asthma, the effect of taking medications may be delayed compared to classic cases of asthma (it may occur several weeks after the start of treatment).
- Prescribe bronchodilator symptomatic cough medications (sympathomimetics, anticholinergics, theophylline derivatives).
- Prescribe expectorants (if necessary).
- Antibiotics and antifungal drugs are prescribed (if a secondary infection occurs).
- ASIT is carried out (as a pathogenetic treatment for atopy).
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