Treatment of cough with phlegm

Treatment of cough with phlegm or, as it is commonly called, productive cough is carried out not just with pills or cough mixtures, but with the help of mucolytic drugs that thin the phlegm, and mucokinetic (expectorant) agents that promote its removal.

Treatment of cough with expectoration is contraindicated with drugs that suppress the cough reflex (antitussives based on codeine, glaucine, butamirate or prenoxdiazine): they are used only if the cough is dry.

Treatment of cough with difficult to separate sputum

The main pharmacological preparations that provide effective treatment of cough with difficult to separate sputum, as well as treatment of severe cough with sputum of any nature, should have acetylcysteine, carbocysteine, bromhexine or ambroxol as an active substance. Briefly - about each of these substances.

So, acetylcysteine - sodium salt of N-acetyl-L-cysteine - makes bronchial mucus less viscous, blocking the polymerization of mucins, but increases its amount by stimulating the cells that produce mucus. At the same time, the biotransformation of acetylcysteine leads to the formation of an active metabolite - the sulfate amino acid cysteine, which is a powerful antioxidant. And due to this, this drug exhibits certain anti-inflammatory properties.

Acetylcysteine preparations - ACC, Acestin, Acetal, Fluimucil, Mukobene, etc. - are recommended for adults and adolescents to take 0.2 g twice a day (ACC in the form of effervescent tablets - 1-2 tablets), children aged 6-14 years - 0.1 g. These drugs are contraindicated for gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, coughing up blood, bronchial asthma without viscous sputum, high blood pressure and problems with the adrenal glands.

Carbocisteine, which is related to secretolytics and stimulants of contraction of muscle tissues of the respiratory system, is included in the composition of the drugs Bronkatar, Bronchocod, Mucosol, Mukodin, Mukopront, etc. All dosage forms of drugs in this group not only liquefy thick sputum well, but also normalize the condition of damaged mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. But in case of inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and bladder, as well as during pregnancy, these drugs are contraindicated.

In case of respiratory diseases, symptomatic treatment of cough with copious sputum can also be carried out with drugs that contain benzylamines, these are bromhexine (drugs Bromhexine, Bronchosan, Bisolvon, Lizomucin, Mugocil, etc.) or ambroxol (Bronchopront, Brontex, Lazolvan, Ambrobene, Flavamed, etc.). In terms of pharmacodynamics, indications and contraindications, side effects and other characteristics, there is practically no difference between them, since bromhexine is a synthetic derivative of the alkaloid of the leaves of the Asian plant Adhatoda vasica vasicine, and ambroxol is a pharmacologically active product of bromhexine metabolism.

They act like Acetylcysteine to liquefy thick, difficult-to-separate sputum, and facilitate the discharge of sputum by stimulating the activity of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract. The therapeutic effect of these mucolytic agents is not felt immediately, but after several days.

Bromhexine in tablets of 0.0016 g is taken by adults and children over 14 years old, one tablet three times a day; children aged 6-14 years should take one tablet of 0.008 g (or half the adult dose). The most common side effects of these drugs include skin rashes, headaches and dizziness, runny nose, dry mucous membranes, nausea, intestinal disorders, abdominal pain, dysuria, chills, increased PQ interval, decreased blood pressure, and shortness of breath.

And contraindications of Bromhexine and Ambroxol include gastric and duodenal ulcers and the first three months of pregnancy. Although the instructions of some trade names of drugs with these active ingredients state that animal studies have not revealed their teratogenic effects. However, given that Bromhexine has an effect similar to the hormone oxytocin, its use during pregnancy is strictly contraindicated (especially since the alkaloid vasicin is known for its ability to stimulate myometrial contractions).

Mucaltin tablets (they contain marshmallow root extract) - one tablet 3-4 times a day; Pectussin lozenges (with eucalyptus oil); Bronchicum syrup (it contains thyme, primrose and honey) - adults 1 teaspoon orally every 5-6 times a day (for adults) and half the dose for children (three times a day) successfully cope with the treatment of productive cough.

Treatment of cough with purulent sputum

Treatment of cough with purulent sputum, in addition to the above mucolytic drugs, for symptomatic therapy, must necessarily include treatment of cough with sputum with antibiotics. For this purpose, doctors recommend patients such antibacterial drugs as Ampicillin, Augmentin, Azithromycin, Rovamycin, Levofloxacin, etc. They are the ones that ensure the elimination of pathogenic bacteria that have infected the respiratory tract.

Treatment of cough with green sputum, the secretion of which is typical for acute bronchitis, bronchotracheitis, pneumonia (pneumonia or bronchopneumonia), bronchiectasis, purulent inflammation of the pleura or maxillary sinuses in many cases is carried out with broad-spectrum antibiotics Augmentin (other trade names are Amoxicillin, Flemoxin) or Levofloxacin (Tavanic, Flexid, etc.). A five- or seven-day course of Augmentin is prescribed to adults and children over 10 years old - 0.5 g (three times a day, after meals); children from 5 to 10 years old take 0.25 g, and 2-5 years old - 0.125 g three times a day. And Levofloxacin can be used only after 18 years: 0.25-0.5 g (before meals) twice a day.

When prescribing antibacterial treatment for cough with yellow sputum, for example, in pneumonia, Ampicillin (Ampexin, Riomycin, Cimexillin, etc.) is often recommended. Adults should take 500 mg 4 times a day, and for children, doctors calculate the daily dose based on the proportion of 100 mg per kilogram of body weight; the resulting amount of the drug should be divided into 6 doses per day.

It is important to keep in mind the following: if you have been prescribed Acetylcysteine (or another medicine based on it) and antibiotics with ampicillin at the same time to help clear sputum when coughing, then their intake should be separated by at least 2-2.5 hours, since these drugs reduce each other's therapeutic effect.

Treatment of allergic cough with phlegm

In most cases, the cough due to allergies is dry, however, the course of the disease can be accompanied by the addition of infectious factors with swelling of the mucous membranes, and then mucus is coughed up, usually without impurities.

According to medical recommendations, symptomatic treatment of an allergic cough with sputum is carried out using the same drugs for liquefying sputum and expectorating it, as with an inflammatory cough. And in etiological therapy, antihistamines should be used, for example, Claritin (Loratadine, Lotaren, Clallergin, etc.) or Fenistil. Thus, Claritin in tablets is prescribed one tablet of 0.001 g once a day, in the form of syrup - a dessert spoon once a day.

In diagnosed chronic bronchitis of allergic origin, the most appropriate method of administering the following drugs is the inhalation method: Atrovent - 3-4 inhalations per day; Ventolin - 2.5-5 mg per inhalation, four inhalations per day (the drug can cause headaches and heart rhythm disturbances); Pulmicort - 1-2 mg per day.

It is also very important to breathe correctly during an allergic cough: after another coughing fit, you need to hold your breath for five seconds (to avoid bronchial spasm), and inhale air slowly.

Treatment of smoker's cough with phlegm

Smokers often cough, especially in the morning, and this should make you think seriously about the real threat of developing the so-called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, treatment of a smoker's cough with phlegm should be started at the first symptoms: first, a dry cough in the morning, then coughing up clots of mucous translucent phlegm begins, which very soon acquires a gray or greenish tint. Then shortness of breath joins the cough, attacks of severe coughing during intense inhalation of air or with a sharp change in body position.

What do doctors recommend in such cases? First, quit smoking. And not only the already mentioned mucolytics will help to clear the respiratory tract of phlegm, but also the famous drops of the Danish king - a chest elixir with licorice root extract (25-30 drops three times a day, if there are no liver problems), and Pectosol with elecampane root extract (20-30 drops three times a day, in the absence of gastric diseases).

Decoctions of such indispensable medicinal plants for wet coughs as coltsfoot, plantain, oregano, savory, and black elder flowers are very helpful. It is necessary to drink a glass of herbal decoction (or infusion) during the day - several sips, after meals. For a decoction, it is enough to boil one tablespoon of dry raw materials in 200-250 ml of water for five minutes, for an infusion - pour the same amount of boiling water, but in both cases you need to close the container tightly and leave it for at least an hour.

In addition, regardless of the causes of this symptom, treatment of cough with phlegm can be facilitated and accelerated by doing wet-steam inhalations with regular table salt or baking soda.