Dry cough sometimes difficult to cure without transferring it in the wet. To do this, there are a number of drugs. But sometimes a dry cough can be so obsessive that it is required to suppress the part while translating in the wet. Thus each patient medications are selected individually depending on the characteristics of his condition.

Medications that can translate into a wet cough

All drugs that contribute to the formation and removal of mucus from the respiratory tract, are divided into two major groups:

• mucolytics - they stimulate the formation of phlegm;
• expectorants - contribute to the removal of airway mucus.

Expectorant drugs activate the muscles of the bronchi and the cilia of the mucous membrane, for the removal of mucus from the lower respiratory tract in the upper. These drugs are in turn divided into two groups - reflex and resorptive action. Reflex expectorants are mediated: they irritate the stomach lining, as well as the innervation of the internal organs has a single beginning (internal organs are innervated by the autonomic nervous system), the institution of a common nerve twigs transmitted to the bronchial mucosa, causing the patient to cough and promote thus sputum of bronchial tubes. This group of drugs include thermopsis, marshmallow root, Terpin hydrate and others.

Resorptive expectorants after ingestion absorbed into the blood and then fall into the tissue of the bronchi, giving them a stimulating effect. They contribute to the dilution of sputum and to some extent its elimination from the bronchial tubes. For drugs in this group are sodium iodide, potassium iodide, ammonium chloride, sodium and others.

Mucolytics stimulate the secretion of bronchial glands. Today the most commonly used mucolytics such as ambroxol and bromhexine. The action of these drugs is associated with the stimulation of the formation of surfactant - surfactant, which does not allow the alveoli and small airways to subside. In addition, the surfactant improves fluidity and facilitate its mucus clearance from the airways.

Medications that suppress the cough

In some cases, dry cough Dry cough - whether to worry about it?   It is so intrusive that it can not be cured or put into a wet, not suppressed. By centrally acting antitussive drugs (i.e., acting on centers in the brain) are narcotic drugs, such as codeine, which affect the central nervous system. But today, almost no codeine used to suppress cough, as they not only inhibit cough, and respiratory center, which may lead to respiratory arrest Stop breathing (apnea) during sleep - upper airway obstruction .

To suppress dry cough obsessive now used non-narcotic antitussive drugs that can be divided into centrally acting agents (they inhibit the cough by acting on the brain) and peripheral (affecting the nerve endings. Located in the mucosa of the respiratory tract).

By centrally acting antitussive drugs are tusupreks and stoptussin (sinekod). The drugs suppress the cough reflex, without affecting the respiratory center.

By peripherally acting antitussive drugs include, for example, libeksin, which has local anesthetic action on the bronchial mucosa and enhances their lumen (bronchodilator action presents). Libeksin also has a slight anti-inflammatory effect.

How to translate into a wet cough

The doctor chooses medicines for the transfer of dry cough during the wet individually, depending on the nature and degree of compulsion dry cough, as well as on the patient. In some diseases the patient is so weakened that it can not properly clear his throat. Such patients (and young children), expectorants and mucolytics medications prescribed with caution.

Most often, the doctor prescribes some drugs that partially suppress dry cough, while enhancing secretion and remove phlegm from the bronchial tubes. Together with phlegm airway leave infectious agents and toxic products of inflammation, which greatly facilitates the patient's condition. Typically, such patients are recommended to use more liquid.

Treatment of dry cough - it's not a simple matter and it must entrust the doctor who first identify the cause of the cough, and then prescribe appropriate treatment based on indications, contraindications, and the compatibility of certain pharmaceuticals.

Galina Romanenko

Vasoconstrictive nose drops - this is the most common drop, are used in the cold. However, the drop is far from safe, as have a number of side effects and contraindications for use. In addition, long-term use of vasoconstrictive drops runny nose increases, and to treat it becomes very difficult.

Vasoconstrictor nose drops - alpha-adrenoceptor agonists

Vasoconstrictive nasal drops help out perfectly with a cold when the nose refuses to breathe. But not all so simple, these drops have contraindications, moreover, they can even overdose. All vasoconstrictor drops belong to the group of alpha-agonists, ie stimulate the secretion of adrenaline.

Epinephrine is used to relieve local swelling and stop bleeding, as it causes instant narrowing of blood vessels. He is the mediator (transmitter) with nervous excitement sympathetic nerve endings in the tissue cells of various organs (adrenergic receptors).

Adrenergic receptors are divided into alpha and beta-receptors, the effects of mediators that causes a particular effect on the various organs and tissues. For each of these receptors have been thought up his drugs that increase their activity, they are called alpha and beta - agonists.

The effectiveness of local vasoconstrictor activity have alpha-adrenergic agonists, which are produced in the form of nose drops. This is the best vasoconstrictor nose drops. These include naphazoline (Naphthyzinum, Sanorin) xylometazoline (galazolin, xylene, ksimelin, dlyanos, Grippostad Reno, rinostop), oxymetazoline (nazivin, nazivin Sensitive), phenylephrine (nazol-baby).

After instillation of reduced blood flow to the nasal cavity, stops swelling of the mucosa and mucus, the free space in the nasal cavity increases, nasal breathing is restored.

But at the end of the term of the vasoconstrictor drops, blood vessels dilate again, and stronger than before the application of drops. But the systematic use of droplets are getting used to the vasoconstrictor nose drops: vessels lose their ability to independently maintain the right tone and are enhanced, despite the application of drops. Restore the motor activity of blood vessels in such cases, unable to work and after a long time. Therefore vasoconstrictive drops is not recommended for more than 5-7 days.

Contraindications to the use of vasoconstrictor nose drops and possible side effects

Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to the drug, high blood pressure, marked atherosclerosis of blood vessels, increased thyroid function The thyroid gland - is responsible for your hormones , Chronic runny nose, severe eye disease and diabetes Diabetes - threatening and incurable disease .

In applying the vasoconstrictor drops (especially when they overdose) may cause the following side effects: nausea, palpitations, headache, increased blood pressure Blood pressure - dangerous if his swing? Redness, swelling and irritation of the nasal mucosa. If you apply a drop of more than a week, there may be atrophy (shrinking) of the nasal mucosa. In overdose possible decrease in body temperature, increased blood pressure.

Children vasoconstrictor nose drops

Almost all types of drops are produced vasoconstrictor and children - to a lesser concentration. It is 0, 05% Naphthyzinum Naphthyzinum - carefully overdose , 0, 05% galazolin, 0, 05% dlyanos, 0, 01% nazivin (for children up to one year), 0, 025% nazivin (for children to 6 years) 0, 05% nazivin (for children after 6 years ), 0, 125% nazol-baby.

Widespread in the treatment of children received drops nazivin pharmaceutical company Merck (Germany). A distinctive feature of this drug is the production drops for children of different ages with different concentration. This allows you to choose nazivin, for a newborn child, and children of any other age.

The producers have warned that a long period of continuous use Nazivin to treat a child can lead to the development of medical rhinitis, which manifests itself in the form of tachyphylaxis (resistant vasodilatation against application Nazivin), atrophy (reduction in the volume shrinkage) and constant swelling of the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity .

Vasoconstrictive nasal drops can be used no more than 5 consecutive days and better prescription.

Galina Romanenko