Contents:
- Medical Video: How To Treat A Cold | How To Cure Common Cold | Best Medicine For A Cold And Fever And Sore Throat
- Which type of cough medicine should I choose?
- Expectorant cough medicine
- Mucolytic cough medicine
- Supressant or antitussive cough medicine
- Combination cough medicine
- Topical cough medicine
Medical Video: How To Treat A Cold | How To Cure Common Cold | Best Medicine For A Cold And Fever And Sore Throat
When coughing doesn't heal, cough medicine is definitely your choice. However, the choice of cough medicine that is very much may make you confused which type of cough medicine you should choose. Now, to determine your choice of medicine, first recognize your cough type.
Which type of cough medicine should I choose?
You need to know, not all cough medicines are the same. Every cough medicine is designed to treat different types of cough, namely dry cough and phlegm cough. The active ingredient of each type of cough medicine is different. So, adjust to your type of cough when choosing a cough medicine.
The types of cough medicines that you can choose at a pharmacy to treat your cough are:
Expectorant cough medicine
This type of cough medicine serves to alleviate cough with phlegm. This cough medicine works by thinning mucus, so you can cough more easily. This type of cough medicine contains an active ingredient, namely guaifenesin. Guaifenesin is thought to increase the amount of water in the discharge of mucus, so that phlegm is thinner and easier to remove. Expectorants have common side effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Before using expectorants, you should read the usage instructions first.
Mucolytic cough medicine
Mukolitik is also a type of cough medicine to relieve cough with phlegm. However, it has a different way of working with expectorants. The mucolytic cough medicine works by changing the physical and chemical properties of phlegm, so that the phlegm is more runny. The content of active ingredients from mucolytic is usually bromhexine and acetylcysteine. So, if you find this cough medicine, it is a mucolytic cough medicine for coughing up phlegm. Don't use it for dry coughs.
Supressant or antitussive cough medicine
This type of cough medicine serves to alleviate dry cough or cough without phlegm. As the name implies, suppressants work by suppressing the cough reflex, so the frequency of your cough is less frequent. Supressants contain active ingredients, the most common being dextromethorphan (DM). Before taking cough medicine, you should first read what the drug contains and read the rules of use.
Combination cough medicine
You can use cough combination drugs when you not only suffer from coughing, but also colds or fever. Combined cough medicines usually contain more than one active ingredient so you can use them to treat coughs, colds, stuffy nose, and others. Usually combination cough medicines mix expectorants and suppressants with antihistamines, decongestants, and pain relievers. Antihistamines function to relieve itching in the throat and also have a sedative effect. Whereas, decongestants can relieve congestion.
Before choosing this combination drug, you should first read the drug description and adjust it to your pain symptoms. If you experience a dry cough, you should not take an expectorant and decongestant combination drug because this medicine is intended to relieve cough with phlegm.
Topical cough medicine
If you do not want to use cough medicine taken, you can use topical cough medicine by applying it to your body or inhaled. This topical cough medicine is usually used to relieve it cough and stuffy nose. The ingredients of this medicine are usually eucalyptus oil, champor, and menthol which provide a warm effect to suppress coughing. This cough medicine is usually in the form of a balm or vaporizer.
