Patient's question:
A three-year-old child has had a cold recently and has been experiencing it until now. They cough constantly and often vomit after drinking milk. Despite taking many cough suppressants, there has been no improvement.Doctor's answer:
Hello: Cough itself is not an independent disease but a defensive response to clear foreign substances from the respiratory tract. Mild cough is harmless to the body and can be treated by addressing the cause without the need for cough suppressants. However, when severe cough causes suffering to the patient, cough suppressants can be cautiously used.There are many causes of cough, such as acute or chronic respiratory inflammation, respiratory foreign bodies, compression of the respiratory tract, allergic reactions, pleural irritation, and so on. Therefore, when treating a coughing patient, it is essential to first comprehensively analyze the condition, identify the cause, and then select appropriate cough suppressants based on the underlying condition for symptomatic treatment.
Medications for treating cough are mainly divided into three categories: antitussives, expectorants, and bronchodilators.
Antitussives mainly include: codeine, morphine, pholcodine, phenergan, licorice syrup, etc. These drugs are effective for mild respiratory inflammation and irritative dry cough but certain anesthetic drugs in this category must be used under the guidance of a doctor.
Expectorants include: juniper oil, ammonium chloride, potassium iodide, acetylcysteine, rhododendron, and little cough syrup, etc. These drugs are effective for clearing excessive and thick respiratory mucus.
Bronchodilators include: ephedrine, salbutamol, theophylline, vitamin K1, etc. Asthma is often caused by allergies or inflammation stimulating bronchial smooth muscle spasm. The pharmacological action of bronchodilators primarily involves relaxing bronchial smooth muscle, facilitating mucus expulsion. When using these drugs, it is important to choose those with minimal side effects and are safe and reliable for children.