Patient's question:
How can a child's chronic cough be permanently cured? First question supplement: I also had this problem when I was a child, but it naturally improved later. However, after intense exercise, I feel a dry and itchy throat. I don't want my child to experience the same thing. I have used these medications (I have all used them, but the effects are not obvious, and licorice has only a temporary effect). Can it be permanently cured?Doctor's answer:
Hello, cough is a protective response of the body. For example, if a grain of rice accidentally enters the trachea while eating, it can be expelled through violent coughing. During bronchitis or pneumonia, coughing and expectoration help to expel bacteria and tissue breakdown products from the lungs. Cough medicine aids this process.The cough medicine commonly referred to actually includes three types: antitussives, expectorants, and bronchodilators. Antitussives include licorice syrup, licorice tablets, pholcodine tablets, and cetylpyridinium chloride tablets. Expectorants include potassium iodide and ipecacuanha. Bronchodilators include ephedrine, theophylline, and aminophylline.
The various causes of cough need to be analyzed to prescribe the appropriate treatment. For example, cough caused by a cold is due to irritation of the upper respiratory tract inflammation, at which point coughing offers no protective benefit to the body. Therefore, using antitussives to suppress coughing can be beneficial for the illness. However, during bronchitis or pneumonia, there is a significant amount of mucus in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. In such cases, it is not advisable to use antitussives alone, as stopping coughing may leave mucus in the respiratory tract, leading to inflammation spread. Generally, expectorants should be chosen, such as ammonium chloride, which has a strong expectorant effect and is used for patients who cannot cough up mucus or have thick mucus. Due to the side effects of nausea and vomiting associated with expectorants, children's dosage should not be excessive.
Asthma is caused by allergic and inflammatory stimulation leading to spasm of the bronchial smooth muscles, and bronchodilators are muscle relaxants.
Children's hospitals combine the aforementioned medications into several formulations. Cough No. 1: Composed of polygala, asafoetida, and potassium iodide, it is used for general coughing, both in early and late stages.