Question
Detailed medical condition and purpose of consultation: Cough, without phlegm, no other discomfort. Only before and after sleep. Current condition: Medical history: None Additional information for the first question: No history of allergies
Answer
Hello, coughing itself is not an independent disease but a defensive reaction to clear foreign objects from the respiratory tract. Mild coughing is harmless to the body and can be treated by addressing the cause without the need for cough suppressants. However, when severe coughing causes discomfort to the patient, cough suppressants can be considered as needed. There are many causes of cough, such as acute and chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract, foreign objects in the respiratory tract, compression of the respiratory tract, allergic reactions, and stimulation of the pleura, etc. Therefore, when encountering a patient with a cough, it is first necessary to analyze the condition comprehensively, identify the cause, and then choose appropriate cough suppressants for symptomatic treatment on the basis of treating the underlying cause. Cough treatments are mainly categorized into three types: cough suppressants, expectorants, and bronchodilators: cough suppressants include codeine, morphine, cough syrup, cough emulsion, and glycyrrhizin mixture, etc., which are effective for mild respiratory inflammation and irritating dry coughs but some of these anesthetics must be used under medical guidance. Expectorants include myrtle oil, ammonium chloride, potassium iodide, phlegm cleaner, full mountain red, and small cough syrup, etc., which are effective in clearing excessive and thick phlegm from the respiratory tract. Bronchodilators include ephedrine alkaloids, Theophylline, Aminophylline, Vitamin K1, etc. Bronchospasm is often caused by allergies or inflammation that stimulate the bronchial smooth muscle spasm