Cough is the body’s response to any irritants which your airways and throat may get exposed to. Coughing helps to remove foreign material in the lungs and airways or is a reaction to an irritated airway to help expel the irritant. The cough usually manifests as a symptom of an underlying disease and is not a disorder on its own. There are many reasons why a patient may be suffering from persistent coughing.
Some of these include bacterial infection in the lungs, a viral infection, chronic lung disease, stomach acid reflux, postnasal drip, influenza, allergies, etc.
These infections might lead to diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, whooping cough, laryngitis, tuberculosis, COPD, reflux esophagitis, or the common cold in the long term. Cough is also a symptom of many other serious diseases, such as lung cancer, heart diseases, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or even neuromuscular diseases such as Parkinsonism.
Symptoms
You may notice your cough as a dry cough, without the production of any phlegm or sputum. This usually occurs after a cold or after exposure to an allergen such as dust or smoke. Alternatively, phlegm and mucus will also be produced with the cough.
Occasional coughing is normal and helps the body get rid of irritating foreign material. However, if it persists over several weeks with a discharge of coloured or even bloody mucus, it should not be left unchecked and requires immediate medical attention.
Persistent or chronic cough is usually a symptom of another disorder and accompanies other symptoms associated with a particular disease, for example, in some cases coughing may be accompanied by a runny and stuffy nose. Prolonged, vigorous coughing can become very exhausting leading to sleeplessness, headaches, urinary incontinence, and highly stressed ribs. That’s why you must not ignore it if your cough does not stop after a few weeks.
When to See a Doctor
If you experience shortness of breath, gasping or choking along with your cough, you must seek help from your doctor. In addition, wheezing, coughing up coloured phlegm and running a fever with your cough are also signs of an underlying infection or disorder and must be assessed by a doctor. In extreme cases, if you cough up blood or pink-coloured phlegm, it indicates the need for immediate medical care.
Treatment
Investigation of the cause of cough is very important to initiate a treatment plan personalized to the patient case.
Depending on patient diagnosis and the severity of their cough, your medical specialist may prescribe you medications that will be focused on countering allergies, treating bacterial infections or suppressing the cough so it doesn’t interfere with your everyday activities.
For instance, patients who face persistent coughing due to allergies will be advised to avoid allergens that worsen their condition. Similarly, patients who are smokers will be asked to quit smoking as it can worsen lung disorders or patients suffering from coughs due to stomach acid reflux will be asked to alter the frequency and quantity of their meals and or shifted to suitable medication.
Where another serious illness is the cause of the cough, the doctor will devise a specialized treatment plan to treat the patient’s underlying disorder.
Proposed Use of Medication
Your doctor and or nurse will give patients specific instructions about the prescribed medication. Please ensure that patients take or use the prescribed medicine as advised. It can be dangerous to your health if one self-prescribes. Please inform the doctor or nurse beforehand if you have experienced any adverse reactions to any medications in the past.
Medicines for Adults
If you have a dry cough, a preparation containing an antitussive such as dextromethorphan or pholcodine is the most suitable to try. If you have a chesty cough, a preparation containing an expectorant such as guaifenesin or ipecacuanha is the most suitable to try. Your pharmacist can advise you which one may be suitable for you. If you are buying these cough medicines from the supermarket, they are usually clearly labeled and state on the box which type of cough they aim to help.
Take a look at these tablets above by Don Valley- one of the top pharmaceutical companies in Lahore and a leading exporter. The Haiskast Tablet comes in a pack of fourteen. Each tablet contains 10mg of Montelukast- which is basically a novel molecule for the treatment of asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergies, etc.
The Resotin Tablets come in a pack of ten. Each tablet contains 10mg of Loratadine- which is a basic molecule to help in the management of allergies.
Lastly, the Virtec Tablets come in a pack of ten, and or even five hundred tablets. Each tablet contains 10mg of Ceritizine HCI- which is used to treat allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, allergic disorders etc.
Let’s take a look at some medicines offered by other pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Pakistan. The Arinac Tablet by Abbott Laboratories- one of the top pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan is a combination of Ibuprofen and Pseudoephedrine. It’s great for treating sinusitis and nasal congestion.
Medicines for Children
For children under 6 years of age, only give them simple cough syrups such as glycerin, honey, and lemon. Do not give children who are younger than 6 years old cough syrups with any of the active ingredients listed (antitussives, expectorants, antihistamines, or decongestants) but products with natural ingredients be given to children under 6 years of age. This is because the risk of a young child having a side-effect to one of these preparations is greater than any possible benefit of the cough medicine.
Children older than 6 years old can usually take cough medicines safely. Consider other soothing measures first as any cough medicines can have side-effects.
Don Valley pharmaceuticals, one of the top manufacturers and exporters in Lahore offers Orolin Syrup in a pack of 120ml. Each 5ml of the syrup contains 32mg of Aminophyllin, 30mg of Ammonium Chloride and 8mg of Diphenhydramine. All of these chemicals are great for treating the common cough disorders.
Lastly, the Cosome Syrup by Martin Dow Pharmaceuticals- one of the top in Pakistan medicine company list, is composed of Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide, Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride and Chlorpheniramine Maleate. This one, too, is effective against the common cough disorders.
Side-Effects
Most people who take cough medicines do not have side-effects. Some cough medicines (for example, pholcodine and diphenhydramine) can cause drowsiness. If you are drowsy after taking a cough medicine, you should not drive and you should not operate machinery. Pholcodine may cause constipation.
Other Medicines
Always check with your nearest pharmacist at a pharmacy in Pakistan before buying any cough medicines from the chemist or supermarket to see if they are safe to take with any other medicines you may be taking.
Some cough medicines contain other medicines as well. For example, some may contain natural ingredients such as Ivy leaf, Thyme, Licorice, etc. These medicines with natural ingredients enjoying better acceptance with efficacy and safety.