Expectorants

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Non-Prescription Drugs

Expectorants are medicines used for treating cough problems. They help in loosening and clearing mucus and phlegm from the respiratory tract. Almost all cough medicines have expectorants which loose the mucus and phlegm. The patient coughs up the mucus and takes it out from his body. An expectorant drug gives relief to the cough by getting the mucus out of the body, but it is to be noted that all expectorants initially will cause more coughing. The basic purpose of an expectorant is to expell mucus and phlegm from the respiratory system. One should never swallow the mucus, but instead spit it out. As the mucus decreases, the cough stops eventually.

How do expectorants work?

When there is thick mucus and phlegm in the body, coughing is the way to get rid of these substances. Expectorants help in thinning the mucus. It makes the process of coughing easier and less painful by relaxing the throat and lungs. Expectorants are of two types:

Stimulating Expectorants: They stimulate a part of the body like the digestive tract. This is called stimulating reflex expectorants in which person vomit thus ejecting the mucus and phlegm. Popular expectorants of this type are Lobelia and Ipecac. There are some expectorants that work directly within the respiratory system. Another type of expectorant thins the mucus which helps the body to cough it up, thereby relaxing the throat and lungs and make coughing less painful. They are called relaxing reflex expectorants.

Direct Expectorants: Inhaling steam is a direct expectorant. Some use direct expectorants in the form of rubbing it on the chest or under the nose. The person breathes in the vapors. This is turn loosens and thins the congestion. The person can breathe easily as his congestion turns into water, which the body expels by running out the nose. The person may also cough up some mucus.

Important Ingredient in Expectorants

Gualifenesin is a common ingredient in expectorants like as anti-Tuss, Dristan Cold & Cough, Guaifed, GuaiCough, and some Robitussin products. Some products that contain Gualifenesin are available only with a physician's prescription; others can be bought OTC. They come in several forms, including capsules, tablets, and liquids.

Prescription Drugs

Non-Prescription Drugs