Best Expectorant Drug Names

The best expectorant drug You can get rid of phlegm with it. The respiratory system ensures that the oxygen in the air passes into the bloodstream through the vesicles in the lungs.

Oxygen in the bloodstream is used by cells to produce energy from carbohydrates and some other organic molecules.

After this metabolic activity, a molecule called carbon dioxide is formed, which must be excreted. The resulting carbon dioxide reaches the lungs through the bloodstream and is discharged from there to the external environment.

What Is the Best Expectorant Drug?

With each inhalation, in addition to oxygen, many living or non-living substances in the air also reach the lungs. The mucus in the sputum is a gel-like fluid substance that the lungs and airways use as a defense mechanism against these foreign substances.

Sputum is a common condition observed in newborn babies. Since babies' lungs are not yet fully developed, foreign matter, dust and microbes cause the lungs to become irritated. Such situations cause sputum to be coughed up.

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Diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, COPD, pneumonia, lung fungus, lung abscess, cystic fibrosis, congestive heart failure, pneumoconiosis, lung cancer can lead to sputum formation. Apart from this, the use of cigarettes and tobacco products is one of the conditions that trigger phlegm.

1. Ball

Honey, which prevents excessive sputum formation, is also used in the treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases, especially in children. To take advantage of the expectorant properties of honey, you can consume 1 tablespoon of honey by squeezing lemon juice in the evening. Especially chestnut honey is very effective in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

2. Ginger

Ginger fights infections with its antibacterial properties. Regular use of ginger will relieve congestion by relaxing the lung muscles. You can add ginger to your meals, prepare ginger juice or use it to make ginger tea.

3. Garlic

Known as a natural expectorant, garlic has antimicrobial properties. Thanks to this feature, it not only removes phlegm, but also helps to reduce it. You can add garlic to your meals by grating or crushing it.

4. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is known to be good for respiratory tract congestion such as throat and nose. The menthol in peppermint oil helps relax the lung muscles and break down phlegm. To benefit from the expectorant effect of peppermint oil, boil a bowl of water. Add 1-3 drops of peppermint oil into it. Cover your head with a towel and inhale the steam.

Thus, you can see that the blockages are reduced in a short time. Apart from this, you can apply a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the chest area to reduce congestion.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is often used as a decongestant. With its antibacterial properties, it fights against bacteria that cause phlegm. You can dilute apple cider vinegar with water and use it as a mouthwash, add it to salads and meals and consume it with pleasure.

Over-the-counter Expectorants

• Assist Cold C Powder: The active ingredient of the drug is paracetamol, acetylcysteine ​​and vitamin C. Excessive sputum seen in people can be seen with diseases such as high fever or flu, and the mentioned drug has the feature of improving cough, fever and excessive phlegm. In addition to these, the drug, which has the effect of relieving pain, is also effective in upper respiratory infections.

• Dekoferin- E Syrup: Containing the active ingredient guaifenesin, the syrup in the form of medicine reduces the thickness of the sputum and reduces the stickiness of the secretions in the respiratory tract. The syrup, which also reduces the swelling in the nasal cavities, also allows you to breathe more easily. It also allows patients with chest congestion to easily expel sputum together with coughing.

• Daymol Effervescent Tablet: The expectorant drug, which is the active ingredient of acetylcysteine ​​and paracetamol, allows the disintegration of sputum, which is seen intensely, and the process of being expelled more. It can also be used in diseases such as colds and flu that may occur. It is a drug that also reduces dark phlegm, nasal congestion and pain.

• Mucofix 1200/400 Effervescent Tablet: The active ingredients of the drug, which provides relaxation of the lung and chest muscles, are acetylcysteine ​​and doxophylline. It allows the airways in the nose to expand and, accordingly, to breathe more easily. The drug, which is mostly used for COPD patients and asthma patients, also ensures that dense sputum is expelled more easily.

• Alles 600 Mg Effervescent Tablet: The active ingredient of Alles 600 mg Effervescent Tablet, which is widely used for colds and diseases caused by colds, is acetylcysteine. The expectorant drug, which dissolves the excess sputum in the respiratory tract and ensures that it is expelled easily, causes coughing during use and allows the sputum to be expelled more easily.

• Sekrol 15 Mg Pediatric Syrup: Ambroxol hydrochloride, which is the active ingredient secrole 15 mg Pediatric syrup helps to reduce the severity of extremely sticky sputum that occurs in the respiratory tract. In addition, it is among the effective drugs that provide relief from diseases such as otitis media, shortness of breath, bronchitis and rhinitis.

• Sudafed Expectorant: The active ingredients of Sudafed Expectoran, which reduces excessive secretions in the respiratory tract, are guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. The drug, which provides the opening of the upper respiratory tract and the opening of the congestion in the chest, also increases the cough in people and opens the way for the sputum to be ejected easily. Said expectorant drug should only be used on the advice of a doctor and it is prohibited for children under 12 years of age.

What Causes Phlegm?

• Under normal conditions, there is a balance in the production and clearance of sputum. Sputum production with cough occurs as a result of disruption of this balance. At the same time, an increase in the production of secretions in the airways may occur in cases such as flu, sinusitis, allergic events or exposure to air pollution.
• Smoking and chemicals in the structure of cigarettes both stimulate the secretion of more secretions, and may damage the hairs in the airways and cause the cleaning phase to be interrupted. As a result of these factors, sputum formation becomes easier.
• If the production of secretions in the airways continues for a long time, it can accumulate in various levels of the respiratory system and cause obstructions. The mucus that accumulates as a result of not ensuring the cleanliness of the airways may pave the way for infections by harmful microorganisms.
• In diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and cystic fibrosis, excessive secretions produced over a long period of time accumulate in the airways. Due to this accumulation, the airflow can be prevented from advancing in the airways. These patients need to produce sputum constantly in order to breathe comfortably, but because the sputum structure is not fluid enough, they have difficulty in coughing it up.
• In asthma, there is an increase in the cells responsible for the production of mucin in the mucus content. This can also be observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The increase in the mucin substance in the content causes the formation of a darker and stickier sputum.
• Another disease characterized by excessive sputum production is cystic fibrosis. This disease is a genetic disease that occurs as a result of mutation in a gene in DNA. Among the symptoms of cystic fibrosis, in addition to producing thick sputum, the following can be added;
  • Coughing blood from the lungs (hemoptysis)
  • Shortness of breath
  • a rapid deterioration in lung function
  • Prolonged and recurrent respiratory tract infections 

The most common symptoms that occur following the disruption of the production and cleaning balance in the airways are cough and shortness of breath. Patients with a postnasal drip complain of feeling like something is stuck in their throat. The reason for the emergence of shortness of breath is that the secretions formed blockage in more than one airway. These obstructions cause various sounds to occur during breathing and their detection can occur during the physical examination, when the physician listens to the lung sounds with the help of a stethoscope. 

What are the sputum types?

Some features of the sputum, such as color, coughing, foamy or continuous presence, give clues about the underlying disease. 

• The complaint of sputum production, which continues for a long time and produces an excessive amount of foul-smelling sputum, is a finding that is generally encountered in the case of bronchiectasis. 
• Sputum that occurs suddenly and is expelled during the course of a febrile lung disease usually occurs in lung abscesses. 
• In respiratory system diseases caused by viruses, a very low amount of sputum may occur or sputum may not occur at all.
• A rust-colored and dark sputum may be a sign of pneumonia.
• Green-yellow, foul-smelling and thick consistency sputum is usually a sign of lung diseases caused by bacteria. If this type of sputum is due to tuberculosis, it is expected that systemic symptoms such as fever, night sweats and decreased body weight will be accompanied in these individuals.
• If there is sputum that is bright red in color and foamy, care should be taken in terms of malignant diseases of the lung.
• If the sputum removed is pink in color and foamy, it is considered a sign of fluid collection in the lungs.
• Streaky blood on the sputum occurs in diseases caused by pneumococcal bacteria, which is the causative agent of pneumonia, and staphylococcus, a bacterium normally found on our skin, in the lungs.
• If a bacterial species called Klebsiella causes disease in the lungs, dark brown and foul-smelling sputum occurs.

How Is Sputum Excreted?

The secretions formed in a normally functioning respiratory system are carried to the nasal cavity by the movement of the hairy projections in the respiratory tract, and then pass to the stomach or, when necessary, the secretions are excreted with the cough reflex. 

 In order for the formed sputum to be expelled more easily;

• Consuming more fluids
• Using nasal sprays containing moisturizing saline are non-drug relaxing methods that can be applied if deemed appropriate by the physician.

At the same time, people with expectoration complaints should be conscious about the cleaning of the filters in the ventilation systems in the environment they live in. 

Dust and various particles accumulated in the filters of ventilation systems that control room temperature, such as air conditioners, can trigger sputum production when taken with the respiratory air.

In cases where sputum is produced excessively or cannot be excreted for various reasons, sputum excretion can be facilitated by the use of certain drugs in treatment, if deemed appropriate by the physician.

Drugs called expectorants have an effect on reducing the stickiness of the thick sputum that accumulates in the airways by increasing the amount of liquid in it. They are also known as expectorants.

During the use of these drugs, care should be taken about the side effects that may occur in the digestive system, especially in the stomach.

In general, expectorants act to reduce the stickiness of the existing accumulation by stimulating secretion in the airways. 
A group of drugs included in expectorant drugs act by disrupting the chemical structure of the mucus in the secretion. These drugs, called mucolytics, provide the breakdown of protein substances in the mucus, and as a result, the accumulated sputum is softened.

Note: “Page content is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.”