With global, and local, trends showing an increasing preference for over-the-counter (OTC) cough, cold and flu remedies, pharmacy shelves are stocked with a variety of allopathic and natural medicine, leaving us with copious choice, and some confusion. To help you navigate through the plethora of OTC medication, here is a quick guide of the most common types of cough medication and what they’re used for:
Definitions | Uses | |
Mucoactive Agents: Mucolytics Expectorants Mucokinetics Mucoregulator |
Mucoactive agents are a class of medication that help clear mucus or sputum from the upper and lower airways, including the lungs, bronchi, and trachea. Mucoactives include expectorants, mucolytics, mucoregulators, and mucokinetics. |
These are used in the treatment of respiratory diseases that are complicated by the over- secretion or thickening of mucus, i.e. wet cough. |
How these mucoactive agents work:
Mucoactive Agents | How It works |
Mucolytics | They thin the mucus by breaking down the chemical bonds between the molecules in the mucus. This reduces the viscosity of the mucus and promotes drainage of mucus from the lungs. |
Expectorants | They water down the mucus making it easier to cough up by signaling to the body to increase the amount or hydration of secretions, resulting in clearer secretions, and by doing so, it also lubricates the irritated respiratory tract. |
Mucokinetics | They increase the transportability of mucus by cough. |
Mucoregulator | They suppress the underlying mechanisms of mucus hypersecretion. |
Definition | How it Works | Uses | |
Cough Suppressants | Cough suppressants help to control a persistent cough by acting on the body’s cough reflex. (The cough reflex is the body’s way of getting rid of secretions in the airways and lungs. However, in some cases, coughing can be excessive and not helpful.) |
Most cough suppressants directly influence the cough reflex centre in the medulla oblongata by binding to cell receptors. |
They are used for dry coughs or coughs from irritation. |
Bronchodilators |
Bronchodilators relieve cough by widening the air passages, hence increasing airflow. |
It relaxes the bronchial smooth muscle which decreases resistance in the respiratory airway, and allows for better airflow. |
They’re often used to treat long-term conditions where the airways may become narrow and inflamed, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). |
Decongestants |
Decongestants help unblock the nose and sinuses. |
They block the chemical, histamine, which makes the tissues in your nose itch and swell. This can bring relief to a runny nose and sneezing when you have a cold. |
They are used for allergies that may have similar symptoms to a cold. |
Antihistamines |
An antihistamine is a medication that blocks histamine. Its commonly used to treat allergy symptoms. |
They block the chemical, histamine, which makes the tissues in your nose itch and swell. This can bring relief to a runny nose and sneezing when you have a cold. |
They are used for allergies that may have similar symptoms to a cold. |
Here are a few key points when self-medicating:
- Choose a product based on the symptoms you want to treat.
- Certain medications have added ingredients, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to help treat pain or fever.
- All-in-one cough and colds products may contain a combination of the ingredients and treat more than one symptom, so you may be at risk of taking medication that you don’t need.
- Speak to your health care provider if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or if you are taking other prescription medications.
References
- Brazier, Y. (2017). Cough and cold medications: Use them safely. Medical News Today [Online]. Accessed on 28 July 2022. Available from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/16181?utm_source=ReadNext
- Caporuscio, J. (2020). Expectorants: Everything you need to know. Medical News Today [Online]. Accessed on 28 July 2022. Available from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/16181
- Cleveland Clinic. (2020). Antihistamines. Cleveland Clinic [Online]. Accessed on 1 August 2022. Available from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/21223-antihistamines
- Insight Survey (2022). Consumer preference for OTC medication spreads in SA’s cough, cold and flu remedies market. Bizcommunity [Online]. Accessed on 29 July 2022. Available from https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/398/228740.html
- Leader, D. (2022). What to Know About Expectorants. Very Well Health [Online]. Accessed on 28 July 2022. Available from https://www.verywellhealth.com/definition-of-expectorants-914780
- Medical Academic. (2018). OTC cough treatments: choosing the right one. Medical Academic [Online]. Accessed on 28 July 2022. Available from https://www.medicalacademic.co.za/winter-ailments/otc-cough-treatments-choosing-the-right-one/
- Osborn, R. (2021). Difference Between Cough Suppressant and Expectorant. Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects [Online]. Accessed on 28 July 2022. Available from http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-cough-suppressant-and-expectorant/
- Wikipedia. (2022). Mucoactive agent. Wikipedia [Online]. Accessed on 29 July 2022. Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucoactive_agent#cite_note-NCATS-5
- WebMD. (2021). Decongestants & Antihistamines for the Common Cold. WebMD [Online]. Accessed on 1 August 2022. Available from https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/decongestants-antihistamines-cold#1