Antitussives

Cough can help clear, sputum and other pathological products in the respiratory tract foreign matter to maintain airway patency, can be seen as a defensive reflex. But severe and frequent cough discomforts the patients, hinder their sleep and rest, also brings about many kinds of concurrent disease. It is necessary to ease the cough with antitussives. Anti-infective drugs are the best antitussive if the infection and inflammation are the cause of cough. In addition, relieving bronchial spasm and eliminating phlegm can also relieve cough to a certain extent. Antitussive medicine act through the inhibition of medulla cough center or act on the periphery, so as to inhibit the arc sensor, afferent nerve, efferent nerve of cough reflex and respiratory tract smooth muscle, etc., to prevent cough reflex and hence achieve antibechic effect. Antitussive drugs can be divided into central and peripheral antitussive drugs. Those can inhibit medulla cough center are known as central antitussive drugs such as codeine, hydroxymethorphol, cloperastine, cough maven, germa crone, etc. Some of them are addictive. Those inhibits other parts of the reflex arc (afferent side, outgoing side) are known as peripheral antitussives such as benzonatate, Narcotine. The main function of these drugs are local anesthesia or protection of the pharynx mucosa from stimulation.

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