Cold medicine

Cold medicines are a group of medications taken individually or in combination as a treatment for the symptoms of the common cold and similar conditions of the upper respiratory tract. The term encompasses a broad array of drugs, including analgesics, antihistamines and decongestants, among many others. It also includes drugs which are marketed as cough suppressants or antitussives, but their effectiveness in reducing cough symptoms is unclear or minimal. While they have been used by 10% of American children in any given week, they are not recommended in Canada or the United States in children six years or younger because of lack of evidence showing effect and concerns of harm. In 2020, one version containing codeine and guaifenesin was the most commonly prescribed medication in the United States with more than 400 thousand prescriptions. There are a number of different cough and cold medications, which may be used for various coughing symptoms. The commercially available products may include various combinations of any one or more of the following types of substances: Mucokinetics, or mucolytics, are a class of drugs which aid in the clearance of mucus from the airways, lungs, bronchi, and trachea. Examples are carbocisteine, ambroxol, and bromhexine. Expectorants are substances claimed to make coughing easier while enhancing the production of mucus and phlegm. Two examples are acetylcysteine and guaifenesin. Antitussives, or cough suppressants, are substances which suppress the coughing itself. Examples are codeine, pholcodine, dextromethorphan, noscapine, Cloperastine, Levocloperastine, Dropropizine, Levodropropizine and butamirate. Antihistamines, for allergic rhinitis, may produce mild sedation and reduce other associated symptoms, like a runny nose and watery eyes. Examples are diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine, loratadine, and cetirizine. Decongestants may improve nasal congestion in sinus infections. Examples are ephedrine, phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine, and oxymetazoline. Fever or pain medication.

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related publications (4)

Related units (2)

Related concepts (16)

Related lectures (5)

, ,

Background and Objective: Cough audio signal classification is a potentially useful tool in screening for respiratory disorders, such as COVID-19. Since it is dangerous to collect data from patients with contagious diseases, many research teams have turned ...

2023

, , ,

Counting the number of times a patient coughs per day is an essential biomarker in determining treatment efficacy for novel antitussive therapies and personalizing patient care. Automatic cough counting tools must provide accurate information, while runnin ...

2023

Effects of tylosin on bacterial mucolysis, Clostridium perfringens colonization, and intestinal barrier function in a chick model of necrotic enteritis

Bart Deplancke

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a worldwide poultry disease caused by the alpha toxin-producing bacterium Clostridium perfringens. Disease risk factors include concurrent coccidial infection and the dietary use of cereal grains high in nonstarch polysaccharides ...

2003

Codeine

Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. It is typically used to treat mild to moderate degrees of pain. Greater benefit may occur when combined with paracetamol (acetaminophen) or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Evidence does not support its use for acute cough suppression in children or adults.

Dextromethorphan

Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant in over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. It affects NMDA, glutamate-1, and sigma-1 receptors in the brain, all of which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. In 2022, the FDA approved a formulation of it combined with bupropion named Auvelity to serve as a rapid acting antidepressant in patients with major depressive disorder. It is sold in syrup, instant release tablet, extended release tablet, spray, and lozenge forms.

Decongestant

A decongestant, or nasal decongestant, is a type of pharmaceutical drug that is used to relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract. The active ingredient in most decongestants is either pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine (the latter of which has disputed effectiveness). Intranasal corticosteroids can also be used as decongestants and antihistamines can be used to alleviate runny nose, nasal itch, and sneezing. Topical decongestants on topical application as dilute solution (0.05–0.

Density Matrix Formalism II PHYS-314: Quantum physics II

Explores density matrix formalism in quantum systems with multiple spins.

Airway Tissue Engineering: Anatomy, Physiology, and Future Developments BIOENG-449: Tissue engineering

Explores airway anatomy, clinical conditions, ideal replacements, available options, and future developments in tissue engineering.

Continuous Functions and Elementary Functions MATH-101(d): Analysis I

Covers the definition and properties of continuous functions on open intervals and elementary functions.