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| Treating a Chesty or Productive
Cough |
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Given a chesty productive cough is due
to excess mucus production, which may be difficult to cough up due to being
heavier and stickier than normal, an appropriate treatment option is a
cough medicine that assists breaking down the mucus fibres, making it
easier to expel. These types of medications are in a class of product
called 'mucolytics'. Mucolytics act directly in the lungs and airways by
changing the consistency of mucus, making it thinner and therefore easier
to cough up. Mucolytics work not by suppressing the cough (the symptom)
but by attacking the cause - the excessive build-up of sticky mucus.
Another option is a product in a class called 'expectorants'. Expectorants
generally increase the watery content of the mucus in an attempt to
facilitate expelling the mucus. They are usually combined with
decongestants as well as antihistamines to soothe minor coughs. |
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