Antibiotics for cough

Antibiotics for coughs are those medicines that help get rid of a cough and eliminate other symptoms of a cold. Treatment of cough with antibiotics has certain features, and there are many drugs for this purpose.

Antibiotics should be prescribed by a doctor, but often people self-prescribe certain drugs that have antibacterial activity.

When choosing a drug, you need to pay attention to the following points:

  • Antibiotics for cough should be taken only if there is a reason for this. Antibiotics are drugs whose action is aimed at the destruction of the bacterial flora. They are prescribed for bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia and other diseases that may be accompanied by a cough. However, coughing can be a symptom of diseases that are not associated with damage to the respiratory system by bacterial flora. For example, sometimes it characterizes some pathologies of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

  • An antibiotic should be chosen depending on the spectrum of its activity, since each drug acts on certain bacteria. Therefore, if the cough is accompanied by sputum discharge, then it is good to analyze the bacterial flora before starting treatment. This will allow you to choose the most effective drug. When it is not possible to see a doctor, and the cough persists for three days or more, drugs with a wide spectrum of action should be preferred. For example, you can opt for the drugs Amoxiclav or Flemoklav. However, before embarking on self-treatment, it is worth considering that antibiotics can provoke the development of complications, lead to the transition of the disease into a chronic form, and also cause allergic reactions.

  • You need to take antibiotics correctly. It is unacceptable to exceed or underestimate the dosage of the drug. Increasing the dose does not contribute to a speedy recovery, but it is quite possible to provoke the development of complications by such actions. When there is no improvement after a day from the start of taking the drug, the antibiotic should be replaced with another one. Also, do not independently extend or shorten the course of treatment. The longer a person takes the drug, the more resistant the bacteria become to it.

Is it necessary to take antibiotics for a cough?

Antibiotics must be taken for a cough that is bacterial in nature. However, a doctor must prescribe such drugs. Self-treatment with antibacterial agents can aggravate the course of the disease and lead to the fact that bacteria become more resistant to their effects. As a result, getting rid of the disease will be very difficult.

To choose an antibiotic that will really work, a visit to the doctor is necessary. The doctor will refer the patient to take a sputum test for bakposev. After receiving the results, it will be possible to choose a drug that will quickly and effectively save a person from the disease.

If the analysis is not carried out, then most often patients with cough are prescribed drugs from the penicillin group, which have a wide spectrum of action. Moreover, you can refuse to take antibiotics for coughing at all, especially in cases where the disease has an uncomplicated course. Simply bide your time by taking vitamins and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Types of antibiotics for cough

When choosing an antibiotic for a cough, you need to focus on the cause of its occurrence. That is why it is so important to know the causative agent of the disease, only in this case we can talk about the etiological treatment with antibiotics. To get rid of a cough, expectorants and immunostimulants can also be prescribed.

Statistics indicate that about 90% of all colds that are accompanied by a cough are caused by viruses. This means that you do not need to take antibiotics, since it will not be possible to achieve recovery with their help.

Colds are treated with antibiotics if they persist for 5-7 days or more. Such a long course of the disease indicates the reproduction of the bacterial flora, which means that the person needs appropriate therapy.

When coughing, the following antibacterial drugs are most often prescribed:

  1. Penicillins are drugs such as Augmentin, Amoxiclav, Ampiox.

  2. Macrolides, including: Azithromycin, Roxithromycin, Clarithromycin.

  3. Cephalosporins are drugs such as Cefotaxime, Cefpirome, Cefazolin.

Antibiotics will help, provided that the cough is bacterial in nature. However, antibiotics should not be used too often, as they can cause bacteria to become addicted to them. You also need to consider that all antibiotics have a certain set of contraindications and side effects.

What antibiotic to drink for cough?

With a protracted cold, the question of choice arises: which antibiotic to drink when coughing? It should be noted that antibacterial drugs will be effective only when bacteria are the cause of the cough. To find out, you need to do a sputum test for bacterial culture and for the sensitivity of the flora to antibiotics. This is the only way to find an effective drug.

When it is not possible to pass the analysis, broad-spectrum antibiotics can be used for treatment. These drugs help to eliminate the symptoms of the disease and speedy recovery.

What is the best antibiotic for a severe cough?

When starting treatment, it should be understood that a strong cough is not a disease, but only a symptom of it. Therefore, it is necessary to fight not with the cough itself, but with the infection. It is necessary to influence the body in a complex way. For this, the patient is prescribed antibiotics and immunostimulants.

When a strong cough occurs against a background of a viral infection, the drug Immunal helps well. If there is sputum discharge during coughing, this may be a sign of a bacterial infection. In this case, drugs such as: Suprax, Amoxiclav, Macropen can help.

Only a doctor can choose the most effective drug for the treatment of severe cough. Therefore, you should not refuse to visit a doctor.

Also, with a strong cough, you can take the drug Codelac. It contains codeine, licorice root, lanceolate thermopsis herb and sodium bicarbonate. These components in the complex are able to save a person from a strong cough. Cough can be reduced with the help of the drug Pectusin.

What antibiotics are needed for a cough with sputum?

When coughing up phlegm, strong antibiotics are needed. And most of them can be purchased without a prescription. If sputum is separated during coughing, then this indicates a serious illness that needs professional treatment. It is especially dangerous if the sputum is streaked with blood, or has a yellow-green or rusty color. This indicates a purulent process.

The doctor prescribes mucolytics to the patient, which are aimed at thinning the viscous sputum and making it easier to discharge.

Also, the patient will be recommended to take antibiotics and other procedures are prescribed that are easy to perform at home:

  • To facilitate the removal of sputum, you need to drink as much water as possible.

  • It is necessary to humidify the air, which will soften the sputum, and it will be easier to cough up.

  • Exposure to the lungs of any irritants should be minimized, especially tobacco smoke.

  • When another bout of coughing is coming, you need to sit up straight. This will expand the lungs and make it easier to expel mucus.

  • Phlegm cannot be swallowed, it must be spit out. In order not to infect other people, you should follow the rules of hygiene.

When coughing with sputum, you can also use mucolytic drugs such as:

  • Acetylcysteine. Medicines based on it: Vicks asset, ACC, Fluimucil.

  • Bromhexine. Trade names of drugs: Bronchosan, Bromhexine, Solvin.

  • Combined preparations containing bromhexine, salbutamol and guaifenesin: Ascoril, Cashnol syrup, Joset syrup.

  • Ambroxol and its analogues: Lazolvan, Ambrobene, Ambrosan, Halixol, Ambrohexal, Flavamed.

  • Carbocisteine ​​and preparations based on it: Fluifort, Bronchobos, Libeksin Muko, Fluditec.

Antibiotics for children with cough

Some parents believe that antibiotics for children with coughs help to cope with the disease faster and do not harm health. But self-administration of antibacterial drugs to children is unacceptable. These drugs have a significant impact on the intestinal microflora, can cause dysbacteriosis, lead to a decrease in immunity.

If a child has a cough, then first you need to provide him with an adequate drinking regimen. Vitamins can help the immune system cope with the disease. Antibiotics should be delayed unless prescribed by a doctor. When the disease is serious, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. After the examination and testing, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. They should not be given to children on their own, as this can harm a fragile body.

Parents should have the following information about the effects of antibiotics on the child’s body:

  • Taking just one tablet of Levomycetin can lead to the development of aplastic anemia, in which the hematopoietic function is inhibited.

  • Do not prescribe drugs from the tetracycline group to children. These are drugs such as: tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline. They have a negative effect on the formation of tooth enamel.

  • Disturbances in the formation of cartilage of the joints can occur when taking fluoroquinolones. These are drugs such as: Ofloxacin, Pefloxacin, etc.

The doctor may prescribe antibiotics for the child of the following groups:

  • Aminopenicillin;

  • Cephalosporins;

  • Macrolides.

Amoxiclav and Augmentin are the drugs of choice for the treatment of children. If a child has intolerance to penicillins, then he is prescribed cephalosporins: Cefuroxime, Cefaclor, Cefalexin. Treatment with antibiotics must be supplemented with the intake of live bacteria. These can be drugs such as: Linex, Acipol, Bifiform, Bifidumbacterin. It is useful to take vitamins C and B.

With a protracted or chronic cough, which often accompanies colds, drugs from the macrolide group help. These are such means as: Sumamed and Rulid. The active substances that make up these antibiotics penetrate well into all body fluids. The same applies to bronchial mucus, in which bacteria are concentrated. Therefore, after taking drugs from the macrolide group, the cough quickly disappears.

For children, antibiotics are available in a special dosage form. They can be purchased as a syrup or as fruit-flavoured chewable tablets. This makes the treatment of cough in a child more convenient and easy.

Is there an antibiotic cough syrup?

Antibacterial cough syrup exists. Moreover, this is an effective and pleasant-tasting remedy that helps to cope with the disease. Preparations in the form of a syrup are most often prescribed to children so that they do not refuse to take medicines. The following cough syrups are available:

  • Plantain syrup. This is a product based on natural ingredients. It relieves cough in 3-5 days. The syrup has a pleasant taste, so children do not refuse to take it. The drug helps to liquefy sputum, translates a dry cough into a wet one. However, psyllium syrup is not prescribed for children under 2 years of age, nor is it used for emergency treatment.

  • Lazolvan in the form of syrup. This is an auxiliary drug that is prescribed if inhalation does not help in the treatment of cough. The main active ingredient of Lazolvan is ambroxol. It contributes to the thinning of viscous sputum and its speedy removal from the respiratory tract. A person gets rid of a cough, symptoms of a cold, such as fever and fatigue, go away. Lazolvan can be used to treat adults and children.

  • Syrup Doctor Mom. It is an effective cough medicine containing herbal ingredients. The syrup is prescribed for both adults and children. However, it acts gradually, so it must be taken in complex therapy.

  • Broncholitin. This is an effective cough remedy, but you can only take it as directed by a doctor. The preparation contains such components as: glaucine hydrobromide, ephedrine hydrochloride, basil oil, citric acid in the form of monohydrate, as well as other substances. After taking Bronholitin, even the most severe cough stops. It is prescribed for the treatment of children and adults, but the dosage must be strictly observed.

Is it possible to cure a cough without antibiotics?

You can try to cure a cough without antibiotics using the following traditional medicine methods:

  • Onion decoction. To prepare it, you need to chop 2-3 onions, pour them with milk and put on fire. Cook the mixture until the onion is soft. Then honey is added to the broth, a teaspoon per glass. Take a decoction of a tablespoon every hour, the course of treatment is 1-3 days.

  • Black radish with cough honey. A medium-sized root crop needs to be washed well and a deep incision made in the middle, that is, to form a kind of cup. Add honey there (a tablespoon or a teaspoon, depending on the size of the radish), then place the radish on a plate. Leave it on the table overnight. During this time, the root crop will give juice, which will mix with honey. This will be the cough medicine. Dosage for the treatment of adults – a tablespoon 4 times a day, for the treatment of children – a teaspoon 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 1-2 weeks.

  • Adjika with horseradish and garlic for the treatment of cough. To prepare the medicine, you need 3-5 cloves of garlic, 1-2 horseradish, 2-3 tomatoes. All ingredients are passed through a meat grinder and mixed. Take such a cough remedy before meals, one tablespoon each.

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