So I’m sick and I feel like cat-poo. I got to wondering, the great Master Cecil answered a “why is there so much snot when you have a cold?” question, but mine is more a long the lines of:
Which respiratory passages secrete goo?
When I cough and my chest feels gooey, is it because there goo being secreted in my lungs or trachea or other breathing tubing? Or is it all just goo that’s dropped down from my sinus cavities?
How to antitussives (expectorants) work? And how are they different from decongestants?
One little bump, then I’m giving up.
Anyone?.. Anyone?.. Bueller? Bueller?
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Expectorants vs. Decongestants… discuss.
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IANADoc, but until one chimes in…
expectorants work by getting you to hrock up the phlegm, decongestants gor the sinuses works by liquifying hte phlegm so it slithers down your throat so you can swallow it like normal.
My favorite way to deal with a non-influenza congestion is to use humibid [a humectant, which requires a lot of water/orange juice/clear broth to help it work best] to force my body to liquify the mucus better, so my little cilia can move the mucus more like normal. The congestion comes from the mucus thickening so the cilia cant move it out of your lungs, forcing your body to hack it up. Thin the mucus, things work better.
I am also a huge fan of home made chicken soup, comfort food, lots of tasty liquid and steam for the abused sinuses if the nose is involved.
Have you tried a nice hot shower? That usually helps me.
And some herbal tea with lemon.
Hm. Interesting. So are “cough suppressants” and “expectorants” different things? Sounds like an expectorant encourages your body to cough.
I looked up the definition of “expectorant” but it just said “an agent that promotes the discharge or expulsion of mucus from the respiratory tract.” Not quite helpful.
So which one makes me feel like everything is “too dry”. You know when your nose feels like it’s dried up and it smarts to breathe and when you blink it feels like your eyelids are made of paper?