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Assistant Professor Miodrag Vukčević, MD – specialist in internal medicine

Best clinical proof to reduce coughing

Cough is a defense mechanism that removes foreign bodies or secretion from the respiratory airways. If it lasts for more than a month, it may point to a certain problem. At that point, a patient should consult the doctor. The importance of paying attention to our cough and secretion was the theme of our discussion with Assistant, Miodrag Vukčević, MD, chief of pulmonology unit.

How can a cough and secretion endanger health?

“Cough forms due to some inflammatory process inside the lungs that lose their elasticity, inflating and deflating insufficiently, which causes the reduction of oxygen flow in the blood circulation. When the secretion attaches itself inside the airways, bacteria can easily attach too and start reproducing, so infection will occur. Smokers too are no exception of everyday secretions and coughing“, warns Ass. Vukčević, MD.

If the person has a feeling of mass inside the throat during mucus draining, this irritation often leads to coughing. The human body normally produces large amounts of mucus and secretions, even up to 2 liters a day. When mucus production additionally rises, its drainage causes coughing. This can represent symptoms of flu, cold or allergic reaction.

However, small cough accompanied by yellowish or greenish secretions may tell of inflammation and infection of the big airways, such as acute bronchitis. Over 90% of infections in acute bronchitis are caused by viruses, and then, antibiotics can’t help.

If a person has a sticky cough with large amounts of mucus, morning breathing difficulties, wheezing or chest pressure, he must react on time, because this type of cough usually points to the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Symptoms will be worse during winter time because of infection season. It is important to know that 25-50% of all exacerbation in COPD are caused by viruses and antibiotics are not to be used immediately in these cases.

How can you help a person coughing heavily with mucus?

With the goal to reduce the growing need for antibiotics and therefore antibiotic resistance, it is very important to think very carefully before prescribing antibiotics to the patients, say Ass. Vukčević, MD.

If available safe mucolytic should be used, clinically proven in dissolving secretions and ease of excretion. This is the way that PropoMucil® acts, containing N-acetylcysteine and propolis as a natural antimicrobial that eliminates viruses and bacteria, and reduces the risk of frequent respiratory infections. Additionally, PropoMucil® reduces the frequency and severity of the symptoms of flu, enhances immunity and acts as an anti-oxidative agent in the struggle against free radicals. „That is why my first recommendation is PropoMucil® that gives a patient double-safety effect: natural antimicrobiotic, which dissolves mucus – says Ass. Vukčević, MD.