If do not take measures to keep warm,one might easily catch cold accompanied by coughing symptoms. There will be an increase in sputum as the disease progresses further. Some Mucolytic Agents should be taken to reduce sputum. Which medicines can be used?
There are mainly 5 Common Types of Mucolytic Agents
- Polysaccharide cellulose decomposing agent. This type of Mucolytic Agents can promote the lysis of acidic mucin fibers in mucosal sputum and reduce the viscosity of mucus. The main representative drugs are bromhexine and ambroxol.
- Mucolytic agent with sulfhydryl amino acids. This type of medicine combines with mucin and disulfide bonds to cleave the mucin molecules, thereby reducing the viscosity of sputum, and promoting the conversion of mucus sputum. The representative drug is acetylcysteine(such as acetylcysteine capsules).
- Enzymes that decompose deoxyribonucleic acid can help to reduce sputum too, such as chymotrypsin and deoxyribonuclease.
- Some surfactants can be used as Mucolytic Agents, it can reduce the surface tension of sputum, so as to reduce the viscosity of sputum, and reduce its adhesion on the mucosal surface, making it easier to cough up.
- Mucus regulators can split the disulfide bond on the mucin polypeptide chain, make the molecule smaller, and reduce the viscosity of sputum. The representative drug are carboxysteine and erdosteine.