Western medicine divides colds into common colds and influenza, and most patients with colds and fevers are common colds rather than influenza. Western medicine cold medicine is mainly composed of three components, one is antiviral drugs, such as compound paracetamol and amantadine; The second category is symptomatic drugs, such as acetaminophen, an antipyretic and analgesic drug; The third category is antibiotics, which are mainly used for bacterial infections secondary to colds or flu. At present, most of the cold medicines on the market are the combination of several pharmaceutical ingredients, all of which are antipyretic and analgesic drugs, antiallergic drugs, adrenergic drugs and cough medicines, and some of them are antiviral drugs, antipyretic and analgesic drugs and antiallergic drugs. What does the specific composition of cold medicine do?
Acetaminophen: It can inhibit prostaglandin synthesis and has antipyretic and analgesic effects. Tylenol, white and black, crack, Gankang and Kangbide all contain acetaminophen.
Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride: It can selectively constrict the blood vessels of upper respiratory tract, relieve congestion and swelling of nasal mucosa, relieve symptoms of nasal congestion, and help patients breathe smoothly. Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride is contained in Baijiahei, Xinbaikangteke and Tylenol, but not in crack. Note that patients with hyperthyroidism, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, hypertension and other diseases should use preparations containing pseudoephedrine hydrochloride with caution.
Dextromethorphan: It has antitussive effect and can relieve cough symptoms caused by common cold. Tylenol, Baijiahe and Baifuning all have this antitussive ingredient.
Chlorpheniramine: It is mainly an antiallergic ingredient, which can make the lower respiratory secretions dry and sticky, reduce nasal secretions, and improve symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing and tearing. At the same time, anti-allergic ingredients can also make people sleepy, so drivers, machine operators and aerial workers should use them with caution before work. Common drugs such as neocon, Tylenol and crack.
Amantadine: an antiviral component, which is found in Schima, Kernel and Crick. Amantadine can prevent and treat colds by preventing influenza virus from entering human cells, but once the virus enters cells, it cannot play its role. Therefore, cold medicine containing antiviral ingredients has the best effect in the early stage of onset.
Other ingredients: such as caffeine. It can relieve physical fatigue caused by common cold, promote nerve excitement, eliminate drowsiness caused by antiallergic drugs, enhance analgesic effect and relieve headache caused by common cold.
Chinese patent medicines treat colds: wind-cold and wind-heat.
Chinese medicine believes that colds are generally divided into two categories: wind-cold colds and wind-heat colds. How to use Chinese patent medicine for self-medication? Wind-cold cold is caused by the invasion of wind-cold pathogens and lung qi failure. Treatment should be based on symplectic warming to relieve exterior syndrome. Wind-heat cold is caused by wind-heat pathogen invading the exterior and disharmony between lung and qi. Treatment should be mainly pungent and cool to relieve exterior syndrome. The two medicines used for colds are naturally different. Early cold belongs to wind-cold type and has certain characteristics, such as fear of cold, headache, runny nose and sneezing. This is a cold, and you can use the method of warming and dispersing exterior. If fever, sore throat and dry stool are the main symptoms, it belongs to wind-heat cold. The following are commonly used Chinese patent medicines for colds. The public should learn to identify them before taking them themselves.
Banlangen is cold and bitter. It has the effects of clearing away heat and toxic materials, cooling blood and relieving sore throat, and has a good preventive and therapeutic effect on common diseases such as cold, influenza, Japanese encephalitis and mumps in spring. But because it tastes bitter and cold, it is more suitable for wind-heat cold caused by heat toxin in the body. If you are a person with weak constitution and fear of cold, you often feel disharmony between the spleen and stomach, prone to diarrhea, and your body is afraid of cold, so it is not suitable to drink more Banlangen granules. Especially in children, the spleen and stomach function is not perfect, and eating more Banlangen is more likely to cause symptoms such as indigestion.
Yinqiao tablet is a Chinese patent medicine composed of ten kinds of Chinese medicines, such as forsythia, honeysuckle and burdock. It has the effects of dispelling wind and dissipating heat, and clearing away heat and toxic materials, and is mainly used for treating wind-heat cold. So if it is a cold, using Yinqiao tablets is equivalent to adding cold to the cold.
The main components of Shuanghuanglian oral liquid are honeysuckle, scutellaria baicalensis and forsythia suspensa. It is also aimed at wind-heat cold, not suitable for people with severe aversion to cold, mild fever, no sweat, stuffy nose, no thirst and thin white phlegm.
Ganmao Qingre Granule consists of Schizonepeta, Herba Menthae, Radix Saposhnikoviae, Bupleuri Radix, Radix Puerariae, Radix Platycodi, Radix Angelicae Dahuricae, Herba Violae, Rhizoma Phragmitis, etc. Has the effects of expelling pathogenic wind and cold, relieving exterior syndrome and clearing heat, and can be used for treating common cold due to wind-cold. Because this medicine contains platycodon grandiflorum and almond, it has a strong antitussive and expectorant effect. If the wind-cold cold is characterized by severe cough and expectoration, it is especially suitable to choose Ganmao Qingre Granule. In addition, Ganmao Qingre Granule also contains drugs for clearing away heat and toxic materials such as Radix Puerariae and Kudiezi, so it can also prevent viral colds.
Special reminder: you can stop taking the medicine when the symptoms disappear.
The natural course of a cold is usually about 7 days, usually 5-7 days for a cold and 5 days for antibiotics. Symptoms such as headache, runny nose and cough are completely eliminated, and you can stop taking cold medicine after your body temperature returns to normal.