Treating Cough Symptoms Due to Omicron

Positive confirmation cases of Covid-19 in wave 3 of the Omicron still haven’t dropped. Many of the people closest to us are positive. Most of those who were confirmed positive in the Omicron era only complained of weakness and sore throat. However, many also experience symptoms of cough.

According to some literature and also the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the symptoms of the Omicron variant are not as severe as the Delta variant. In addition to taking vitamins, for those who have a fever, runny nose, and sore throat, medication may be given to relieve symptoms.

Herbal ingredients are proven to have efficacy against cough symptoms so that they can be used as symptomatic cough therapy.

Also read: Cough and Sore Throat, Are Always Symptoms of Coronavirus?

Types of Cough and Treatment

The cause of the cough, according to the General Chair of the Indonesian Traditional Medicines and Herbal Medicine Development Association (PDPOTJI), Dr. (Cand.) dr. Ingrid Tania, M.Si (Herbals), is very diverse. The most common are viral infections such as the common cold and influenza, and currently Covid-19 infections are added. Irritants such as cigarette smoke, allergies, asthma, gastric acid reflux are also the causes of coughs that are quite common.

There are also types of cough can be dry (no phlegm), cough with phlegm, or a combination of both. While distinguished from its duration, cough is divided into acute and chronic cough.

Treatment of cough tailored to the type and cause. Antitussive cough medicine suppresses the cough reflex thereby reducing the frequency of coughing. This remedy is suitable for dry cough.

Coughing with phlegm is usually treated with expectorants, which work to thin the phlegm and push it out of the airways. Another medicine for coughing up phlegm is a mucolytic cough medicine that functions to destroy thick phlegm, so that phlegm can be easily expelled.

Therapy to treat symptoms or symptomatic therapy for cough aims to relieve the airway. Symptomatic therapy can be done to overcome temporary complaints because the focus is on treating according to the existing symptoms.

Also read: Transitional Season Beware of Epidemic Cough

Treating Cough Symptoms with Herbal Medicines

Currently the choice of drugs to treat cough symptoms can also be herbal medicines. According to dr. Ingrid, this is in line with the government’s recommendation to deal with the Omicron wave, which has high transmission but low severity, namely by calling for self-isolation discipline and taking vitamins and if there are mild symptoms, take medication according to symptoms.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health through circular letter No. HK.01.07/Menkes/187/2017 also recommends the consumption of medicinal plants ginger, lime, and kencur for health maintenance, disease prevention, and health care, including during public health emergencies or the COVID-19 national disaster.

“According to government recommendations, herbs such as ginger, lime, kencur, mint leaves are effective in relieving coughs and clearing the throat because they have antitussive properties, which relieve and suppress coughs, and work as expectorants that help remove phlegm from the lungs,” said Ingrid in a statement. media briefing OB Herbal “Effectiveness of Cough Symptomatic Therapy from Herbal Ingredients”, Friday (25/2).

More dr. Ingrid explains, “Taking herbal cough medicine also has more benefits. In contrast to non-herbal cough medicines, where each type of ingredient only has one type of benefit, each ingredient of herbal cough medicine has multiple benefits and minimal side effects.”

Cough medicines made from herbs are known to be safe for consumption by children from 12 years old to the elderly. Adults and the elderly can take 1 measuring spoon (15ml) 3 times a day. Meanwhile, children 6-12 years old can take herbal cough medicine specifically for children, with a dose of 3 measuring spoons (10ml) 3 times a day.

Also read: Cough Due to Covid? This is the difference between a normal cough and a Covid cough!

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