Interviewee: Zhang Wei, Director of the Department of Pulmonology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Global Times health client reporter Shan Qiwen
If you want to say that the hottest medical supplies recently, cough stickers must be on the list. Recently, the superimposed epidemic trend of a variety of respiratory pathogens across the country has not abated, and a cold wave has hit rapidly, and many people, especially children, have the problem of "cough cough". A reporter from the Global Times health client opened the online shopping page to search for "cough suppressant" and found that cough suppressant patches were popular and the most popular, but there were also doubts about "bad results". What is a cough patch and is it useful at all?
"Cough patches are a general term, and the 'patches' that can be used to suppress coughs are called cough patches. Professor Zhang Wei, director of the Department of Pulmonology and chief physician of Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, introduced that there are three types of cough stickers that you can use: one is the Western medicine cough patch, which is mainly to make the western medicine ingredients that can be absorbed through the skin on the adhesive tape, and absorb bronchodilators through the skin for asthma, and the skin pasted has nothing to do with the acupuncture points of traditional Chinese medicine. The second is the cough patch made of compound Chinese herbal medicine, which is also made of the drug on the adhesive tape, but the adhesive tape has special processes such as infrared and magnetic therapy, which can help the drug absorption, and then combine with the selection of acupuncture points to take effect. The third is the hospital's own prescription sticker, which is characterized by fresh drugs and on-site preparation, and can be adjusted according to the different physiques of patients, but they need to come to the hospital for treatment and cannot be pasted at home.
As an external treatment, cough patches can be "one patch", which not only avoids the disadvantages of internal drug metabolism through liver circulation, but also saves trouble. So, how effective is it? The reporter searched for relevant user experiences and evaluations, and found mixed reviews. Some people lament that "it works wonders and is easy to use", some people complain that "it is useless, and the cough is worse after sticking", and some people are puzzled that "it is effective when I first cough, but it is useless this time I pasted it this time". In Zhang Wei's view, there are many reasons why different people have different effects after using cough patches.
First, it is related to physical fitness. Different people have different sensitivity to acupuncture point stimulation, and for those who are not sensitive, the effect will be weakened accordingly.
Second, it has to do with the drug formulation. If you want to achieve the best effect, cough patches must be used comprehensively. For example, whether some ingredients that can help the absorption of drugs are added in the compatibility process, such as ginger and white mustard seeds, or whether there are auxiliary methods such as infrared rays and magnetic therapy that can promote the penetration of drugs into the skin.
Third, it is related to the selection of acupoints and the time of application. The composition of different cough patches is different, and the guidance points and application time on the instructions are also different, so they should be used according to the drug instructions. From clinical experience, if you want to achieve the effect of cough and phlegm, you usually choose the Tiantu (located below the Adam's apple, the midpoint of the sternoclavicle), Fenglong (located on the anterolateral side of the calf, 8 inches above the tip of the outer malleolus), Dingpang (bow your head, the highest bone in the back of the neck is the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra, the depression below is the large vertebral acupoint, and the width of a little finger next to the large vertebral point is the acupoint); Lung Yu (under the spinous process of the third thoracic vertebra on the back, two horizontal fingers on the left and right sides of the spine), Kidney Yu (located 1.5 inches below the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra in the waist) and other acupuncture points.
"In short, the efficacy of cough patches depends on the acupuncture points and prescriptions, and all of them are indispensable. Zhang Wei said that under normal circumstances, as long as it is used under the guidance of a doctor, the applicability and applicable population of cough patches are relatively wide. However, there are two situations to pay attention to: one is whether the skin is allergic, which is the most common problem in the use of cough patches, some people may have skin stinging, blisters, and they should stop using it; Zhang Wei reminded that respiratory diseases change rapidly, and if the symptoms do not improve after using cough patches, you should seek medical treatment in time. In addition, cough is a defensive nerve reflex of the body, a way of self-protection, conducive to clearing respiratory secretions, and cannot blindly pursue cough suppressants. In general, the cough will go away on its own as the condition improves. Therefore, it is best to follow your doctor's advice before using cough patches. ▲