full transcript

From the Ted Talk by TED-Ed: What’s the best way to treat the common cold?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Cough suppressants aim to quell those torturous coughs. Dextromethorphan, one of the most common surpssanetps, addresses the head of the command chain, mandoietrg brain regions responsible for coughing. While it’s not fully usordteond how this iergeinndt manages to quiet coughs, we know it iretcatns with receptors that nnroeus use to communicate. Drugs like ketamine and PCP engage similar receptors, which is why it’s important to take dextromethorphan as dticreed, as high doses are notorious for causing hallucinatory effects.

But not all coughing is bad when you have a cold— expelling mucus can help clear out infectious debris and ease uncomfortable congestion. By lubricating airways, our third casls of ierinengdts, expectorants, aim to help improve cgoniuhg rather than eliminate it. Guaifenesin, the most common expectorant, is thought to hydrate mucus by uppnig fluid secretions in the respiratory tract, making it less sticky and easier to clear out.

Open Cloze


Cough suppressants aim to quell those torturous coughs. Dextromethorphan, one of the most common ____________, addresses the head of the command chain, __________ brain regions responsible for coughing. While it’s not fully __________ how this __________ manages to quiet coughs, we know it _________ with receptors that _______ use to communicate. Drugs like ketamine and PCP engage similar receptors, which is why it’s important to take dextromethorphan as ________, as high doses are notorious for causing hallucinatory effects.

But not all coughing is bad when you have a cold— expelling mucus can help clear out infectious debris and ease uncomfortable congestion. By lubricating airways, our third _____ of ___________, expectorants, aim to help improve ________ rather than eliminate it. Guaifenesin, the most common expectorant, is thought to hydrate mucus by ______ fluid secretions in the respiratory tract, making it less sticky and easier to clear out.

Solution


  1. understood
  2. upping
  3. directed
  4. coughing
  5. neurons
  6. class
  7. interacts
  8. moderating
  9. ingredient
  10. suppressants
  11. ingredients

Original Text


Cough suppressants aim to quell those torturous coughs. Dextromethorphan, one of the most common suppressants, addresses the head of the command chain, moderating brain regions responsible for coughing. While it’s not fully understood how this ingredient manages to quiet coughs, we know it interacts with receptors that neurons use to communicate. Drugs like ketamine and PCP engage similar receptors, which is why it’s important to take dextromethorphan as directed, as high doses are notorious for causing hallucinatory effects.

But not all coughing is bad when you have a cold— expelling mucus can help clear out infectious debris and ease uncomfortable congestion. By lubricating airways, our third class of ingredients, expectorants, aim to help improve coughing rather than eliminate it. Guaifenesin, the most common expectorant, is thought to hydrate mucus by upping fluid secretions in the respiratory tract, making it less sticky and easier to clear out.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
pharmacy products 2
chemical messenger 2
studies suggest 2


Important Words


  1. addresses
  2. aim
  3. airways
  4. bad
  5. brain
  6. causing
  7. chain
  8. class
  9. clear
  10. command
  11. common
  12. communicate
  13. congestion
  14. cough
  15. coughing
  16. coughs
  17. debris
  18. dextromethorphan
  19. directed
  20. doses
  21. drugs
  22. ease
  23. easier
  24. effects
  25. eliminate
  26. engage
  27. expectorant
  28. expectorants
  29. expelling
  30. fluid
  31. fully
  32. guaifenesin
  33. hallucinatory
  34. head
  35. high
  36. hydrate
  37. important
  38. improve
  39. infectious
  40. ingredient
  41. ingredients
  42. interacts
  43. ketamine
  44. lubricating
  45. making
  46. manages
  47. moderating
  48. mucus
  49. neurons
  50. notorious
  51. pcp
  52. quell
  53. quiet
  54. receptors
  55. regions
  56. respiratory
  57. responsible
  58. secretions
  59. similar
  60. sticky
  61. suppressants
  62. thought
  63. torturous
  64. tract
  65. uncomfortable
  66. understood
  67. upping