Ambroxol and bromhexine are mainly used by mouth as expectorants to help make the mucus thinner and therefore easier to be cleared away in patients with short- or long-term diseases of the lungs or airways. Ambroxol formulations for injection are also used in premature and newborn babies to treat respiratory distress syndrome. Ambroxol- and bromhexine-containing medicines are not currently marketed in the UK.