A reflexive state with which our body tries to cleanse its Airways. In most cases, cough accompanies so-called colds, but sometimes it can indicate the presence of much more dangerous problems in the body.
In any case, the presence of a long-lasting cough means that not the most pleasant processes are occurring in the body, which can bring with them threatening consequences for health. In such a situation, consulting a doctor is mandatory.
Of course, this is the most common and widespread reason, but persistent cough There may be other reasons. It can be caused by both diseases and external conditions, for example, too dry and hot air, which provokes severe drying of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which entails a reflexive desire of the body to produce more phlegm in order to “lubricate” the dry mucous membranes. In this situation, coughing is not a harm, but a benefit. As soon as the situation with humidity and air temperature changes in better side, the cough will go away on its own, without any additional influence.
The same reaction of the body is caused by staying in a dusty or gas-filled room, or in the open air in the presence of a strong wind that raises dust and sand particles into the air. The entry of such particles into the respiratory tract can cause mechanical irritation, and the desire to get rid of foreign bodies- cough, sometimes very strong, and in other cases reminiscent of simple coughing. The same effect is provoked by staying in a smoky room, as well as smoking itself - experienced smokers typically cough in the morning, when the body tries to get rid of accumulated tar and other products of cigarette combustion.
It’s a completely different matter if the cause seems to have been eliminated, but the coughing does not stop.
In this case, you can suspect the presence of an allergic reaction - to dust, mists, dust mites, odors, animal hair and much more. This disease does not go away on its own; it must be treated so that it does not become much worse. serious illness - bronchial asthma. Sometimes the cause of cough can even be medications, for example, aerosol throat treatments. If you are prone to allergies, inhaling such drugs can cause a cough.
Productive cough: causes and effective methods treatment
Finding a variety of things in the air chemical compounds, gases, even simple household and cosmetic aerosols, including perfumes, can also cause coughing. U healthy people Such a cough goes away quite quickly on its own once they leave the gas-filled room.
More information about cough can be found in the video:
Sometimes the reason for the appearance unpleasant symptoms may become diseases that have nothing to do with the respiratory system. These are diseases of the digestive system, such as reflux esophagitis, regular heartburn, gastritis, stomach ulcers or hiatal hernia. The reflux of acidic stomach contents can cause irritation of the throat and the desire to constantly cough up.
Frequent, superficial cough is characteristic of some heart diseases. In most cases, such cough and shortness of breath accompanies heart failure, but it can also appear with much more dangerous conditions, for example, with cardiomyopathies and cardiosclerosis, dysfunction mitral valve and so on.
But the main causes of cough are, of course, associated with inflammatory and infectious diseases. Most of it is provoked by laryngitis, lesions of the nasopharynx (,), infectious diseases - measles, croup, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Danger signs
A cough should be alarming and prompt you to seek medical attention if it continues. long time, and a coughing person feels constantly unwell.
The appearance of shortness of breath, severe weakness, increased sweating, especially at night, unmotivated weight loss with a normal, habitual diet, peak increases in temperature or constant low-grade fever, severe pallor, as well as the appearance of a characteristic feverish blush on the cheeks indicate the presence of dangerous diseases.
Constant coughing over a long period of time, during which a person’s condition worsens, may be a sign of the presence of the following dangerous and sometimes fatal diseases:
- Chronic pneumonia.
- Chronical bronchitis.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Neoplasms in the lungs and other respiratory organs, including malignant ones.
- Lung dysfunctions directly related to functioning problems.
Any of these diseases poses a threat to the health and life of the patient, so timely treatment medical assistance can stop the disease at the earliest stages.
Untreated in time constant coughing may lead to the appearance chronic diseases, which are much more difficult to deal with than “fresh” spicy ones. In addition, if coughing turns out to be a manifestation of dangerous diseases, for example, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis, heart failure or malignant tumor respiratory organs, then any delay in treatment can not only cause serious harm to a person’s health, but also cause his untimely death.
That is why an apparently harmless cough should alarm and force the patient to visit a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and early start treatment. This simple action can save you from many health problems and even save your life.
Drug treatment
If the patient has a constant cough, then treatment directly depends on what exactly provoked this condition.
If the cause is an allergy, the doctor will prescribe tests aimed at identifying the allergen.Treatment will consist of isolating the patient from the allergen by excluding products containing it from the patient’s menu, refusing to wear woolen and fur products, removing carpets and down, feather pillows and so on from the house. To treat allergies, your doctor will prescribe special antihistamines.
If the reason is infectious disease, the patient will also have to undergo a series of tests to identify the pathogen and its belonging to different groups: viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoan microorganisms.
Depending on the result obtained, it will be selected correct treatment.
In the event that a persistent cough is associated with heart and circulatory diseases, treatment will be aimed not only at maintaining cardiac activity, but also at treating the underlying cause, sometimes surgically, for example, replacing a valve.
If coughing is caused by disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, treatment will be aimed at eliminating defects in the affected digestive organs.In any situation, drug treatment always depends on what exactly caused the cough, therefore it is profile and symptomatic.
Folk recipes
Traditional medicine offers many recipes to soften and eliminate dry, irritating cough. This is the reception various decoctions and drinks orally, and rinsing with inhalations:
- The simplest, most effective and accessible remedy at severe attacks painful cough with suffocation - this. Regular baking soda is in any home, it costs a penny, and the effect of inhalation is excellent and almost instantaneous - hot steam dilates blood vessels, relieves spasms, and soda effectively softens dry and irritated mucous membranes. This remedy can help with for various reasons cough, including bronchospasm, affects both adults and children. Even crumbs can use alkaline for inhalation. mineral water like Borjomi.
- Another old proven remedy is tea with honey and lemon. Drinking plenty of warm vitamins helps you fight faster, especially colds.
- To treat it, you can use any herbal preparations softening and relieving irritation effect. This can be a decoction of rose hips, tea with raspberries, viburnum or other berries, linden decoction with honey, milk with butter and honey, or goat milk with honey and goat fat. Last resort Excellent for long-term obstructive cough.
When using methods traditional medicine It should be taken into account that plant raw materials and the use of beekeeping products, citrus fruits themselves can cause allergic reactions, so they should be consumed with caution, after preliminary testing for the body’s reaction.
The cough itself is like physical phenomenon can cause harm to the fetus only if it is paroxysmal, strong, suffocating, often seizure-inducing vomiting. In this case, the pressure in abdominal cavity increases, which can cause placental abruption, bleeding and even pregnancy loss.
Every winter, the silence of the office is broken by coughing. Dry, barking, wet, chesty. But winter colds and flu are far from the only causes acute attacks cough (lasting up to 4 weeks) and chronic (more than 8 weeks). And you need to know the reason, because a cough is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease, an attempt by the lungs to get rid of an irritant. Here are the eight most common causes of cough:
1. Bronchitis (acute cough)
A common cold can cause a dry cough in addition to other symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, and stuffy nose. But if the cough is dominant, you may have acute bronchitis. It is usually accompanied by a wet cough. The sputum may be opaque, but its color cannot determine whether it is an infection or a virus; an analysis is required. In most cases, acute bronchitis has viral nature, which means antibiotics will not help. The average time for a cough to disappear with proper treatment is 18 days.
2. Pneumonia (acute cough)
An acute cough with colorless or bloody sputum indicates pneumonia, dangerous disease which is treated with antibiotics. It may also be accompanied by high fever, fatigue, shortness of breath and chills. However, the cough may not appear immediately, because in some cases the infection in the lungs may be so dense that it will take several days of antibiotics before you can cough anything up. Pneumonia can be caught like a cold, or it can develop as a complication after another illness. If the symptoms of a common cold turn into signs of pneumonia after a few days, it’s time to sound the alarm and call a doctor. He will most likely prescribe fluorography.
3. ACE inhibitors (chronic cough)
These are drugs that are used to reduce blood pressure. Once they have worked, they cause the body to produce a substance called bradykinin, which can stimulate coughing. "This cough is usually worse than just an inconvenience," says University of South Carolina pulmonologist Brandi Newsome. “It is very dry, frequent, similar to barking.” The strangest thing is that you can take these drugs for years without problems, and then one day start coughing. In this case, the doctor will most likely switch you to other medications and after 3-4 weeks the ACE inhibitors will be completely eliminated from your body.
4. Nasopharyngeal drip (chronic cough)
One of the most common causes of chronic cough. Snot from paranasal sinuses the nose flows down the throat instead of out of the nose. When the snot reaches vocal cords, they cause irritation and a wet cough. You may notice exacerbations at night due to the horizontal position of the body. You may even wake up coughing up mucus. In the morning, you may have an upset stomach due to mucus trapped in your stomach. In this case, scanning the sinuses helps to make the correct diagnosis. For treatment in this case, they are prescribed antihistamines.
5. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (chronic cough)
Another common cause of chronic cough. But Parsons says many people don't know they're sick because instead of typical symptoms like heartburn and indigestion, the illness appears. a simple cough, which is associated with irritation of the vocal cords due to backfiring gastric juice into the esophagus. In this case, people usually notice that the cough gets worse after a heavy meal, as well as at night or in the morning due to the horizontal position of the body. A doctor can make a diagnosis by measuring the amount of acid in the esophagus using gastroenteroscopy. Treatment may require a change in diet: giving up alcohol, caffeine, eating at night, spicy and fatty foods. Plus medicines against gastritis.
6. Asthma (chronic cough)
The last representative of the three most common causes of chronic cough. Shortness of breath and dry cough in asthma occur as a result of contraction of the tubes through which air enters the lungs. There is even a separate rare type of asthma in which coughing may be the only symptom. Asthma is usually diagnosed using breathing and lung function tests and an airway hyperresponsiveness test. In this case, drug treatment is prescribed.
7. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic cough)
This is a serious and progressive disease that affects the respiratory tract and occurs after a long period of smoking or inhaling small particles such as dust. There are two types of its occurrence: Chronical bronchitis and emphysema. In the first case airways constantly inflamed, which causes a chronic cough with phlegm. Emphysema damages the alveoli of the lungs, reducing the supply of oxygen to the blood. This causes a dry cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. Treatment is similar to that for asthma. Medicines help manage the symptoms, but the disease itself is considered incurable.
8. Lung cancer (chronic cough)
If you've been coughing for many weeks, the thought of lung cancer has probably crossed your mind. This is understandable: this form of cancer remains one of the most dangerous, with a survival rate of more than 5 years in only 17% of those diagnosed. But Dr. Parsons hastens to reassure you: “It is extremely rare that a cough is the only symptom of lung cancer. In 8 weeks, besides him, others should have appeared.” We are talking about weight loss, coughing up blood, general fatigue and chest pain. If you have these symptoms, see a doctor immediately. He will most likely order an x-ray.
In rare cases, the image may confuse lung cancer with pneumonia. So if you've been diagnosed with pneumonia and haven't gotten better after several courses of antibiotics, you need to have another x-ray. In general, it is better to repeat after 6-8 weeks in any case. And don't forget that those who don't smoke can also get lung cancer, as can chronic obstructive disease, although they are much more likely in smokers and late quitters. If you are still smoking, quit quickly!
A dry cough is a persistent form of cough that is not accompanied by sputum production. Let's look at the pathological and non-pathological causes of dry cough. We will also study pharmacological and natural remedies to solve the problem of dry cough.
What is dry cough
Dry cough is a sign of a disease or condition that leads to inflammation or irritation of the mucous membranes respiratory tract, which, however, is not accompanied by coughing up sputum.
Dry cough is a relatively common occurrence and, in most cases, is not associated with disease. Often a consequence of banal irritation caused by inhalation of dust, smoke or other substances, or even accidental inhalation of foreign bodies - solid or liquid - when swallowing food.
From pathological reasons dry cough the most common is acute phase a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, such as acute respiratory viral infection or seasonal influenza.
However, a dry cough should not be underestimated, especially if it persists for a relatively long period of time. It may indicate serious pathology, life threatening patient, for example, tuberculosis.
When and how does a dry cough appear?
Depending on how it happens, how long it lasts and what its causes are, we can distinguish several types of dry cough, but in practice it is very difficult to separate them, since these types overlap each other.
But let's try, however, to distinguish these types:
- Night: As its name says, it is a cough that appears at night! When does our body need to rest? Cough prevents sleep and further aggravates the patient’s condition. This cough often accompanies a state of nervousness.
- Persistent: this is a type of cough, usually not related to the time of day or even position, but very persistent, can persist for days, weeks and even months, without apparent reason. In this case, it is useful to delve deeper into the search for reasons to identify the real reason. Cough is called persistent, if it lasts at least 2 weeks, and is called chronic if lasts more than 4 weeks.
- Allergic: This is a type of cough that occurs in certain cases or places where an allergy factor is present.
Symptoms accompanying dry cough
Considering a large number of diseases, the symptoms of which include a dry cough, there is such big number disorders accompanying cough.
We present those that most common:
- Wheezing.
- Fatigue and general malaise.
- Muscle pain.
- Headache.
- Nasal congestion and runny nose.
- A sore throat.
- Hoarseness.
- Increase lymph nodes neck.
- Gastroenterological disorders (nausea, vomiting, sometimes diarrhea).
- Fever in the evening.
The symptoms described are the most common and coincide with typical symptoms of influenza-like illness. As a rule, in such cases, a dry cough is noted only in acute stage diseases, and over time it becomes “productive”, with the release of copious sputum.
Less often Other accompanying symptoms may appear:
- Bad breath.
- Chest compression and pain.
- Difficulty breathing and feeling of lack of air.
- Fatigue and tiredness, even at rest or after minimal effort.
- Diarrhea.
- Skin rash.
- Weight loss for no obvious reason.
- Anorexia.
It is noted with even less frequency serious symptoms which requires immediate medical attention:
- Fever with a high temperature that consistently exceeds 38°C.
- Severe difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
- Dry, metallic and painful cough, which is accompanied by pain during breathing.
- Difficulty swallowing, accompanied by severe pain.
- Speech problems.
- Continuous urge to urinate.
- Swelling of the legs and lower extremities.
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) and a feeling of heart in the throat.
Causes of cough depending on symptoms
Possible causes of dry cough are all those diseases that have it as one of the symptoms. As already mentioned, there are a lot of such diseases; below we will list those that are the most common and indicate their main symptoms.
Cold: infections in the nasopharynx (nose and upper respiratory tract) are usually the result of infection with viruses of the genus rhinoviruses |
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Flu: an upper respiratory tract infection caused by a virus from the family Orthomyxoviridae |
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Whooping cough: respiratory tract infection caused by bacteria Bordetella pertussis |
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Croup: spicy viral infection, sometimes bacterial, respiratory tract (larynx, trachea, bronchi), typical for children |
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Tuberculosis: lung infection caused by the bacterium Micobacterium tubercolosis |
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Legionellosis: infection of the lungs and lower respiratory tract caused by the bacterium Legionella pneunophila |
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Empyema of the pleura: inflammation of space pleural cavity with accumulation of pus. As a rule, it is a complication of pneumonia caused by bacteria Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherechia coli, Staphylococcus aureus |
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Asthma: inflammation and obstruction (almost always reversible) of the airways |
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COPD: blockage bronchial tree due to chronic inflammatory process bronchi and lungs |
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Pleurisy: Inflammation of the pleura due to various reasons |
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Cancer of the larynx or lungs: development malignant neoplasms various categories from lung or larynx tissue cells |
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Pneumothorax: accumulation of air in the pleural cavity and, as a result, collapse of the lungs |
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Congestive heart failure: the inability of the heart to ensure the range of blood passage through the vessels |
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Aortic aneurysm: massive expansion thoracic aorta |
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Moreover, a dry cough may not be associated with pathological conditions. For example, you will have a dry cough if:
- Smoke cigarettes. Smoking irritates the airways and causes a cough reflex. Sometimes even passive smoking may cause a dry cough.
- Accidentally inhale an irritant. They also stimulate cough receptors.
- Are you taking medications?. Some medications such as ACE inhibitors, used to treat hypertension, may cause a dry cough as a side effect.
- Have problems with anxiety and nervousness. Very often, the cause of cough should be sought in emotional sphere, since it can develop in the form of a psychosomatic disorder; a state of anxiety or nervousness can even cause violent coughing attacks.
Diagnosis – anamnesis and examination
For correct diagnosis causes of dry cough, the doctor will use the following remedies:
- Anamnestic analysis(direct conversation with the patient).
- Analysis of symptoms and signs that accompany a dry cough.
- Examination and thorough medical checkup.
- Throat swab. Obtaining cells from the pharynx, which are then examined for the presence of any infections and their causative agents.
- X-ray or CT scan chest.
- Bronchoscopy. Insertion of an endoscope into the respiratory tract, which allows them to be examined and material to be obtained for research.
- Spirometry. Allows you to evaluate functionality respiratory system and diagnose problems such as asthma.
Remedies for dry cough
The best treatment for dry cough provides cure the disease that underlies it. As soon as the cause is cured, the cough should immediately disappear.
However, if a dry cough is very irritating and significantly reduces sleep, then symptomatic treatment may be required to suppress coughing attacks.
Cough medicines
Medicines used for symptomatic treatment cough, act on the cough control center in the head and spinal cord or to cough receptors located in the respiratory tree.
One of the active ingredients most commonly used for this purpose is codeine in the form of syrup or drops.
Cough spray
This form of therapy is especially effective for certain types of dry cough (asthma, bronchitis, etc.). Aerosols have proven to be very effective in treating inflammation of the respiratory tract and therefore many types of dry cough because they can be spray in very small droplets(with a diameter of one millionth or even a billionth of a meter). Then - when inhaling - aerosol preparation reaches every point of the respiratory tract and thus one can eradicate inflammation by taking minimum dose of the drug.
Medicines most often administered in aerosol form are antihistamines (to treat dry cough due to asthma or allergies), cortisone (to treat bronchitis and general inflammation), salbutamol (to treat bronchospasm).
Natural Remedies
In folk medicine, there are many herbs that can effectively soothe dry cough. These funds are usually used in the form herbal teas or in the form of syrups.
Among the most commonly used:
Linden. Infusions are prepared from its dried flowers. They contain thialicin, which has mild sedative properties, antispasmodic (counteracts spasm of the respiratory muscles) and softening effect.
Mallow. Infusions are prepared from its leaves. Such infusions contain many active ingredients that act like penicillins on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Thyme. Used in infusion form. Contains thymol, which has antibacterial properties. It also has expectorant properties, which means it helps remove mucus.
Experts call a constant dry cough a symptom indicating the occurrence of certain diseases of the lower respiratory tract (in particular the lungs) in the body, which are most often chronic in nature.
The characteristic “constant” in this definition means that a sick person does not stop coughing - attacks can periodically weaken or “attack” with new strength, but do not stop completely.
What is a cough
A cough is a complex reflex of the human body, in which a powerful push of air from the lungs occurs as a result of a sharp contraction of the muscles of the respiratory system.
This action is provoked due to irritation of receptors located in various parts of the respiratory tract. The cough itself is useful - its task is to cleanse from: the penetration of foreign bodies, excessively accumulated fluid, mucus in which colonies of harmful/pathogenic microorganisms of the body and respiratory organs have developed vigorous activity.
A persistent dry cough is a sign of a fairly wide range of respiratory diseases in adults (including chronic forms bronchitis, pleurisy, pulmonary tuberculosis), as well as in children (allergic reactions).
There are two main “cough” varieties:
physiological (mechanism for protecting the respiratory tract from excess phlegm, foreign phenomena, for example, crumbs);
pathological (a symptom of respiratory diseases of a very different nature).
There are also such types of cough as wet (or productive), which is accompanied by active removal of sputum from the bronchi, and dry, in which the separation of the moist environment does not occur.
A continuous (lasting at least 2 weeks) dry cough in adults and children demonstrates that what was mistaken for a common cold or flu may be a completely different condition, which a doctor can most effectively identify.
It is very important to undergo a timely examination in case of coughing attacks that last for 10–14 days and are not amenable to any treatment. therapeutic effects, since not leaving the problem behind can lead to the body’s vulnerability to serious pathologies.
what is the reason
Most often, the reasons why an incessant dry cough develops in an adult or child are divided into two categories based on origin:
infectious;
non-infectious.
The first include the following conditions:
infectious lesions of the respiratory system - a persistent cough that develops against the background of bronchitis or pneumonia may be a symptom pulmonary disease if the primary infection did not receive proper treatment or occurred with an extremely weakened immune system (most often this happens in children);
infection of the body with Koch bacilli (otherwise known as tuberculosis infection of the lungs) - a dry cough in this condition can constantly bother a person, not stopping for six months or more, and against the background complete absence manifestations of other symptoms.
Non-infectious causes of a persistent dry cough include:
Postnasal drip syndrome is a consequence of sinusitis/sinusitis, in which mucus from the nasal sinuses begins to flow down the back wall throat, due to which, against the background of irritation of the mucous membranes, a dry, constant cough begins;
taking certain medications (antihistamines or vasoconstrictors), the action of which can excessively dry out the mucous membranes, causing a dry cough;
heartburn - with such an ailment in the larynx and oral cavity the contents of the stomach enter (digestive juice and semi-digested food particles), this irritates the mucous membrane of the throat and provokes soreness and the urge to cough;
allergies – dry persistent cough how an allergic reaction can affect both an adult and a child, and it is accompanied by a “clogged” nose, sneezing and lacrimation, as well as pain and heaviness in the chest;
mechanical irritants entering the lungs from polluted air - these causes of a dry, persistent cough often occur in people with an addiction to smoking, workers chemical plants, residents of areas with poor ecology, and their course does not manifest itself symptomatically in anything else;
diseases of cardio-vascular system, during which in some cases develops respiratory failure up to pulmonary edema, and difficulty breathing over time leads to a constant need to cough.
In the most serious cases, a persistent dry cough for several days is caused by compression of the respiratory tract due to mechanical influence on the bronchi and/or trachea of swollen lymph nodes, mediastinal tumors, and aortic aneurysms.
Important: in such dangerous conditions, coughing attacks do not act as the only symptom– in patients, shortness of breath, persistent fatigue, weakness, fever, and weight loss (sharp) also become noticeable. The condition of the respiratory tract remains unchanged from the ENT point of view.
What to use for treatment
If the reasons that caused a persistent cough do not go away within 10–14 days, you should immediately consult a doctor. After diagnosis and tests, the specialist will prescribe the appropriate treatment respiratory disease- antibiotics, antispasmodics, analgesics, mucolytics (expectorants), anti-inflammatory drugs. A specific choice will be made depending on the problem, after which there will be no trace of the cough.
As a complement to traditional therapeutic methods For a persistent cough, simple measures can be used that every patient can apply at home.
So if the cough is caused by non-infectious causes ( drug allergies, polluted air or heartburn), inhalation will help relieve the condition. Can be purchased special device a nebulizer capable of spraying a medicinal aerosol cloud, or you can use traditional medicine - breathe over potato steam, over a hot solution of baking soda or a decoction of medicinal herbs.
Humidifying the air in the room where the patient is will help to cope well with an incessant dry cough. Special humidifiers or simply a damp towel placed on the radiator. In any case, inhaled vapors will help to dilute mucus in the respiratory tract and provoke its elimination through another type of cough - wet.
Self-medication should be avoided
A cough, even if it tears at the throat and takes away the ability to breathe, swallow and speak, very rarely becomes the reason for visiting a doctor. As long as the coughing person does not suffer from concomitant manifestations of the disease - high temperature, chills, weakness, heaviness and chest pain - he does not recognize himself as truly sick.
There are people who think medical care unnecessary, and themselves - capable of defeating attacks with home remedies - honey, lemon, paracetamol, medicinal infusions and decoctions. This is the wrong decision! Without a full examination and effective drug therapy, with a prolonged dry cough, there is no way to get by.
All people get sick colds. Children are especially often affected by various acute respiratory viral infections. Before mom has time to cope with one acute viral infection, another one has already replaced it. In such a situation, it is not surprising that the child coughs often. It may even feel like a dry or wet cough is constantly present.
Adult patients complain less of frequent coughing. However, such situations are not entirely uncommon.
Frequent coughing should not be taken lightly. This symptom may indicate extremely dangerous diseases.
Remember, if a dry or wet cough does not go away for more than two weeks, you should consult a doctor.
Existing reasons
There are many external and internal factors that affect our daily well-being. However, it must be remembered that a cough cannot just happen. If it appears, it means that there are some pathological prerequisites for this.
Causes of frequent dry or wet cough can be:
- pneumotropic viruses;
- pathogenic bacteria;
- fungal infections;
- foreign objects in the respiratory tract;
- allergens.
Let's look at each of these possibilities in more detail.
Pneumotropic viruses. It is these tiny microbes that are responsible for the occurrence of acute respiratory viral infections. When pneumotropic viruses enter our body, they penetrate the cells of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and very quickly force them to reproduce new microbes.
Such infectious expansion leads to irritation of the throat tissue. The result is a sore throat and dry cough.
Pathogenic bacteria. This is a less common reason frequent cough. As a rule, bacterial complications arise against the background improper treatment ARVI.
Fungal infections. Pathogenic fungi are rare guests in healthy human body. Their attack is often conditioned long-term use antibiotics.
Foreign objects. Foreign bodies entering the respiratory tract is a childhood situation. Small child actively researches the world. This is also expressed in the fact that all suitable sized objects are put into the mouth. Parents should be careful to ensure that their little explorer does not accidentally swallow a part of the toy or anything else of suitable size. Such situations are very dangerous and can create real threat baby's life. At best, the child will get away with a frequent cough.
Allergens. Allergic reactions are becoming more widespread every year. In this case, we can even talk not about frequent, but about constant cough.
It should be understood in order to select the correct treatment for any disease or other pathological condition, you need to know the true reason for the current situation. Put accurate diagnosis Only a qualified doctor can do this.
Which cough is more often dry or wet?
There is a clear answer to this question. In most cases, doctors have to deal with a dry (non-productive) cough. In any case, he is the one who appears first.
A wet (wet, productive) cough occurs after a dry cough only in acute respiratory viral infections, as well as their complications. For example, with bronchitis or pneumonia. It is characterized by the production of mucous sputum.
In essence, the discharge of sputum means that the body, with the help of wet cough began to actively clear mucus from the bronchi and lungs.
Correct treatment
Many people often ask the question: “How to cure a cough?” This approach is wrong. It is necessary to treat not the frequent form of cough, which is only a symptom, but the disease that caused it.
The only case in which a dry cough can be treated independently is an acute respiratory viral infection. In addition, you should not resort to pharmacological drugs. It helps a lot of people.
It is enough to rest at home for a few days. In this case, you need to drink 2-3 liters of warm drink daily. Optimal temperature drinks should be the same as that of the patient's body. That is, 36-40 degrees. Also, do not forget to ventilate the apartment. Eat only light foods. If you have no appetite, then you shouldn’t force yourself.
By following this regimen, you will cure ARVI in 5-7 days. If after a week of therapy the symptoms of the disease do not subside, you need to see a specialist.
In all other cases, treatment of frequent cough is the prerogative of a qualified doctor.
Separately, we would like to warn you against the independent and uncontrolled use of antitussive and mucolytic (expectorant) medications. This is dangerous for your health. In such a situation, the risk of developing a complication increases sharply. For example, pneumonia.
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