What helps with a severe cough for colds. Cold cough: treatment with proven remedies. Prevention of colds and ARVI

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In the spring-autumn period, when the threshold for the incidence of colds is raised, almost every second person experiences cold symptoms. The reason for the increased incidence among the population is considered to be reduced immunity, which is unable to resist pathogenic viruses and bacteria. The signs of a cold are familiar to everyone, they are a runny nose, a sore throat, a cough, a slight increase in body temperature. Catarrhal symptoms mainly affect the ENT organs and the respiratory system, so they need to be treated symptomatically, using only proven and effective remedies. How to quickly cure a cough and a runny nose, which most of all cause discomfort, the doctor will tell you after determining the cause of the disease, the intensity of the symptoms, the risk of complications.

A runny nose and cough in the vast majority are signs of a viral or infectious disease. In some cases, these symptoms are of allergic origin. Very often, a cough appears against the background of a runny nose, when mucus flows down the back wall of the nasopharynx, which irritates the mucous membrane of the throat and respiratory tract. In addition to cough and runny nose, which are present throughout the entire period while a person is sick, there are other symptoms that can also go unnoticed.

  • Nasal congestion.
  • Dry or wet cough of varying intensity.
  • Sore or sore throat.
  • General weakness.
  • Increased body temperature.

The above symptoms are the main signs of a cold. Very often, allergy symptoms are accompanied by the same symptoms, but the body temperature remains normal.


Getting rid of a runny nose is much easier than coughing. Very often, all the symptoms of the disease have passed, and the cough can bother for another 1 - 2 weeks. The presence of a dry or wet cough for several weeks should be a reason to see a doctor who can rule out complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

When cold symptoms appear, many are looking for effective ways to quickly get rid of a runny nose and cough. There are many drugs, traditional medicine recipes that promise to overcome all the symptoms of a cold in the first days of the disease. But in order for the treatment to really bring good results, it is necessary to start the treatment process after determining the cause, using only complex treatment for this.

Drugs for treatment

Treatment for rhinitis and cough consists of symptomatic therapy, which may include topical and internal medications. Before taking any cough medicine, it is important to determine whether it is dry (non-productive) or wet (productive).

With a dry, debilitating cough with sputum that is difficult to separate, it is recommended to use mucolytics, expectorant drugs. Such medicines are produced in the form of tablets, syrups, lozenges or solutions for inhalation. A good result can be obtained from drugs such as:

  • Lozenges or syrup Dr. Mom.
  • Sinecode.
  • Lazolvan.
  • Ambroxol.
  • Bromhexine.

The composition of such drugs may contain synthetic substances or plant components that can reduce inflammation in the tissues of the bronchi, thin phlegm, and accelerate its release outward. The course of taking cough medicine can take up to 10 days. The dose is set individually for each patient.

If a wet cough is present, there is less worry. Most often, its appearance indicates recovery. For the treatment of wet cough, antitussive drugs may be prescribed:

  • Tusin.
  • Prospan.
  • Libeksin.

Any drug used in the treatment of cough should be prescribed by a doctor, who will select the necessary doses and give useful recommendations for treatment.

Counteracting a cough, do not forget about a runny nose, which is no less troublesome, worsens the quality of life, and, with a long presence, even provokes complications. For the treatment of the common cold, vasoconstrictor, antiviral, or antibacterial drugs can be used.

In practice, nasal drops or sprays with a vasoconstrictor effect are most often used:

  • Galazolin.
  • Xilen.
  • Sanorin.
  • Vibrocil.
  • Nazivin.
  • Otrivin.

It is necessary to use any drug from the vasoconstrictor group after studying the instructions for no more than 5 to 7 days.

Rinsing the nasal mucosa can help cope with the symptoms of a runny nose. As a medicinal product, you can use:

  • Saline.
  • Otrivin.
  • Aqualor.
  • Aquamaris.
  • Dolphin.

The procedure for washing the nasal mucosa interacts well with other drugs, allows you to cleanse the nasal passages, relieve inflammation, eliminate swelling, and moisturize the nasal cavity.

If symptoms persist within 5 days and there is a risk of complications, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. The choice of any antibacterial drug should always be left to the attending physician.

Inhalation for cough and runny nose

Quickly cure a runny nose and cough is possible with the help of inhalations, which can positively affect the work of the ENT organs and the respiratory tract. The benefits of inhalation are undeniable. They help to liquefy mucus, moisturize the nasal and respiratory tract mucosa, relieve inflammation, tissue swelling, and have a detrimental effect on pathogenic bacteria. As a remedy, you can choose pharmacy drugs or folk remedies.

When using pharmacy solutions for inhalation, a nebulizer must be used. The following solutions can be used for nebulizer therapy:

  • Ambrobene.
  • Berotek.
  • Miramistin.
  • Lazolvan.
  • Pulmicort.
  • Dekasan.

Any solution used for a nebulizer has a different mechanism of action, therefore, before buying such drugs, you need to study the instructions, consult your doctor.

If there is no nebulizer, inhalation can be carried out over a saucepan with steam. To do this, you can use a pair of potatoes, decoctions of herbs, soda and other proven means. Inhalation cures rhinitis well, relieves dry cough, accelerates the excretion of sputum.

Folk remedies to help

Recipes of traditional medicine will help cure the symptoms of a cold, get rid of a cough and a runny nose. Decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs, some improvised means that are in the kitchen in every home, as well as beekeeping products will bring benefits. In order for treatment with non-traditional methods to bring a good therapeutic effect, treatment must be carried out at the first symptoms of the disease.


Recipe number 1. A mixture of honey, aloe and fat can cope with a cough and a runny nose. To prepare such a recipe, you need 2 large leaves of aloe, which must be chopped in a meat grinder, 200 g of pork fat (melted), 250 g of honey. All ingredients need to be mixed, add 1 spoonful of cocoa, put in a glass jar, refrigerate and take 1 tablespoon one hour before meals.

Recipe number 2. Onion juice. Onion drops, which can be taken internally or bury the nose with them, will help eliminate cough, reduce runny nose. For cooking, you need to chop the onion, squeeze the juice out of it, refrigerate for 2 hours. Dilute 1: 1 with water before use. Apply 1 tablespoon for cough or 2 drops for a cold in each nostril.

Recipe number 3. Plantain infusion. To prepare the medicine, you need 4 tablespoons of dry plant leaves, 0.5 liters of boiling water. Plantain leaves are poured with boiling water, insisted for 1 hour, then filtered and taken 2 tablespoons 3 times a day. A spoonful of honey or lemon juice can be added to improve the taste and healing effect.

How to get rid of a cough quickly, a runny nose and other symptoms of a cold will be advised by a doctor, but for a successful and quick recovery, you need to follow some rules.

  1. In the first days of illness - bed rest.
  2. Drink plenty of fluids.
  3. Fortified and balanced nutrition.
  4. Adequate rest and healthy sleep.
  5. Compliance with all doses of prescribed drugs.
  6. Lack of contact with sick people.
  7. Do not visit crowded places.
  8. Airing the room.
  9. Wet cleaning.

Many adults are not at all serious about colds, and many do "carry it on their feet." With such an attitude towards their health, many do not understand that sometimes a banal runny nose and an ordinary cough can provoke serious health problems.

(4 estimates, average: 4,00 out of 5)

Despite the modern progress in medicine, folk remedies sometimes become an indispensable aid in the treatment of colds and cough itself. Sometimes they even help to completely get rid of the disease. In order for the treatment to help, you need to know what type of cough the sick person has.

The cough is divided into the following basic forms:

When choosing methods of treatment for each type of cough, you need to adhere to the recommendations in order to increase efficiency. The history of our home medicine keeps the best folk remedies that will please both adults and children. The composition of traditional medicine recipes includes components that our grandmothers used in the preparation of miraculous medicines. They are not only productive, but also very useful, which will help you quickly overcome any type of cough.

How to cure a mild cough with folk remedies

The main and simplest folk recipes for the treatment of a mild cough are syrups, burnt sugar lozenges and ginger tea. With the correct and fairly frequent use of these funds, you can quickly get rid of this form of the disease:

How to cure a dry cough with folk remedies

This type of cough is very unpleasant, characterized by acute attacks of a reflex act. For its treatment, agents are used to help soothe mucous membranes and help moisturize the cough. There are a lot of herbs in traditional medicine that do an excellent job with this task. They are used in cooking:

  • Inhalation. Inhalation is often used to treat dry coughs. Traditional medicine is full of all kinds of auxiliary components for this method of treatment. These are oil products: oil of eucalyptus, rosehip, sea buckthorn, which are added to boiling water and breathe their vapors. Herbal infusions are also widely used for this procedure. In order to relieve dry coughs, steam is often used while boiling potatoes. It is enough to add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to it and you will get a wonderful remedy for treatment. In order to properly inhale, you need to monitor the temperature, do not bend too low over a container of boiling water and control the time of using the procedure.
  • A decoction of walnut and elderberry. For dry cough, nut decoction is a very effective remedy. To prepare it, take four unpeeled walnuts and boil it with 1 tbsp. elderberries in 0.5 l. water for about half an hour. After cooking it is filtered and a little honey is added. The remedy is taken in 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day.
  • Blackcurrant syrup. A very simple and effective remedy is blackcurrant juice syrup. For its preparation, take a glass of juice and one and a half glasses of honey. Mix and take several tablespoons 5-6 times a day.
  • Infusion of mother and stepmother. Throw a small pinch of dry mother-and-stepmother into boiling water. There should be no more than 200 ml of water. Immediately remove the infusion from the heat and wait about half an hour until it is brewed. Drink 50 ml several times a day.

How to cure a wet cough with folk methods

In the treatment of wet cough, the main task is to dilute the phlegm and remove it quickly. For this, many folk remedies of various forms are used. Basically, these are infusions and decoctions that help to improve the patency of the bronchi, increase expectoration and make the sputum thinner:

  • Viburnum infusion. For cooking, take a handful of viburnum berries and pour them to the top with honey. Insist until they let the juice out. After that, a couple of tablespoons of the resulting mixture are poured with boiling water and drunk instead of tea.
  • Milk cough drink. Add soda on the tip of a knife and a spoonful of honey to warm milk. Mix and consume immediately after preparation.
  • Sage broth. Sage is a well-known folk expectorant from time immemorial. To prepare this medicine, you will need dried leaves and stems. Pour a handful of sage with water, put on medium heat and boil. Cool the resulting broth until warm and strain. Drink half a glass 2-3 times a day.

How to cure acute and bronchial cough with folk methods

These types are characterized by prolonged seizures that torment the patient not only during the day but also at night. When treating them, it is necessary to soften and soothe a strong cough, reduce the number of reflex acts, lead to getting rid of the disease and achieve complete recovery. This is helped by syrups, infusions, rubbing and compresses:

How to cure a lingering and chronic severe cough with folk methods

If the treatment is chosen incorrectly or the disease is started, then the cough turns into a protracted or chronic form. A sick person begins to feel worse, attacks of a reflex act appear more and more often, although not as painful as in acute and bronchial coughs. But for traditional medicine, nothing is impossible. There are recipes for syrups, decoctions, and other medicines to help cope with this ailment:


When treating any type of cough, you do not need to ignore the grandmother's recipes that our people have long used, since they have earned only positive reviews. They treat comfortably, affordably, and most importantly, without side effects. The only exception is individual intolerance to one or another ingredient. Therefore, you can easily find a remedy to taste, both for adults and children.

Folk remedy for coughs for adults: how to quickly recover at home

Cough (dry or wet) accompanies almost all colds.

The appearance of a cough indicates damage to the respiratory tract - larynx, trachea, bronchi.

Sensitive receptors are dispersed in these parts of the human body, which are responsible for the cough reflex, which is a protective reaction.

The moment a person coughs, everything that negatively affects the state of health comes out of his respiratory tract. However, in spite of the protective mission of the cough, it exhausts the sick person so much that the latter loses sleep, pains appear in the muscles, sometimes a strong cough can reach vomiting.

Some people tolerate coughs very hard, so many patients of a general practitioner are interested in the question: how to quickly cure a cough with folk remedies at home?

A cough can signal the development of a dangerous disease in an adult's body. Therefore, before starting to treat it at home, you need to go to the doctor's office.

If the doctor does not have any suspicions of a more serious ailment than the common cold, the cough can be treated independently. In the event that the doctor has any doubts about the nature of this phenomenon, he will prescribe the patient an additional examination.

For the treatment of colds, the doctor will prescribe medicines to the patient that can be combined with traditional medicine recipes.

To prevent the appearance of side effects from such treatment, you need to prepare folk remedies only by carefully studying their recipes.

Folk recipes

You can cure a cough in adults with licorice syrup, which must be drunk three times a day for one week. Alcohol-free licorice syrup, along with a spoonful of natural honey, is added to regular or herbal tea.

Another recipe with which you can quickly cure a cold and get rid of high fever at home:

  1. Take a small piece of ginger and grind it.
  2. Place the resulting mass in a herbal teapot.
  3. Pour boiling water into a teapot and leave for 30 minutes.
  4. Add one teaspoon of lime honey to the drink before use.

This cough remedy can be drunk 3 times a day.

Three times a day for one week, you must take the following composition:

  • Grate a large onion on a coarse grater and squeeze the juice out of it;
  • add a teaspoon of honey to the resulting juice and let it brew.

Even a severe cough can be quickly cured using this recipe.

If an adult is given warmed milk with honey and a lump of butter to drink, the coughing attack will quickly stop. This drink can be consumed in unlimited quantities. In addition to the fact that milk with honey has a softening effect on the throat, it also tastes good.

With dry cough, steam inhalation is carried out at home. Coniferous baths with a water temperature of 37-38 are very useful. An adult can stay in such a bath for 10-15 minutes.

At the end of the procedure, the patient should be immediately put to bed. The number of sessions per course is 12-15.

How to quickly cure a cold with a cough using folk recipes

Today, doctors know a huge number of effective folk remedies that doctors recommend to their patients for colds or infections accompanied by a cough.

It is useful to include the following foods in the patient's diet:

  1. grated radish seasoned with sour cream or vegetable oil;
  2. rolled oats cooked in milk;
  3. mashed potatoes;
  4. dairy products;
  5. grapes - acts as an expectorant and healing agent for the lungs
  6. honey - without this product, the treatment of colds is not complete.

Grape juice mixed with honey is a truly unique remedy for a strong cough. But the patient should temporarily stop drinking coffee. The drink can be replaced with chicory mixed with milk.

Lemon passed through a meat grinder should be mixed with a small amount of honey - this composition helps an adult patient to quickly cure even a very strong cough and get rid of a high temperature.

In order to restore the water-alkaline balance of the body disturbed by the disease, the patient is advised to drink plenty of fluids. Water helps to dilute the phlegm accumulated in the bronchi.

Doctors advise to use alkaline mineral water, the chemical composition of which brings the moment of recovery closer.

How to treat a dry cough

It is not so easy to cure a dry cough with folk remedies. A quick effect can be achieved only by the simultaneous administration of drugs that suppress the cough reflex. But this is not a cure for the disease, but only getting rid of the symptoms.

With a dry cough provoked by a cold, it is useful to inhale. To prepare an inhalation agent, you need to mix equal amounts of thyme, coltsfoot, chamomile, sage, take 4 tbsp. spoons of this raw material and pour boiling water over. Add 2 drops of menthol or eucalyptus oil and one teaspoon of baking soda to the infusion. Inhalation must be carried out several times a day.

  • The patient's diet should be enriched with high-calorie, but not heavy food.
  • The daily menu should include vegetables and fruits.
  • It is impossible to quickly cure a dry cough without the use of expectorants.
  • The patient must definitely see a doctor.

The occurrence of a dry cough against the background of a cold is a quite typical phenomenon. Sometimes there is no need to treat a cough, it goes away on its own in the process of treating the disease itself.

If it is harsh and accompanied by viscous sputum, it is necessary to start taking medications that thin the sputum.

Traditional recipes for the treatment of cough reflex

Traditional cough recipes should be used for a comprehensive cure of the disease. You should not refuse medical therapy prescribed by a doctor. Traditional medicine is effective only as an adjunct treatment.

The recipes below, due to their effectiveness, are very popular among the people:

  1. Colds, accompanied by a cough, are well treated with honey and radishes. A small hole is cut out in the radish with a knife and honey is poured into it. The product will very soon release juice, which must be drunk one teaspoon 4 times a day.
  2. You can quickly heal with figs previously soaked in milk. For this, cow's milk is used, which must be heated to a hot state. You need to put several figs in milk, insist and grind together with milk. The gruel-like mass should be taken 1/3 cup before meals 3 times a day.
  3. A dry cough can be treated with a mixture of aloe, honey, and butter. The ingredients must be taken in equal parts, mixed and the resulting product taken one teaspoon 4 times a day.
  4. You can fight a painful cough by taking herbal infusions. For example, infusions of thyme, plantain and nettle. The leaves of the plant need to be crushed, filled with a glass of boiling water, put in a water bath and kept on it for about 15 minutes. Further, the product should be infused for 30 minutes. Filter the cooled broth and take one tablespoon before meals 5-6 times a day.
  5. Finely chop the radish, cover with sugar, spread on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours. The pieces of radish should then be discarded, and the juice from the baking sheet should be drained into a container. Such a remedy can even be given to infants.
  6. There is a special cough treatment for coffee lovers. It is not recommended to use coffee itself for colds, but it is quite possible to replace it with chicory, oats, rye, barley, which are brewed in the same way as regular coffee. Milk can be added to the drink.

For severe attacks, you need to take poppy milk. It is prepared like this:

  • steam a few tablespoons of dry poppy in hot water;
  • drain the water, and crush the poppy seeds in a mortar;
  • add a glass of boiling water to the crushed poppy seeds and leave for 10-15 minutes.
  • Filter.

You need to drink such milk warm.

A dry cough can be caused by an external allergen or irritant. A similar phenomenon cannot be treated by the methods listed above. Therefore, if a cough reflex occurs, first of all, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

The doctor will determine the nature of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment for the situation.

Do I need to quickly treat a cough?

The described phenomenon in most cases acts as a kind of protective reaction of the body, aimed at removing toxins that have appeared as a result of the development of any inflammatory process

Given this fact, the elimination of cough will directly contribute to the further infection of a person. Toxins will accumulate, and the disease will become chronic.

However, medicine is also known for an unproductive debilitating cough, which is no longer able to perform its drainage function. In such a situation, the suppression of the cough center with medications is quite justified. Although you can quickly defeat a cough and get rid of a high temperature without taking pharmacological agents.

  1. Radish (6-8 pieces) should be cut into thin slices, covered with granulated sugar and set aside for 6 hours to infuse until juice is released from the product. This juice should be drunk every hour, one tablespoon.
  2. Pour boiling water over one small lemon and put on fire for 10 minutes. Next, cool the lemon, cut into slices and squeeze the juice out of them into the same water in which the lemon was boiled. Add two tablespoons of glycerin oil and ½ cup of honey to the liquid. This mixture should be taken several times a day, 2 tablespoons.

A patient with a cold needs to drink boiled milk, with the addition of:

  • alkaline mineral water;
  • honey;
  • anise oil;
  • turmeric;
  • soda;
  • figs.

For a quick release of sputum, it is necessary to use a composition made from lingonberry juice and honey (sugar syrup can be used).

Medicines for coughs of complex effects have a very negative effect on the condition of the liver. Therefore, it is better to treat the symptoms of the disease separately. Most often, doctors prescribe expectorant and suppressive medications to their patients.

Expectorants are very effective at getting rid of phlegm. Suppressive drugs only suppress the cough reflex.

Preventive actions:

  1. Frequent hand washing.
  2. Use of a medical bandage for contact with sick people.
  3. To give up smoking.
  4. Taking vitamins.
  5. Getting an annual flu vaccination.
  6. Drinking a lot of fluids.

Before you start taking this or that drug, be sure to carefully study the instructions. Perhaps the medicine has contraindications and side effects that can seriously affect the general condition of the patient. It is better not to engage in self-medication, drug therapy, like folk remedies, can only be taken on the recommendation of a doctor, the father said in the video in this article.

The use of ginger in the treatment of cough

The benefits of ginger have been known for a long time, it is rightfully considered a universal remedy for many diseases, this miraculous product is especially effective in treating colds. Ginger for cough is used in the treatment of children and adults, while it is not only useful, but also quite pleasant to the taste, however, only with its skillful use.

Beneficial features

Ginger cough root is used for its many beneficial properties. This product is rich in such substances as salts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins. It also includes zinc, sodium, manganese, iron and silicon. Traditional medicine uses the root, which contains essential oils that give it such a spicy smell and burning taste.

The use of ginger for a cold from a cough is due to the fact that this miracle product has such a complex effect on the patient's body:

  • expectorant;
  • anti-inflammatory;
  • immunostimulating;
  • bactericidal;
  • warming;
  • antiseptic.


If you drink ginger tea every day during the course of bronchodilator diseases, you can reduce even the most severe cough. When it is used, pain in the chest is eliminated, the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract are softened.
Many people during the period of flu and colds epidemics take ginger for cough as a preventive measure. With this treatment, the intensity of inflammatory processes in the patient's body decreases, blood circulation improves and all metabolic processes are restored.

It is recommended for chills, which are often felt at elevated body temperature, to drink a cup of ginger tea. It has a warming effect, improving the patient's condition. It is necessary to drink it before going to bed, wrapped in a blanket. In addition, they drink tea for the following purposes:

  • lower body temperature;
  • eliminate sore throat;
  • relieve headache;
  • soothe dry cough.

Such a healing warming drink has an immuno-strengthening effect on the body of a sick person, therefore, timely treatment will prevent the further development of a viral or catarrhal disease.

Application methods

There are many recipes for ginger cough used in the preparation of medicines. It is important to know that it is used not only internally, but also externally. When coughing, you can use the following recipes:

If you use ginger root in the treatment of colds and viral diseases accompanied by a cough, side effects almost never occur. Such a remedy is not suitable only for those people who have an individual intolerance to its components. It is known that it is easier to prevent the development of the disease than to treat it later, therefore, during the period of increased spread of viral respiratory diseases, it is necessary to use ginger root, adding it to dishes and tea.

There are a lot of diseases accompanied by coughing - however, in most cases, the appearance of this symptom in adults and children is explained by the common cold and infectious and inflammatory process in the respiratory system. Cough complaints are heard daily by pediatricians and general practitioners; for a high-quality diagnosis, it is necessary to clarify the characteristics - the time of occurrence, duration, presence or absence of sputum. Coughing can be beneficial or exhausting the patient, interfering with proper rest and sleep. With its appearance, fears about complications of the common cold are often associated, which does not at all contradict the truth. The need for additional laboratory and instrumental studies and the choice of therapy depend on the cough option.

Causes

A cold is a disease associated with hypothermia (general, local), as well as a viral or bacterial infection of the respiratory system. A cold cough occurs when both the upper and lower respiratory tract are affected. It is caused by irritation of the "cough zones" located in the nasal cavity, pharynx, trachea, bronchi. The provocateurs are:

  • cold, dry air;
  • sputum;
  • nasal secret;
  • inflammatory edema.

The physiological role of coughing is to cleanse the respiratory tract from pathological secretions (mucus, pus, blood), dust particles, smoke, and foreign objects. In the case of a cold, the patient is faced with an acute cough - it lasts less than 3 weeks, develops as a symptom of an acute inflammatory process. Most often it accompanies such pathologies as:

  1. Tracheitis.
  2. Laryngitis.
  3. Bronchitis.

Cough is a common symptom of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI). The inflammatory process involves the nasopharynx (rhinitis, pharyngitis), larynx (laryngitis), trachea (tracheitis), bronchi (bronchitis). Damage to the lungs is called pneumonia. The clinical picture depends on the localization of pathological changes.

A cold can provoke a worsening of the course of chronic pathologies and the appearance of a cough in bronchial asthma, sinusitis, bronchiectasis.

It is important to differentiate the cough that occurs when the bronchi and lungs are affected from the manifestations of postnasal flow syndrome in case of inflammation in the upper respiratory tract.

Symptoms

A cough with a cold occurs, as a rule, against the background of other symptoms:

  • weakness;
  • headache;
  • fever;
  • runny nose;
  • perspiration and sore throat.

A symptom such as a severe cough after a cold is not typical for pharyngitis. A cough appears due to irritation of the pharyngeal mucosa by mucous or mucopurulent secretions flowing from the nasal cavity.

The primary manifestations of acute banal tracheitis are characterized by the absence or meager amount of sputum, excruciating bouts of loud coughing, sore throat and chest pain. Patients try to limit the depth of breathing. Soon the volume of sputum increases, its separation is facilitated. The cough increases at night and in the morning - this can be explained by the accumulation of sputum and an increase in the sensitivity of the nerve endings of the vagus nerve, which is responsible for the implementation of the cough reflex.

At the beginning of bronchitis after a cold, there is a dry cough, which is often called "chest". It is loud, pronounced during the day, and intensifies at night. Patients complain of a scratching sensation behind the sternum, between the shoulder blades, which disappears only with the appearance of copious sputum.

Cough with pneumonia of bacterial etiology is characterized by such signs as:

  1. Productive character (sputum production).
  2. Shortness of breath.
  3. The presence of chest pain.

Painful sensations are provoked by a cough, a deep breath.

Post-infectious cough

Recovering from a postponed respiratory infection is associated with the complete disappearance of all symptoms. Therefore, a long cough after a cold is a cause for concern. There can be many reasons for its preservation, but in the absence of changes on the X-ray of the lungs and duration of more than 3, but less than 8 weeks, they speak of post-infectious cough.

In this case, there are several explanations for the fact that the cough after a cold does not go away:

  • violation of mucociliary clearance and increased mucus secretion;
  • increased sensitivity of cough receptors;
  • postnasal drip syndrome.

To confirm the correctness of the assumption of post-infectious cough, it is necessary to exclude infection (for example, whooping cough accompanied by coughing fits for a long time), sinusitis, bronchial asthma.

Treatment

Treatment of colds, accompanied by cough and runny nose, begins with the implementation of general recommendations:

  1. Bed rest during fever, absence of excessive physical exertion, psychoemotional rest, adequate sleep.
  2. Drinking regime (plentiful drink - still mineral water, tea, dried fruit decoction, compote).
  3. Cooking easily digestible food, the presence of vitamins and minerals in the diet.
  4. The humidity level in the room is not less than 70%, the air temperature is about 19-20 ° C.
  5. Rinsing the nose with saline, using saline as nasal drops.
  6. Clothing suitable for ambient temperature conditions.

A sharp change in temperature, inhalation of chemical vapors, dust by the patient should be excluded. Meals should be fractional, from 4 to 6 times a day. If the patient has no appetite during a high fever, do not force him to eat.

How to treat a cough with a cold? It is necessary to facilitate the secretion of sputum - this is facilitated by humidification of the air and abundant drinking, as well as the appointment of mucolytics (acetylcysteine, ambroxol), expectorants (pectolvan, thermopsis preparations). These medicines are used only when it is difficult to remove the accumulated secretion. You should be aware of the rules of use and precautions:

  1. If the patient's cough is initially productive, it is not worth taking either mucolytics or expectorants, since the volume of sputum increases, cough tremors become more frequent.
  2. Mucolytic drugs are useful for viscous phlegm. However, it is forbidden to use them to treat children under 2 years of age due to the weakness of the cough impulse.

The use of antitussives (sinekod) is permissible only in extreme cases, when the cough does not perform an evacuation function (laryngitis, whooping cough) and significantly affects the patient's quality of life.

Only dry cough is suppressed, with its productive form, such therapy will lead to the accumulation of sputum in the lower respiratory tract and the development of complications.

Self-administration of antibiotics is unacceptable. Even the appearance of green sputum cannot be an exact sign of a bacterial infection - you need to pay attention to each symptom and conduct additional tests (complete blood count, chest x-ray, etc.). The need for etiotropic (antibacterial, antiviral) therapy is determined only by a doctor.

It is often assumed that a cough for a cold should not be treated. Coughing up phlegm helps clear the lungs. In some cases, it is still advisable to use drugs that relieve cough (promoting the secretion and separation of sputum). Less often, it is necessary to use cough suppressants (they are usually prescribed when the cough itself can lead to any complications).

You need to know how drugs work and what side effects they have in order to trust your doctor and follow his instructions correctly.

All antitussive drugs, depending on the level at which they exert their effect, are subdivided as follows:

Central action

These drugs act on the cough reflex at the level of the cough center in the central nervous system. Suppress cough.

Narcotic

The respiratory center is depressed. Have a risk of side effects and addiction. These include:

  • Codeine
  • Dextromethorphan

Non-narcotic

Do not depress the respiratory center, do not induce addiction, evidence of effectiveness is conflicting. These include:

  • Glaucine hydrochloride(tradename Glauvent)
  • Prenoxdiazine hydrochloride(tradename Libexin)
  • Butamirate citrate(tradename Sinekod)
  • Oxeladine citrate(tradename Tusuprex, Paxeladine)

Peripheral action

Among them, there are groups of drugs that have an enveloping, expectorant, local anesthetic and mucolytic effect ( Acetylcysteine, Bromhexine, Ambroxol).

Large studies carried out abroad have shown that there is no obvious effect of prescribing cough drugs in either children or adults in the treatment of colds. However, many drugs have side effects. Therefore, it is recommended to use cough medicines only in consultation with a doctor. Certainly, for colds, codeine preparations should not be prescribed. In some cases, dextromethorphan may be helpful in suppressing dry, stubborn coughs, and some studies have shown little effect.

If you have productive (wet) cough with sputum production cough suppressants should not be prescribed. Check with your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe a peripheral drug for you.

Expectorant medicines

Improves coughing by making mucus less viscous. However, studies have shown that regular heavy drinking and water inhalation or aerosols also effectively reduce the viscosity of mucus, not inferior to the action of expectorants. The most common side effect of expectorants is nausea and vomiting. Expectorants cannot be combined with drugs that inhibit the cough reflex (codeine, tusuprex, glaucine, etc.) and with antiallergic drugs that thicken phlegm. Expectorants should be taken with copious alkaline drinks.

Boning and local anesthetics

These drugs are used mainly for coughing that occurs when the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and oropharynx is irritated. Usually they are lozenges in the mouth or syrups and teas containing extracts of eucalyptus, licorice, wild cherry and others, glycerin, honey and other components often with local anesthetic substances, such as, menthol, diclonin, lidocaine.

Cough syrups

In winter, over-the-counter antitussive syrups virtually disappear from drugstore windows. But recent research has shown that these drugs are ineffective in treating the root cause of a cold cough. Some contain substances that soften coughs, but in very small quantities, so they can not bring significant benefits. They can also be harmful to children.

Basically, scientists are recommending that over-the-counter antitussives and other cold medications be avoided in children under 14. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns of banning the use of cold medications by children under two years of age. For young children, accidental overdose can be fatal.

A cough caused by a cold usually lasts less than two or three weeks. If the cough does not go away for longer than the specified period, you should consult a doctor.

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