Why does a dry cough appear at night? Violent cough at night

Does your cough keep you awake? How to calm a cough at night at home?
These folk remedies will save you from a nocturnal cough and allow a sick child or adult to sleep well.

Nettle tincture helps to quickly calm an adult's cough at night.

Pour a handful of dry nettles with moonshine or vodka. Insist 10 days. You will get a green liquid. Drink with an attack of a night cough, 1 tbsp. l. The cough quickly stops (2007, No. 19, p. 32).

If your cough keeps you awake, make a sugar burnt.

Recipe: Overcook 1 tbsp. l. sugar in an iron mug, stirring on the stove until dark Brown, add 1/4 cup of water, drip aloe juice (you can without it), drink and restful sleep provided. Tried repeatedly. (2008, No. 17, Article 33).

How to fall asleep with a strong cough - recipe for burntness No. 2.

Another similar recipe with burnt sugar, but with a dose limitation:
To prepare a burnt, pour half a glass of sugar into a dry frying pan, melt until brown, carefully pour a glass of boiling water and stir. Drink this syrup for 1 tsp. during an attack, the cough stops immediately. Helps both the child and the adult. At night, too, drink this remedy to sleep well. The daily dose is no more than 5 teaspoons (HLS 2009, No. 10, p. 30).

It is difficult to fall asleep from a strong cough - prepare a sage tincture.

The following folk remedy helps to relieve an attack of a nocturnal cough: 1 tbsp. l. Boil sage herbs with a glass of milk, insist warm for 40 minutes, strain. Take hot 1 glass a day before bedtime, then it will be possible to remove coughing fits and fall asleep without problems, and sleep will be sound. (HLS 2005, No. 10, p. 29, 2007, No. 10, p. 31).

Rubbing radish juice will help to stop coughing at night.

The following remedy helped the woman to calm her cough at night at home: at night she rubbed her back and chest with black radish juice - she managed to sleep peacefully after such rubbing. (recipe for healthy lifestyle 2006, No. 5, p. 30).

If a bad cough keeps you awake at night, use a golden mustache.

If you chew a leaf of the plant "golden mustache" during an attack of a strong cough, then it can be quickly removed. (2003, No. 8, p. 3).

To avoid seizures and get rid of a nocturnal cough, take an infusion of pine buds.

The infusion is prepared as follows: 1 tbsp. l. infuse kidneys in 1 glass of boiling water for 30 minutes, drain. As soon as you feel that an attack begins, take 1-2 sips of this infusion. The cough usually subsides immediately. (HLS 2008, No. 5, p. 30).

It is possible to calm a child's night cough with chamomile tea, milk or alkaline water.

It is necessary to sit in bed, knock on the upper part of the chest and back, so that the mucus moves away from the bronchi, drink the above drinks warm. The night cough will stop.

How to muffle a night cough with honey.

If the cough keeps you awake, put a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon in your mouth. butter(less possible), dissolve. You can drink it with a sip of warm milk.

How to calm a cough before bed - use valerian.

The woman had attacks of nocturnal coughing at 11 o'clock in the evening, and he interfered with her sleep all night. Such a folk remedy helped to calm the cough: when the attack begins, drink 20 drops of valerian per 100 g of water. After a few minutes, the cough subsides and you can sleep well. (recipe for healthy lifestyle 2002, No. 1, p. 18).

How to calm a night cough without medication - meadowsweet wine.

The woman constantly had a sore throat ( side effect from pills against hypertension), especially at night, she could not sleep well - tortured night cough... Once, by chance, before going to bed, she drank some wine from meadowsweet, and the cough did not torment her all night - she stopped coughing. After that, every evening she drank 1 tbsp. l. of this wine and her cough went away.
Make wine like this: tightly fill a liter jar with meadowsweet flowers, pour these flowers into 3.5 liters of boiling water, insist for a day in a tightly closed enamel pan, if you want a more aromatic wine, leave for 2-3 days. Then strain, squeeze.
Prepare the syrup separately: put 1 kg of sugar in 0.5 l of water, squeeze 1-2 lemons, add 2 tsp. citric acid. Mix cold syrup with meadowsweet infusion, add 10 raisins. Keep in a warm place for 1-2 days, then seal with a water stopper. When fermentation is over, drain off the lees. (2006, No. 23, p. 31).

How to relieve a coughing fit without available means - exercises.

If a coughing attack is found on the street or in someone else's territory, then it will help to relieve the attack next exercise: stand up straight, raise right hand up and pull it as high as you can. Pull until the cough subsides.

Coughing is a reaction to irritation respiratory tract... Such irritation can occur at the most different diseases... With the help of coughing, our body gets rid of the phlegm formed during the disease, the pathogens contained in it and their waste products. That is, a cough is a blessing. However, a nocturnal cough can hardly be called a blessing, since it prevents the patient from sleeping normally, torments him. In addition, the whole family can suffer from a night cough of one person, because he can wake up at night or prevent sleep in the evening. Nocturnal coughing fits in a child may indicate the presence of a serious health problem.

Why does a night cough appear

The causes of a nocturnal cough can be varied. Moreover, in adults and in children, they can differ, since the body in childhood has some features, but in an adult others.

Most common reasons

1. Physiological, such as supine position during sleep, when mucus remains in the airways and irritates them, causing coughing.
2. The air quality in the room where the person sleeps, for example dry or cold air, can irritate the respiratory tract.
3. Infectious diseases.
4. Non-infectious diseases of the respiratory system.
5. Allergic reactions.
6. Diseases of some internal organs.

For many diseases of the respiratory tract, nocturnal cough is uncommon. However, if the illness is in full swing, or the allergic reaction is very strong, then the patient can cough both day and night. If the cough occurs only at night without apparent reason, then this may be evidence of developing bronchial asthma. This disease is characterized by a nocturnal cough.

Nocturnal cough in a child has causes mainly associated with the respiratory system.

The tracheas and bronchi in children have a rather narrow lumen, therefore, with any inflammation or slight irritation, a cough may appear, including nocturnal.

Causes of nocturnal cough in children

• Rhinitis,
• Tracheitis
• Angina,
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Allergic reaction,
• Whooping cough,
• Bronchial asthma,
• Foreign body in the respiratory tract,
• Teething teeth in babies.

If an adult has a nocturnal cough, the causes may be the same as in children, with the exception of whooping cough. However, problems with other organs can also cause nighttime coughs in adults. Pathology of cardio-vascular system and the gastrointestinal tract often make themselves felt by the cough that appears at night.

Features of nocturnal cough in adults

To find out the reasons for the cough that occurs at night, of course, examinations are needed. However, preliminary conclusions can be drawn from the nature of the cough. If an adult has a nocturnal cough due to bronchial asthma, then it is accompanied by wheezing and shortness of breath. If the cough is just dry and there are no other symptoms, then congestive heart failure may be the cause.

For gastroenterological reasons, cough most often occurs against the background of acid reflux. Then acid from the stomach rises up the esophagus, it enters the respiratory tract, irritating them and causing a cough. In this case, a person often has heartburn, discomfort, and pain in the stomach.

Features of children's nighttime cough

Most often, nocturnal cough in children is caused by viral infections... SARS, flu are usually accompanied by a cough. At night, sputum stagnates in the respiratory tract, which is why a cough occurs. If, at the same time, there is also dry air in the room, then the cough will become stronger, because it will be an additional irritating factor. A persistent, unproductive, dry, nocturnal cough in a child may be a symptom dangerous disease- whooping cough, which is not always immediately diagnosed. This disease is rare today due to vaccination. However, DPT vaccine for some children, it can cause coughing, including nighttime. With whooping cough, the cough is excruciating and can lead to vomiting. During an attack of such a cough, the child's face may turn red, noise and whistling are heard during inhalation.

If your child is allergic, and his cough appears only at night, then you need to look for the cause in his bed. Most likely, some components of the linen, blanket or pillow fillers cause this reaction.

A severe nocturnal cough in a child, especially if it occurs only at night, closer to the morning, is highly likely to indicate developing bronchial asthma.

If there are asthmatics among the relatives, the child often suffers from bronchitis, he develops a cough when physical activity, then you need to show it to a pulmonologist or allergist as soon as possible. When the asthmatic process is started, changes in the bronchial mucosa occur, which have a bad effect on the course of the disease.

It is possible that a nocturnal cough has little child appeared because of the erupting teeth. During this period, saliva is released very abundantly, and the child lying on the back can simply gag on it, as a result of which a cough appears. During the day, children can control their body position, and at night they relax and cannot cope with a lot of saliva.

What to do with a night cough

To eliminate this phenomenon, you need to remove its cause. That is, the diagnosis and treatment of the disease is needed. If the cause is an uncomfortable position of the body or dry cold air, then you need to take care of how to fix it. For example, you can buy a more comfortable pillow or mattress, improve the heating in the room, or install a humidifier.

You can take action during the day to relieve a nocturnal cough. If mucolytic and expectorant drugs are prescribed, then they should be used no later than two hours before bedtime, so that a person can clear his throat, but the respiratory tract had time to calm down by night. In some cases, with a painful cough that you cannot cope with, you can take drugs that depress the cough center. The cough will stop. You just need to remember that these drugs do not cure, but simply eliminate one of the symptoms of the disease, so they are rarely prescribed.

Urgent measures

To cope with an attack of a nocturnal cough in a child or an adult, simple folk recipes will help. To relieve coughs and stop coughing attacks, you can warm the airway area.

For example, crush a few potatoes boiled in uniforms and put a potato compress on the patient's back. In order not to burn yourself, first put a piece of cloth or a towel folded several times. Then they cover it with a cloth and a blanket on top. The bronchi will dilate with the heat, and the cough will diminish and stop. When the potato mass has cooled, it is removed.

There is another old "old-fashioned" and very simple way to calm a cough. This is burnt sugar, that is, caramel. Making a small caramel is easy. Sugar is poured into a teaspoon, a few drops of water are dripped to moisten it. Then this spoon should be held over low heat until the sugar turns brown, about like brewed tea. The caramel is easily separated from the spoon, cooled in cold water... A child or adult with a nocturnal cough dissolves the caked sugar cube, and the cough stops very quickly. This remedy works flawlessly, however, like antitussive drugs, it is not a treatment, but only helps to remove a painful symptom.

An attack of dry cough in adults, as well as in children, especially at night, is a difficult condition and problem. You need to know the cause of the paroxysmal nocturnal (and daytime) cough and know how to provide first aid at home. Therefore, in this article we will consider attacks of dry cough in an adult at night, its causes, how and how to quickly relieve a coughing attack, how to stop it at home.

A dry cough is considered more dangerous and more severe than a wet cough. This is due to the fact that at wet cough phlegm is excreted from the lungs, which helps clear the bronchi of mucus and microbes. With a dry cough, phlegm is not excreted, it accumulates in the lungs, increasing inflammation, and makes breathing difficult. Dry cough attacks can be very painful and prolonged, pain-causing and gag reflexes.

The main task of a cough is to remove mucus from the lungs and bronchi. If this task is not performed, the cough becomes excruciating and does not lead to relief. A dry cough is alarming symptom, especially if it lasts a long time and appears for no reason.

There are many ways to relieve a dry cough attack, but it is often ineffective to eliminate one attack.

The causes of coughing are:

1. Bronchial asthma . This is chronic illness, accompanied by shortness of breath, dry exhausting cough, shortness of breath. The disease is treated only symptomatically. As a rule, along with an attack of dry cough, the patient begins to panic, as he expects another attack of suffocation. Asthma is often associated with allergies and occurs after exposure to an allergen.
2. Heart failure . With heart failure, the cough is reflex and is not accompanied by other pathological signs... As a rule, there is a rapid heartbeat first, then shortness of breath and a dry reflex cough. Eliminate cough in this case is possible only after treatment of the cardiovascular system.
3. ARVI and the flu. At viral diseases dry cough occurs at the very beginning of the disease. Over time, a dry cough turns into a moist cough, which allows mucus to be pushed out of the lungs. If a dry cough lasts a long time, more than a week, you need to see a doctor.
4. Allergy... An allergic reaction is very often accompanied by coughing and shortness of breath. This type of allergic reaction is called respiratory. As a rule, a dry cough occurs after inhalation of pollen, dust, vapors and other allergens that irritate the mucous membranes. You can relieve such a cough with antihistamines after contact with the allergen has ceased.
5. Rhinitis and sinusitis. With diseases of the nose, accompanied by edema, a person is not able to breathe through the nose. For this reason, he begins to breathe through his mouth, his throat dries up, becomes irritated, and a dry cough occurs. It can be eliminated by moisturizing the mucous membrane of the throat and eliminating the swelling of the nose.

When should you see a doctor?

If attacks of dry cough are accompanied by other symptoms, you need to see a doctor for examination.

A dry cough is considered not only unproductive but also dangerous. It helps to remove phlegm from the bronchi and damages the respiratory tract, irritates the throat, and causes asthma attacks.

Distinguishing a dry cough from a wet one is not difficult. With a dry cough, the patient makes a barking sound, no expectoration occurs, and the coughing attack itself not only does not bring relief, but only even more irritates the respiratory tract, provoking a new attack.

When contacting a doctor, you should describe in detail the coughing attacks, after which they occur and how long they last. There are a number of signs that require immediate medical attention. A dry cough lasts a long time. If it does not disappear within 2 weeks or more, you should see a doctor and get tested.

A lingering dry cough can be a sign of a serious illness, infection, or respiratory tract pathology.

1. A dry cough attack causes vomiting. In some cases, coughing occurs due to stomach diseases, reflux, heartburn. In any case, constant vomiting due to coughing is dangerous. It dehydrates the body, weakens it, irritates and injures the esophagus and throat.
2. During a coughing fit, wheezing and whistling are distinctly heard. Similar symptoms are found in chronic bronchitis, as well as in smoker's cough. As a rule, they occur at night or in the morning.
3. A concomitant increase in body temperature indicates an infectious disease. It could be pneumonia, tuberculosis, or another disease. With tuberculosis, dry cough and fever are also accompanied by severe sweating.
4. A dry cough is accompanied by severe allergic reactions. If, with a dry cough, shortness of breath, swelling occurs, you should immediately consult a doctor and remove the swelling before it passes to the larynx, as this can be fatal.
5. Painful sensations when coughing. If the cough is accompanied by severe pain in the area of chest, this may indicate damage to the pleura. In this case, an examination is necessary.

How to relieve a dry cough with medication

Treatment of dry cough should be aimed primarily at eliminating the causes of its occurrence. but symptomatic treatment is also very important. An agonizing coughing fit should be relieved as soon as possible to prevent irritation of the throat and larynx.

In the pharmacy, you can find many drugs for dry cough. When choosing this or that remedy, it is necessary to take into account the age of the patient and the expediency of treatment. Antitussives are not always helpful because they prevent phlegm from getting out.

Medicines are prescribed by a doctor after examination and identification of the cause of dry cough attacks

Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor and determine which agent is needed: antitussive or mucolytic.

Dry cough medicines:

1. Sinekod... Butamirate-based antitussive drug. Produced in the form of syrup and drops, it is intended for the treatment of dry cough of any etiology. Sinekod can be given even to children from 2 months. The drug actively suppresses cough reflex and begins to act in 15-20 minutes.
2. Codeine... Codeine can be attributed to narcotic drugs, which, when the dosage is exceeded, quickly become addictive, so it must be used carefully and only according to indications. Codeine has a pronounced antitussive and analgesic effect.
3. Bromhexine... Bromhexine belongs to mucolytic drugs used for dry cough. It does not relieve the cough reflex, so you should not wait for immediate action. Bromhexine dilutes phlegm and removes it, which makes it possible to turn a dry cough into a more productive wet cough. The drug stimulates the production of surfactant in the bronchi, which allows them to be cleared.
4. Antihistamines... If an attack of dry cough is caused by allergies, it is necessary to take an antiallergic drug such as Zodak, Zirtek, Diazolin, Suprastin. They will relieve swelling and eliminate allergy symptoms within half an hour. For best results, avoid contact with the allergen.

It is worth remembering that you cannot use mucolytic and antitussive drugs at the same time, since sputum will be actively secreted and retained in the lungs.

How to stop a dry cough attack: folk remedies at home

Traditional methods of dealing with paroxysmal dry coughs, for example, a warm drink perfectly soothes dry cough attacks.

When applying folk remedies you need to be careful. Not all are effective for dry coughs caused by an infection. Before using any means, you need to consult a doctor.

Some remedies traditional medicine provoke allergic reaction and swelling, so a little reaction test should be done before using them.

Folk recipes:

1. Warm drink... Warm drinks, such as butter and milk, warm tea with honey or lemon, can help relieve a dry cough and soothe an irritated throat. These are safe and fairly effective remedies. Oil and honey moisturize the throat mucosa and instantly soothe it. Do not drink hot liquids, as they irritate the throat even more and lead to burns of the mucous membrane.
2. Inhalation. Dry cough helps steam inhalation with eucalyptus leaves. You need to boil the leaves with boiling water and breathe over the steam. Eucalyptus relieves irritation, eliminates inflammation, and enhances local immunity.
3. Herbs... Decoctions of herbs can be drunk or gargled with them. Chamomile soothes and relieves inflammation, St. John's wort has an antitussive effect. Chamomile tea is great for gargling and will soothe an irritated throat.
4. Radish with honey. In black radish, you need to cut the core and pour liquid honey there, let it brew. Take this medicine in a teaspoon several times a day. It perfectly relieves inflammation, sore throat, moisturizes the mucous membrane.
5. Compresses. Warming compresses are placed at night. They relieve coughing fits. As such a compress, you can use warmed honey, little vegetable, radish with honey. From above, the compress is insulated with polyethylene and a warm scarf.
6. Vitamin Blend... A mixture of lemon with zest and rind, ginger and honey will help relieve a sore throat, relieve a coughing attack, and also boost immunity. This mixture can be eaten or added to warm tea and drunk.

Particular care should be taken in the choice of folk remedies for pregnant women and children. Not all herbs and essential oils safe for babies and the fetus. They can cause a severe allergic reaction or provoke contraction of the uterine muscles.

Today we will together find the answer to the question of why the cough intensifies at night. Surely there is not a single person in the world who does not know how unpleasant it is to get sick. Heat, runny nose and wheezing - all this is difficult for the body. Special unpleasant sensation causes a cough that tends to get worse in the evening and at night. It deprives you of sleep and rest. In this regard, a sick person wakes up in the morning completely overwhelmed.

So why does the cough get worse at night when lying down? The answer to this question is pretty simple. Now you will see for yourself. The whole point is as follows: in the evening and at night, the processes occurring in the body slow down, including blood circulation. This leads to poor absorption and accumulation of phlegm. The latter, in turn, is capable of irritating the nerve endings, thereby causing a cough. But we will try to deal with this issue in more detail, paying attention to the causes of cough and its treatment.

Diseases that cause cough

So, let's begin a closer study of the question of why a dry cough worsens at night. What is the reason for its appearance? In fact, there are a lot of them. Here is just a small list of the most common ones:

• inability to take a full breath, terrible coughing fits can cause croup;
• a digestive disease called acid reflux (as odd as it sounds, but it is interconnected);
• severe attacks of coughing, especially at night with a characteristic whistle, indicate the presence of asthma or bronchitis;
• a very common medical condition that causes restless sleep and is difficult for early age- whooping cough (a feature of this infectious disease lies precisely in the nocturnal cough);
• here is another small list: sinusitis, rhinitis, adenoiditis, heart failure (in these cases, medications that are designed to eliminate inflammatory diseases nasopharynx, special therapy is needed here).

Anything listed above is only small part causes of nocturnal cough. Here were given common diseases causing such unpleasant symptom... Please note that cough should be treated immediately. If you miss the moment and start the disease, then you will have to eliminate the perspiration problem for a very long time, which is also extremely unpleasant.

Causes of increased cough at night

As mentioned earlier, in the evening and at night, all processes in the body slow down. The result this phenomenon is poor blood flow. So sputum practically does not dissolve, but accumulates, irritating the nerve endings. Sputum in the supine position gradually clogs the nose and throat, and this is a provocation for triggering the cough reflex.

1. The most effective and proven method is a glass of warm milk. For good effect you can add a little butter and honey to it. There are other recipes, many advise adding a little soda to the milk.
2. If you have the opportunity to inhale or humidify the air in the bedroom, then you can use these methods. Inhalation can not only warm up the throat, but also thin and remove phlegm. As a result, the disease will go away much faster.
3. Do not forget about medicines which can be purchased at the pharmacy. When buying, pay attention to the expiration date, dosage and age restrictions. Do not forget that self-medication sometimes leads to dire consequences... Before buying medicines, be sure to consult with your doctor. The most common and effective means for coughs are: "Bromhexin", "Ascoril", "Sinekod", "Codelac" and so on. Remember that medicines can help relieve coughs, but most of them are allergenic.

Night cough in a child

Now let's take a closer look at the question - why does a child's cough intensify at night? Small children are literally exhausted when they cough at night. It is important to know that this symptom can drive them to real stress. As in an adult, in children during the day, coughing and sore throats subside a little, which becomes the reason for the parents' inaction. Mom and Dad calmed down and decided to postpone the visit to the doctor, what if everything was over? But as soon as the baby goes to bed, the record is repeated - a strong cough and insomnia.

Of course, late in the evening or at night you will not drag your child to the clinic. Try to eliminate your cough with folk recipes... And in the morning immediately go to the pediatrician or call him at home. He should find out the reason why the cough gets worse in the evening and at night in your baby, and prescribe correct treatment, which is aimed not only at eliminating symptoms, but also at the cause of their occurrence.

The cause of a night cough in a baby

The answer to the question of why the cough worsens at night in children is the same as for adults. A cough is a reflex, a kind of defense reaction of the body. With the help of this symptom, the brain sends a signal that not everything is in order and that treatment is required. A cough is caused by accumulated fluid that the baby's body tries to push out.

Many parents make this mistake: without going to the pediatrician they buy known drugs to treat this very symptom and decide that the problem is solved. In fact, everything is not so, these medicines do not fight the cause of the cough, they are superficial. After taking them, phlegm still remains in the bronchi, which can be badly reflected in the future. This is dangerous because harmless disease can develop into inflammation. Be sure to consult a pediatrician, drink only proven products and consume more liquid (be sure to warm: tea, milk, water, compotes and juices). You should temporarily forget about water from the tap or compote from the refrigerator.

The consequences of coughing at night in a child

We voiced the cause of coughing in young children at night, now we move on to the next question. After past illness, such as acute respiratory infections or the common cold caused by hypothermia or a virus, the baby may still have a cough for a long time. As mentioned earlier, during the day its manifestations are rare, and at night it becomes clearly noticeable. This symptom often occurs in those people who have not healed the disease. These consequences must be quickly and urgently eliminated. This can only be done by contacting a doctor who will prescribe the correct treatment. If you choose the right approach, then you can forget about the cough after a couple of days of therapy.

Why does a cough get worse at night in an adult?

Let's immediately highlight the next disease - asthma. If tickling and coughing have a loud whistling sound, then we are dealing with this particular disease. In addition, a symptom may appear, embarrassing breathing. A dry, severe cough can also indicate the next problem - heart failure. Another symptom is shortness of breath. This is due to the fact that during sleep, namely in the horizontal position of the body, it does not enter the lungs enough oxygen.

Another reason for a nocturnal cough is gastroenterology problems. If there is an effect of irritating factors on the nerve endings of the esophagus, then the mucous membrane can easily become inflamed. In all of these cases, an experienced specialist should be consulted before treatment. Self-treatment may not only be a waste of time and money, but also exacerbate the situation.

Bronchitis

Now we will shed more light on the question - why does the cough intensify at night with bronchitis? This is a fairly common disease, and it is no secret to anyone that its characteristic feature is an increase in coughing at night. Why is this happening? Since we are in a horizontal position at night, phlegm begins to accumulate, having no way out. Stagnation of fluid occurs, which leads to severe cough and sore throat.

Whooping cough

Now you will find out why whooping cough gets worse at night. For starters, a preface: whooping cough is infection which is very dangerous for young children. In addition to coughing, there may be other symptoms:

• high body temperature;
• vomit.

Cause of cough:

• accumulation of phlegm;
• horizontal position of the body;
• dry air;
• poorly ventilated room;
• the required volume of liquid is not drunk;
• lack of treatment;
• accumulation of vomit in the bronchi.

For whooping cough, intensified therapy is needed: inhalations, pills, potions, drink plenty of fluids, use herbal decoctions.

Sometimes parents complain about the appearance (or intensification) of a child's cough at night. In this case, during the day, the child may not cough at all or cough moderately, not too often. At night, the situation is aggravated by the fact that the cough does not allow the child to fall asleep. The child goes into a cough attack, is capricious, crying; parents panic and cannot help.

Often, the case ends with an ambulance call, and sometimes the patient is hospitalized. Why does a night cough occur?

The mechanism of occurrence of a nocturnal cough

The following processes in the body contribute to the nighttime increase in cough:

• Daily fluctuations in the state of nervous and endocrine systems... Activity increases at night vagus nerve and parasympathetic department nervous system, which leads to narrowing of the bronchi and difficulty in sputum discharge. Decreases the production of adrenaline and cortisol; the consequences of this are, again, narrowing of the bronchi and weakening of anti-inflammatory processes.
• In the horizontal position of the body, the blood supply to the lungs deteriorates, and the liquefaction of sputum slows down, it becomes difficult to cough up it. Cough tremors become more intense and even painful.
• If the child is sick with only rhinitis and, therefore, there is no sputum in the lungs, then he does not cough during the day. At night, in the supine position, mucus from the nasal passages flows into the nasopharynx, irritating its receptors back wall and causes a reflex coughing fit, sometimes to vomiting.
• At night, the child increases contact with those contained in bedding (dust mites, pet hair, etc.). If the baby has an allergic mood, then such contact, undoubtedly, contributes to the intensification of the cough, which is slightly expressed during the day.
• At night, the air in the room becomes drier than during the day (windows and vents are closed, fearing drafts, and in the cold season, heating radiators dry the air greatly). Dry air irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and increases coughing.

Causes of a nocturnal cough

Most common reason and daytime and nighttime cough - ARVI.

Cough can intensify at night with the following diseases and situations:

• bronchial asthma;
• respiratory allergies;
• whooping cough;
• chronic ENT pathologies (adenoiditis, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis);
• gastroesophageal reflux (the acidic contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus, then into the pharynx, irritating their mucous membranes, and may even be aspirated into the bronchi);
• ARD,;
• foreign body partially blocking the airways.

Since each of these diseases requires an individual approach to treatment, it is clear that there is not and cannot be any one cure for a night cough. However, there are a number of tips that can be used to relieve any child who coughs at night.

• During the night, you need to approach the child several times, even if he does not cough, and turn him from one barrel to another, change his position in bed so that the phlegm does not stagnate in the bronchi. This advice is especially relevant in relation to babies up to one year old.
• Raise the head end of the bed by placing a pillow or rolled-up blanket under the mattress. The child will not lie quite horizontally, mucus will stop flowing from the nose into the nasopharynx. Coughing up phlegm in this position is more effective.
• In the evening, before going to bed, drip lightly salted water into the baby's nose (a quarter teaspoon of salt in a glass of water) or use pharmacy drug Aqua Maris in the form of a spray, drops or nasal rinsing device.
• During the day and at night, give your child more warm liquids (milk c, etc.).
• Reduce the dryness of the air in the patient's bedroom: ventilate the room before going to bed, install a humidifier. When buying this very useful device, pay attention to what area it is designed for. If the area of ​​the bedroom is, for example, 20 sq. m, and the humidifier is designed for 12 sq. m, then there will be no effect from its application.

If it is not possible to purchase a humidifier, put several basins or buckets of water in the baby's bedroom, hang wet sheets or towels on the radiators.

The humid cool air will greatly facilitate the baby's breathing, and the coughing fits will be less painful.

Drug treatment

Drug treatment the doctor prescribes a cough based on its cause and nature (dry or productive).

Treatment for a child who coughs at night should only be prescribed by a doctor!

Attempts by parents self-application drugs, without a diagnosis, can lead to the development of severe complications in the baby.

For a nocturnal cough, depending on its cause, the following drugs are used:

• If the cough is dry:

1. Sinekod, Sedotussin, Tusuprex, Glauvent (drugs that suppress the cough reflex);
2. Libeksin, Levopront (drugs that reduce the sensitivity of cough receptors in the respiratory tract);
3. Bronholitin, Stopussin (combined action drugs).

• If the cough is wet - Pertussin, thermopsis tablets, althea syrup, Doctor Mom syrup, Glytsiram, Mukaltin, Solutan, Bronchicum (expectorants).
• If the sputum when coughing is viscous, thick, leaves with difficulty - Ambrobene, Herbion syrup, Prospan, ACC, Bromhexin (mucolytics that thin the sputum).
• If it is established that the cough is of an allergic nature, - antihistamines(Fenistil, Terfen, Gismanal, Erius, etc.).
• If the cause of the cough is pneumonia, antibiotics.
• If the cough is caused by the presence of gastroesophageal reflux, special medications are prescribed by the gastroenterologist.

Treatment with folk remedies

IN complex therapy nocturnal cough in children along with medications traditional medicine is also used. However, before using these prescriptions, you need to consult a doctor, especially if the child is small, under 6 months old.

If the cough is dry:

• To give the child warm milk with the addition of soda (a quarter teaspoon per glass) or borjomi ( mineral water heat slightly, after waiting a few minutes until gas comes out of it, then mix with an equal amount of warm boiled milk). The dosage depends on the age of the child: for babies - a teaspoon ( only with the permission of a doctor!), adolescents - 1/3 cup three times a day.
• Give the patient warm tea with raspberry jam.
• Give the child half a teaspoon of buckwheat honey so that he slowly dissolves it (recipe only for children over 1 year old!).
• Burnt sugar, or simply "burnt". One tablespoon of granulated sugar is heated over an open fire until the sugar is melted. The resulting dark brown syrup is added to half a glass of warm milk or boiled water. IN water solution you can add 5-7 drops of aloe juice. Give the patient a teaspoon three times a day and additionally during a cough attack.

Banana medicine: recipe # 1

Mix one grated banana with 10 ml of honey. Heat until dark (about 10 minutes) over low heat. Cool and give the child a teaspoon several times a day (the patient must eat the entire cooked portion during the day).

Recipe number 2

It is for children under one year old or allergic to.

Two bananas, mashed to the consistency of mashed potatoes, pour a glass of boiling water and put on low heat. Bring to a boil, stir, cool and give 1-2 teaspoons to the patient during the day. The course of treatment is 5 days. The mixture must be prepared fresh every day.

If the cough is wet:

• Herbal infusions - pharmacy breast fees № 1, 2, 3.

For a wet or dry night cough, a puree compress will help. The mass is cooled so that it is warm, but not hot, placed on the child's back and covered with a plastic bag, and on top with a warm cloth or cotton wool. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour. Contraindicated in babies under 6 months old, as well as in the presence of elevated temperature The child has.