Causes of periodic dry cough in adults. A lingering dry cough constantly appears. Causes and possible diseases

A dry cough, which is classified as non-productive, is mainly one of the symptoms of respiratory diseases, which today are in first place in terms of prevalence. Moreover, this problem is relevant for people of all ages. age category. Visit doctors annually due to pathologies bronchopulmonary system Both adults and young patients apply. Moreover, there are more and more such patients due to unfavorable environmental conditions, hereditary burden, as well as a variety of household and professional factors risk.

Based on available data, dry cough is constant symptom in 11-18% of our planet's population. But, as a rule, the patient does not regard it as dangerous. However, the cough reflex significantly weakens the body. However, it can cause complications in the form of pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax.

Symptom Definition

The cough is difficult defense mechanism, which the body needs to cleanse the respiratory tract of foreign and dangerous objects. This reflex expels the pathogenic agent, causing damage mucous membrane, along with sputum. When you cough, the muscles of the respiratory organs create a force that accelerates the release of air from their bronchi, and the epithelium of this organ, with its cilia, pushes phlegm out of the body.

However, sometimes the cough is dry. With this process there is no phlegm. In this case, there is either simply no mucus, or it is produced in small volumes. This is what causes dryness in a person. frequent cough. If this condition lasts up to 3 weeks, then it is considered acute. From three weeks to three months - protracted. If a dry, frequent cough does not go away beyond this period, then it is a sign of a chronic process. At the same time there are additional symptoms in the form of hoarseness in the voice, shortness of breath, increased lymph nodes on the neck, as well as weakness.

Varieties

Every person should pay attention to the occurrence of a frequent and dry cough. After all, if you do not make efforts to get rid of its acute type, the problem will become protracted and become chronic.

What form can a frequent and dry cough take in an adult and a child?

Chronic. Sometimes this cough occurs due to bronchial asthma, excess weight, existing chronic diseases. From this form unpleasant symptom Heavy smokers also suffer.
Barking. A cough like this is evidence that respiratory system attacked pathogenic microorganisms or damage to the vocal cords has occurred. As a result, a person develops hoarseness and hoarseness.
Violent and continuous. This form of unpleasant phenomenon indicates the occurrence of whooping cough or asthma. Frequent dry cough in a child, which occurs at night, sometimes becomes a consequence of DTP vaccinations.
Long with a dull tone. With this form of frequent dry cough in a child or adult, pneumonia can be suspected.
Day or night. These forms of cough most often occur due to the occurrence of pathologies circulatory system. This may be pericarditis, thromboembolism pulmonary arteries, heart disease or heart failure. Sometimes a night or daytime cough occurs due to neurological diseases.

Causes of dry cough

What causes this unpleasant phenomenon? Its reasons may be:

Whooping cough. This pathology is characterized by frequent coughing tremors, accompanied take a deep breath, during which a whistling sound is heard.
Pharyngitis. With this pathology, not too intrusive short coughs are observed. In this case, the nasopharyngeal mucosa dries out or mucus accumulates directly at the entrance to the larynx.
Tuberculosis. This pathology causes a cough in which low tones can be heard, with a tendency to gradually increase.
Tracheitis and laryngitis. With such pathologies, a barking cough appears. Its occurrence is facilitated by inflammatory processes affecting the vocal cords. If the patient has a barking dry cough rapid breathing with difficulty and bubbling sounds, this is a sign of the appearance of croup.
Bronchial asthma or obstructive bronchitis. In this case, a dry and frequent cough is obsessive and occurs closer to the morning.
This disease is obsessive in nature.
Mental disorders. Sometimes, while eating or talking, metallic notes can be heard in a dry cough. This condition may result from a mental disorder. However, such a pathology can be diagnosed only after a thorough examination.
Sinusitis, rhinitis or sinusitis. The development of such diseases is accompanied by the accumulation of sputum in the respiratory tract. When it gets into the lungs, an involuntary cough occurs.
Heartburn. Often a dry, frequent cough without fever appears in an adult. And the reason for this phenomenon is the abuse of various hot sauces and spices.
Allergy. A very frequent dry cough indicates that there is some irritant that negatively affects the respiratory system. This could be washing powder and house dust, plant pollen or household chemicals. Often such patients have coughing attacks. They intensify at night.

Among the factors that provoke a very dry and frequent cough are also:

emotional experiences and stressful situations;
smoking, which irritates the bronchi;
foreign bodies entering the mucous membrane;
adverse reactions problems arising from taking medications;
heart failure;
oncology;
pathologies of the thyroid gland;
problems with the gastrointestinal tract caused by the formation of a fistula in the esophagus or trachea.

Carrying out diagnostics

If you have a frequent dry cough, what should you do to get rid of the problem? First of all, it is necessary to eliminate its cause. And for this you will need to see a doctor. He will study the patient's complaints and conduct an examination. For staging accurate diagnosis it will be necessary to donate blood and sputum (if the latter is available) to conduct the necessary research.

For certain causes of dry cough, their identification is possible through radiography. This method allows you to detect the presence of darkening pulmonary field or changes in the pulmonary pattern, as well as the development of tumors in the area chest.

Sometimes, to identify the causes that provoked a dry cough, doctors use spirometry and spirography. Carrying out such studies makes it possible to identify diseases of the bronchopulmonary system at the earliest stages of their development.

The most effective method The examination that is used in the case of dry cough is body physomography. In this case, various parameters are established not only of the lungs, but also of the whole body. Based on the data obtained, the doctor draws conclusions about the patient’s level of health and the presence of hidden pathologies. Body lethysmography is an absolutely painless procedure, harmless to the body and does not require any preliminary preparation. In this regard, it can be done quite often if necessary.

Before prescribing a course of treatment for dry and frequent cough, a tossography may be performed in specialized clinics. This modern method, based on the results of which experts judge the intensity and frequency of cough, as well as its distribution in time. Such an examination allows you to determine the exact cause of the cough. Based on this, the correct treatment will be prescribed.

If the frequent dry cough is protracted, the doctor sometimes sends his patient for bronchoscopy. In this study, a special probe is used, equipped with a miniature video camera. The bronchoscope is inserted into the lungs and transmits the resulting image to a monitor.

There is also a thoracoscopy method. Investigation of the causes of dry cough in this case is carried out using special device. A thoracoscope (as this device is called) is inserted into the lungs through a puncture in the chest wall. This technique makes it possible to identify lung cancer and other diseases.

Drug therapy

How to treat frequent dry cough? Sucking on lollipops will help relieve such symptoms in a child or an adult. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that they be fortified or medicinal. In this case, it is important to increase the activity of the salivary glands. This will encourage frequent swallowing. Saliva begins to moisturize the mucous membranes, relieving their irritation. At the same time, the swallowing reflex helps relieve attacks. To completely eliminate a cough, its transition from dry to productive is very important. After the sputum is removed, the unpleasant symptom will no longer bother the person.

If a child’s frequent dry cough does not stop, it is recommended to start using mucolytic and expectorant drugs. Similar drugs will reduce the viscosity of sputum, which will make it possible to begin the process of its removal.

Antispasmodics

When treating frequent dry cough in children and adults, sometimes it becomes necessary to eliminate its attacks. For this purpose, drugs are used that have a depressing effect on the cough center. Antispasmodics will help in this case. Such remedies relieve spasms in the bronchi and help eliminate cough. Among them are “Theophedrine” and “Atropine”. Taking them helps relax the muscles of the bronchi and ventilation of the lungs. Using these remedies, you can eliminate an attack in chronic pulmonary obstruction and bronchitis.

Antitussives

Sometimes attacks of an unpleasant symptom cause significant harm to the patient’s body. This happens with bronchitis, dry pleurisy, whooping cough and other diseases. In such a situation, how to treat a frequent dry cough? Even before the formation of sputum occurs, it is best to begin to suppress this unpleasant reflex. Such a measure will not completely weaken the patient’s body.

In this case, drugs are used that will not cause addiction. They provide local impact on nerve receptors, while providing a sedative and analgesic effect. Moreover, such drugs do not belong to the group of narcotic drugs.

Such drugs are used only at the very beginning of the disease, before sputum appears and, as a rule, before bedtime. Most often, Bronholitin syrup is used to eliminate this problem. It helps to get combined effect, providing antiseptic, mucolytic and antitussive effects. But it is worth keeping in mind that if sputum forms, you should stop taking cough suppressants.

Mucolytics

If an adult or child has a frequent dry cough, what should you do if there are signs of sputum stagnation? In this case, the patient will need to be given drugs that would dilute it and facilitate its removal from the body - expectorants and mucolytics. Such drugs combine both of these effects with a weak anti-inflammatory. The use of mucolytics is justified in the presence of wheezing in the apices of the lungs and bronchi, as well as in hard breathing. As for the intensity of cough, such drugs cannot reduce it. However, taking them frees the body from accumulated mucus, making breathing easier.

Products with this effect can be purchased at the pharmacy. The most effective and affordable of them are Ambrobene, Amroxol, Bromhexine and their analogues.

Syrups based on plantain provide good help in eliminating dry cough. These are "Doctor Theiss" and "Gerbion".

Antibiotics

Drugs in this group are used to eliminate infections when the bacterial nature of the pathology is confirmed. That is, it is considered advisable to prescribe antibiotics only in the most severe cases. If the illness is light form, then such a course of therapy may be harmful for the patient. After all, the action of antibiotics is aimed at suppressing natural immunity, which, among other things, contributes to the development of allergies.

Sedatives

Frequent dry cough caused by stress can be eliminated only after treatment nervous disease. In such cases, consultation with a doctor is required. Take without its prescription sedatives dangerous.

Antihistamines

If a dry cough is of an allergic nature, then getting rid of the unpleasant symptom should begin immediately. The fact is that after some time, coughing attacks can take on a more complicated and protracted form.

In case of allergies, doctors usually prescribe such medications, like "Suprastin", "Zyrtec" and "Zodak".

Radical treatment

Sometimes taking medications prescribed by a doctor is not able to relieve debilitating attacks of frequent dry cough. And this fact significantly worsens the quality of life of a child or adult. In such cases, treatment is carried out with the prescription of a course of drugs that contain ethylmorphine, codeine and other substances that help suppress the cough center of the brain. However, it is worth keeping in mind that such drugs have some side effects. They influence various functions brain and are addictive. That is why they are accepted only in the most extreme cases, and even then, as a rule, only in a hospital setting. This happens, for example, in oncology.

Inhalations

If there is a frequent and dry cough without fever in a child or an adult, then drugs injected into the Airways in the form of steam. Carrying out inhalations allows you to moisturize the mucous membrane of the lungs and bronchi and “deliver” medications to the source of infection. When carrying out such procedures, the process of formation and removal of sputum is activated in the body.

Inhalations are performed using nebulizers. In the absence of such devices, it is enough to take any container into which you need to place a hot medicinal solution. In this case, the patient should breathe the steam, covering his head with a thick cloth.

For inhalation use:

pharmaceutical drugs - “Lazolvan”, “Berodual”, “Ambrobene”;
mineral water, soda or saline solution, which soften and moisturize dry mucous membranes;
herbal infusions from sage, eucalyptus, linden, mint, chamomile, cedar or fir.

Folk remedies

You can also relieve a person from a dry cough by using recipes alternative medicine.

Let's look at some of them:

Gargling. Various solutions are used to carry out this procedure. The greatest effect can be obtained from them if the cause of the cough is inflammation of the larynx. Rinsing will soften the mucous membrane, moisturize it and relieve inflammation. Most suitable for these purposes is a solution prepared from soda and salt, taken in equal quantities with the addition of a few drops of iodine. Enough good effect also has chamomile infusion.
Drinking warm milk. This product, when heated, will soothe and soften the throat. By adding a small amount of either cocoa or butter, as well as one teaspoon of honey, the milk will produce a softening and enveloping effect that can last for a long period of time.
Warming up the body. If there are no suspicions of complications from infections and the patient has a normal or slightly elevated temperature, rubbing, massage and compresses will help eliminate a dry cough. They are most effective for congestive processes in the lungs and bronchitis. The most simple recipe The compress is the preparation of a flat cake from flour and honey with the addition of corn oil. This mixture is applied to the patient’s chest, covered with parchment paper or film, insulated with woolen cloth and secured with a bandage.

Health

You have been coughing for several weeks. How can you tell if it's a lingering cold or something more serious? In fact, only a doctor can answer this question for sure. There can be several causes of cough, including asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis, etc.

Asthma and allergies

Asthma is a chronic disease in which the airways in the lungs tend to become inflamed and swollen. Along with chest tightness, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, coughing is a characteristic symptom of asthma, which usually occurs at night or early in the morning.

But even in people without asthma, it often happens allergic rhinitis, is a reaction to pollen, dust, pet dander and other minor irritants that can cause coughing, along with symptoms such as nasal congestion and sneezing.

Chronic lung diseases

These diseases develop when the airways in the lungs become damaged or inflamed, most cases caused by smoking, and are most often seen in people over 45 years of age. An excess amount of mucus accumulates in the lungs, from which the body reflexively tries to get rid of it by coughing. The development of chronic lung diseases provokes shortness of breath.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

GERD is a disease of the stomach and esophagus that develops when the stomach is unable to cope gastric juice, contained in it, and it enters the esophagus. Main symptoms? Severe heartburn. Cough is also another common symptom of GERD, along with chest pain and shortness of breath. In fact, GERD is a fairly common and unrecognized cause of chronic cough.

Respiratory tract infections

Cough is one of the most common symptoms of colds and flu, as well as other respiratory tract infections. The cough may last longer than other symptoms, perhaps because the air passages in the lungs remain tender and inflamed for a period of time.

A more serious respiratory tract infection is pneumonia, which can be caused by bacteria and viruses. Often a cough caused by pneumonia is accompanied by greenish or reddish sputum. He is also one of characteristic symptoms illness, along with fever, chills, chest pain, weakness, fatigue and nausea.

Contaminated air

Various pollutants and irritants in the air can trigger a cough. Even short-term exposure to substances such as, for example, diesel exhaust gases can lead to mild irritation, coughing, and sputum production. The fumes can also trigger an asthma or allergy attack.

Additionally, mold spores found in and around homes can cause wheezing and coughing when the air is inhaled.

Acute bronchitis

If you're recovering from a cold and suddenly develop a cough containing phlegm, you may have developed acute bronchitis, a condition in which the passages to the lungs become infected and inflamed. In addition to coughing and chest congestion, bronchitis can cause fever, chills, sore throat and other flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually disappear within a few days, but the cough may linger for several weeks.

If the cough does not go away or signs of acute bronchitis appear too often, this may be a sign of development chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is a serious condition in which irritation causes the lungs to produce excessive mucus and is considered a form of chronic disease lungs.

ACE inhibitors

ACE inhibitors are a kind of medicine, which is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. About 1 in 5 people who take these drugs develop a dry cough. For some, the cough may continue for a week after they stop taking the medicine. Women, African Americans, and Asians are more likely to develop cough than other people.

Whooping cough

Whooping cough is a viral disease that is accompanied by a slight increase in temperature, runny nose and, above all, severe cough, which makes it difficult to breathe. An attempt to breathe air into the lungs with such a cough is accompanied by convulsive sounds. In the first days of the disease, there may be no increase in temperature, but cough, which is an invariable companion of whooping cough, can last for several weeks.

Causes of dry cough in adults and methods of treatment at home

A dry cough, also known as a nonproductive cough, has different reasons origin. It can occur in both adults and children.

To treat dry cough, drugs are mainly used that suppress cough by directly affecting the cough reflex. That is, this is not a treatment as such, but symptomatic therapy, aimed at reducing cough, this approach is effective, because in this situation the cough reflex does not benefit the body, and even on the contrary, it can cause complications in the form of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum.

You can suppress (cure) dry cough in adults different ways, each of which can be combined with each other.

Symptom Definition

Most often a cough is accompanied by colds. A dry cough is unproductive, it is painful and is accompanied by a strong sore throat, but there is no sputum production.

Depending on the duration, cough is divided into four types: acute (less than two weeks), prolonged (two to four weeks), subacute (one to two months) and chronic (longer than two months).

At proper treatment attacks of dry cough occur less and less often, and it turns into wet cough. Mucus and phlegm begin to be released. But if a dry cough does not go away, then you need to consult a specialist and change your treatment tactics. A pathological dry cough is accompanied by symptoms such as hoarseness, nausea, runny nose and nasal congestion, shortness of breath, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, and weakness.

Types of cough

If you listen to a cough, you can hear its different shades and varieties. There are several types:

Whooping cough is characterized by multiple coughing shocks, which are accompanied by a deep breath with a whistling sound.
If it is not too intrusive, with short coughs, then it is called pharyngeal. In this case, the mucous membrane of the pharynx dries out or mucus accumulates at the entrance to the larynx.
When you hear low tones with a gradual increase, this may be a symptom of tuberculosis.
A barking cough appears with laryngitis and tracheitis. It occurs due to inflammation of the vocal cords. If a barking dry cough is accompanied by difficult, bubbling breathing, then these are manifestations of croup.
A spasmodic cough indicates bronchial asthma. He is unproductive and intrusive. He appears closer to morning. This condition may indicate obstructive bronchitis, but without a series of attacks.
During a cold, an obsessive whooping cough may appear.
A metallic shade of a dry cough that appears when talking, while eating, may indicate mental disorder, but this is diagnosed only after a serious examination.

Causes of severe cough

Can provoke a severe dry cough in an adult various factors. These include:

Stressful situations and emotional experiences.
Allergic reactions.
Smoking when tobacco tar irritates the bronchi.
Dust that causes itching in the respiratory tract.
When a foreign body comes into contact with the mucous membrane, it has an irritating effect.
Heart failure.
Adverse reaction to medications.
Oncological diseases.
Thyroid diseases.
Problems in the stomach and intestines, when a fistula of the esophageal-tracheal region forms and a reflex dry cough appears after eating.

Dry cough without fever in an adult

Rarely infectious infections For human body pass unnoticed. However, in our region there are still diseases that form and disappear without an increase in body temperature. For example:

parawhooping cough, which causes an obsessive, nonproductive cough at night;
rhinovirus rhinitis (runny nose), which provokes frequent coughing from exudate flowing into the throat;
atypical influenza of the most common subtype H1N1, bringing prolonged attacks“barking” unproductive tickle.

A dry cough without fever in an adult also occurs when:

oncology;
asthma and pericarditis;
dry pleurisy and pneumothorax;
pulmonary embolism;
relatively mild chemical poisonings;
aspiration (sucking in) foreign bodies;
taking specific medications;
gastroesophageal reflux (reverse movement of stomach contents to the throat);
helminthic infestations.

Dry suffocating cough

A choking cough can be caused by many factors. This often happens when a foreign body enters the respiratory tract and the allergen irritates the mucous membrane. More often, the symptom indicates a serious illness, which includes:

bronchitis;
bronchial asthma;
heart failure;
pharengitotracheitis;
tuberculosis;
whooping cough;
oncological diseases;
laryngitisotracheitis

This cough is often observed in experienced smokers. Untreated chronic bronchitis can lead to secondary tuberculosis.

Diagnostics

A severe cough in an adult can be a symptom of a whole range of diseases. To accurately determine what a particular patient is sick with, doctors use a number of diagnostic methods:

A group of classical physical examination methods that the doctor will use if, for example, you call him at home: external examination of the patient, percussion, auscultation; palpation of the chest.
Anamnesis collection, which involves a wide variety of questions from the presence of allergies to identifying relatives with tuberculosis.
Fluorography is the simplest, cheapest and informative method determining the condition of the lungs and bronchial tree. Currently used as a screening tool to detect tuberculosis and oncological diseases. Every person needs to undergo fluorography every year.
Spirography - testing functional state the respiratory system as a whole.
Bronchoscopy is a specific and informative method that is performed for a more accurate diagnosis.
Bacteriological analysis of the discharge, if any, followed by culture nutrient media to determine sensitivity to antibiotics.

Review of cough medicines

All drugs known today are divided into three groups in terms of their action:

Expectorants	the action of these drugs is aimed at facilitating expectoration of sputum. Thanks to this, the cough quickly turns into wet cough. Examples of such remedies are: Solutan, Mucoltin, Bronholitin, Marshmallow Root, Licorice Root and many others.
Mucolytic drugs	are intended to liquefy mucus that accumulates deep in the bronchi. Examples of the most effective drugs This group includes: Ambroxol, Bromhexine, ACC, Mesna and other drugs.
Antitussives	The main goal of drugs in this group is to influence the cough center in nervous system and elimination of all symptoms. Examples of such medications are: Libexin (also good for bronchitis) and Tusuprex.
Combination medications	have expectorant and mucolytic effects at the same time. Examples of such drugs are: Doctor MOM, Codelac phyto and others.

If all of the above medications fail, and the cough becomes prolonged and debilitating, then the doctor may prescribe Ethylmorphine, Oxeladin, Codeine, Butamirate and other similar prescription medications.

Treatment of dry cough

Successful treatment of dry cough in adults that does not go away for a long time is based on an accurate diagnosis and elimination of the causes of each of them. All therapeutic measures are carried out under the careful supervision of a doctor!

General principles of relief include:

indoor air humidification;
plenty of warm drinks;
sucking lozenges (not necessarily based on herbal medicinal components), since this process stimulates the activity of the glands and the swallowing of saliva, which reflexively alleviates a coughing attack;
inhalation with saline solution.

To thin sputum during bronchitis, tablets and mucolytics (Ambroxol, Carbocysteine, ACC) can be used, while in young children their use is strictly prohibited, as well as expectorants (Mukaltin, Solutan).

Unproductive, debilitating, prolonged, paroxysmal - may require prescription the following drugs for cough: mono- (Sinekod) or combined drugs (Stoptussin), as well as more serious medicines(Codeine).

If the bacterial nature of the infectious disease is confirmed, appropriate antibiotics are prescribed (penicillin (Amoxicillin) or cephalosporin (Ceftriaxone) for staphylococcal or streptococcal infections, macrolides (Azithromycin, Clarithromycin) for chlamydia or mycoplasma).

Homeopathic and herbal remedies for dry cough:

Stodal is another time-tested remedy for treating dry cough in adults quickly and inexpensively. The medicine has no contraindications, and adults need to take 15 mg up to 3 times a day.
Bronchipret is a time-tested cough reflex syrup. Treatment is allowed even for pregnant women, and the list of contraindications is minimal. If we accept single dose at night, in the morning the desired relief came. It is recommended to take 20 drops three times a day.
Gerbion – vegetable syrup against wet cough, which is approved for use by adults and children. Plantain extract separates mucus and increases the protective properties of the immune system. Take 2 scoops at a time, 3-5 approaches per day.

Medicine for dry cough to thin sputum:

Bronchicum is an expectorant for dry coughs, which comes in the form of a sweet syrup. Take a teaspoon up to 4 times a day. The course of treatment is 1-2 weeks.
Cofanol – combination drug plant origin. If a dry cough appears in an adult, it is advisable to take 2 tablets up to 4 times a day.
Tercodin is another answer to the question of what to drink for dry cough in adults. The drug thins mucus daily dose– 2 pills up to 3 times a day.

Approximate price of some products:

Ambroxol – 40 – 540 rubles;
Erespal – 212 – 253 rubles;
Gerbion – 145 – 340 rubles;
Stoptussin – 49 – 125 rubles;
Sinecode – 170 – 642 rubles;
Bronholitin – 53 – 90 rubles;
Amoxicillin - 10 – 846 rubles;
Ceftriaxone – 13 – 477 rubles;
Clarithromycin - 22 – 1487 rub.

Dry cough in adults always has a specific cause. Therefore, it is very important to conduct a thorough Exploratory survey, based on the results of which adequate treatment will be prescribed.

What to do at home?

The success of therapeutic intervention is mutually related to the diagnosis and treatment causal factors. All measures must be carried out strictly under the supervision of the treating specialist. In essence, the treatment is symptomatic therapy aimed at reducing the reflex. Because in this situation there is a risk of complications.

Here are some general fundamental features of the therapy:

Carrying out regular wet cleaning of the patient’s room;
Ensuring control of the air temperature in the house (the main condition is not higher than 22 C);
Overlay of relevant healing processes on the chest;
Using a rational drinking regime (it is best to drink tea, water, Borjomi, warm milk);
Non-use detergents aggressive composition;
Carrying out inhalations using steam, adding baking soda and herbal decoctions to the water;
Compliance with the principle of special dietary nutrition with enough calories.

There are many pharmaceutical products, these products have a central and peripheral action, but folk remedies are considered the most effective. They are also good in terms of safety of use.

Folk remedies

An excellent way to cure a strong dry cough in adults at home, if there is no fever, is warming up in a Russian bath using medicinal herbs, coniferous plants.

It is useful to breathe infusions taken in equal proportions of plants (2 tablespoons each, boil in 2 liters of water for 10 minutes):

chamomile, pine shoots, thyme, sage, eucalyptus shoots;
birch leaves, spruce shoots, juniper, black currant, thyme, sage, lemon balm;
St. John's wort, meadowsweet, mint, chamomile, sage, pine buds.

A bath for an adult who does not have heart disease provides a double healing effect - warming up combined with inhalation of moist warm air.

To soften sputum and improve its discharge, inhalations with soda, chamomile, and coltsfoot are used. Adults can use recipes that contain ingredients that increase blood circulation - pepper, ethyl alcohol.

mix 2 tablespoons of honey and vodka;
add egg yolk, mix;
drink 1 teaspoon before meals three times a day.

An adult will benefit from a medicine containing milk containing onions and garlic. To prepare the product, you need:

boil an onion with 1 head of garlic in 0.25 liters of milk;
add 1 teaspoon each of honey and mint juice;
drink 1 tablespoon every hour.

Coltsfoot, calendula and licorice have an antitussive effect. An effective remedy is honey. It has a beneficial effect on the throat, enveloping it and reducing the symptoms. Honey can be used both independently and as part of a drink. To do this, the main ingredient is melted in a glass of warm milk. Honey along with grape juice speeds up the expectoration process.

Potato steam inhalations can not only eliminate a cough, but also a runny nose. To improve the effect, add a few drops of fir oil to boiled potatoes.

Steam inhalations based on mineral water have a beneficial effect on the human respiratory system. The effect is enhanced by lavender, mint and cedar oil. Good action characterized by a decoction of chamomile and sage.

Prevention

The best prevention for dry cough is healthy image life and giving up bad habits:

Drink more fluids.
Observe labor safety conditions. If you encounter occupational hazards at work, always use personal protection– gas masks, masks, etc.
Temper yourself, try not to get colds or prevent their complications.
Humidify the air in the room you are in long time. The air should be cool, however, you should not abuse air conditioners, much less be under them when they are running.
Avoid contact with allergens if you know they exist.

If you smoke, you need to stop smoking. You should not be in the same room as smokers. It is also recommended to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, which severely injure the larynx.

Prolonged cough - nonspecific symptom, that is, it occurs in many diseases. To find out its cause, a doctor's examination is required, and often additional studies.

The causes of a prolonged cough may be associated with excitation of the centers of the brain (for example, with neurosis) or irritation of sensitive endings located outside the respiratory tract (in the esophagus, middle ear). However, most often this symptom occurs in diseases of the respiratory system.

This symptom is almost always accompanied by lesions, since these areas have the most sensitive receptors. Information about their irritation is transmitted through the nerves to the brain, where signals are generated to the muscles of the chest. A protective reaction is formed aimed at removing the irritant from the respiratory tract.

Most common reasons

Areas of location of “cough receptors”

Prolonged cough persists for 3 weeks or more. If this symptom appears, you should consult a doctor. Possible reasons:

chronic laryngitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis;
of different origins;
(COPD);
and pneumosclerosis;
pulmonary;
tumors of the bronchi, lungs, mediastinum, metastases or primary tumor lesions of the pleura;
enlarged thoracic lymph nodes;
aortic aneurysm;
diffuse pulmonary diseases;
dyskinesia of the trachea and bronchi;
foreign body in the respiratory tract;
tuberculous bronchoadenitis;
chronic heart failure, causing stagnation of blood in the pulmonary vessels.

The main causes of prolonged cough that cannot be treated:

tracheobronchial dyskinesia;
bronchiectasis;
polyp or foreign body of the bronchus;
compression of the bronchus by enlarged intrathoracic lymph nodes.

Prolonged cough in adults

Almost all diseases accompanied by this symptom can be observed in both adults and children. However, the frequency of these diseases in at different ages varies. Therefore, we will separately consider conditions that are more typical for people over and under 18 years of age.

Upper respiratory tract diseases

Chronic laryngitis develops as a complication of acute laryngitis. The disease affects the larynx and vocal cords. Therefore, the main symptoms of pathology are hoarse voice, rapid vocal fatigue when talking, singing, sore throat, intermittent cough with a small amount of sputum.

Chronic pharyngitis is accompanied by prolonged inflammation of the pharynx. It is characterized by rawness and slight pain when swallowing. Mucus constantly accumulates in the throat, so the patient is forced to cough all the time. This symptom is especially pronounced in the morning, and it can be so intense that it causes vomiting.

At chronic tonsillitis this symptom is not permanent. The patient may cough up lumps of mucus - plugs released from the lacunae (recesses) of the tonsils. Sometimes he is bothered by a paroxysmal reflex dry cough. With this disease, the patient’s well-being worsens, performance decreases, and prolonged slight increase temperature.

If you suspect these diseases, you should consult an ENT doctor. They are usually easily diagnosed by examining the nasopharynx.

Bronchial diseases

Lung affected by bronchiectasis

A long-term inflammatory process in the bronchi with the formation of dilations in them and stagnation of sputum is called bronchiectasis. Cough may be the only symptom illness for several years. Its characteristics:

occurs in the morning;
accompanied by the release of purulent sputum;
the volume of sputum can reach 500 ml, it comes out in one or two mouthfuls, and has an unpleasant odor;
Often there is an admixture of blood in the sputum.

The patient may also have weakness, sweating, shortness of breath, elevated temperature. If the disease develops in a child, he begins to lag behind his peers in development. The cause of the disease is diagnosed using and.

Similar symptoms are observed with, however, coughing up sputum “with a mouth full” is uncharacteristic. The patient coughs for some time in the morning to clear the bronchi of the mucus that has accumulated in them during the night. The main diagnostic method is radiography.

Tracheobronchial dyskinesia usually occurs against the background of emphysema or after acute respiratory infections. The tracheal wall consists not only of cartilage rings, but it also has a connective tissue wall. With dyskinesia, this wall atrophies or it relaxes for a long time, and when you exhale, it falls into the lumen of the trachea. Against the background of good health, an attack occurs for this reason barking cough, shortness of breath with difficulty exhaling, possible loss of consciousness. When exhaling, a rattling sound occurs, similar to the bleating of a goat.

Lung diseases

Lung diseases often cause prolonged coughing. Typically these are lesions that spread to the entire lung tissue:

toxic or
sarcoidosis;
carcinomatosis of the lungs and pleura;
and others.

These diseases are more characterized by prolonged coughing without sputum, constant shortness of breath, bluish skin, signs of fever are usually not observed. To diagnose and treat them, you need to contact a pulmonologist.

Another reason for a prolonged cough without fever is. It can occur both in diseases of the lungs and in heart pathologies. In this case, the manifestations of the disease often disturb the patient at night, in a lying position.

Prolonged coughing, sometimes strong, but without sputum, in diseases of the heart and blood vessels is not uncommon by-effect treatment ACE inhibitors(enalapril, lisinopril and others).

Among focal lung lesions that cause prolonged cough, the most common causes can be noted:

focal tuberculosis;
lung abscess;
, metastases from other organs.

The early stage of tuberculosis is characterized by a long, quiet, short cough.

It is impossible to diagnose these lesions on your own. To identify the causes of pathology, computed tomography of the chest and bronchoscopy are used, and a lung biopsy is often required.

Pathology of the pleura

Hydrothorax on x-ray

There are many receptors in the pleura, in contrast to the lung tissue. Therefore, sometimes lung diseases begin to be accompanied by a cough only when involved in pathological process pleural layers (for example, with cancer). This symptom is caused by pathological conditions most pleural cavity. In this case, it is long-lasting, difficult to treat, and often not accompanied by fever. With diseases of the pleura, patients are often bothered by shortness of breath and chest pain when breathing.

Possible reasons:

pleurisy with lung abscess, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, leukemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, carcinomatosis or pleural mesothelioma;
hydrothorax (accumulation of non-inflammatory fluid) in heart failure, severe anemia, nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, starvation, as well as tumors of the mediastinum and ovaries;
hemothorax (accumulation of blood) with tuberculosis, tumors of the chest organs.

Prolonged cough in children

The following conditions most often cause long-term breathing problems in children:

bronchial asthma;
whooping cough;
small foreign body of the bronchi;

Bronchial asthma in children, especially at the beginning of its development, is characterized by coughing attacks at night. It starts out dry and may produce a small amount of sticky sputum at the end of the episode. You can read more about the symptoms of asthma in children.

Whooping cough affects children younger age, but is often the cause of prolonged dry cough in adults. The disease is accompanied by attacks of spasmodic coughing, which on inhalation are replaced by a peculiar whistling sound; at the end of the episode there is often vomiting. Such symptoms occur repeatedly during the day.

Sometimes into the respiratory tract small child A small foreign body, such as a battery or an apple seed, may enter. This may go unnoticed by parents. Gradually, a foreign object becomes the cause of long-term inflammation. At the same time it appears paroxysmal cough, dry or with a small amount of sputum. During such an episode, shortness of breath and suffocation may develop, and the skin becomes bluish. Body temperature does not increase. The nature of crying changes - it becomes compressed, intermittent, quieter than before. If these signs appear, you should consult a doctor, because the foreign body can become dislodged and cause respiratory arrest, as well as cause pneumonia or lung abscess.

Tuberculous bronchoadenitis on x-ray

Tuberculous bronchoadenitis is the most common type of tuberculosis. It usually develops in children and is associated with the penetration of pathogens into the intrathoracic lymph nodes. They become inflamed, enlarge and compress the bronchi, impairing their patency. The disease is characterized by the following symptoms:

fever, sweating, weakness;
prolonged coughing;
In young children, the cough may be loud, bitonic, or whooping cough.

For diagnosis, radiography and tuberculin tests are used.

Other Possible Causes

Among the conditions that may be accompanied by prolonged coughing, we note the following:

gastroesophageal reflux disease (reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus);
diverticula (protrusions of the wall) of the esophagus;
fistula (communication) between the esophagus and trachea.

In these cases, this symptom occurs after eating.

Another reason for the appearance of this symptom is ascariasis. In this disease, during development, roundworm larvae enter the lungs and irritate the receptors of the respiratory tract.

Night cough may be accompanied by mucus draining back wall throats at chronic sinusitis, including in children.

Diagnosis depends on which organ the doctor suspects during examination. It may include not only examination of the bronchi or lungs, but also the heart, kidneys, liver, and genitals. Often required microbiological examination sputum, and in diagnostically unclear cases, a biopsy of lung tissue. Treatment for a persistent cough depends on its cause. Most often, the usual ones do not help eliminate this symptom.

Health always requires special attention. And when a person is bothered by a frequent cough, he strives to get rid of it with all his might. Similar symptom exhausts the body and causes a lot of trouble. Having learned to deal with the disease in a timely and correct manner, you can forget about this small problem forever.

Cause of frequent cough

Without a real reason, a health condition cannot deteriorate on its own. Processes must occur in the body that have Negative influence on his condition. The cause of frequent cough can also be deep-rooted. First of all, it is necessary to find out what is the prerequisite for the development of the disease, and subsequently determine the ways in which it is worth fighting.

The main causes of frequent cough:

Fungal infections.
Irritants in the form of allergens or foreign bodies.
Pneumotropic viruses.
Bacterial infections.

And if at first glance it seems that the cause of frequent cough is not significant, then over time, as the symptoms intensify, one can come to the conclusion that without immediate intervention, the disease cannot be defeated.

Hacking cough

Such symptoms often appear after infectious and viral diseases. Frequent dry cough indicates overexcitation of nerve endings. Sputum is not completely removed from the body and stagnation continues. Very often, prolonged attacks can lead to loss of voice. In most cases, a frequent dry cough indicates:

Mechanical damage to the throat.

Whatever causes such a course of the disease, in order not to aggravate the situation, it is worth starting immediate treatment of the cause of the disease. Only in this case can you achieve improved health in the shortest possible time and not worry about the consequences.

Frequent wet cough

IN in this case the body clearly indicates that pathogenic bacteria and viruses are actively eliminated from the body. Foreign bodies are rejected and the airways are gradually cleared of infections. Frequent wet cough is not bad symptom. Most likely, the peak of the disease is already behind us and the body is struggling with the consequences.

Frequent moist cough the reasons are as follows:

It is important to provide proper assistance to the body in removing mucus. The more mucus is removed, the faster the recovery will occur.

Severe frequent cough

This is the kind of cough that is exhausting. The attacks practically deprive the person of strength and, after them, the person feels exhausted. A severe dry cough is often caused by the following reasons:

This is a list of the most serious illnesses which can cause a severe dry cough. At the peak of a common cold, a person may experience similar symptoms. And with proper treatment, you can get rid of the disease in just a couple of days.

Frequent cough without fever

At first glance, it seems to a person that the cause of his illness is a cold. Frequent cough without fever is not uncommon sure sign completely different diseases that have nothing to do with the cold. In this case, it is worth determining what could be the cause of the malaise:

Thyroid diseases. It actively increases, resulting in an increase in pressure on the trachea.
Diseases gastrointestinal tract: esophageal diverticulum, reflux esophagitis, esophageal-tracheal fistula.
Heart diseases . Symptoms intensify with increased physical activity.
Various oncological diseases.
Depression.

A frequent cough without fever never goes away without a trace. You should pay close attention to it and initially contact a therapist, who, after receiving the test results, will be able to refer you to a specialized specialist.

Frequent dry cough, what to do?

In any case, the problem should be solved based on the root cause that caused the frequent dry cough. What to do in this case is decided based on the opinions of experts. First of all, you should reconsider your drinking regime. It should be plentiful. At least one and a half liters clean water per day. In addition, warm herbal teas are needed. In this way, it will be possible to overcome severe sore throat due to an unproductive cough and help remove phlegm.

An important point is the presence of irritating elements in the environment. In this case we are talking about allergens. Often, common dust can trigger a frequent dry cough. Air humidification and timely cleaning of the room will help relieve symptoms.

Frequent dry coughs are often recommended to be treated with all kinds of mucolytics. Everything would be fine, but when the cause is unknown, harming your body will be even worse. Before seeing a doctor, you should give up pills in favor of banal inhalations. They are completely harmless, but help combat dryness in the larynx and prevent excessive irritation of the throat. Borjomi can be a real help. By adding 10 milligrams of water to the inhaler and breathing for about 7 minutes, you can get a decent result.

Treatment of frequent cough

You can get rid of the annoying symptom yourself. Treatment for frequent coughs is not that complicated and is practically no different from the usual recommendations for colds. But whether it will help is not yet known.

The first step in treating a frequent cough is to start with syrups aimed at removing sputum. In this case, the real benefit will be:

Literally on the second day of taking such syrups, a dry cough will gradually begin to turn into a productive one.

Next, you should take mucolytic drugs aimed at the final treatment of frequent cough. They ensure rapid discharge of sputum and make it less viscous. These means include:

If treating a frequent cough with such drugs does not produce results, then the problem may lie in diseases that are not of a cold nature. Without specialist consultation and prescription effective treatment can't get by here.

How to treat frequent dry cough?

A list of drugs aimed at answering the question: “How to treat a frequent dry cough?” given above. But, they will be effective only if the cause of the ailment is colds. It may be possible to make it productive, but the main reason will remain unresolved.

Frequent wet cough, how to treat it?

It would seem that such a symptom is much easier to overcome and a frequent wet cough than to treat, everyone already knows. But, in fact, it turns out that the problem is far from resolved. The sputum may be so viscous and difficult to pass that a number of medications may be required to relieve the condition. The most effective ones that can help in this case include:

“Tussamag”: viburnum, raspberries, birch buds should be consumed 3 times a day before meals, warm.
Inhalations over potatoes will also be useful.
A syrup made from onion juice, lemon and honey is useful for adults, but sometimes it does not taste good.
Warm milk with honey and cognac also gives good results and strengthens sleep.

How to treat frequent cough folk remedies everyone decides for themselves. It is important that there is a result. After all, what is useful for one is completely contraindicated for another.

Frequent coughs are not that difficult to cure. The main thing is to approach the problem in a timely and correct manner, and then such symptoms will simply cease to bother you.