Dry cough does not go away for 3 weeks

If the cough does not go away for a long time: what to do?

Cough is a small symptom of large diseases. Every person has encountered it at least once in their life. The cough can be dry, wet, infrequent, frequent, suffocating - the nature of the cough can roughly suggest the source of the disease.

Table of contents:

If the cough does not go away for a long time, you need to look for the cause of the problem.

Treatment of dry cough

A dry cough can be a symptom of a number of diseases!

The cough for common colds, flu and acute respiratory viral infections is dry at the beginning of the illness and wet as you recover.

Features of the treatment of dry cough:

  1. Provide the person with bed or semi-bed rest. Physical activity and work are contraindicated - this will weaken the body, cause a decrease in immunity and increase the duration of the disease.
  2. Diet – exclude spicy and heavy foods; food should be light and quickly digestible. You can eat porridge, soups with a second or third broth, boiled or steamed meat and fish. Provide a sufficient amount of water - fruit drinks and natural juices are preferable - they will provide the body with vitamins and protect the immune system.
  3. We humidify the air and often ventilate the room - simple methods will help reduce irritation of the mucous membranes and soothe a dry cough. Not every family has an air humidifier, so you can use a small trick - hang washed clothes around the room or wet a towel and hang it on the radiator.
  4. Have you taken all the measures, but your cough does not go away? Let's remember a proven recipe: heat a glass of milk, add butter, soda and drink in small sips.
  5. A forgotten way to combat dry cough is mustard plasters and mustard foot baths. These techniques can only be used at normal body temperature. Mustard plasters are applied for 5-10 minutes depending on the sensitivity of the skin. The degree of heating is assessed by the degree of skin irritation. Baths are even easier to make - 1 tablespoon of mustard in a small bowl of water. The feet are warmed for 10 to 20 minutes - a good distracting procedure that has helped many generations avoid the use of antibiotics.
  6. If you have an inhaler at home, you can carry out inhalations with saline solution, mineral water (Borjomi or Essentuki), Lazolvan, Ambroxol or Rotokan.

Have you tried all the tricks and your cough still won't go away? Feel free to start taking medications. Harmless medications that can be used without a doctor’s prescription:

Cough syrups and tablets:

Dry cough? We take antitussive medications

Treatment of wet cough

Inhalations with a nebulizer will quickly and effectively remove phlegm!

The person is recovering, the body has coped with the infection, but the wet cough does not go away for more than a week - it is necessary to take appropriate measures.

An inhaler at home is an indispensable aid in the fight against wet cough. Inhalations are carried out using a huge range of medications:

  • Expectorants that thin sputum. Ambroxol - diluted with physiological solution or mineral water (Borjomi, Essentuki) 1:1, the procedure is done 2-3 times a day; Bromhexine is diluted 1:1 with saline, inhalation is carried out 2-3 times a day.
  • Antibacterial and antiseptic drugs: 0.5 (children) and 1% (adult) Dioxidin solution is widely used, diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride 1:2 and 1:4. The procedure is carried out 2 times per day for 5-7 minutes. Miramistin is a well-known drug, approved for use even by pregnant women in the 2-3 trimester. It does not need to be diluted, but when inhaled, monitor your well-being. If you have a dry cough or sore throat, you need to dilute it in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. The procedure lasts 5-10 minutes.
  • Bronchodilators - if simpler remedies do not help and the cough continues, resort to Berodual. Drops per 4-5 ml of saline solution, inhalation is carried out for 5-10 minutes. The drug is effective and is used even in young children, but before use, consult a doctor.

Laryngitis? Whooping cough? How to stop a painful cough

Colds and viral infections often develop into inflammation of the larynx and trachea. Hoarseness of voice and a dry, painful cough appear. Similar symptoms appear with whooping cough, an infectious disease whose main symptom is a paroxysmal spasmodic cough.

Coughing attacks are often so strong that they provoke nausea, vomiting, and hemoptysis when small vessels and capillaries rupture.

What can help:

  • Oil drops in the nose - drip 3-4 drops 4-5 times a day, preferably warm.
  • Vinilin is an antimicrobial, wound-healing drug with a good anti-inflammatory effect. Apply 2 times a day to the tonsils and take 1/2 teaspoon at night. The taste of the “magician” is unpleasant, but it relieves cough quickly and effectively.
  • Preparations Stoptussin, Sinekod, Tussin-plus - take 1 measuring spoon 4-5 times a day, an hour after meals. They have a good antitussive effect.
  • Antihistamines - it is best to use 1st generation drugs (Diazolin, Suprastin, Tavegil) 1 tablet 3 times a day. Despite the pronounced hypnotic effect, they have an excellent anti-edema, anti-inflammatory effect, and reduce the excitability of the nervous system.
  • Inhalations with mineral water - Essentuki 17 - procedures are carried out every 2-3 hours.
  • Antibacterial drugs: Amoxiclav 875/125 mg for TB 2 times a day for 7-10 days. Clarithromycin 0.5 tablet 2 times a day for 7 days. In severe cases, they resort to Levofloxacin 0.5 TB 2 times a day for 7-10 days. For severe coughing attacks, use Ceftriaxone 2.0 intravenously in saline 1-2 times a day for a week.

It should be remembered that antibiotics cause intestinal dysbiosis, which also provokes cough. Therefore, together with antibacterial drugs, it is advisable to use Lactobacterin - Acipol capsule 3 times a day half an hour before meals for 1 month, Bifidumbacterin 1 powder 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. Bifidumbacterin is stored in the refrigerator, otherwise the drug loses its potency.

Long cough - examine the intestines

Cough can be a “companion” of some gastrointestinal diseases!

Cough can be a symptom of intestinal diseases - stomach and duodenal ulcers, pancreatitis, esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus).

Here, treatment is carried out only after consultation with a gastroenterologist, but you can ease your well-being with simple techniques:

  1. Maintain a gentle diet: exclude spicy, fried, smoked, fruits and vegetables only boiled and baked.
  2. Omeprazole 20 mg capsule 2-3 times a day 20 minutes before meals.
  3. Vinyline 1 teaspoon at night for 7-14 days.
  4. Pancreatin for TB 3 times a day orally with food.

Useful video: an effective remedy for dry cough

If your cough does not go away for more than three weeks, you should see a doctor and get tested. A large number of oncological diseases manifest themselves as a slight cough or a prolonged cough.

For example: cancer of the nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, esophagus, lungs; sliding hiatal hernia, intestinal dysbiosis. Especially, a cough should alert men over 40 years of age who have a long history of smoking. Consultation with an otolaryngologist will help rule out laryngeal cancer. If necessary, MRI and CT scan of the neck is performed.

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Comments (2)

10/17/2017 at 10:30 | #

Of course, if it doesn’t go away for a long time, then you need to go to the doctor. In general, a very good remedy is Bronchobos. Excellent for removing phlegm and restoring the bronchial mucosa. It makes clearing your throat much easier.

Natalia

12/16/2017 at 11:01 | #

Hexo Broncho cups and syrup helped me get rid of a prolonged cough, which softened my irritated throat and calmed the frequent urge to cough, inhalations with Vietnamese balm Zvezdochka.

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Cough does not go away for 3 weeks in an adult

Why doesn't a dry cough go away? Causes of dry cough in children and adults

Coughing is a reflex, just like breathing itself. And its appearance indicates that some kind of pathogen has appeared - allergic, infectious, viral, that is, the cause of a dry cough, serious or not, which causes irritation in the respiratory tract and forces the body to cleanse them of - allergen, infection, virus or foreign body.

Cough itself is not a disease; it is a symptom of over 50 different diseases or allergic manifestations, from a common cold to tuberculosis, oncology, bronchial asthma or heart disease. Most often, a dry cough goes away within a few days, turning into a productive, wet cough with sputum, but sometimes it can drag on. Based on duration, dry cough is divided into:

  • Acute - which after a few days turns into wet or goes away
  • Prolonged – which lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months
  • Chronic – which lasts more than 3 months.

Let's figure out why a dry cough does not go away for a long time, what diseases cause a dry cough.

The main causes of dry cough related to the respiratory system

The most common causes of dry cough are inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, caused by viruses and pathogenic bacteria.

In this case, a strong body with a strong immune system copes on its own, and if the immune response to a virus or infection is weakened, then antibiotics or antiviral drugs come to the rescue for ARVI and influenza.

If you have parainfluenza and influenza, you should definitely consult a doctor, since these are very insidious diseases that have recently become very aggressive, leading to a lot of complications. Read our article about how to distinguish influenza from ARVI.

If a dry cough does not go away for a long time during an acute respiratory viral infection, influenza or other infectious disease, this may be caused by:

  • firstly, because the human immune system is significantly weakened
  • secondly, that there are provoking factors that affect the duration of a dry cough, these include: smoking and drinking alcohol, very dry air in the room and taking insufficient fluids during a cold or viral disease.
  • thirdly, the addition of a secondary infection or complication after a viral disease, when bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, pharyngitis, etc. develop.

Diseases of the pleura and lungs can also be accompanied by a dry, painful cough - this is pneumonia, pleurisy. In this case, most often there is a high temperature, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

Atypical forms of pneumonia

It should also be borne in mind that a prolonged cough can be a consequence of mycoplasma and chlamydia; these pathogens can cause atypical pneumonia, bronchitis, which can last a long time and periodically recur. To differentiate the pathogen that caused pneumonia or bronchitis, you can take a blood test using ELISA.

Whooping cough, measles, false croup

Whooping cough can cause a dry cough in children and adults. Whooping cough is considered to be a childhood infectious disease, although vaccinations have reduced the incidence of whooping cough among children, but they do occur, and in weakened adults, cases of whooping cough are also sometimes recorded. With this disease, the convulsive cough is so strong that it often leads to vomiting. In this case, you should take antitussives for dry cough, such as Sinekod, Libexin, Bronholitin, etc.

In addition to whooping cough, among childhood diseases characterized by a severe dry cough are measles and false croup. Measles, in addition to coughing, is also characterized by rashes on the skin and mucous membranes (see symptoms of measles in children). With false croup, the inflammation process involves the vocal cords, larynx, trachea and bronchi, so it is characterized by a barking cough. Children under 3 years of age are more susceptible to this disease.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a formidable disease, which in recent years has also become epidemic, not only among people of a low social level, as is commonly believed, but also among wealthy segments of the population, with the development of favorable factors for its progression. Constant nervous tension, stressful situations, lack of adequate nutrition and good rest, addiction to various depleting diets can lead to the development of tuberculosis even among businessmen and people of high social status.

It is believed that every person is infected with Koch's bacillus, but a strong immune system copes with it. Once the body weakens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can become more active and cause pulmonary tuberculosis and its extrapulmonary forms.

As for dry cough, its cause may be tuberculosis of the lungs, bronchi or trachea, larynx. It begins with a dry, unproductive cough, obsessive coughing, weakness, while the body temperature rarely exceeds 37.3-35.5; most often it rises to low-grade levels and only in the evening.

Tuberculosis can cause dry cough in adults as well as in children, which is especially dangerous because tuberculosis today is not the same tuberculosis that was 40 years ago. Nowadays, a large number of drug-resistant forms of this terrible disease are being registered, which require longer and more expensive treatment, and in combination with other chronic diseases in the patient or HIV infection, lead to death.

Laryngitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis

are also common causes of dry cough. With pharyngitis, the pharyngeal mucosa is involved in the inflammatory process, and with laryngitis, the laryngeal mucosa is involved. Both of these diseases can be both acute and chronic; the cough is dry, barking, debilitating, and worsens at night. With frequent inhalation of dusty, dry, cold air, as well as the presence of irritating gases and vapors in the air, tracheitis can develop, both acute and chronic. This also causes a painful dry cough.

Diseases of ENT organs

Against the background of various diseases of the nasopharynx, such as sinusitis, sinusitis, or chronic rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, the appearance of a dry cough at night is explained by postnasal drip syndrome. When these diseases become chronic, it is not uncommon that mucus discharged from the nasal sinuses begins to flow down the back wall of the pharynx, irritating the cough receptors in the tracheobronchial tree. This cough may seem productive and wet because the cough produces nasal mucus, but it should be considered a dry cough.

Oncological diseases of the respiratory organs

Cancer of the bronchi, lungs, trachea, throat cancer, as well as mediastinal organs (organs located between the sternum and the spine - heart, bronchi, aorta, etc.). If a dry cough does not go away for a long time, it bothers you both day and night, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, take a blood test, an X-ray of the lungs, if indicated, an MRI of the mediastinal organs, bronchoscopy, and tests for tumor markers is possible. With any chronic cough, you should find out the exact cause of its appearance; today, oncological tension is becoming stronger, cancer appears even in young people, and everyone knows that timely detection of oncological diseases increases the chances of recovery or a significant prolongation of life.

Only on the basis of an examination, a doctor cannot determine the cause of a lingering cough - this is not possible, so it is necessary to take tests and undergo several examinations according to indications - blood test, sputum test, spirography, spirometry, X-ray, bronchoscopy, body plethysmography, tousography, MRI, CT.

Causes of dry cough not related to inflammatory processes in the respiratory system

Allergic cough

In recent decades, the number of people suffering from various allergic reactions among the Russian population has significantly increased, this is especially noticeable in children. Almost all children today have some kind of allergic reaction, if not a food allergy, then an allergy to dust, wool, pollen, mites, etc. Hay fever is a seasonal allergy to the pollen of flowering plants, which appears in the spring and summer; a very large number of people suffer from hay fever. number of people, it is manifested by sneezing, runny nose, lacrimation, itching of mucous membranes and dry allergic cough.

Bronchial asthma

a very common disease characterized by a chronic painful dry cough and asthma attacks. This disease cannot be considered only a disease of the bronchi; it is a severe pathology that is associated with a general disorder of the immune system, nervous system and allergies.

Exposure to toxic substances in the home

household chemicals containing chlorine, washing powders, etc., the presence of an abundance of exhaust gases in the air of cities and megacities leads to the occurrence of an allergic dry cough. Also pay attention to when your dry cough started; maybe it has something to do with the purchase of new furniture, new renovations, or the purchase of household appliances. Modern industry, especially the production of plastic, furniture, building materials, even children's toys, often uses an abundance of toxic chemicals that can irritate the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and bronchi, causing chronic chemical poisoning. If there are a lot of such products in the room, they are new and emit an odor - this may be the cause of a dry cough.

Worm infestations

Sometimes cases of ascariasis are recorded, in which, during the migration of ascaris larvae through the pulmonary circulation, they linger in the lung tissue, causing an annoying dry cough. Getting into the lungs, trachea and bronchi, they cause irritation of cough receptors; the migratory phase for ascariasis is 8-14 days (see roundworms - symptoms and treatment).

Professional dry cough

The reason for its appearance may be associated with working in hazardous industries, where a mass of suspended toxic substances is formed in the air, causing workers to have a dry cough. Workers in the stone processing and coal mining industries often develop pulmonary silicosis. Also among the occupational diseases that cause dry cough, it is worth noting the disease of American farmers or fibrosing alveolitis, where dry cough is only the debut of a pathology, the outcome of which is severe respiratory failure.

Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Taking certain medications

usually ACE inhibitors, which are used to lower blood pressure and treat other cardiovascular diseases. In 20% of patients, these medications cause a dry cough, if it disappears after discontinuation of the drug, therefore, this cough was a side effect of the drug taken.

Cardiovascular diseases and heart failure can also cause dry cough

The cause of the allergy, the provocateur of allergic reactions, can be determined using tests ordered by an allergist. You should take any manifestations of allergies seriously, since it is not just a dry cough, runny nose or rash; with a severe allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema can occur, which can be fatal without timely medical attention.

How to get rid of a cough. Nothing hurts, only the adult has had a cough for about 3 weeks. Medicines don't help

Answers:

Irina Yaroshinskaya

Very similar to whooping cough, even if you are vaccinated, still do a bacterial culture

Alla Krasilnikova

Try the hot beer.

WE GET RID OF INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES IN THE LUNGS

Inflammatory processes in the lungs include bronchitis and pneumonia, tracheitis. To get rid of inflammatory processes, it is necessary, first of all, to stimulate the immune system, both antimicrobial and antiviral. The more pronounced the inflammation processes, the more intense the massage should be (rubbing hands, feet, tapping the head several times a day). At high temperatures, pay special attention to rubbing your feet and hands up to 5-8 times a day.

Local effect in the projection of the lungs in front: intensively rub the chest with the palm of your hand once a day, knock on the sternum with your fist in the projection of the trachea and lungs. Cough immediately and knock for 1-2 minutes, massage the point of bronchitis (third-fourth intercostal space to the right of the sternum by 1-2 centimeters). Local effect in the projection of the lungs from the back: back massage in the projection of the lungs (rubbing, kneading, vibrations in the form of tapping with the ribs of the palms). You can do a back massage on your own against a door frame. Vibrations are performed by a rolling pin with a rubber ring of a hand expander placed on it. In case of a painful, hysterical, painful cough, apply intensive pressure to the point of bronchitis, tapping the sternum and projections of the lungs in front and behind with a fist, tapping the spine of the scapula with a rolling pin.

It is important, during chest massage, to identify painful areas in the projection of the lungs and act on them day after day until the pain in them completely disappears. Recovery occurs within two to three days.

Pain in the pharynx and larynx appears during inflammatory processes (pharyngitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis). To get rid of these phenomena, it is necessary to stimulate the immune system, that is, rub the base of the palm - the hand and forearm, the outer area, up to the elbow inclusive, and the legs - the instep and shin, on all sides, up to the knee inclusive, three to eight times a day. You can rub your feet foot to foot. Local effect: pinch the skin above the larynx and rub the fold between the fingers in especially painful areas. Find painful points on the surface of the cartilage of the larynx and press them with the nail of your index finger. Also, use the nail of your index finger to press and hold the pain on the anterior surface of the cervical spine for 3-5 seconds. Particularly effective is pressing on those places, when exposed to which an arrow of pain (painful irradiation) appears, the tip of which just reaches your tonsils or inflamed mucous membrane. That is, it reaches exactly the pain that worries you. Try to press on this pain, call up the arrow and hold this pain arrow for 3-5 seconds, change the place of touch and press and hold again. This is how to treat all parts of the neck and especially painful areas. With the right massage, you can get rid of a sore throat within two to three hours, in some cases even in minutes. The sore throat either does not develop or ends within three hours. Good luck to everyone.

Zhu Zha

go to the doctor and get a fluorography

Fire Cat.

Try poisoning the worms! And this is no joke! ! IS IT TRUE. Lately, coughing has been happening very often from them, doctors say, often especially in children! ! And this procedure will not damage the effect almost immediately!! !

If that doesn't help, try the sauna! dry steam only!

Olyaaa Lyaa

Consult a doctor and have a fluorography done, the main thing is to rule out tuberculosis.

Still, try to find out the cause of the cough. Otherwise, treatment may be useless. I'll give you my own example. I have chronic bronchitis, and I have a philosophical attitude towards periodic exacerbations and coughing, but a year ago the local therapist did not like my blood pressure, and she prescribed me the antihypertensive drug Diroton. After a couple of months, I started coughing a lot, I chalked it up to bronchitis, tried to be treated with conventional remedies, but the cough did not go away. Due to family problems, I did not go to the doctor. So I coughed for a couple more months, and then my condition became very bad, I went to the clinic, had a fluorography done, it turned out there was darkening in the lung, I was injected with strong antibiotics for two weeks. The pictures became normal, but the cough did not go away. The district police officer prescribed me inhalations with hormones, but it didn’t help. And after six months of torment, I read on the Internet that coughing can be caused by blood pressure pills. I took Diroton off myself and after two weeks the cough stopped. I’ve been practically cough-free for six months now (ugh, ugh, ugh.). Good luck to you!

Causes of dry cough without fever in adults

Nowadays, it is difficult to find an adult or child who does not cough at least once a day. The pollution of large cities and megalopolises, harmful emissions from industrial enterprises, a lot of various infections - when living in a city, one can only dream of clean air.

The human respiratory system is designed in such a way that when infectious agents, allergens, dust, etc. enter the bronchi and lungs, a cough occurs due to irritation of the respiratory tract receptors.

With its help, the tracheobronchial tree is cleansed from external and internal irritating agents such as pus, mucus, sputum, blood or foreign bodies - pollen, dust, food particles. The role of cough is to prevent mechanical obstructions and clear the respiratory tract of phlegm or other substances.

When a person has a cold and becomes infected with a viral respiratory disease, the clinical picture is clear, the person develops a high fever, runny nose, cough, tearfulness, weakness and other symptoms of intoxication characteristic of these diseases. In these cases, the cause of the dry cough is clear. How can you figure out why a cough without fever occurs in an adult or a child?

Many people believe that cough is caused only by diseases of the respiratory tract, however, a prolonged dry cough can be a symptom of such serious diseases as heart failure, cancer of the mediastinal organs, some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, sinusitis, and sinusitis. The table below presents the symptoms and diagnosis of some diseases that are characterized by a dry cough without fever or with a temperature of 37C.

Cough and runny nose without fever

  • For a cold

possible occurrence of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, runny nose, cough without body temperature or, 2. With these types of Orvi, the throat may not bother you, but a runny nose and cough without high fever are typical. If the cough does not go away within 3 weeks after the onset of ARVI, you should consult a physician.

to various flowering plants in the apartment or on the street, an allergy to dust is also accompanied by a dry non-productive cough, an allergy to pet hair, to food or animal care products, and a similar reaction is also possible to perfumes and cosmetics.

Even in carpets and bed linen there are many allergens to which the body may have an inadequate reaction, which is expressed by a dry cough and runny nose without fever. Also, the massive use of various household chemicals, unsafe washing powders with surfactants over 35% - all this can affect the state of the respiratory system and manifest itself in the form of cough and runny nose without fever.

after acute infectious or viral inflammation of the respiratory tract, a cough with tickling, coughing, a feeling of tickling or rawness can last up to 3 weeks, and simply unpleasant sensations and rare coughing can last up to 1.5 months.

Dry, prolonged cough without fever

  • Stress

Stressful situations, nervous shocks, experiences can provoke a dry cough - this is called a psychogenic cough, when a person is worried, lost or embarrassed, he may cough.

  • Also, if you stay in a room with dry, dusty air for a long time, irritation in the respiratory tract may appear.
  • Oncological diseases

If a prolonged strong dry cough without fever continues for more than a month, you should contact a general practitioner, pulmonologist, allergist, oncologist, or phthisiatrician to undergo a thorough diagnosis, since there are a lot of diseases that cause an incessant cough - tuberculosis, lung cancer, cancer of the bronchi, trachea, and throat.

A cardiac cough should be distinguished, for example, from a smoker's cough or a bronchial cough. This cough occurs after physical activity and does not produce sputum, however, sometimes with acute heart disease, blood discharge is possible after a dry cough. This is due to improper functioning of the left ventricle, when blood stagnates in the lungs and is released with coughing. In addition to coughing, a person is also bothered by palpitations, shortness of breath, pain in the heart area, etc.

  • Chronic diseases of ENT organs

often with chronic diseases of the nasopharynx, such as sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, sinusitis due to the flow of mucus from the nose along the back wall of the throat, a cough without fever may appear; it is concomitant and is not associated with the lower respiratory tract.

prolonged dry cough, temperature 37 - 37.5 indicates a possible tuberculosis process in the lungs or bronchi. Today, the situation with tuberculosis is very tense, even among people of high social status, the development of this terrible disease is possible, constant stressful situations, overwork, insufficient rest reduce the body's defenses, and since 90% of the population by the age of 30 is infected with Koch's bacillus, provoking factors can lead to activation of mycobacteria in the body.

with nodular or diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland, pressure occurs on the trachea, causing a dry cough without fever in adults.

also capable of causing a dry cough without fever, this is a reflex cough after eating in the case of the development of esophageal-tracheal fistula, reflux esophagitis, esophageal diverticulum.

  • If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract.

If a person is concerned that he has developed a strong dry cough without fever or other cold symptoms, or has been suffering from attacks of dry cough for a long time, he should not postpone a visit to a therapist.

  • First of all, you should be wary and analyze when coughing attacks most often occur - if this is associated with the quality of inhaled air, the presence of new furniture, fresh renovations in the apartment or the appearance of an animal, wool or fur clothing, or other low-quality clothing - then most likely this is a defensive reaction bronchopulmonary system to toxic substances found in dyes, plastic, chipboard, mattresses, carpets and other household items or an allergic reaction to wool, fur, down, feathers, etc.
  • If the cough occurs only at a certain time - only in the morning, it is most likely chronic bronchitis. If on the contrary, only at night or in a horizontal position - cardiac cough, cough due to diseases of the ENT organs. If during a meal, then throat cancer, larynx, and gastrointestinal diseases are possible.
  • Pay attention to the color, quantity and consistency of the sputum; you should definitely inform your doctor about this, what color it is, whether there are any impurities of blood or pus (yellow-green).

What to do if the cough does not go away, and what are its causes?

Are you tormented by the fact that your cough won't go away? Are you tired of a constant sore throat? Do you find it difficult to breathe? This disease can and must be fought! So what is a cough?

Coughing is a natural protective reaction (reflex) of the body to any irritant that prevents the free passage of air, as well as to inflammation of the respiratory tract. A prolonged cough is a cough that lasts more than 4–8 weeks. This cough does not go away quickly, because it can be one of the signs of such dangerous diseases as bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma and lung cancer. If the cough does not go away for a month, visit a TB doctor first. According to statistics, approximately 20% of the adult population suffers from a cough that lasts 3-4 weeks, or even more, which is a good reason for an immediate visit to the doctor, because It is necessary to treat not so much the cough itself as the underlying disease that caused it. Fortunately, in most cases this cough can be successfully treated. Many medications are available without a prescription and can be taken without consulting a doctor.

What if the cough does not go away even after a course of treatment? You can additionally use folk remedies. There are many methods to combat this painful symptom.

To relieve cough, use phlegm thinners. An excellent way is to drink plenty of hot drinks. In addition, a saline solution for gargling helps. To prepare it, stir a little salt in warm water. Gargle with the solution every hour. This procedure enhances expectoration, and the lungs will work at full capacity. Use products whose effect is aimed at expanding the air passages. Medicines with a bronchodilator effect can speed up the process of cleansing the bronchi. Being in a room with dry air negatively affects the lungs, irritating them and increasing unpleasant symptoms; the cough does not go away and gets worse. Therefore, you should breathe humidified air, because... it penetrates the lungs more easily. One of the best ways to combat a persistent cough is to use essential oils. With their help (in the form of inhalations) you can significantly relieve unpleasant symptoms. Their use increases expectoration. It is necessary to choose oils that will soften the mucous membrane of the airways and promote the separation of sputum. These oils include benzoin and lavender or marjoram oil, as well as frankincense. In pharmacies you can purchase a ready-made mixture for inhalation.

To soften a cough, you can take honey mixed with a small amount of onion or garlic. A very effective, but not very pleasant way. If you smoke, then to relieve a lingering cough, you should give up this bad habit. A dry cough does not go away due to temporary smoking cessation, try to eliminate it from your life. And the risk of cancer will decrease. When the cough becomes easier, you should not return to your previous diet, if it included eating a lot of sweets, dairy products, starchy foods (cakes and buns), such a diet lowers the body's resistance to infection, reduces immunity and allows the cough to prolong. In cases where the cough stubbornly refuses to stop, especially when it comes to a child, professional help is needed.

The doctor will justify the need for additional examination, prescribe medications that are suitable for you, and explain preventive measures. And, if you carefully follow his recommendations, then the chance that the cough will leave you is quite high.

Causes and treatment of persistent cough in adults

Treatment of persistent cough in adults is a long process. A cough often accompanies colds, but sometimes it remains for a long time. Several weeks pass and he is still with you. Medicines, medicinal plants and physiotherapy come to the rescue.

What kind of cough is there?

A cough is a reflex contraction of the respiratory muscles, causing a sharp expulsion of air from the lungs in response to irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, pleura, trachea and bronchi. As a result, the airways are cleared of foreign particles or accumulated mucus. A cough in which bronchial secretions (sputum) does not come out is called dry or unproductive. A kind of opposite is a cough accompanied by sputum production. It is called wet.

Depending on the time during which the cough is observed, it is divided into:

  1. Acute – lasting less than 2 weeks.
  2. Protracted – lasts up to 4 weeks.
  3. Subacute cough – prolonged for 2 months.
  4. Chronic cough – continuous cough for more than 2 months.

Causes of persistent cough

  1. The most common cause is a complication of infectious and viral diseases, when the pathogen settles and actively multiplies in the bronchi.
  2. Untimely or improper treatment of colds and flu is accompanied by chronic cough. For example, if the disease was initially viral in nature, and it was treated with antibiotics. As a result, the disease worsened and complications developed. Often adults try to endure a cold on their feet, making excuses for being busy at work and other excuses, thereby delaying treatment. They go to the doctor only after they have a high fever and complete malaise. The advanced disease “took root” in the bronchi and lungs.
  3. Postnasal drip of secretions from the nose into the larynx, which develops with allergies or chronic infectious diseases.
  4. Chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease are also accompanied by a prolonged cough.
  5. As one of the side effects of some drugs for heart failure and hypertension, for example, Enalapril.
  6. Chronic and lingering cough quite often appears in experienced smokers after suffering from colds or viral diseases. The mucous membrane of a smoker's respiratory tract differs from the condition of the bronchi of an ordinary person. Smokers have reduced immunity to respiratory tract infections.
  7. A lingering dry cough can develop due to allergies. Receptors on the mucous membrane of the bronchi and larynx become incredibly sensitive to irritants: dust, tobacco smoke, plant pollen and pet hair.

It is worth mentioning that a cough that lasts several weeks or months, in the absence of other symptoms, can signal the presence of serious diseases: tuberculosis and lung cancer. In addition, without adequate treatment, chronic cough in adults can develop into pneumonia (pneumonia), bronchial asthma, pleurisy or lung abscess, which is life-threatening. Self-medication can be dangerous; it is better to consult an experienced therapist, ENT doctor and pulmonologist.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the specialist will prescribe a number of tests and examinations: blood tests, sputum analysis, fluorography, external respiratory function tests (tussography, body plethysmography, spirography and spirometry).

How to cure an old cough

Depending on the patient’s condition, clinical symptoms and examination results, the doctor will recommend one or another treatment regimen. They try to transform a chronic nonproductive cough into a productive one, that is, into one in which sputum is released. To do this, expectorants are prescribed to help clear bronchial mucus. In addition to them, medications that stimulate expectoration are recommended: drugs with reflex or resorptive action, as well as those that dilute sputum. These include mucolytics, cysteine ​​preparations and proteolytic drugs.

In accordance with the nature of the old cough and the disease that provoked it, antiviral drugs, antibiotics and antihistamines are prescribed.

For a dry, unproductive cough at night, medications containing codeine, as well as Sinecod, are recommended. At night, warming ointment can be applied to the chest and back.

Inhalations are a very effective method of treating cough. They can be carried out using an ultrasonic or compressor inhaler. The drug vapors enter the bronchi along with the air flow. This helps restore the mucous membrane, increase blood circulation and improve phlegm removal. Folk remedies testify to the usefulness of inhaling the vapors emanating from a hot pan in which a collection of medicinal herbs has been infused. Examples include oregano with elderberry, raspberry with linden blossom and coltsfoot, and raspberry with sage and coltsfoot.

Inhalations with aromatic oils have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Take a shallow, wide container and pour water into it with a temperature no higher than 40°C. Add 2-3 drops of eucalyptus, menthol or mint oil into water. Cover your head with a towel and inhale the vapors for 5-7 minutes. After half an hour, this procedure can be supplemented with warm-moisture inhalation.

When treating chronic cough, it is very useful to do such inhalations. The thermal effect accelerates the liquefaction and removal of mucus from the lumen of the bronchi. Plus, the dryness of the mucous membranes is reduced. Antibiotics, sulfonamides, hormonal agents or other components recommended by a doctor are added to a pharmaceutical saline solution heated to 38-42ºС. In some cases, inhalations are carried out with a warm soda solution or alkaline mineral water. The procedure should last no more than 10 minutes.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for a prolonged cough can be inhalations with infusions and decoctions of medicinal plants. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of dry herbs (chamomile, eucalyptus leaves, fragrant violet, sage and others) to 0.5 liters of boiling water and cover with a lid. Wait for the solution to cool slightly, and then breathe for 5-10 minutes.

Folk remedies for coughs recommend inhaling a hot infusion of onion and garlic. Onions and garlic are peeled, cut and poured up to ¼ volume into a ceramic teapot. Boiling water is poured into about a third of the container. Inhale the steam coming out of the kettle's spout.

Another remedy for coughing is cupping. It is advisable to find special small jars with a rounded bottom. Please note that this procedure requires an assistant.

Drink a decoction of linden flowers. Pour 3 tablespoons of dried inflorescences with a glass of boiling water and keep in a water bath for 15 minutes. Filter the slightly cooled infusion and drink warm 3 times a day.

Thyme infusion has expectorant properties. Pour 2 tablespoons of the herb with a glass of boiling water and heat in a water bath for 20 minutes. Strain and drink a third of a glass three times a day.

To soften a cough and remove phlegm, you can make a decoction of tricolor violet herb. To do this, pour one tablespoon of chopped herbs into a glass of boiling water. Keep in a water bath for up to half an hour, filter the solution and drink half a glass 3 times a day.

In the treatment of acute and prolonged cough, an infusion of coltsfoot flowers and leaves is prepared as an expectorant and anti-inflammatory agent. Add one tablespoon of dry herb to a glass of boiling water and leave for an hour. Take a quarter glass of infusion 4 times a day.

Along with this expectorant effect, plantain is famous, from which an infusion is prepared. For a glass of boiling water use 1 teaspoon of crushed plantain leaves. After 30 minutes, the solution should be filtered and drunk 1 tablespoon three times a day. To boost immunity and speed up recovery, your doctor may recommend an alcohol tincture of ginseng, echinacea, Rhodiola rosea or Eleutherococcus.

It is possible to treat an old cough with folk remedies, but only as an addition to drug therapy prescribed by a doctor.

It is important not only to stop the cough, but also to destroy bacteria that multiply on the bronchial mucosa, remove all phlegm and increase immunity.

Severe cough in an adult: causes

When receptors in the tracheobronchial tree are irritated, adults may experience coughing attacks. A severe cough in an adult can be dry or wet, that is, with sputum production. It most often intensifies at night, when, due to a long horizontal position, mucus flows down the larynx, irritating it, causing a severe cough in an adult. The reasons for this symptom and the disease that provokes a severe cough are described in this article.

Severe cough in an adult: causes of the problem

A severe cough in an adult can develop for a number of reasons:

1. Bronchial asthma is accompanied by severe coughing attacks, most often this occurs at night. Given that the diaphragm muscles are constantly tense, the patient may experience pain in the chest and abdomen. The cough may subside after half an hour to an hour, then viscous sputum is coughed up.

2. A severe cough in an adult may not be infectious in nature, but the cough appears due to the entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract, such as dust particles or crumbs. It ends when the pollution is removed from the lungs.

3. Whooping cough is a possible cause of a severe, convulsive cough. At first it manifests itself in the form of a common cold, but cannot be treated with conventional means, for example, mustard plasters, inhalations, and intensifies over time. Most often, severe coughing attacks in adults occur at night and may be accompanied by gagging. The disease lasts about six weeks, but depending on the individual characteristics of the body, in some adults it passes as acute bronchitis.

4. Sometimes severe attacks can occur with respiratory diseases of the airways, that is, the nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx. The disease is accompanied by a dry “barking” cough. If the disease is treated correctly, then a severe cough will subside after 3 days; if left untreated, complications may appear in the form of bronchitis and pneumonia.

5. Acute bronchitis is accompanied by severe and frequent coughing attacks. The disease occurs due to inflammation of the bronchial mucosa; other symptoms may also appear, such as runny nose, sore throat, hoarseness, and fever. A dry cough develops first, severe attacks are more often observed at night, and after a few days it turns into a wet cough.

6. With laryngitis, the cough first appears dry, then turns into wet, which is accompanied by sputum production. Laryngitis is especially dangerous for young children: swelling of the mucous membrane can block the access of air to the larynx.

Source: http://0p3.ru/kasel/kashel-ne-prohodit-3-nedeli-u-vzroslogo.html

Prolonged cough: treatment

What diseases cause coughing?

The reasons may be:

  • respiratory tract infections - viral and bacterial (ARVI, tracheitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, pneumonia);
  • allergic reaction;
  • gastroesophageal reflux;
  • whooping cough;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis, sinusitis) or nasopharynx (rhinitis).

Often this reaction is associated specifically with a cold, i.e. ARVI. In this case, symptoms such as runny nose, slight increase in body temperature, sore throat, etc. are also observed.

Cough with a cold

With ARVI, the development of symptoms occurs according to the following principle:

  1. In the first few days of a cold, the cough is dry, that is, without sputum production, does not cause relief, and is sometimes painful.
  2. Due to the secretion of sputum by the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, after 3-4 days the dry cough is replaced by a wet one. Coughing becomes easier.
  3. With proper treatment and care for the patient, the viral infection weakens and the symptoms disappear. The rate of sputum formation decreases, the bronchi are cleared. In this case, improvement occurs within 7-10 days. A cough for more than a week, if it is not aggravated by severe pain, shortness of breath, or a purulent infection, is not a cause for concern.
  4. If the treatment is chosen incorrectly, or the conditions in which the patient is located are unsuitable, the disease may drag on. The mucus in the respiratory tract thickens and is difficult to separate. A viral infection can be joined by a bacterial one, since mucus is a very favorable environment for the proliferation of microorganisms.

The disease has been bothering me for 2 weeks

If your cough persists for 2 weeks, you may still be on the road to recovery. This symptom may bother you for some time after you have had a cold, although the runny nose and its other manifestations have long subsided.

What to do if the cough does not go away for 2 weeks? Provide plenty of fluids, fresh moist air, you can do inhalation, drink medicinal tea.

However, if the attacks are severe and painful, it is worth visiting a doctor.

What other signs should not be ignored:

  • seizures interfere with sleep;
  • there are blood or pus in the sputum;
  • sputum is thick, greenish, yellow or rusty in color;
  • body temperature is very elevated or persists for a long time;
  • attacks cause shortness of breath.

These alarming symptoms may indicate more serious illnesses than ARVI. To avoid wasting time, seek medical advice.

The disease lasts 3 weeks

A cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks is called a persistent cough. It can come in either wet or dry form. This symptom for 3 weeks indicates the following conditions:

  1. Bronchitis can last for a month or more. It is important to prevent it from becoming chronic. Bronchitis requires treatment. If you have a bacterial infection, you cannot avoid taking antibiotics.
  2. Whooping cough is an infectious disease that is more common in children, but adults can also suffer from it. Has your child had a cough for 3 weeks? Do not reject the option of whooping cough, even if it is vaccinated - the vaccination provides immunity for only 5-6 years. Then people become susceptible to the infection again, but they tolerate it more easily. Whooping cough causes attacks of severe, painful coughing, with shortness of breath and lacrimation.
  3. Tuberculosis can be detected not only in the poor, as some believe. Other symptoms include weight loss, decreased appetite, and sweating. This is a dangerous disease, but can be easily treated in its early stages.
  4. Pneumonia is a dangerous infectious disease. Usually accompanied by elevated temperature. The cough is wet, maybe with pus.
  5. Bronchial asthma is a non-infectious cause. Asthmatic cough is easy to distinguish - it is noisy, with whistling and wheezing, and heavy exhalation. It usually occurs in the form of an attack, and only in the presence of an irritant (strong smell, smoke, stress or physical activity). An attack can lead to suffocation.
  6. Allergies can manifest as a cough, sometimes accompanied by a runny nose and watery eyes. Appears only in the presence of an allergen - pollen, food or drink, dust, animal hair. The best remedy is to avoid the allergen. If this is not possible, you can undergo immunotherapy.
  7. A smoker's cough is caused by the inhibitory effect of cigarette smoke on the ciliated epithelium, which pushes mucus out of the respiratory tract. The deposition of harmful compounds on the mucous membrane, in addition to this, causes irritation of the bronchial tube receptors. In this case, it will take at least a month without smoking to clear the airways.

Prevention and treatment of persistent cough

Sometimes the cough prolongs as a result of self-medication.

An incorrect diagnosis leads to the wrong selection of medications, and in the meantime the disease progresses.

Also aggravating the situation is the tendency of some people not to complete the course of treatment recommended by their doctor. As a result, remission is possible and the disease may become chronic, which is more difficult to cure.

If the prescribed medications and procedures do not produce an effect within 2 weeks, it is appropriate to visit the doctor again to clarify the diagnosis.

Monitor the humidity and cleanliness of the air in the house - this will make any type of cough easier.

Author: Oksana Tsiklauri

Using a cough patch.

Treatment of cough with propolis.

Inhalation agents for dry and wet cough.

Herbion: a cough treatment.

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