Causes of cough in adults

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Why does an adult have a persistent cough?

Compared with their ancestors, modern people are more often susceptible to various diseases accompanied by cough.

A persistent cough in an adult, the causes and symptoms of which, according to doctors, may be associated with changes in the causative agent of infectious diseases and other pathologies of the respiratory tract, increasingly forces people to seek medical help.

Table of contents:

Take, for example, the same H1N1 influenza virus. A few years ago it simply did not exist, and now it has come to a pandemic. Another reason for an increased cough is a weakened immune system. This leads to complicated cough, bronchitis and/or pneumonia. Hence the conclusion - cough must be treated.

What causes a cough?

In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand the essence of cough. Cough is a protective reaction of the body that clears the bronchial tree of foreign objects. When the cough receptors are irritated, a deep breath is taken and after a jerky exhalation, the bronchopulmonary tract is cleansed. If the cough is acute, which lasts less than three weeks, then the main reasons leading to irritation of the corresponding receptors are:

  • acute bronchitis;
  • congestive heart failure;
  • pulmonary embolism;
  • pneumonia;
  • ingress of foreign bodies and other factors.

Bronchitis can cause a cough

Therefore, it is necessary to differentiate the cause of this acute complication. In case of chronic persistent dry cough in an adult, the causes of the disease may be due to obstructive pulmonary pathology, bronchial asthma, and so on. A constant and prolonged cough causes a lot of inconvenience to a person:

  • insomnia appears;
  • headache;
  • general weakness and weakness of the body;
  • there is a change in the usual way of life.

What do you need to know before taking cough suppressants?

Important! First of all, it is necessary to determine the productivity of the unconditioned reflex, that is, the presence or absence of sputum in the patient.

For a non-productive (dry) cough, in which the intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles hurt, it is possible to use direct antitussives. However, the range of direct-acting pharmacological drugs is quite limited. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the true cause-and-effect relationship of the occurrence of a constantly dry cough in an adult. What to do in this case? Naturally, consult a doctor.

Persistent and prolonged cough leads to headaches

If the cough is productive, that is, with the production of sputum, then the scheme of medical treatment is fundamentally different. The goal is not to suppress the reflex, but to make an adult’s constant cough with sputum as effective as possible, that is, to promote the rapid discharge of bronchial secretions.

How to treat a cold cough?

First of all, for colds and coughs, drinking plenty of warm fluids is useful, as it removes toxic substances remaining from infectious agents from the body. It would be a good idea to steam your legs and rub your feet. The fact is that hypothermia of the legs leads to spasm of the vessels of the upper respiratory tract, thereby opening the gates of infection, and warming procedures trigger the reverse process.

To determine the cause of your cough, you should consult a doctor.

On a note! If an adult has a constant cough without fever, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system.

To do this, you need to walk in the fresh air at an average pace to avoid shortness of breath. As for the treatment of the cough itself, the main thing here is to help the body remove accumulated phlegm from the bronchi. For these purposes, a group of pharmacological drugs was created under the general name - mucolytics.

Whooping cough is back

It would seem that this acute airborne anthroponotic bacterial infection has lingered forever in the last century. However, more and more often, with a biochemical laboratory examination of the causes of chronic cough, the diagnosis of whooping cough is determined. This is especially true for older people, whose immune systems weaken over the years. Thus, the so-called paroxysmal “barking” cough, which causes spasm of the respiratory system, is increasingly being detected in people of this age category. Bordetella pertussis is a pertussis bacterial bacillus that can penetrate the body of an elderly person. How to recognize whooping cough in an adult?

Increasingly, biochemical laboratory examination of the causes of chronic cough determines the diagnosis of whooping cough

The general course of the disease lasts approximately one and a half to two months, and is conditionally divided into three stages:

  1. The catarrhal period (10-14 days) is manifested by a prolonged non-productive cough without fever. The symptoms of the disease are very similar to those of an acute viral infection. However, all medications are ineffective, and the cough becomes more intense and paroxysmal.
  2. The paroxysmal period, which can last for a month or more, is characterized by specific symptoms. At this stage, it is possible to accurately differentiate the nature of the cough and adequately carry out therapeutic measures aimed at preventing possible complications. The treatment regimen is selected based on the results of laboratory tests.
  3. Gradually, the number of attacks of prolonged dry cough decreases, which indicates recovery. This period is preceded by long days of grueling treatment.

The most effective way to avoid infection is revaccination of an adult

How to prevent whooping cough in older people? The most effective way to avoid infection is revaccination for an adult. It should be remembered that whooping cough is a very dangerous disease. It is no coincidence that the WHO (World Health Organization) classifies the disease as one of the most dangerous diseases of the 21st century. Every year, up to 250 million people worldwide die from pertussis infection. At the first signs of the disease, paroxysmal cough is treated with antibiotics and antihistamines, which relieve inflammation in the mucous membrane.

On a note! Prevention of the disease will be the creation of a humid air environment for older people, since dry air is very dangerous for the mucous membrane, this aggravates the symptoms of the disease and weakens the general condition of a person.

Specific causes of cough

What can provoke a persistent cough in an adult without fever? The reasons for the manifestation can be very different:

  • Increased stomach acidity may not always result in heartburn. In 40% of cases, acidity is increased, but there is no heartburn. What's going on? When acidic contents are thrown into the esophagus, cough receptors can come into play, which, when irritated, cause a cough. The approach is this: if a chronic dry cough manifests itself, but there is no cold, then you can safely take a pill that reduces stomach acidity.

Increased stomach acidity may manifest itself as a cough

  • Allergies to household dust, pollen, pet hair and other harmful atmospheric components may be accompanied by a constant dry cough.
  • Perfumes and cosmetics, as well as household chemicals, can negatively affect the respiratory tract, causing a constant and prolonged non-productive cough, without obvious symptoms of colds and fever.
  • Long-term use of medications to stabilize blood pressure can cause a side effect in the form of a persistent dry cough.
  • After prolonged physical activity, a so-called cardiac cough appears, which does not produce sputum, and the body temperature is normal. All this is explained by a malfunction of the left ventricle when stagnant processes occur in the lung.

After prolonged physical activity, a so-called cardiac cough appears.

  • Often, a prolonged cough appears in people with helminthiasis. Using the respiratory system as a transit base, parasites enter the lungs through the bloodstream to carry out their biological cycle.
  • A psychogenic dry cough can occur during nervous tension or in a stressful situation.
  • For chronic respiratory diseases such as sinusitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, dry and prolonged cough without signs of cold inflammation - this is a completely normal phenomenon that requires urgent radical or conservative treatment.
  • Diffuse or nodular abnormalities of the endocrine system can affect the trachea, causing a constant cough reflex without increasing the temperature of the body.
  • A dry cough without fever in some chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract causes a reflex reaction.

Smoking causes a long, continuous, non-productive cough

A smoker's cough is a separate issue and a cause-and-effect relationship between the irritated mucous membrane of the bronchial tree. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes a narrowing of the bronchi, which accumulates a large amount of viscous bronchial secretion, which does not clear well from the mucous membrane, causing a long, incessant cough of unproductive properties. A disruption in the body's oxygen supply leads to a feeling of suffocation and a feeling of faintness. Why is a smoker's cough dangerous? The thing is that vital human organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, and brain do not receive enough oxygen. This leads to the progression of the intellectual functions of the body, that is, the person becomes dumber. Such people begin to have problems with blood supply, for example, the development of obliterating endarteritis, a chronic disease of the arterial vessels of the legs, which leads to necrosis of living tissue, that is, to gangrene.

The therapeutic and preventive effect of a lingering dry or wet cough will be compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and a healthy lifestyle without habits harmful to the body.

Take care of yourself and always be healthy!

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What does constant coughing indicate?

Coughing is a reflexive state with which our body tries to clear its airways. In most cases, cough accompanies so-called colds, but sometimes it can indicate the presence of much more dangerous problems in the body.

In any case, the presence of a long-lasting cough means that not the most pleasant processes are occurring in the body, which can bring with them threatening consequences for health. In such a situation, consulting a doctor is mandatory.

Causes and possible diseases

Persistent coughing can be caused by physiological or pathological reasons

A cough can accompany many different diseases, so constant coughing cannot be regarded solely as a manifestation of a cold.

Of course, this is the most common and widespread reason, but persistent cough may have other causes. It can be caused by both diseases and external conditions, for example, too dry and hot air, which provokes severe drying of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which entails a reflexive desire of the body to produce more phlegm in order to “lubricate” the dry mucous membranes. In this situation, coughing is not a harm, but a benefit. As soon as the situation with humidity and air temperature changes for the better, the cough will go away on its own, without any additional influence.

The same reaction of the body is caused by staying in a dusty or gas-filled room, or in the open air in the presence of a strong wind that raises dust and sand particles into the air. The entry of such particles into the respiratory tract can cause mechanical irritation, and the desire to get rid of foreign bodies can cause a cough, sometimes very strong, and in other cases reminiscent of a simple cough. The same effect is provoked by staying in a smoky room, as well as smoking itself - experienced smokers typically cough in the morning, when the body tries to get rid of accumulated tar and other products of cigarette combustion.

It’s a completely different matter if the cause seems to have been eliminated, but the coughing does not stop.

In this case, you can suspect the presence of an allergic reaction to dust, mists, dust mites, odors, animal hair and much more. This disease does not go away on its own; it must be treated so that it does not develop into a much more serious disease - bronchial asthma. Sometimes even medications, such as aerosol throat remedies, can be the cause of a cough. If you are prone to allergies, inhaling such drugs can cause a cough.

The presence of various chemical compounds, gases, even simple household and cosmetic aerosols, including perfumes, in the air can also cause coughing. In healthy people, this cough goes away quite quickly on its own as soon as they leave the gas-filled room.

More information about cough can be found in the video:

Sometimes the cause of unpleasant symptoms can be diseases that have nothing to do with the respiratory system. These are diseases of the digestive system, such as reflux esophagitis, regular heartburn, gastritis, stomach ulcers or hiatal hernia. The reflux of acidic stomach contents can cause irritation of the throat and the desire to constantly cough up.

Frequent, superficial cough is characteristic of some heart diseases. In most cases, such cough and shortness of breath accompanies heart failure, but it can also appear in much more dangerous conditions, for example, with cardiomyopathies and cardiosclerosis, dysfunction of the mitral valve, and so on.

But the main causes of cough are, of course, associated with inflammatory and infectious diseases. Most of it is provoked by laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, lesions of the nasopharynx (sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis), infectious diseases - whooping cough, scarlet fever, measles, croup, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Danger signs

If persistent coughing is accompanied by other dangerous symptoms, this may be a sign of a serious illness.

A cough should cause alarm and prompt you to seek medical help if it continues for a long time and the coughing person feels constantly unwell.

The appearance of shortness of breath, severe weakness, increased sweating, especially at night, unmotivated weight loss with a normal, habitual diet, peak increases in temperature or a constant low-grade fever, severe pallor, as well as the appearance of a characteristic feverish blush on the cheeks indicate the presence of dangerous diseases.

Constant coughing over a long period of time, during which a person’s condition worsens, may be a sign of the presence of the following dangerous and sometimes fatal diseases:

  • Chronic pneumonia.
  • Chronical bronchitis.
  • Bronchial asthma.
  • Pulmonary tuberculosis.
  • COPD
  • Neoplasms in the lungs and other respiratory organs, including malignant ones.
  • Lung dysfunctions directly related to problems in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Any of these diseases poses a threat to the health and life of the patient, so timely seeking medical help can stop the disease at the earliest stages.

Untreated persistent coughing in time can lead to the appearance of chronic diseases, which are much more difficult to cope with than “fresh” acute ones. In addition, if coughing is revealed as a manifestation of dangerous diseases, for example, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis, heart failure or a malignant tumor of the respiratory system, then any delay in treatment can not only cause serious harm to a person’s health, but also cause his untimely death.

That is why an apparently harmless cough should alarm and force the patient to visit a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and early treatment. This simple action can save you from many health problems and even save your life.

Drug treatment

Only after examination and identification of the cause of constant coughing can the doctor prescribe the correct medication treatment

If the patient has a constant cough, then treatment directly depends on what exactly provoked this condition.

If the cause is an allergy, the doctor will prescribe tests aimed at identifying the allergen. Treatment will consist of isolating the patient from the allergen by excluding products containing it from the patient’s menu, refusing to wear wool and fur products, removing carpets and down, feather pillows from the house, and so on. To treat allergies, your doctor will prescribe special antihistamines.

If the cause is an infectious disease, the patient will also have to undergo a series of tests to identify the pathogen and its belonging to different groups: viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoan microorganisms.

Depending on the result obtained, the correct treatment will be chosen.

In the event that a persistent cough is associated with heart and circulatory diseases, treatment will be aimed not only at maintaining cardiac activity, but also at treating the underlying cause, sometimes surgically, for example, by replacing a valve.

If coughing is caused by disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, treatment will be aimed at eliminating defects in the affected digestive organs. In any situation, drug treatment always depends on what exactly caused the cough, and therefore is profile and symptomatic.

Folk recipes

Inhalation with soda is an effective folk remedy for treating cough

Traditional medicine offers many recipes to soften and eliminate dry, irritating cough. This includes taking various decoctions and drinks orally, and rinsing with inhalations:

  • The simplest, most effective and affordable remedy for severe attacks of painful coughing with suffocation is inhalation with a soda solution. Ordinary baking soda is available in any home, it costs a penny, and the effect of inhalation is excellent and almost instantaneous - hot steam dilates blood vessels, relieves spasms, and soda effectively softens dry and irritated mucous membranes. This remedy can help with various causes of cough, including bronchospasm, and works on both adults and children. For very small children, alkaline mineral water like Borjomi can be used for inhalation.
  • Another old proven remedy is tea with honey and lemon. Drinking plenty of warm vitamins helps to quickly combat coughing attacks, especially those caused by colds.
  • To treat it, you can use any herbal preparations that soften and relieve irritation. This can be a decoction of rose hips, tea with raspberries, viburnum or other berries, linden decoction with honey, milk with butter and honey, or goat milk with honey and goat fat. The latter remedy is excellent for long-term obstructive cough.

When using traditional medicine methods, it is necessary to take into account that plant raw materials and the use of bee products, citrus fruits themselves can cause allergic reactions, so they must be consumed with caution, after preliminary testing for the body’s reaction.

Constant coughing during pregnancy

The cough itself, as a physical phenomenon, can cause harm to the fetus only if it is paroxysmal, strong, suffocating, often causing bouts of vomiting. In this case, the pressure in the abdominal cavity increases, which can cause placental abruption, bleeding and even pregnancy loss.

Coughing as a manifestation of a cold requires treatment, but not on an amateur basis, but only on medical advice. Only a very limited number of medications can be used for pregnant women, as medications can cause harm to the fetus.

Only an experienced specialist can correctly choose the drug itself, its dosage and duration of administration, safe for the baby and mother, but effective against the existing problem.

Whatever the causes of constant coughing, it is imperative to identify them so that treatment is quick and correct.

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Comments (4)

Daria

01/19/2017 at 20:08 | #

My daughter had a constant cough. The doctor recommended a nebulizer to us, we immediately bought it and did inhalations with Prospan drops. They give excellent results. I've been breathing for a few days and there are already noticeable improvements.

03/15/2017 at 21:40 | #

I also treat myself and my husband with inhalations with Prospan drops. It works out on a budget, one medicine for two. Also without harm to the stomach.

12/08/2017 at 10:56 | #

I haven’t tried inhalations, but Prospan syrup helps us. I remember I pulled myself out of bronchitis with its help, on the doctor’s advice. I have been using it ever since!

Marina

10/15/2017 at 01:09 pm | #

Inhalations with Vietnamese balm “Zvezdochka” help me with constant coughing. You need to add a balm the size of a match head to a container of hot water and breathe in these vapors - it helps a lot.

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Causes of prolonged cough in adults

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).

An adult’s cough does not go away for two weeks or a month: what to do?

Among the many symptoms of disease, cough is a complex and unpleasant manifestation. Therefore, if it does not go away after a week or a month, then the patient begins to worry and suspect the presence of serious illnesses.

Sometimes, after a cold, a cough remains that does not end for a long time. At the same time, various remedies and treatment methods were tried. In this case, you should seek medical help if the cough does not go away for more than 15 days.

But why doesn't this symptom disappear quickly? Perhaps the body was exhausted during the course of a cold and at this inopportune time an infection or virus entered it.

The body can overcome viruses on its own, but only if it is not weakened. Therefore, in order to successfully cure a long-term cough, it is necessary to find out which microorganism provoked its appearance, so you need to carry out all the necessary research.

Prolonged cough: causes

If the cough does not go away for a long time, for example, the cough does not go away for a month, then the following infections and diseases contribute to it:

  1. pneumocystis;
  2. mycoplasma;
  3. fungal microflora (chlamydia, candida);
  4. tuberculosis.

In addition, the infection can be mixed. This option is the worst, because the course of such diseases is quite severe. At the same time, the patient experiences weakness, his temperature rises strongly and sweat profusely.

It is worth noting that incorrect, inadequate or untimely treatment of such diseases leads to their progression.

All of the above microorganisms can enter the body through airborne droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

The chances of infection double if an adult’s body is weakened or if he experiences severe stress at work.

Therefore, you should strengthen your immune system, eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, get enough sleep and exercise.

What to do if the cough does not stop for a week?

Cough is an involuntary expiratory reflex that occurs as a result of irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, bronchi or throat and lung tissue. Thanks to this symptom, the airways are cleared of foreign bodies, harmful microorganisms, mucus, dust and sputum.

The reasons that provoke a prolonged cough include:

  • colds;
  • allergies;
  • emotional overstrain.

Moreover, the cough can be wet or dry, night, daytime, periodic, paroxysmal, etc.

Treatment of weekly cough

If the cause of a week’s cough is an acute respiratory infection, then the doctor prescribes antitussive drugs, but you cannot take antibiotics, since they only affect bacteria. But antibacterial agents may be appropriate for bronchitis and pneumonia, which are accompanied by symptoms such as fever and severe cough.

In addition to antibiotics, if a severe cough does not go away for a week, expectorants based on medicinal plants are prescribed. In addition, the doctor can prescribe immunomodulatory drugs that activate the body's protective functions and reduce the effect of antiviral drugs.

It is worth noting that if the cough not only does not go away for more than a week, but is also accompanied by chest pain, high temperature (38 or more), and when coughing up bloody, green or yellow sputum is released, then you cannot self-medicate, but you must quickly contact doctor.

There are some recommendations that are important to follow when treating a persistent cough in an adult. To prevent your throat from getting dry, you need to drink plenty of fluids. For this purpose, you can drink warm milk with honey every evening.

Fruit drinks and juices are no less useful. In addition, if a dry cough does not go away for more than a week, you should drink fresh black radish juice (1 tablespoon three times a day).

What to do if the cough does not stop within a month?

Why does a prolonged cough occur and what can be done to eliminate it? If this symptom does not go away for a month, then the following factors may be to blame:

  1. congenital lung pathologies;
  2. bronchitis;
  3. foreign body in the respiratory tract;
  4. pneumonia;
  5. tuberculosis;
  6. bronchial asthma.

To successfully treat a long-term cough, it is important to know whether this symptom was the root cause of the disease or whether it developed during its course. In addition, you need to determine its nature - productive or unproductive, frequent or rare, spastic or paroxysmal, etc.

You should quickly consult a doctor if your cough with phlegm does not go away for more than a month and is accompanied by symptoms such as:

  • severe swelling;
  • sweating;
  • nausea;
  • weight loss;
  • colorless, thick discharge or sputum with blood;
  • lack of appetite;
  • dyspnea;
  • heat;
  • fast fatiguability;
  • chest pain.

In addition, a cough that does not stop for a long time can become chronic. To prevent this from happening, you need to go to the doctor if the cough reflex does not stop within five days. Many do not pay due attention to this symptom, and even more so if it is not accompanied by weakness, runny nose and fever, but if not treated, time will be irretrievably lost.

When the cough does not stop for about four weeks, you need to make an appointment with an ENT specialist, a therapist, an allergist, a TB specialist, and possibly a pulmonologist. Doctors, after conducting an examination, will be able to determine why the cough does not stop for so long and what to do to cure it.

So, a cough that lasts for a month may indicate the presence of:

  1. pneumonitis;
  2. chronic bronchitis;
  3. heart failure;
  4. bronchial asthma;
  5. cancer metastases or lung cancer;
  6. sinusitis;
  7. asbestosis;
  8. tuberculosis;
  9. whooping cough;
  10. pleurisy;
  11. silicosis.

But to finally determine the cause of prolonged cough, additional research will be required. This may be a blood test, sputum culture for flora, a blood test for the presence of mycoplasma and chlamydia, a Mantoux test and an x-ray of the lungs.

In addition, a cough that does not subside for more than 4 weeks is typical for smokers and people working in hazardous industries, where they constantly inhale mold and dust.

Thus, silicosis often develops in miners, asbestosis in construction workers, and pneumonitis in agricultural workers.

Treating a cough that lasts longer than a month

It is worth noting that it is not advisable to treat a prolonged cough without medical advice. Indeed, depending on the cause, a certain method of treatment is necessary, for example, in case of heart failure, it makes no sense to drink antitussive syrups, swallow tablets or take inhalations.

So, to successfully treat a persistent cough in an adult, it is important to restore fluid balance, so the patient needs to drink plenty of fluids. In this case, the patient’s diet should not be too high in calories; it is best to enrich it with fruits and vegetables.

In addition, inhalations for coughs with the addition of pine oil, coltsfoot, baking soda, thyme, sage and chamomile are effective.

For a productive cough with viscous secretions, you need to use medications that thin the sputum. These medications include mucolytics and expectorants.

Moreover, it is better if such remedies are based on medicinal plants. And with a small amount of discharge, expectorant syrups and tablets are prescribed.

But it is worth noting that such drugs cannot be taken together with antitussive drugs.

Prolonged cough

A persistent cough is one that does not go away for 4-8 weeks. Therefore, a two-week cough is considered only a suspicion of a long-term symptom.

So, if a cough does not go away for a long time, then its causes may lie in the presence of the following diseases:

  • bronchial asthma;
  • left ventricular failure;
  • HIV infection;
  • tuberculosis;
  • lungs' cancer.

In addition, it is necessary to conduct a thorough diagnosis of the patient to identify the causes of a long-lasting cough. Thus, rapid and confused breathing is characteristic of cardiac (acrocyanosis) and pulmonary failure. If bronchiectasis and lung cancer are suspected, the ENT performs an examination called “drumsticks.”

It is also necessary to examine the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx or pharynx. In this case, the doctor examines nasal discharge, confirms or excludes the presence of polyps in the nasal cavity and sinusitis, manifested by pain in the projection of the paranasal sinuses.

It is worth noting that the temperature with a prolonged cough may not always be elevated. It accompanies only some diseases, such as sinusitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia.

In addition, the doctor should examine the patient's neck. During the study, manifestations such as a positive venous pulse may be revealed, which indicates pulmonary insufficiency.

If the posterior or anterior cervical lymph nodes and nodes of the supraclavicular region are enlarged, cancer of the larynx or lungs is suspected. And when listening, signs such as noise, local or scattered dry rales may be revealed.

To get rid of a lingering cough, medications that activate the immune system are most often prescribed. For this purpose, the patient should take products based on Rhodiola rosea, ginseng, and Eleutherococcus. As a rule, they are used after antibiotic therapy. In the video in this article, a specialist will tell you. what to do with a prolonged cough.

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.

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.

What does a persistent cough mean in an adult?

Constant cough in an adult: normal or pathological? Any cough that does not go away for a long time, for example, for a month or more, should alert everyone. A cough in an adult is a protective reaction of the body that occurs for a specific reason, so every conscious person must identify the provoking factor and choose options for eliminating it.

In most cases, people go to the doctor when severe advanced diseases are already diagnosed, and the cough becomes prolonged, and the person cannot even clear his throat.

What can cause a persistent cough?

In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious causes of severe cough.

Non-infectious include:

  1. Chronic forms of rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, in which the nasal mucosa is constantly swollen. Sputum does not come out and descends into the bronchi and trachea.
  2. Due to the consumption of excessive amounts of spices, acidity in the stomach may increase and heartburn may occur. It may manifest itself as a cough.
  3. Allergic reactions of the body to irritants. In this case, the cough will be dry and prolonged.
  4. The body's reaction to certain medications that have already caused addiction.
  5. Polluted air in the workplace or in a populated area.
  6. Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
  7. Presence of tumors in the airways or lungs.

Types of prolonged cough in adults

With any cough, the manifestations will be different. Therefore, it is worth knowing that there are several types of pathology:

Intrusive. It is characteristic of diseases or inflammations in the larynx. This cough is usually long-lasting and appears at the initial stage of a cold. When the patient has recovered, but the immune system has not been restored, the cough continues to appear and is more of a protective reaction of the body.

If at this stage you don’t help the immune system recover, then the cough will go straight to the bronchi. This leads to the development of acute bronchitis, which takes a long time to treat, and in many cases becomes chronic. If proper treatment is not provided, a prolonged cough causes deformation of the bronchial walls, which leads to asthma, lung abscesses and pneumonia.

When visiting a doctor, many patients indicate pain in the side, shortness of breath, and fever that accompany the main symptom.

A cough with wheezing or whistling is characteristic of whooping cough.

Barking - tracheitis or laryngitis.

The vocal cords become inflamed, and bubbling breathing can be clearly heard in the chest.

Most often, this cough torments the patient at night or early in the morning. There have been cases where suffocation occurs due to improper treatment or its ignoring. An attack of dry cough with tracheitis or laryngitis can last up to 1 hour.

If the cough provokes hoarseness, a decrease in the tone of the voice, then this may indicate the development of tuberculosis.

ARI, acute respiratory viral infection has an obsessive cough.

Coughing around the morning is characteristic of bronchial asthma. There are attacks of suffocation. Doctors emphasize that this type of cough should only be treated, as it can be fatal.

Mental disorders are characterized by a metallic dry cough during eating, talking and have a sudden effect.

Treatment of dry cough in adults

Smoker's cough

Almost all smokers are diagnosed with chronic obstructive disease, which can cause lung cancer.

Tobacco smoke contains a large number of harmful substances, many of them are diagnosed as poisons for the human body. When inhaling smoke, irritation of the bronchial mucosa occurs, while some remains inside and settles on the organ itself. This provokes inhibition of the normal functioning of the epithelium. After a short period of time, the epithelium generally ceases to perform its function - pushing harmful substances to the surface, and the bronchi absorb everything that cigarette smoke gives them.

This situation leads to chronic inflammation of the bronchi of a non-infectious nature.

Considering that the bronchi lose their normal ability to fight and cleanse themselves, the addition of any infection will not cause any particular difficulties. In smokers, there have been many cases of a combination of infectious and chronic bronchitis, which overlap each other. These circumstances cause a long course of the disease and recovery itself.

There are several options for treating a smoker's cough. When using traditional medicine, you must consult a pulmonologist. Mucolytics and expectorants are mainly used for treatment. If, during diagnosis, an infection is found in the patient, a course of antibiotics is prescribed.

You can use traditional methods for treatment. It is enough to use herbal mixtures of oregano, coltsfoot, thyme, licorice root, marshmallow, plantain, calendula.

Warming and rubbing help a lot.

A visit to a Russian bathhouse and therapy with essential oils help relieve an irritating cough.

Only quitting cigarettes can completely cure a smoker's cough.

Dry cough with allergic reactions, tracheitis and laryngitis

In order to successfully treat prolonged cough due to such manifestations, it is necessary to accurately determine the causes. All activities should be carried out only after consultation with a doctor.

Patients with persistent cough should be provided with:

  • constant drinking, preferably decoctions of medicinal herbs;
  • to relieve spasms, you can stock up on medicinal lozenges, which include components to activate the glands and swallow saliva;
  • carrying out inhalation with saline solutions;
  • carry out regular ventilation and wet cleaning at home so that the air in the room is constantly humidified.

It is recommended to take mucolytic drugs as medications; in severe cases, narcotic drugs may be prescribed to relieve severe paroxysmal cough.

Worth knowing! It is forbidden to take antitussive and expectorant medications at the same time, as there have been cases of relief of phlegm in the bronchi. This leads to the development of inflammatory processes.

From traditional medicine, inhalations can be used. Care should be taken when choosing inhalation solutions for allergic cough. Herbs and oils can provoke additional allergic reactions and only worsen the patient’s condition.

Inhalations with soda solution are good for everyone. They help transform a dry cough into a wet one, thin out mucus and remove it out.

What are the dangers of not treating a persistent cough?

Prolonged reflex coughing of various types is dangerous for the human body and can lead to serious complications:

  1. Myocardial infarction. Since a prolonged cough has a detrimental effect on the functioning of the bronchi, an infectious disease develops or becomes chronic in them. Inflammatory processes in the bronchi also affect nearby organs.
  2. Such manifestations can cause psychological and psychosocial problems. It is difficult for a person to be in public places or at work for a long time. If you need to work with your voice, then this becomes impossible altogether.
  3. A long cough in most cases causes shortness of breath, therefore physical activity decreases, which leads to other diseases in the body.
  4. Severe attacks can cause bleeding in the brain. Due to the fact that the patient constantly strains the muscles and blood vessels in the head and body, the blood vessels in the brain lose their ability to work correctly.
  5. May cause inguinal and umbilical hernias.

Despite the fact that cough at first glance seems like a minor disease, it can cause complications and a lot of problems. Therefore, only timely treatment and diagnosis can return the body to normal life without unpleasant symptoms.

Cough without fever

Some cold symptoms occur without fever and therefore sometimes do not cause much concern. In fact, they are very dangerous. For example, a prolonged cough without fever or runny nose indicates the presence of a hidden infection in the body. This symptom is extremely serious. Let's take a closer look at the reasons for this phenomenon and ways to get rid of it.

Causes of cough without fever

If a person coughs for a long time, but does not have a fever, runny nose or sneezing, this may be a sign of the following problems in the body:

  1. Hidden inflammation or allergic reaction. In this case, a cough in the throat is accompanied by a runny nose and sneezing, but the temperature does not rise above 37.
  2. Heart failure.
  3. Venereal disease. With this pathology, constant coughing is accompanied by skin irritation, rash, and the temperature does not rise.
  4. Pneumonia or ARVI.

Sometimes people cough not because of a cold, but because of environmental pollution. Often this symptom, along with a runny nose, is observed in people working in a mine, metal processing or chemical plant. Very often smokers cough for a long time without a runny nose or fever. For allergy sufferers, this condition can be caused by feather pillows that harbor mites. To understand how to treat a prolonged cough without a runny nose and high fever, determine whether it is dry or wet.

Sukhoi

The main reasons that can cause a dry cough (sometimes with wheezing) without fever and runny nose are:

  1. Allergy to external irritants. The body tries to free the respiratory system from irritating particles, such as dust, animal hair, and household chemicals.
  2. Ecology. If you live in an environmentally unfavorable place for a long time, then a barking cough with a runny nose without fever may be caused by environmental pollution. Long-term smoking aggravates the situation. All this sometimes leads to chronic diseases of the respiratory system.
  3. Heart problems. In this situation, the condition worsens when lying down. Sometimes this makes it difficult to breathe.
  4. Laryngeal papillomatosis. The larynx becomes covered with papillomas. The patient also feels discomfort in the throat, but there is no increase in temperature or runny nose, as with a cold.

Wet

The causes of such a cough (in the absence of fever and runny nose) may be the following problems:

  1. Bronchitis, tracheitis, other similar diseases. As a rule, this symptom is a residual phenomenon of past inflammation; its maximum duration is a month.
  2. False croup. With this diagnosis, a person has a very strong cough without a runny nose and fever with painful attacks. There is practically no coughing up of phlegm.
  3. Tuberculosis. A dangerous disease that often does not manifest itself with any other symptoms. Runny nose and cough with sputum containing blood.
  4. Cold. With ARVI, a person also suffers from a runny nose, even if the temperature remains normal.

Paroxysmal

Such a cough in the absence of a runny nose and fever is very dangerous. A man is choking and has a very sore throat. This should never be tolerated or treated at home. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor who will determine what these attacks are a symptom of. If you sometimes cough almost to the point of vomiting, the reasons for this may be:

Night

A dry cough at night may be a sign of an allergy to natural pillow fillings. But it is also a symptom of other dangerous diseases. You should try to understand what other signs are observed, such as a runny nose or sneezing. If you have snot while coughing without fever at night, then it is either a cold or an allergy. Often people cough at night due to abnormal structure of the skeleton or internal organs, or inflammation of the nerve endings.

Protracted

If there is no chills with a prolonged cough, this does not mean that there is no danger. Constant coughing may indicate that the body for some reason is not responding to the virus with a high fever. If this lasts for a very long time, you must undergo a medical examination. The reasons for this condition may be:

How to cure a cough

To cure a prolonged cough without fever, it is recommended to use medications and traditional recipes. If you prefer the first option, first visit your doctor to determine the cause of the problem and write a prescription for the appropriate medications. If it is a cold without fever, then tablets that thin the sputum will help. These include Mucaltin, Ambrobene, Bbromhexine. In more severe cases, antibiotics will be needed.

A wet cough can also be treated at home using traditional medicine. A mixture of pureed cranberries and honey (in equal parts) will be very effective. It is also recommended to drink honey with linden blossom and birch buds in a ratio of 1:1:0.5 cups. The mixture is boiled in a water bath for a quarter of an hour, filtered and drunk three times a day with a small spoon. If you don’t know how to stop coughing and how to treat this condition, rub your chest with badger fat, which has an anti-inflammatory effect. Be sure to drink a lot of warm liquid. Different approaches are used to treat cough in children and adults.

In adults

To cure a severe, prolonged cough in an adult, it is necessary to determine the cause of the symptom and eliminate it. A dry cough at night can be treated with antitussive medications so that the person can rest properly. If it is associated with an upper respiratory tract infection, then you will need to take cold tablets. The most important thing is to understand what to take to turn a constant dry cough into a wet one. For this purpose, medications are prescribed to stimulate expectoration:

  1. Reflex. Medicines taken to treat a persistent cold. They affect the areas of the brain responsible for the cough reflex. The most common example is the leaves of coltsfoot, plantain. Medicines: Codeine.
  2. Resorptive. Mucus thinners. Thanks to them, the lungs are intensively cleansed. Often such medications are used for inhalation. Examples: ACC, Amtersol, Ascoril.
  3. Proteolytic. Makes sputum less viscous. These include Gelomirtol and thyme herb.
  4. Mucoregulators. Tablets for increased phlegm production, used to treat colds in most cases. For example, Ambroxol, Bromhexine.

In children

A cough in an infant without fever is normal if the child is not capricious and sleeps well, behaves very actively, and does not complain of a stuffy nose or weakness. But if a barking, dry or wet cough does not go away, then you should consult a doctor. Pain when coughing and frequent long attacks, which sometimes lead to vomiting and do not allow a 3-year-old child to sleep, indicate the presence of serious diseases in the body.

To treat a prolonged cough without fever in a child, the following is prescribed:

  • means that calm spasms (Joset, Askoril, Kashnol);
  • medications to thin sputum (Thyme syrup, ACC, Bromhexine);
  • expectorants (Stoptussin, Bronchicum, Plantain syrup).

If your child has a dry allergic cough without a runny nose, then treatment should be comprehensive. In this situation, you need to take antitussive medications and visit an allergist who will identify the allergen and eliminate it. This could be household dust or pet hair. The specialist will prescribe antihistamines (anti-allergic) and tell you what to drink for general strengthening therapy and boost immunity.

Video: Komarovsky on the treatment of cough in a child

Watch the video in which the famous pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky explains in detail how to treat a bad cough without a runny nose in an infant. The doctor's advice will help you understand why the cough occurs and what needs to be done to make the illness go away quickly. After watching the video below, you will no longer consider a cough to be something frightening and incomprehensible, and when it appears, you will be able to take the right measures without delay.

What can cause a severe cough without fever?

A prolonged, severe cough without fever is quite common. Many people do not pay attention to a slight cough and do not seek medical help. Someone completely ignores the unpleasant phenomenon, believing that it will disappear on its own over time. Others try to cure their illness with folk remedies for coughs or buy medications on the advice of friends.

Self-medication, as well as ignoring an illness, can be dangerous to health, because constant coughing can be a sign of a serious illness. Incorrectly selected medications can worsen the patient's condition. Untreated diseases often become chronic or provoke the development of other pathologies.

What is a cough

Cough is a reflex reaction of the body to various irritants in the organs of the respiratory system. It performs a protective and cleansing function. With its help, the body is freed from foreign bodies that have entered the respiratory tract, as well as from substances that irritate the respiratory system. The cough reflex helps to get rid of pathogens and products of the fight against infection with the body's defenses. Thanks to this reaction, the body maintains optimal conditions for the healthy functioning of the respiratory system. Therefore, treatment of many types of cough is aimed at its effectiveness, rather than suppression.

But a cough can also be of a nervous nature. It occurs as a result of diseases of the human nervous system, and not as a result of external influences on the respiratory system.

There are two types of cough: dry and wet. If the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs are dry and hot, then the cough reflex will be dry. It doesn't bring relief. It often irritates the mucous membranes and can be painful and unpleasant.

A wet cough occurs when a reflex reaction is accompanied by the production of sputum. It usually brings relief, but in some cases the wet cough can be very deep. It becomes more difficult to clear your throat. Sometimes there is a feeling of lack of air.

If inflammation of the respiratory system is caused by an infection, a cough reflex may appear against the background of an increase in body temperature. However, it often appears without temperature.

There are several reasons for cough without fever.

Cough without fever due to an infectious disease

The inflammatory process caused by various types of pathogens can occur without an increase in body temperature. This course of an infectious disease can be caused by the weakened immunity of the patient. In such cases, a deep cough may occur. Weak resistance of the body allows infection to penetrate into the upper respiratory tract, into the bronchi and further into the lungs. A person with a healthy immune system would experience a high body temperature in this state. But a weak immune response makes a person vulnerable to diseases. If the disease is not treated, the patient's condition will rapidly deteriorate.

A strong immune system can effectively fight infection at the infection stage. An infected person shows signs of illness (such as a cough and runny nose), but their body temperature does not increase. If this condition is ignored, then the immune forces may not be enough to successfully overcome the infection. If you lead a normal lifestyle and load the body with the usual daily stress, the infection will be able to cause an inflammatory process. In addition, a bacterial infection can be added to a viral infection.

A prolonged cough without fever may be a consequence of a viral disease, when the acute inflammatory process has become chronic. A dry, irritating cough that irritates the mucous membrane of the throat is characteristic of chronic atrophic pharyngitis. A cough reflex with sputum may be a sign of chronic hypertrophic pharyngitis.

After suffering an acute respiratory viral disease, coughing can be observed for some time as a residual phenomenon.

A prolonged dry cough without or with a slight increase in temperature may be a sign of damage to the body by tuberculosis infection. This symptom is characteristic of tuberculous bronchoadenitis and the initial stage of focal pulmonary tuberculosis.

Allergic nature

Cough without fever occurs with various allergic diseases.

The cough reflex may appear due to the contact of substances – allergens – with the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs. For example, plant pollen, fungal spores or poplar fluff. This cough is usually dry and shallow. There may be either a slight cough or attacks of uncontrollable coughing, during which the patient suffocates. Allergic cough is characterized by disappearance of symptoms after removal of the irritant substance. It instantly disappears or becomes less obvious after taking antihistamines.

Asthma as one of the reasons

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways. Asthmatics suffer from coughing attacks, especially at night. During an attack, hoarse or difficult breathing appears and mucus forms. A coughing attack can be triggered by physical activity, a strong smell or cold air. Exacerbation of the disease is also caused by various substances - allergens. Before an attack, the patient may feel itching in the chin, chest or neck. Heredity, as well as occupational and environmental factors, play an important role in the development of the disease. Recent studies have confirmed the influence of household chemicals on the development of this disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease that causes irreversible restriction of air flow into the airways. There is no increase in body temperature. This condition progresses steadily and is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction in the lungs. The disease appears as a result of constant exposure to irritating substances on the respiratory organs of pathogenic particles or gases. In response to an irritant in the lungs, the number of cells that produce mucous secretion intensively increases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often affects long-time smokers—more than forty-five years. Therefore, this disease is often called smoker's disease. In them, excess phlegm may go unnoticed, since tobacco smoke paralyzes the cilia of the bronchi, which help the phlegm to move. Therefore, heavy smokers often cough loudly in the morning with phlegm. But after the first puffs, the cough reflex subsides. If a smoker cannot live without a morning cigarette, this is a sign of the development of pathology in his respiratory system.

Over time, a more severe condition develops in which the patient is unable to exhale air from the lungs due to narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi.

Cough as a side effect

A fever-free cough can occur due to long-term use of medications for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and hypertension - ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme). A side effect of this therapy may be a cough reflex. About a fifth of patients who take such drugs develop a dry cough.

Long-term use of drops to treat a runny nose can provoke a cough reflex. In this case, catarrhal phenomena are usually observed - slight redness of the pharynx and a tickling sensation in the throat.

Other reasons

Gastroesophageal reflux disease may be accompanied by a cough without fever. This is a disease of the esophagus and stomach in which stomach acid enters the esophagus due to a weak valve. Along with heartburn, coughing, wheezing and chest pain may appear.

Polluted air causes coughing attacks. In this way, the body tries to get rid of foreign particles in the air.

Prolonged exposure to vapors and gases may cause phlegm and lung irritation. Mold spores can cause the same effect. Polluted air often provokes allergic reactions or an asthma attack.

Neurogenic cough occurs against the background of a disease of the nervous system. This is usually a dry, loud cough reflex that intensifies in stressful situations. In a calm state and during sleep, as a rule, it does not bother a person.

Oncological diseases

Chronic cough without fever is often a sign of the development of a malignant tumor in the respiratory system. A cough of an oncological nature has its own characteristics, although it is very similar to a normal cough reflex. It is characterized by great intensity and gradually changes its character. In the first stages of the disease, the cough is usually dry and painful. Over time, sputum appears. At first it is simply mucous, then purulent-mucous. In the later stages, the sputum is purulent-mucous. Oncological cough reflex does not respond to standard therapy. It can be caused by malignant tumors that arise in different tissues of the respiratory system.

Cough treatment

If a cough without fever has recently appeared and is accompanied by a runny nose, this may be the result of viruses. In this case, you need to stay in bed. It is not recommended to visit a group so as not to spread the infection and not to put additional strain on the body. A mild illness will go away on its own or with the help of folk remedies - tea with viburnum, radish juice and herbal remedies. If the cough does not go away for more than two weeks, you need to visit a doctor. It is especially dangerous to ignore non-fever cough in children. The development of diseases in children can be rapid.

A cough reflex that does not disappear for a long time and is not accompanied by a high temperature is an alarming sign. Especially if a severe cough is accompanied by sputum with blood streaks and pain. It is strictly not recommended to delay visiting a doctor.

Before you start treating a cough, you need to find out the cause of its occurrence. Many diseases have similar symptoms, but are of completely different nature. A misdiagnosis can have fatal consequences.

Only a doctor can determine the causes of any cough. He will examine the patient and prescribe a series of tests. You may need to have an x-ray of your lungs. Depending on the results of the studies, the doctor will make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Source: http://neb0ley.ru/kashel/prichiny-dlitelnogo-kashlja-u-vzroslyh.html