Cough in adults treatment

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How to treat a dry cough in an adult at home

In most cases, coughing is a reflexive defense reaction with which the body gets rid of accumulated phlegm and clears the airways.

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However, a dry, unproductive cough causes discomfort and does not bring relief during illness.

In general, cough is a symptom characteristic of most inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. It may also be a sign of an allergic reaction in the body.

There are two types of cough:

  • wet cough with sputum;
  • dry or non-productive cough.

Wet cough, accompanied by sputum production. Its useful function is that the microbes contained in the secretions are removed from the respiratory tract, thereby speeding up the healing process and eliminating the development of complications.

A dry, unproductive cough usually does not bring relief and can be very debilitating in the form of attacks. Such a cough contributes to significant irritation of the respiratory tract, causes vomiting and damage to mucosal tissue. Another classification is based on the length of time during which the patient coughs.

Depending on this, the cough can be:

  • acute – duration up to 2 weeks;
  • protracted – up to 4 weeks;
  • subacute – lasts no more than 2 months;
  • chronic – the patient coughs for more than 2 months in a row.

There are many ways to eliminate this unpleasant symptom, so we will look at how to treat dry cough in adults in this article.

Causes of dry cough

A dry cough is a manifestation of a reflex-protective mechanism aimed at eliminating an irritating factor (inflammatory, atrophic, mechanical, chemical or temperature) from the respiratory tract. According to some classifications, there are more than 53 causes of this condition.

Dry cough in adults most often develops against the background of an acute respiratory disease, such as bronchitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, etc. In this case, the patient first experiences a mild cough, which within a few hours or two to three days turns into an intense dry cough .

Along with this, the patient complains of other symptoms of ARVI: fever, runny nose, deterioration of general condition. Gradually, the nature of the cough changes from dry to wet, that is, the patient begins to produce sputum.

There are also a number of other factors that can trigger a dry cough:

Also provoking factors may be:

  • dry air in the room where the patient is;
  • lack of sufficient fluid entering the body.

All causes of dry cough in adults come down to the fact that the bronchi and lung tissue are not able to independently get rid of the pathogenic agent.

Prolonged dry cough in an adult

Often a dry cough occurs during a cold, if a weakened immune system cannot cope with its protective functions, and the disease spreads to the bronchi. As a result, acute bronchitis appears, which, in the absence of proper treatment, becomes chronic. With prolonged coughing in an adult, deformation of the bronchial walls can occur, which leads to asthma, lung abscess and pneumonia.

A long, dry throat cough and severe sore throat occur with chronic pharyngitis. A very long spasmodic cough, accompanied by pain in the side, shortness of breath and fever can be observed with pleurisy.

Symptoms

Symptoms that most often accompany a severe cough in an adult:

  1. Runny nose or, on the contrary, stuffy nose and paranasal sinuses. Difficulty breathing and shortness of breath with the slightest physical exertion and even without it.
  2. Hoarse voice.
  3. Nausea, retching until vomiting.
  4. Enlargement of local lymph nodes.
  5. Symptoms of general malaise include body aches, fever, fever, sweating and drowsiness.

How to treat dry cough in adults

Successful treatment of this condition is based on an accurate diagnosis and elimination of the causes of each of them. All therapeutic measures are carried out under the careful supervision of a doctor.

In the treatment of painful barking dry cough in adults, as opposed to wet cough, drugs are used that suppress cough by influencing the cough reflex.

In fact, this is not treatment as such, but symptomatic therapy aimed at reducing cough, because in this situation, the cough reflex does not benefit the body, and on the contrary, it can cause complications in the form of pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum.

General methods for treating dry cough in adults at home:

  • regular wet cleaning of the premises.
  • controlling the air temperature in the house (not higher than 22C).
  • compress on the chest.
  • heavy drinking regime (teas, milk and Borjomi);
  • do not use aggressive detergents near the patient;
  • steam inhalation. They are very useful for dry cough. Baking soda, herbal decoctions, etc. are added to the water.
  • a diet with enough calories.

Medicines for the treatment of dry cough are divided into 2 types: central and peripheral action.

Cough medicines

To treat dry cough in an adult, medications are prescribed that have an antitussive effect in combination with a sedative, analgesic, and weak antispasmodic effect.

  1. Usually, so-called drugs from the group of mucolytics are used. The most common among them is ambroxol. This drug increases the secretion of mucus, which implements the main principle of treating a dry cough - converting it into a wet one.
  2. Sometimes drugs with a narcotic effect are used to suppress the cough center, for example codeine, ethylmorphine, glicine, prenoxadiazine, oxeladine. This is a type of drug that suppresses the cough reflex in the cerebral cortex.

You should know that simultaneous use of antitussive and expectorant drugs is not permissible due to the risk of blockage of the bronchi with mucus.

Treatment of dry cough with folk remedies

There are many recipes that help both cure a cough with folk remedies and protect the body from the consequences of the diseases that accompany this symptom.

  1. If you have a dry cough, the following folk remedy will help cure it: take a cotton cloth and moisten it with sunflower oil. Cover the entire chest with this cloth, plastic wrap on top, cotton or linen cloth on top, and a warm scarf. Sleep like this all night. In the morning the cough becomes weaker and milder.
  2. The easiest way to cure a cough is to warm up the internal organs of the chest - draw an iodine mesh on the chest at night;
  3. Drink milk hot, be sure to add alkaline water and honey to it, this will form a large amount of mucus and the dry cough will go away quickly.
  4. A cough compress should consist of vegetable fat, a small amount of mustard, and alcohol. You can also use potatoes boiled in their jackets and natural honey. All ingredients should be thoroughly mixed and spread on the back, and not washed off until the mixture is completely dry.
  5. Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan, add chopped garlic, remove from heat and place on the table. Add 1 tsp. soda, and immediately cover with a sheet and breathe over the saucepan.
  6. Pour boiled water over eucalyptus leaves. Then construct a funnel and breathe in the vapors for up to 20 minutes. Inhalation with thyme and coltsfoot also helps a lot, you can add baking soda and drip eucalyptus oil.
  7. The best remedy for dry cough is coltsfoot. To prepare the decoction, add a glass of water to the leaves. Leave for an hour, use up to three times a day.
  8. Inhalations with oils of lavender, mint, eucalyptus, cedar. You need to add 2-3 drops of any oil to 500 g of boiling water and breathe over the steam. Sputum expectoration will begin immediately.

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

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6 comments

The dry cough is so nasty, spasmodic, sometimes my chest even hurts when I cough. During the transition periods from winter to spring, it’s generally terrible, I often get sick. So recently I got a headache and started coughing. Well, a friend came to the rescue and recommended Gedelix cough syrup. She said that it relieves the spasm well, and in a couple of days the dry cough will turn into a wet one and then I will feel better. I followed her advice, started taking the syrup, and it really helped. The cough became wet the very next day, and then I started clearing my throat just fine, in general, I will now know this syrup and treat it if something happens.

We had a dry cough, we were prescribed a lot of things, we drank it all. The cough did not go away. We went to the clinic yesterday, the doctor looked and listened, there was nothing, the lungs were clean, he prescribed Joset syrup for us. He helped us right away. The daughter began to cough, as this syrup has antiseptic properties, has a calming effect and reduces irritation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.

All these syrups are crap. It is better not to buy anything, but to take an equal amount of herbs - nettle, coltsfoot, linden and plantain. ! Pour boiling water over a tablespoon of the mixture for half an hour. Drink half a glass warm 3-4 times a day. I have been treating both children and grandchildren with this collection for 40 years!! I have never had a mistake, the main thing is to drink constantly when you cough. And if you can’t have nettles, but your chest hurts, then you can brew a mixture of linden and chamomile, too. Be healthy everyone.

The child often coughs, and as soon as we go to kindergarten, he immediately coughs... The pediatrician advised us to drink Stodal, it is harmless, it contains natural ingredients. It can be taken for both wet and dry coughs. The effect is good, I liked it. The main thing is that the child drinks, and it’s a huge problem for us to take medicine)))

When coughing, it is good to combine folk remedies and medication. For a dry cough, I inhale with soda and take Isla-Mint lozenges. Good treatment, it helps me a lot.

Well, I can’t cope with my cough using traditional medicine; I’ve already managed it once and let it develop into complications. I don’t waste my time or my nerves anymore. The doctor prescribes me to drink Prospan syrup, which successfully cures my cough. Moreover, it is natural, without alcohol. And I won’t bother with antibiotics anymore.

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Dry cough in an adult. Treatment with drugs and folk remedies

If the airways are irritated by something, a cough cannot be avoided. This reaction is a reflex; it is impossible to restrain it by willful efforts. It often worsens at night, preventing the patient from falling asleep. All respiratory and abdominal muscles participate in it.

The most common causes of dry cough in adults. Treatment with medications and folk remedies

Therefore, a prolonged cough is tiresome and harmful. This is especially true for a dry cough, which does not remove anything from the respiratory tract. This unproductive cough irritates them even more and leads to complications.

You should not wait until it goes away on its own, but start treatment immediately. In adults, this reaction is not so pronounced, but the diseases accompanied by it are no less dangerous than in children.

This characteristic symptom most often signals a specific respiratory disease. However, it happens that a prolonged dry cough in an adult accompanies diseases whose treatment is not directly related to the respiratory system.

Or is it a whole complex of circumstances that provoke each other. In adults, discomfort in the respiratory tract is often associated with other systemic diseases that are not directly related to it. Therefore, it is very important to establish what exactly causes a dry cough for quick and successful treatment.

For respiratory infections

The cough appears in the first days, when there is no sputum yet. Pneumonia, bronchitis, whooping cough and similar diseases begin with it. This is preceded by a sore throat, lacrimation and runny nose. Afterwards, fever, intoxication and other characteristic manifestations appear.

Chronic diseases of the ENT organs

The irritant to cough in case of sinusitis, sinusitis, rhinitis and other diseases of the nasopharynx is mucus that enters the back of the throat from the nose. Since the lying position contributes to this, this cough is especially painful at night.

Allergy

A dry cough and runny nose without fever are one of the most common reactions to an allergen. It often takes the form of recurrent bronchitis that cannot be treated. Usually adults who are susceptible to this syndrome know what substances provoke this problem in them.

But if this happens for the first time, identifying the stimulus may take time. In this case, you should contact an allergist and the sooner, the more optimal the solution will be.

Thyroid enlargement

In diseases of this organ, coughing attacks occur due to compression of the trachea, next to which it is located. This phenomenon is mechanical, and it is not accompanied by any other characteristic manifestations, fever or inflammation of the larynx.

Heart diseases, defects and heart failure

They are also accompanied by a nonproductive cough. It often occurs as a reaction to physical activity and is accompanied by high blood pressure, shortness of breath with attacks of suffocation, and increased heart rate. In a supine position, it becomes more intense, and in order to weaken it, you need to make the patient sit.

In this case, there is practically no temperature and sputum. However, during an exacerbation of the disease, when the left ventricle cannot cope with its functions, blood stagnates in the lungs, and it can come out with a cough.

Tumor

The growth of tumor formations near the respiratory organs compresses them. Obstruction of normal air flow causes coughing, which is accompanied by chest pain if associated with lung cancer. With such an oncological process, purulent sputum with blood should be expected.

When the throat and larynx are affected by a cancerous tumor, breathing becomes difficult due to the narrowing of the lumen. This type of cough may cough up blood. It will also get into your saliva and nasal discharge.

Tuberculosis

No one is immune from this serious and difficult-to-treat disease. But those at greatest risk are those who are about 30 years old and older. Constant overwork, excessive stress, unfavorable working conditions and other causes of decreased immunity activate Koch's bacillus, which is detected during examination in 80–90% of people in this group.

A dry, prolonged cough in an adult, whose intensive treatment does not produce significant positive results, may be a sign of tuberculosis, which most often affects the bronchi and lungs.

In this case, a dry cough will begin to produce phlegm after 3-4 weeks. This disease is also indicated by: lack of appetite, weakness, chills, low fever in the evenings, and severe sweating at night.

Stress

Nervous coughing during stress occurs in both adults and children. When a person is uncomfortable in a situation, confused or worried, this psychogenic cough may occur. It is not accompanied by other symptoms, but with severe shocks it can cause spasm and suffocation.

Other Possible Causes

Often, irritation of nerve receptors, leading to a dry cough, is associated with an aggressive environment that injures the mucous membranes. Such a cough does not require special treatment if the exposure to the environment was short-lived. It goes away when the mucous membranes are restored.

Frequent, severe, dry cough in an adult is caused by smoking. Treatment will be ineffective if you do not get rid of this habit. It is not necessary to smoke yourself; passive smokers also suffer from attacks of this cough.

In addition to the tumors mentioned above, enlargement of the lymph nodes that accompanies blood diseases, as well as other pathologies, and dilation of the aorta due to an aneurysm lead to compression of areas of the respiratory tract and, consequently, reflex cough. The fibrotic process operates similarly in the lungs.

Problems in the esophagus can provoke a dry cough if a fistula forms. Diabetes mellitus causes dry mucous membranes and a constant desire to drink, which leads to coughing attacks.

The mucous membrane of the lungs can be irritated by worms with extensive intestinal damage. Some medications indicated for hypertension may cause coughing as a side effect. Such information is always indicated in the instructions. Aspirin and some inhaled medications often cause a dry cough. If this happens, these drugs should be discontinued.

Signs of a dry cough

The time during which a dry cough does not leave a person makes it possible to judge whether the treatment was chosen correctly and the cause was determined. Since coughing does not cause noticeable discomfort in adults, many do not pay attention to it.

However, you need to monitor this symptom so as not to waste time if the cough signals a more serious process than a cold or post-infectious problems with the throat mucosa.

The duration of a cough divides it into the following types:

  1. Acute – accompanies a viral or cold disease.
  2. Protracted – does not leave the patient for more than 2 weeks after the infection.
  3. Recurrent – ​​constantly returns over 4-5 weeks. This often indicates asthma or bronchitis and manifests itself in attacks that are difficult to control. Therefore, it is better not to delay seeing a doctor if you have such a cough.
  4. Chronic cough bothers a person for more than 2 months and indicates that its cause is a permanent factor and seriously complicates the breathing process. You can get rid of chronic cough only if this cause is completely eliminated.

Based on the time of day at which the cough is most intense, the following assumptions can be made:

  • Morning cough – accompanies chronic bronchitis
  • Night cough - observed with ENT diseases, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, or associated with heart weakness, as well as GERD - a pathology in which the contents of the stomach periodically enter the esophagus.
  • Cough after eating - problems of the larynx, throat, gastrointestinal tract.

The following signs of a dry cough are also significant:

  • A loud, “barking” cough is characteristic of ARVI, pathologies of the trachea and larynx.
  • Deafness is a problem deep in the lungs.
  • A hysterical, spasmodic, convulsive cough is a symptom of whooping cough.
  • Frequent, shallow - irritation of the pleura. If there is pain in the side, pleurisy can be assumed.
  • Bronchial asthma causes a severe, suffocating cough, with thick sputum after an attack.
  • A reflex cough, when the irritation is not related to breathing - it happens, for example, with inflammation of the lymph nodes behind the ears.
  • A hacking, incessant dry cough - areas of the respiratory tract are subject to compression.

Drug treatment of dry cough

Note! Sucking on lollipops helps relieve dry cough in an adult or child, whose treatment gives positive results. These do not necessarily have to be medicinal or fortified lollipops. The activity of the salivary glands and frequent swallowing are important. Saliva moistens irritated mucous membranes, and the swallowing reflex relieves attacks.

It is important that a dry cough develops into a productive, wet form. After this, it is advisable to use mucolytic and expectorant agents that help reduce the viscosity of sputum and its removal.

Before the formation of sputum, attacks of painful cough are relieved with the help of drugs that have a depressing effect on the cough center and antispasmodics.

Drugs that relieve spasms in the bronchi

If the patency of the respiratory tract is impaired due to spasm, swelling and narrowing of the bronchi, as well as their filling with mucus, bronchodilators are used, for example, Atropine, Theophedrine. They relax the muscles of the bronchi and promote ventilation of the lungs. With their help, cough is eliminated in chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Antitussives

If coughing attacks can cause significant harm, for example, with whooping cough, dry pleurisy, bronchitis, influenza or other diseases, it is advisable to suppress the cough reflex before the formation of sputum and not exhaust the patient’s body.

The drugs prescribed for such cases are not narcotic and are not addictive. They act locally on nerve receptors in combination with an analgesic and sedative effect.

They should be consumed only at the beginning of the illness, before sputum appears, usually before bed. If the cough becomes wet and produces mucus, you should stop taking antitussive medications. They should be replaced with expectorants.

Bronholitin is often used for this problem - a syrup with a combined antitussive, mucolytic and antiseptic effect.

Carefully! Cough suppression is contraindicated in cases of bleeding in the lungs and sputum accumulation.

Mucolytics

If there is stagnation of sputum with an incessant dry cough, the patient is prescribed drugs that dilute it and promote excretion - mucolytic and expectorant. Typically, such drugs combine both of these effects with a weak anti-inflammatory.

Their use makes sense for hard breathing and wheezing in the bronchi and apexes of the lungs. Such drugs do not reduce the intensity of cough, but facilitate the respiratory process by releasing mucus and converting a dry cough into a productive, wet one.

Products with the above-described effect can be purchased at the pharmacy. The most effective and accessible are Amroxol, Ambrobene, Bromhexine, Acetylcysteine ​​and their analogues. Plantain-based syrups also help well: Herbion, Doctor Theiss.

Antibiotics

They are used to treat infections after confirming their bacterial nature. Their use is advisable in severe cases. In mild cases of the disease, such treatment may be harmful, since such drugs suppress natural immunity and contribute to the development of allergies.

Sedatives

For psychogenic cough, which is provoked by stress, treatment of a general nervous disease is important. In this case, you cannot do without qualified assistance from a doctor. In this case, self-medicating and taking sedatives without professional advice is very dangerous.

Antihistamines

If the cough is of an allergic nature, a drug prescribed by an allergist and elimination of the provoking factor will help get rid of such an unpleasant condition. It is important to start treatment on time, before coughing attacks become more severe or complicated. In such cases, Zodak, Zyrtec, Suprastin are usually prescribed.

Radical treatment with drugs containing potent substances

In situations where other means are unable to alleviate debilitating attacks of dry cough, which significantly worsens the quality of life in an adult patient or child, treatment is accompanied by taking medications including codeine, ethylmorphine or other substances that depress the cough center of the brain.

Such drugs also affect other brain functions and are also addictive. Therefore, they are used in the most extreme cases in hospital settings, for example, in the treatment of cancer.

Folk remedies that will help with dry cough. Recipes

Gargling solutions

This procedure will help if the cough is caused by inflammation of the larynx. The main effect expected from rinsing is its softening, moisturizing and relieving inflammation. For this, chamomile infusion is best suited, as well as a solution of salt and soda in equal parts with a few drops of iodine.

These remedies, in addition to the above effects, will soothe the irritated mucous membrane and wash away pathogenic bacteria from the throat.

Milk softens and soothes

Warm milk has a calming effect on both the central nervous system and the endings in the respiratory tract. When heated, it will give the mucous membrane a break from coughing attacks and help it recover.

If you add a little butter or cocoa butter to it, as well as 1 tsp. honey, the enveloping and softening effect of such a drink will last for quite a long time.

Inhalations with essential oils

If the problem causing the dry cough is in the bronchi, drinking and rinsing will not help. It is necessary for the medication to penetrate deep into the respiratory tract. In this case, inhalations with volatile components - essential oils, which can also be added to “grandmother’s” recipes, are very effective.

for example, deep breathing over boiled potatoes will be more effective if you add a drop of fir oil to it.

Inhalations with oils of eucalyptus, lavender, coriander, oregano, lemon balm and mint should be carried out every other day, although it can be done daily, for 15-30 minutes 5-12 times. This will significantly help the main treatment and relieve dry cough. Inhalation with a soda solution with added oils will also be useful.

The solution for inhalation is prepared simply:

  1. The optimal amount of boiling water for steam formation is 2 cups. You can use a decoction of oregano, chamomile and other herbs or other bases for steam.
  2. The amount of oil is 2 drops.

Warming compresses

Important to remember! Warming up the body - compresses, massage and rubbing is indicated only if the patient does not have a significantly elevated temperature and there is no suspicion of complications from the infection.

However, for bronchitis and congestion in the lungs, when sputum does not come out with a dry cough, compresses and massages are necessary. The components of the compress are placed on the patient’s chest, but not on the heart area. If the compress is made of liquid components, it is rubbed into the skin. Then cover with film or parchment paper, insulate with woolen cloth and secure with a bandage.

The simplest compress recipes for dry coughs:

  • a cake is mixed from honey and flour in corn oil and placed on the patient’s skin;
  • dry mustard powder, liquid honey and radish juice in equal parts;
  • just liquid honey is very good as a compress;
  • vegetable oil heated in a water bath and boiled potatoes in their jackets; you can use potatoes left over after inhalation.

Warm drink

If you have a dry cough, you need to drink a lot of warm, but not hot liquid, at least 3 liters per day. In addition to the milk mentioned above, berry fruit drinks, raspberry, cranberry, rosehip teas, decoctions and jelly with lemon and honey will be very useful. Herbs plantain, sage, licorice, coltsfoot will help a lot if the patient is not allergic to them. A very effective remedy is black radish juice with honey.

Drinking based on such components helps remove mucus and transform a dry cough into an expectorant cough.

Room humidification

Dry air and dust in it irritate the inflamed mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Therefore, the microclimate of the room in which the patient is located must be monitored especially carefully.

Air humidity must be maintained at 50–70%, and the temperature should not exceed 20 C. Ventilation should be carried out at least three times a day. Perfume, flavorings and smoking, both active and passive, should be excluded.

A dry cough is not a disease, but only a symptom. It should be remembered that it can accompany serious damage to internal organs, some of which are difficult to cure. Therefore, a prolonged dry cough is a sufficient reason to see a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination.

How to cure dry cough in an adult, watch this video:

For information on the treatment of dry cough, see the “Live Healthy” program:

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Treatment of cough in adults

People breathe air filled with various particles. The human body tries to neutralize irritating factors. He does this by coughing. Reflex exhalations and air expelled from the lungs clear the larynx, pharynx, trachea, bronchi and other respiratory organs of “garbage”. After quickly getting rid of the irritating factor, the tremors no longer recur. In this case, we are talking about a natural reaction of the body, which is not evidence of the presence of any pathology.

If the attacks are frequent, prolonged, or if any other symptoms are added to them, then we are talking about a disease. In this case, it is necessary to begin immediate treatment of cough in adults. Timely access to a doctor plays a huge role in the success of this process.

When is it necessary to treat cough in adults?

Delay in starting cough treatment is extremely undesirable and dangerous. There are symptoms that accompany it, in which a visit to the doctor should not be postponed even for one day. The main ones are:

  • Difficulty breathing, making it difficult to even talk.
  • Dyspnea.
  • Fainting.
  • Swelling of the legs.
  • Pain in the chest.
  • Coughing up blood.
  • Rapid weight loss.
  • Profuse sweating.
  • Chills.
  • Increased body temperature that lasts more than 3 days.
  • Sudden severe attacks lasting more than an hour.
  • Bronchitis, recurring several times a year.
  • Discharge of purulent sputum.
  • Voice change.

If you experience a cough accompanied by one of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor immediately.

Determination of cough treatment methods in adults

To identify ways to help combat the disease as effectively as possible, a specialist examines the patient. The doctor determines how to cure a cough:

  • Records the nature of sharp reflex exhalations.
  • Determines the cause of their occurrence.
  • Prescribes methods to combat the disease, taking into account: diagnosis, clinical manifestations of symptoms, individual characteristics of the patient, properties of drugs.

The main thing in the fight against a disease is that the cause that causes it is treated, and not just the symptom itself. The doctor selects an individual set of the most effective methods for each patient.

Treatment of cough in adults with medication

To combat different types of cough, different drugs are prescribed. To successfully treat a phenomenon caused by an acute respiratory infection or a cold, unproductive reflex exhalations without sputum production must be transformed into wet ones. For this purpose, antitussive drugs are taken:

After the cough in adults becomes wet, medications are prescribed to ensure the removal of sputum from the respiratory tract:

  • Expectorants (hexapneumin, primrose syrup).
  • Mucolytic (bromhexine, ambroxol).

If the patient has pneumonia or bronchitis, treatment is carried out with antibiotics. They help suppress microbial activity.

The use of antibacterial agents for asthma and COPD is used in complex therapy with other drugs and is rare. If reflex shocks of the diaphragm are caused by tracheitis, whooping cough or asthma, then steroids are used more.

Medications should not be self-prescribed. All of them should be taken only after consultation with a doctor.

Treatment of cough in adults with homeopathic remedies

Preparations containing herbal components are an aid in the treatment of cough. They cannot independently defeat the disease that causes such a symptom, but they are an excellent additional method that helps increase the body’s immunity.

During attacks, it is recommended to take:

There are a lot of positive reviews about treatment with these drugs. However, even though they are made on the basis of herbal ingredients, they are still medicines, so they cannot be taken uncontrollably. Only a doctor can prescribe such drugs.

Treatment of cough in adults using traditional methods

If the fight against a disease for some reason must be carried out with minimal use of medications, then doctors recommend doing various inhalations, rubbing the patient, applying compresses, and also using herbs and infusions. These methods perfectly help fight pathology.

For compresses and rubbing, products such as:

  • Honey.
  • Badger, goose, bear fat.
  • Vodka.
  • Potato.
  • Essential oils.

If you make decoctions or tinctures from herbs, you must remember that the proportions in the recipes cannot be changed, because some of the plants can be poisonous in large doses. The most commonly used components are:

Milk, bananas, and onions are excellent in treating illness.

For inhalations, boiled potatoes, eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, cedar essential oils, and baking soda are widely used.

A lot of recipes for treatment using traditional medicine can be found on thematic forums.

Features of cough treatment in children

If a cough is noticed in a child, it is necessary to carefully monitor him. At the first suspicion of the occurrence of any disease, you should consult a doctor and obtain an adequate treatment regimen. We must not forget that the dosage of medications for children differs from that for adults and is half.

It is very important for a speedy recovery, along with taking medications and using prescribed methods to combat the disease, to create a suitable regimen for the child:

  • Provide comfort and peace.
  • Avoid strong odors.
  • Do hot foot baths.
  • Ensure vapors are inhaled.
  • Give more liquid.
  • Be sure to include liquid porridge and mashed potatoes in your diet.

General recommendations for the treatment of cough in adults

When dealing with any type of cough, there are several ways to reduce the suffering and discomfort caused by its manifestations. The main ones:

  • Quit smoking, including passive smoking.
  • Ventilate the room more often.
  • Humidify the air.
  • Maintain the room temperature at about 20 degrees.
  • Drink plenty of fluids, preferably warm.
  • Suck special lollipops.
  • Gargle.
  • Patients with chronic respiratory diseases should try to spend more time in areas with clean air.

If you do not delay visiting a doctor and strictly follow all the recommendations prescribed by the specialist, then you can cope with a cough quite quickly and successfully.

Source: http://pro-kashel.ru/lechenie-kashlya

Dry cough in an adult, treatment with folk remedies

Many people believe that a cough is a consequence of a cold, but in fact the cause may be a much more serious problem. Reflex cough shocks are possible due to heart pathologies, the presence of neoplasms, ENT diseases and others. Today we will consider in detail dry cough in an adult and treatment with folk remedies.

Dry cough in an adult - causes

Pollen and other foreign small particles from the air, penetrating the respiratory tract, force the cilia of the epithelium to actively displace them from there to clean the trachea and bronchi. When the receptors are irritated, a cough begins. The mucus has an antimicrobial effect.

In order for the body to cleanse itself, it is necessary that the cilia of the epithelium constantly work, and that the mucus is viscous, elastic and fluid. If the inflammatory process begins, then these conditions are violated, leading to a dry cough. Irritation of mucous membranes with receptors only intensifies attacks, which is explained by the body’s attempt to cope with the problem on its own.

Now let's move on directly to the reasons why such a cough may appear:

  1. A bad habit is smoking. The tars in tobacco irritate the bronchi.
  2. The presence of dust in the room and excessively dry air.
  3. Irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system by foreign bodies that have entered there.
  4. If you have a history of asthma, in which a dry cough occurs at the initial stage.
  5. ENT diseases, for example, frontal sinusitis or sinusitis.
  6. If you have been under stress for a long time. A dry cough is called psychogenic.
  7. An allergic reaction to something, for example, wool, chemicals, etc.
  8. Entering the body with a viral infection - bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough or ARVI.
  9. Taking certain medications can cause an adverse reaction in the form of a dry cough. These drugs include lisinopril, enalapril and others for hypertension.
  10. Oncology of the throat, bronchi, trachea and lungs.
  11. Pathology of the thyroid gland.
  12. Failure of the heart. Additional symptoms include shortness of breath, increased heart rate and pain in the heart area. The acute form is accompanied by the release of mucus mixed with blood when coughing.
  13. Gastrointestinal ailments, when a dry cough appears after eating.
  14. Increased intensity of the problem may indicate tuberculosis.

An important factor influencing the appearance of a dry cough is overwork and constant exposure to stressful situations, which significantly reduces immunity. This can activate Koch's bacillus, which is present in the body of 80% of middle-aged people, regardless of their social status.

How to treat dry cough in an adult

Before deciding how to treat a dry cough, it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis. And for this you will need to take tests, do an X-ray of the chest area, endoscopy, examine the functions of external respiration, and, if necessary, visit other specialists according to indications.

There are a number of characteristic signs to determine the cause of a dry cough:

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  • pleurisy and acute tracheitis are accompanied by sudden attacks;
  • with pathology of the trachea and larynx, reflex contractions are loud and barking;
  • if there is irritation of the pleura, then the cough is frequent and shallow;
  • dry paroxysmal cough to the point of vomiting occurs with whooping cough;
  • when the lymph node above the ear is inflamed, a reflex dry cough develops;
  • tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, pneumoconiosis and other similar pathologies are accompanied by a persistent persistent cough;
  • excessive and unproductive reflex contractions are observed with aortic aneurysm, tumor and compression by lymph nodes;
  • heart failure, whooping cough, sinusitis and bronchial asthma are accompanied by a dry cough at night;
  • a constantly appearing problem during or after meals indicates neurogenic problems, esophageal diverticulum, hiatal hernia and tracheoesophageal fistula.

Heavy smokers, as a rule, are tormented by a dry cough after waking up. In the morning, a problem appears with chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and gastroesophageal reflux.

Treatment

If an unproductive and debilitating cough of a prolonged and paroxysmal nature is observed, then it is recommended to treat it with the drugs Sinecod, Stoptussin or the narcotic Codeine.

For bronchitis, Ambroxol, ACC or Carbocisteine, as well as the expectorants Solutan or Mucaltin, will help thin the sputum.

Important: you cannot take expectorant and antitussive medications at the same time, which can cause blockage of the bronchi with mucus.

Antibiotics in the form of tablets for adults are prescribed for dry cough if the bacterial nature of the disease is diagnosed - Amoxicillin or Ceftriaxone, as well as Azithromycin or Clarithromycin for infection with streptococci or staphylococci.

Berodual or Berotek treats bronchial obstruction. Hormonal medications are indicated if asthma is diagnosed.

There are medications that do not have proven clinical effectiveness, but still alleviate the conditions of patients. These include Erespal, Bronholitin, Stodal, Gerbion and others.

Folk remedies for treating dry cough in adults

People involved in healing with the help of folk remedies offer many ways to relieve and get rid of dry cough, as additional treatment in the form of mixtures, decoctions, inhalations, compresses, rubbing and baths. To get rid of the problem, it is necessary to use a number of procedures externally, internally and inhalation.

Recipes for potions and decoctions to combat dry cough

A mixture using radish effectively relieves dry cough - wash the root vegetable and cut into small slices, sprinkling sugar on top. The juice released after 6 hours is the healing composition for internal use.

If there is an infection, onions are good: peeled from the top husk, cut into half rings and after 6 hours the juice that appears is taken.

A decoction of dill and anise seeds - place 1 small spoon of each herb in a glass, pour hot water. After 30 minutes of infusion, strain the broth and drink as medicine, up to 3 tablespoons at a time, every half hour.

Brewed chamomile together with coltsfoot or wild rosemary removes phlegm. And the following recipe for a herbal decoction will help eliminate a dry cough: pour a glass of boiling water over coltsfoot, violet, licorice root (all 1 large spoon), and let stand for up to 40 minutes. The finished composition should be drunk all day long, up to 8 days in a row.

Effective inhalation against cough

Inhalations are a safe method of eliminating dry cough, but they are still not recommended for high body temperature, pneumonia, laryngeal edema, purulent sore throat and enlarged pores on the face.

Here is one of the most accessible and effective recipes for inhalation - add 2 drops of fir oil to boiled and crushed potatoes in their skins. Vapors should be inhaled for at least 7 and no more than 20 minutes.

Another recipe is to pour 400 ml of boiled water into a mixture of licorice root, sage (leaves) and pine buds (1 tablespoon each). The procedure works similarly to the previous method.

Compresses, rubs and baths for dry cough

For compresses, the familiar mustard is suitable for all of us, eliminating even a barking and whistling cough. To prepare the composition, take a glass of water and pour a small spoon of mustard powder into it. Mix well, place a napkin on the bronchial area, and on it a cloth soaked in the prepared mustard mixture. Keep the compress for up to 15 minutes.

A severe cough goes away if you stir table salt in a liter of boiling water. Cool the mixture and blot napkins in it, covering the bronchi area with them. Keep the compress all night, wrap yourself up and create a bath effect.

For rubbing, purchase badger or goose fat, as well as fir oil. Mix all this, after rubbing, put on warm clothes and go to bed.

At normal body temperature, it is recommended to take baths with the presence of essential oils of eucalyptus, lavender, pine and chamomile.

It will be effective to sit in the bathroom, where the following composition has been added - 30 ml of honey, the same amount of milk and 2 drops of essential oils from the previous recipe. The procedure takes 15 minutes, after which you need to wrap yourself in a warm blanket.

Expectorants for dry coughs in folk medicine

The indication for the use of expectorants for dry cough is a diagnosed acute respiratory viral infection. It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition in order to notice the primary symptoms in time to prevent the development of serious complications.

In addition to pharmaceutical drugs, there are also traditional medicines that can be easily prepared at home.

Milk based

You will need 1 fig and 0.5 liters of milk - divide the fruit in half and place in a bowl with milk, putting it on the fire for 10 minutes. You need to drink the finished composition hot in small sips all day long.

Peel 3 heads of garlic and chop finely, place in half a liter of milk and cook until the garlic is soft. Strain the mixture and drink 1 tablespoon every hour.

From licorice root

Finely chop the dry root of the plant in the amount of 100 g, add 0.5 liters of water, place on the stove and cook until it boils, and then another 5 minutes. Now remove from heat and let stand for up to one and a half hours. Drink a large tablespoon 4 times a day.

Black radish and honey

An excellent expectorant is to cut off the top of the root vegetable, making a depression in the middle, pour a little honey into it and leave it alone for a day. Take the resulting syrup up to 3 times a day, 2 small spoons.

It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it later, so here are some recommendations:

  1. Change your lifestyle by getting rid of the bad habit of smoking.
  2. Eat well and maintain an optimal work and rest schedule.
  3. Do not ignore basic hygiene rules, washing your hands before eating and after walking, brushing your teeth 2 times a day, and so on.
  4. Try not to be in places with large crowds of people.
  5. Temper yourself and maintain a low, comfortable temperature in your home.
  6. Sleep with the window open, no matter the time of year.
  7. Moderate physical activity, but regular, is beneficial.
  8. Be less nervous and avoid stress.

It is important to dress appropriately for the weather conditions, without overheating or overcooling your body. In summer, the use of air conditioners should be careful so that when going outside, the temperature difference is not more than 6 degrees. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

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I don’t even know how long our family has been using black radish for coughs. Since this recipe is passed down from generation to generation. We only use granulated sugar instead of honey.

Source: http://attuale.ru/suhoj-kashel-u-vzroslogo-lechenie-narodnymi-sredstvami/

Treatment of severe cough

A severe cough occurs when the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is irritated, but its causes can be very diverse: from ARVI and influenza to lung abscess and pneumonia. There are wet coughs, with sputum production, and dry coughs, as well as coughs accompanied by fever (with inflammation, for example, of the throat), vomiting and other complications. A dry, intense and prolonged cough is debilitating, while a wet cough cleanses the respiratory organs, removing mucus from the bronchi. That is why doctors also call it productive.

A severe cough in an adult may occur in paroxysms, or may manifest itself in the form of periodic coughing.

In any case, it is the body’s response to a provoking factor or any disease and requires immediate and targeted treatment. The choice of therapy is influenced by the etiology of a given symptom.

Causes

A dry, very strong cough usually occurs due to mechanical or other irritation:

  • lining epithelium of the posterior part of the larynx,
  • nerve centers in the bronchi, trachea, esophagus, nasopharynx, auricles, pleura.

An endless dry cough can develop against the background of a bacterial or viral infection.

A strong cough with discharge is observed only in patients with pathologies of the respiratory system, when mucus and sputum are intensely secreted in the bronchi.

This symptom occurs in the following painful, pathological conditions:

  • bronchitis, bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis,
  • influenza, ARVI,
  • pulmonary edema,
  • smoking.

A severe cough with fever can be caused by the following reasons:

Symptoms

Based on the nature of the cough, accompanying symptoms and type of sputum, you can make a presumptive diagnosis, predict the consequences and determine how to cure a severe cough.

For example, a so-called “barking” cough is a signal of imminent loss of voice, and a quiet cough is a sign of paralysis and destruction of the vocal cords.

A dull cough often indicates obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. A hacking cough is even more dangerous; it may indicate the presence of a malignant tumor in the respiratory organs or respiratory tract.

A cough with severe pain is a sign of damage to the pleura.

A prolonged, strong, wet cough may be a symptom of suppuration in the lungs. The composition and consistency of sputum can tell the doctor a lot. With an abscess, the sputum smells repulsive; with tracheitis, bronchitis, it is viscous and scanty, and sputum mixed with pus is a likely sign of pleuropneumonia.

But pus and even blood can be mixed into the sputum even with advanced flu or acute respiratory infections (although usually with such diseases the mucus is lightish or transparent). With such signs, you need to seek help from a specialist and begin immediate treatment of a severe cough, and most importantly, the reasons that caused it.

You should not self-medicate if you have a cough with excessive sputum production or fever. Particular attention should be paid to coughing up blood, especially when there are no other symptoms, since blood in the mucus may indicate a pulmonary infarction, tuberculosis, or oncology. But what to do if a severe cough is accompanied by the release of sputum with food, a gastroenterologist will tell you, since such symptoms indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

A wet cough with sputum that resembles semolina indicates serious liver pathologies.

A severe cough to the point of vomiting in an adult can be diagnosed as a viral infection. In addition to these symptoms, the patient’s temperature rises, weakness appears, continues to feel nauseous, and dizziness.

Treatment

Treatment for a severe cough in an adult varies depending on its causes and symptoms.

Sometimes the cough goes away on its own, but if it is severe, prolonged, exhausting, complicated by mucus with blood, suppuration in the bronchi, or fever, a trip to the doctor is inevitable.

To find out how to treat a severe cough, dry or with secretions, accompanied by additional symptoms, such as fever, vomiting, blood, pus in the sputum, it is necessary to accurately establish the diagnosis.

Treatment for dry cough includes drug therapy aimed at eliminating symptoms, as well as taking antibiotics and steroid drugs (for example, Pulmicort for asthma), mono- and combined drugs.

Therapy is usually carried out by two types of drugs, which can be divided according to the principle of effect:

  1. Drugs that regulate the brain centers that control the cough reflex: “Glycine” (“Phenibut”, “Enerion”, “Glitsed”, “Memsidol”, “Parcon”), “Codeine” (a narcotic drug) and the like “Ethylmorphine”, “ Oxeladin" (it can be replaced by "Paxeladin" and "Tusuprex");
  2. Medicines that regulate receptors of the lining epithelium of the respiratory organs and respiratory tract: “Terpinkod”, “Linkas”, “Neocodin”, “Codelac broncho”.
For dry cough, “Sinekod”, “Stoptussin”, “Carbocisteine”, “ACC” can be effective.

Antibiotics are prescribed: Amoxicillin, Ceftriaxone, Azithromycin or Clarithromycin, depending on the type of infection.

The listed medications are available in the form of tablets, syrups, lozenges, and powders.

For a wet cough, expectorants should be used to help thin the mucus and clear the lungs of it. Such drugs are divided into 2 types.

  1. Reflex-action preparations, which include marshmallow and licorice root. These herbal medicines must be taken every 4 hours, since their effect on the body is limited.
  2. Drugs with a resorptive effect (act after absorption into the blood): sodium bicarbonate (contained, for example, in Thermopsis, which also includes the herb of the same name), potassium iodide. You need to be more careful with this group of drugs, since in case of an overdose they can cause vomiting.

When choosing how to treat a severe cough in an adult, opt for medications with herbal ingredients - for example, Tussin Plus, Ambroxol, Ascoril and Herbion.

General operating principle

  1. Air humidification at home and at work.
  2. Drink plenty of warm drinks.
  3. To give up smoking.
  4. The sucking of lollipops, which activates the glands, promotes salivation, reflexively easing coughing attacks.
  5. Inhalations.

Never take antitussives and expectorants at the same time, so as not to clog the bronchi with phlegm (for example, you cannot take the antitussive “Oxeladin” if you have already taken “Codelac Broncho”, “Mukaltin”, “Solutan”, etc.).

Carefully read the instructions for the medications and the list of possible side effects and contraindications.

Keep in mind that during pregnancy and breastfeeding, many cough medications cannot be taken, as they can affect the health of the fetus.

Home Remedies Therapy

Folk remedies for a severe cough, dry and without phlegm, can also help. Older people who are at risk of abusing medications that can negatively affect the functioning of organs and systems of the body should resort to home remedies.

It is known that warm milk, herbal decoctions based on elecampane and coltsfoot are effective for an exhausting dry cough. They will promote mucus secretion and expectoration, and will also soften the larynx. Herbal decoctions with the addition of essential oils can also be used for steam inhalations for paroxysmal dry coughs.

Warmed milk with the addition of honey, butter, and a few grams of soda can also be used to treat coughs with fever.

A good remedy for a long and tiresome dry cough is honey mixed in equal proportions with cranberries.

It is also recommended to take homemade syrup from 1 tbsp at least 5 times on the first day of attacks. l. lemon juice, 3 tbsp. l. glycerin and 1 tsp. honey

For a dry cough of cold origin, wheezing in the chest, it is useful to drink a decoction of elderflower flowers (3 tablespoons per 1 liter of boiling water, keep on fire for 5 minutes). Drink 100 ml with honey three times a day.

To make the cough go away, you can use the following recipe: mix 100 g of honey with the same amount of goat fat, add 150 g of cocoa, 10 yolks, a little butter to the mixture and boil. 1 tsp. dissolve homemade medicine in a glass of warmed milk and drink.

If a severe cough in adults occurs in paroxysms, for example, with ARVI, whooping cough, it is useful to drink a soothing decoction of wild rosemary, as well as infusions of coltsfoot and chamomile, which help clear the airways of mucus and reduce pulmonary edema.

A glass of warmed grape juice with tsp. Honey is an excellent expectorant and emollient that relieves cough.

Honey with ground lemon peel is also effective.

Diet

A proper diet plays a significant role in eliminating unpleasant symptoms.

Try to eat liquid oatmeal with milk, mashed potatoes with milk, grated radish with sunflower or other vegetable oil and sour cream.

Coffee lovers should replace it with a barley drink with chicory and milk.

If you have a strong dry or wet cough, you should not eat sweets, pickles, sour and spicy foods, or spices. By irritating the mucous membrane, these products aggravate the symptoms.

Fasting is not indicated for coughing, even if the patient has a strong cough to the point of vomiting, since it only leads to additional weakening of the body.

Author: Anastasia Pugachenko

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