How to cure an annoying dry cough. Causes of dry cough in adults and methods of treatment. How to properly treat dry cough in children and adults

A dry cough in an adult is the body’s reaction to irritation of the throat mucosa. Without the ability to clear his throat, a person not only feels unwell, but also experiences difficulties in daily activities, communicating with people, etc. Such a cough does not bring a feeling of relief, because the phlegm does not come out. And so the brain sends a signal to cough again and again. By ignoring your cough, you turn a blind eye to your body's requests for help. As with any other symptom, you cannot delay coughing - over time the situation will only get worse. How to get rid of an unproductive cough and regain the comfort of life?

Causes and diagnosis of dry cough

Cough is not a disease as such. To determine the cause that causes it, you need to consult a therapist. After listening to you and conducting the necessary research, the doctor, if necessary, will refer you to a specialist. Dry cough is treated by otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, psychotherapists, allergists, etc. To determine the disease, blood and urine tests, x-ray diagnostics, ultrasound and other procedures may be required.

A dry cough should not be allowed to develop - it can be a symptom of many diseases. Thus, a dry, prolonged cough is associated with:

• respiratory infections;
• chronic diseases of the throat and nose (rhinitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, etc.);
• allergies;
• thyroid diseases;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• tumor;
• tuberculosis;
• diabetes mellitus;
• problems with the esophagus (for example, fistula formation);
• helminthiasis.

Enlarged lymph nodes, damage to the respiratory tract, fibrotic process in the lungs, enlargement of the aorta - all this can also cause a cough. Thus, it may be associated with pathologies of various systems in the body, and this deserves the closest attention.

In addition to diseases, coughing without being able to clear your throat causes:

• smoking (and passive smoking too);
• the presence of substances in the air that irritate the mucous membranes;
• physical pressure on the neck;
• stress.

Almost always, a coughing attack is not the only symptom. With ARVI, it is accompanied by elevated body temperature, aching bones, and a general weak condition. A cough indicating diabetes mellitus occurs against the background of constant dry mouth. If a tumor is present, the cough may be accompanied by expectoration of blood. The development of tuberculosis manifests itself as decreased appetite, chills, sweating at night, slightly elevated body temperature, and so on. If you start coughing dryly, pay attention to other signals your body is sending you.

Signs of the disease

The main distinguishing feature of a dry cough is the inability to clear the throat. There is either no sputum at all, or its release is difficult, and you are literally shaken by uncontrollable coughing attacks. It can cause headaches and abdominal muscles, especially if you cough a lot and for a long time. Depending on the duration, non-productive cough is divided into:

• chronic (more than 2 months);
• recurrent: occurring again after some time;
• prolonged (more than 2 weeks);
• acute (occurs during a cold or ARVI).

If you cough in the morning, this may indicate chronic bronchitis. An evening cough may be a reaction to nervous tension during the workday. People with cardiovascular diseases, nasopharyngeal diseases, asthmatics, etc. usually cough at night.

Some people develop a cough after eating - in these cases we are talking about problems with the gastrointestinal tract, esophagus, and larynx.

What else you need to pay attention to:

• bronchial asthma is accompanied by a severe cough with signs of suffocation;
• a persistent dry cough can be caused by the presence of a tumor;
• “barking” cough is a symptom of respiratory infections or problems with the larynx;
• the lower the sound of the cough, the more dull it is, the higher the likelihood that there are problems with the lungs;
• spasmodic cough indicates whooping cough;
• frequent superficial cough indicates inflammation of the pleura - the membrane covering the lungs and the wall of the chest cavity;
• if the cough does not occur during breathing, but does not seem to be associated with it at all, you need to examine the lymph nodes.

How to treat dry cough

To treat dry cough in adults, various drugs and methods are used to remove phlegm and reduce the number of coughing attacks:

• medicines: expectorants ACC, Mucaltin, Bromhexine, etc., as well as antitussives: Ascoril, Sinekod, Codelac Neo, etc.;
• homeopathic remedies: Bryonia, Stodal, Gerbion, etc.;
• antibiotics;
• lozenges to relieve throat conditions (with herbs or other components to relieve inflammatory processes): Alex Plus, Strepsils, Doctor Mom, etc.;
• folk remedies: compresses, rubbing, rinsing, etc.;
• vitamin complexes and immunostimulants: Imudon, Viferon, etc.

The treatment plan is drawn up by the doctor after a thorough diagnosis. Depending on the causes that provoke a dry cough (laryngitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, etc.), he selects appropriate therapy. When a cough is associated with an allergy, antihistamines are prescribed to get rid of it. If you have asthma, your doctor will advise you to treat your cough with inhaled glucocorticoids.

Medications

Antitussives

Used in the absence of sputum in the lungs and bronchi. If the body does not need to remove mucus, the main goal is to get rid of coughing attacks. To do this, use a medicine that affects the cough center of the brain. It transmits the appropriate signals, and the cough stops. Among such drugs are Stoptussin, Bronholitin, Sinekod, etc. There are drugs whose action is aimed at peripheral nerve endings in the bronchi: Agisept, Stopangin 2A, etc. They are also effective ways to relieve cough.

Expectorants

With acute respiratory viral infection or pharyngitis, a lot of sputum accumulates in the bronchi, and a drug with an expectorant effect will help remove it. If you can’t clear your throat on your own, medications such as Bronchicum, Thermopsis, marshmallow syrup, Mucaltin tablets, Fluimucil, etc. help. They thin the mucus, facilitating its easy elimination. You will feel better, and the attacks of dry cough will stop.

Combination medications

In addition to expectorant components, the composition of combined drugs may also include antipyretics, antihistamines, analgesics and other substances. Often cough medicines contain vitamin C to support immunity during illness. Among the combined drugs are Solpadeine, Coldrex, Codefemol, etc.

If the cough occurs due to nervousness, antipsychotics, antidepressants and other medications may be prescribed for a course of treatment. Their action is aimed at normalizing the functioning of the nervous system.

Antibiotics for dry cough in adults

If, in addition to a dry cough, other symptoms bother you, if the clinical picture is complex, and the disease is protracted and severe, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. The main purpose of the drugs prescribed in this case is to combat pathogenic flora of the oral mucosa. Hexapneumin, Cephalexin, Azithromycin, Sumamed are antibiotics prescribed to combat dry cough. On average, they need to be taken within 3-4 days. Among the listed remedies, Hexapneumin has an additional property - in addition to suppressing pathogenic microflora, it stimulates coughing, which allows you to quickly eliminate phlegm from the bronchi.

When taking antibiotics for a cough, remember to maintain intestinal health - it suffers from such therapy. To normalize the digestion process, take bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.

Homeopathy

There are many types of homeopathy to treat dry cough. Experts prescribe one remedy or another, depending on the causes of the disease and other circumstances. So, for a cold, take Gepar sulfur, when a cough bothers you before bed - Rumex, Drosera, etc. For night coughs, drink Coccus kakti, Laurocerarus and other remedies. If the cough is accompanied by nausea, use Ipecac. A specialist will help you find the right homeopathy.

As for the well-known homeopathic medicines sold in pharmacies, you can easily purchase syrups:

• Stodal;
• Bronchipret;
• Gerbion.

They improve phlegm removal, reduce the urge to cough and have virtually no contraindications. They are prescribed to children and adults, including pregnant women. Still, it is better to discuss everything with your doctor before purchasing.

Folk remedies for the treatment of dry cough in adults

At home, you can get rid of a dry cough in an adult - there are many traditional medicine recipes for this purpose. However, remember that these tips are not universal, and you may find contraindications to one or another method of combating cough. Be sure to consult your doctor. And folk advice is much more effective in combination with cough treatment with medications.

Decoctions

The following medicinal plants are excellent for getting rid of cough:

• coltsfoot / plantain / licorice / sage: pour dried crushed leaves (about 1 tbsp) with a glass of boiling water (250 ml) and let it brew for an hour; drink up to 3 times a day;
• chamomile: 1.5 tbsp. pour the crushed raw material into a glass of boiling water (250 ml) and let it brew for 30 minutes; rinse 2-3 times a day; if the cough is very severe, reduce the interval between rinses to 1-2 hours.

Inhalations

For inhalation at home use:

• eucalyptus leaves or eucalyptus oil;
• thyme;
• coltsfoot;
• baking soda + essential oil (mint, lavender, cedar, etc.)

If you pour boiling water over dried herbs, you will need 2 tablespoons of raw materials per 500 ml of water. Using oil, drop it into water at the rate of 2-3 drops per 500 ml of water. The duration of the procedure is up to 30 minutes. Inhalation can be done from several times a day to once every two days, depending on the intensity of the cough. Typically, this method provides rapid expectoration of mucus.

Warm drink

For dry cough, it is recommended to increase the amount of fluid consumed - up to 3 liters per day. Give preference to herbal infusions: decoction of plantain, sage, etc., as well as milk (you can use Borjomi) and plain water. Black radish juice with the addition of honey is excellent for treating a severe dry cough - our ancestors used this method for hundreds of years. Try to avoid extremely hot and cold drinks. Please note that herbal infusions can only be consumed if you are not prone to allergic reactions to the herbs included in the composition.

To prevent the appearance of dry paroxysmal cough in adults, you can use warm water. If you feel like you are about to start coughing, drink half a cup of warm water. This method is effective, including for asthma patients.

Compresses, cupping and rubbing

The following is usually used as the basis for a warming compress:

• boiled potatoes in their jackets;
• dry mustard powder;
• flour + honey + vegetable oil (the compress looks like a cake).

All components of your compress should be carefully placed on the chest, bypassing the heart area. The top of the compress is covered with cling film (a plastic bag will do), and then the patient is covered with a woolen cloth. Ideally, fix the woolen bandage on the chest. Apply the compress until it cools down.

Another type of compress is cotton fabric soaked in sunflower oil. It is placed on the patient's chest, covered with a film on top, and covered with a warm cloth - for example, a woolen scarf. You need to sleep like this until the morning. It is believed that after a night with such a compress, it will be easier for you to breathe, and the phlegm will begin to disappear.

If you suspect that a severe cough may be a complication after an infection, or if the patient has a fever, you should avoid using a warm compress.

Medical cups and special rubbing ointments show high effectiveness in the fight against dry cough. Both methods provide increased blood flow to the patient’s back or chest. As a result, local immunity increases. Applying an iodine mesh to the chest has the same effect.

Bath

If you have the opportunity to visit the bathhouse, it will help you breathe properly and will have a beneficial effect on the condition of your throat. When coughing, it is recommended to visit a warm and humid Russian bath - too high temperatures or dry air only irritate the mucous membranes.

To increase the effectiveness of the procedure, it is useful to water the stones with a decoction of pine shoots or buds, birch leaves, black currant, thyme and more. To prepare such a decoction, you need to mix the ingredients you like in equal proportions and use 2 tbsp. dry raw materials per 2 liters of water. The mixture must be boiled for 10 minutes. Let the broth brew and use it when going to the bathhouse. If you have cardiovascular diseases, it is better to refrain from this activity.

Other folk methods for getting rid of dry cough:

• Bring 500 ml of water to a boil, add a chopped garlic clove into the water and add 1 tsp. soda Bend over the pan, cover your head with a towel and breathe until the water cools.
• Mix 1 tbsp of vodka with 1 tbsp. honey, add egg yolk, stir the resulting mixture; take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
• Massage: kneading the back muscles has a beneficial effect on the patient’s condition and enhances the removal of mucus.
• Quitting smoking, using perfumes, air fresheners, etc.

Prevention

To avoid becoming a hostage to a dry cough, take care of your health: try not to get wet in the rain, dress appropriately for the weather so that you are neither hot nor cold. Avoid crowds of people during the cold season, get vaccinated against flu on time and do not visit public places during epidemics.

More useful tips:

• harden yourself: practice a contrast shower, wash your face with cold water;
• maintain a cool temperature at home, teach yourself to wear a minimum of home clothes;
• ensure a comfortable level of humidity in the premises;
• when using air conditioning, try to keep the difference in temperature between outside and inside no more than 6 degrees;
• play sports or walk in the fresh air;
• stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
• provide yourself with a normal daily routine: eat right, don’t overwork, sleep the prescribed number of hours;
• create a comfortable environment at home, from a psychological and emotional point of view.

Video about the treatment of dry cough in adults

Update: December 2018

A dry cough is an unconditioned reflex that performs the function of clearing the respiratory tract from various irritants - sputum, mucus, pus, foreign bodies, thereby helping to cleanse the bronchial tree and trachea.

Typically, a dry cough appears at the beginning of any infectious, viral disease, cold. Depending on the causative agent of the disease and the immune response, its intensity can vary, from insignificant to debilitating, paroxysmal, intensifying during sleep.

How to treat a dry cough in children and adults, what drugs and folk remedies can be used to alleviate it and quickly transform it into a wet one? This is what our article is about.

Causes of dry cough in children and adults

Before starting treatment for a dry cough, the cause of its occurrence should be established. If it is a common cold or flu, then with bed rest, plenty of fluids, and symptomatic therapy, after a few days the dry cough becomes productive with light sputum - this is a good sign indicating that the person is recovering.

A dry cough is a reason to consult a therapist, as a number of diseases can be hidden behind it. Moreover, if 10 or more days is a serious reason to contact a therapist or pediatrician.

The doctor, based on the examination and medical history of the patient, can refer for the following tests and diagnostics:

• General blood analysis
• Fluorography if pneumonia is suspected or if it has not been done in the last 2 years
• According to indications - radiography in 2 projections (suspicion of cancer, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis)
• Sputum culture for changes in fluorography or radiography and for decreed groups.
• In the case of purulent sputum and availability of laboratory capacity, sputum culture to identify the pathogen and sensitivity to antibiotics (not done in clinics).
• If bronchial asthma is suspected, spirography with tests (Berotec, cold).
• If necessary, a referral to an allergist for allergy prick tests and an ENT examination with swabs from the pharynx and pharynx.
• For radiological diagnosis of tumors - bronchoscopy, MRI or CT as indicated.
• For foreign bodies - ENT examination, bronchoscopy
• If whooping cough is suspected, blood tests for immunoglobulins or PCR of mucus from the throat.

Main ones in children and adults:

• ARVI, flu, cold ()
• Bronchial asthma, COPD, irritation of the respiratory tract from chemicals - bronchospasm, allergic cough
• Runny nose, sinusitis, chronic
• Children's infectious diseases -, false croup () and those that also occur in adults -,.
• Pleurisy, tracheitis, tracheobronchitis, pharyngitis, ).
• Oncological diseases of the respiratory system - lung cancer, bronchial cancer, etc.
• Sarcoidosis
• Congestive heart failure, aortic aneurysm
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• Smoker's cough
• Tuberculosis
• A foreign body in the respiratory system most often occurs and causes a dry cough in children.

How to properly treat dry cough in children and adults

If a dry cough is not caused by colds and viral diseases, then tuberculosis, cancer, cardiac or allergic etiologies of cough should be excluded. After a thorough diagnosis, based on the established diagnosis, appropriate treatment is prescribed. And we will consider treatment options for non-productive cough in the most common cases of its occurrence - colds, viral, infectious diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

Medicines for dry cough

• Centrally acting drugs that suppress cough: Butamirate (sinecode), Glauvent (children over 4 years old).
• Combined medications: Codterpine, Codelac (from 2 years old) additionally improve sputum discharge, thin sputum Stoptussin (for children over a month old), Glycodin (from 12 months), with an antipyretic effect - Grippostad (from 6 years old).
• Peripheral action cough suppressants: Levopront (from 2 years), Libexin (from 3 years).

Drinking plenty of warm drinks for a dry cough is the key to a quick recovery

Drinking plenty of warm drinks is a banal phrase; everyone knows about it, but sometimes they do not attach much importance to this important component of treatment. But the speed of transition of a dry cough into a wet cough with sputum in various colds and viral diseases directly depends on how much liquid the patient drinks. You can drink the following fortified drinks:

• , currant and raspberry jelly
• Decoctions of medicinal herbs, in the absence of allergies to them, are decoctions of plantain, coltsfoot, licorice, sage,
• Hot tea with lemon, honey, raspberries
• It is useful to drink warm goat's milk, melt a piece of butter in it or add almond butter, honey (but only for those who do not suffer from pancreatitis). It is very good to drink this drink at night.
• Black radish juice with honey
• Warm mineral alkaline water without gases
• Licorice root infusions

Inhalations for dry cough

Inhalation is also a very effective way to alleviate dry cough. To carry out inhalations, you can use special devices - nebulizers, inhalers, and you can also do them the old-fashioned way - breathing over the steam, covered with a towel, you can also use the spout of a kettle and inhale the vapors through a paper cone. Solutions for inhalation can be very diverse:

Rubbing, massage, compresses for the treatment of non-productive cough in children

Rubbing, massage, compresses - any warming procedures can be performed only if the patient does not have a high body temperature. Particular care should be taken when using such drugs when treating dry cough in children.

If a child has a dry cough that is allergic or caused by whooping cough or false croup - in these cases, the use of various strong-smelling or allergenic products can worsen the condition, especially often causing allergies - Doctor Mom ointment, which contains camphor, menthol, eucalyptus, nutmeg, turpentine oil, thymol. Ointments that have a warming effect include Doctor Mom, Badger, Pulmex, Eucabal - many pediatricians do not recommend using these ointments for children under 2 years of age, and if the child is prone to allergies, then not to use them at all.

As for massage, it can also be performed only at low body temperature, in the absence of even suspicion of complications from acute respiratory viral infections or influenza. It helps best with bronchitis, since the massage is designed to improve the discharge of sputum, but it can also be performed to alleviate the condition of non-productive cough in children and adults. Drainage massage should be done very carefully, after a warm bath. After the massage, the child should lie down for about half an hour, while he should be covered with a warm blanket, and a compress can be applied at night.

For a compress, you can make the following solution - 1 tbsp. spoon of sunflower oil, 1 tbsp. spoon of vodka, 1 tbsp. spoon of honey - this mixture should be heated in a water bath. Soak a linen cloth in this solution, large enough to cover the neck and interscapular area, put cotton wool on top of the cloth, then cellophane. A compress should be tied to the baby's back using a scarf or scarf. It should be taken into account that the child will have to sleep like this all night; the nodules should be made small and placed to the side. You shouldn’t do this compress every day, it’s better every other day.

There should be cool air in the room in which the child sleeps with a compress. You should use alcohol for compresses very carefully; you cannot use it in large quantities, since the skin in children under 7 years of age partially performs the function of breathing, and in case of an overdose, alcohol poisoning may occur in the baby. The same applies to the use of vinegar to relieve fever - this is an old folk method of reducing a child’s temperature often leads to poisoning, so you should not use it.

Medicinal plants to help

The use of medicinal plants - you can buy them in pharmacies, which can be consumed orally or inhaled. Among medicinal plants, the following herbs have significant expectorant and mucolytic properties: oregano, marshmallow root, sage, coltsfoot leaf, anise fruit, licorice root, pine buds.

Climatic conditions in the room of a patient with a dry cough

Creating optimal humidity and air temperature in the patient’s room is also the most important condition for the speedy transition of a dry cough into a productive one, since dry, dusty, too warm air aggravates the condition of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and the condition of the lower respiratory tract. It is very important to maintain the correct climatic conditions to avoid complications from viral and infectious diseases, so that pathogenic microorganisms do not descend to the lower respiratory tract.

• Humidity should be at least 50%, more precisely from 50 to 70%
• Air temperature no more than 20C

Dry air, especially during the heating season, can be easily dealt with using special air humidifiers; there is now a large selection of them on the market of household appliances. It is more difficult to create a comfortable temperature if the apartment has central heating and it is impossible to regulate the heating of the room; in this case, you should always keep the windows open.

It is also very important that the air is clean; for this, daily wet cleaning should be done; there should be no carpets or rugs in the room. It is also optimal to use air purifiers.

Antitussives - dangerous to use without prescription

Combined drugs should be used only as prescribed by a doctor, such as Stoptusin, Libexin, Broncholitn, since these drugs can lead to stagnation of sputum and mucus in the respiratory tract, some of them have a central effect on cough centers.

They are indicated for diseases where a dry cough is painful and greatly interferes with sleep, for example, whooping cough. It is best used for treatment, Bronchicum, Linkas.

This article is for informational purposes only. If you discover symptoms of any disease or feel unwell, consult a doctor first! The tips in this material can help you in emergency situations when it is not possible to contact qualified medical personnel.

“Doctor, doctor, help, the child started coughing, come!”, “An ambulance? Accept the challenge, the child is having severe coughing fits” - pediatricians have to listen to these or very similar complaints almost dozens of times during a work shift.

Let's define the concept of “cough” and measures to combat this phenomenon.

- spontaneous increased exhalation, provoked by irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, respiratory tract or bronchi. It has a paroxysmal character.

In bronchial asthma, pneumonia and tuberculosis, cough occurs from irritation of the lung tissue, since the process itself is aimed at exhalation, it promotes the rejection and removal of foreign bodies, mucus, and sputum formed, and therefore helps cleanse the lungs, bronchi and respiratory tract.

Doctors call such a cough productive, it is useful for the body, promotes a speedy recovery of the body, as it removes phlegm; if not for this, any disease of the respiratory tract would turn into pneumonia - persistent pneumonia.

Other types of cough can easily be classified as non-productive cough; this type includes:

• dry,
• barking,
• wavy-paroxysmal,
• annoying.

These types of coughs do not bring with them a positive outcome during the course of the disease and are not a productive process in the body. And they bring severe physical suffering, cause a gag reflex, and provoke muscle pain.

Based on duration, cough can be divided into acute, lasting up to 3 weeks inclusive, and lasting from 3 to 8 weeks inclusive.

A cough that is not treated promptly can lead to stagnation in the body.

How many unpleasant consequences can this necessary symptom bring? Depending on the type of cough, appropriate treatment is selected.

How to treat a cough

All medications are conditionally (since they can have several different directions of action) divided into:

• thinning agents - mucolytics,
• cough intensifiers - expectorants,
• suppressing the functioning of the cough center.

There are combination drugs, for this reason the division is quite arbitrary.

Unfortunately, there is currently no magic “golden” cough pill. But let's hope that maybe in the future they will invent such a medicine.

Treatment of cough in children

There are two approaches to treating cough in children. Traditional, medicinal treatment or folk remedies for cough.

- This is a concomitant symptom of many diseases. Therefore, it is necessary not only to eliminate one cough, but also to get treatment from a doctor for the disease. We will deal with the main methods of treating this symptom.

How to cure a child's cough

Whatever the type of cough, it is a protective reaction of the body. To facilitate breathing and eliminate dust, harmful microbes and accumulations of sputum, the body reflexively provokes coughing shocks.

For children, coughing is especially dangerous because it quickly spreads to the bronchi. And it can even cause pneumonia. Due to this feature of the child’s body, it is dangerous to independently select cough remedies. The baby must be examined by a doctor.

How to cure a child's cough

• Aerosols for special purposes. It happens that a child is diagnosed with bronchial asthma. Parents of this baby should definitely have special aerosols in their home medicine cabinet, which are recommended by the pediatrician. Since when a cough begins, shortness of breath very often appears. And you can’t do without a bottle of aerosol. Emergency care should be provided to the child even before visiting a medical facility.
• Trituration. In addition to medications, massage can help relieve cough. To do this, you will need a warming ointment or eucalyptus balm. You need to take a small amount of rubbing and rub the baby’s chest and back. Movements should be slow and smooth. Then the rubbing will be evenly distributed over the surface of the skin and effectively perform its healing functions. At the same time, you can’t stay in one place for too long. After all, a baby’s skin is so delicate and fragile.

How to cure a child's cough using homeopathy

If parents are not supporters of chemical drugs, then they can take the baby to an appointment with a homeopath. He will individually prescribe a suitable cough remedy. The medicine can be purchased at a specialized pharmacy. You will not be able to choose a homeopathic remedy on your own. Since when prescribing it, the doctor takes into account not only the disease, but also the height, age, weight of the baby and even the characteristics of his character. In addition to the prescription, the doctor will issue a medication dosage regimen, which will indicate the time of administration and dose of the drug.

Mom must remember that the effect of homeopathy does not occur from the first days of treatment. The cough may even get worse. But we must be patient and continue to give grains. It won't take long. And there will be no trace left of the cough.

Folk remedies

Medicines can help, but their cost is quite high, and there is a risk of unwanted consequences. Medicines do not always help; prolonged coughing attacks can cause inconvenience to a sick person for a long time. We will tell you about a cheaper and less risky treatment method.

Such treatment methods have long been considered proven folk remedies - herbs, roots, natural honey and others.

And although their effect is not as strong as that of pharmacy analogues, they still cope with the task perfectly. In addition, proven folk remedies do not have side effects, which cannot be said about medications.

The beginning of cough treatment is to eliminate the causes of its occurrence. Next, you should find out the nature of the disease, the type of cough.

At this stage, a diagnosis should be made, tests taken, and only after a diagnosis has been established, one or another treatment can be prescribed.

All these procedures are performed in special institutions. A doctor must make a diagnosis.

And folk recipes can help you recover.

So, let's move directly to the means themselves

An excellent option for treating coughs are infusions from plants such as mint, chamomile, coltsfoot, wild rosemary, oregano and many others. If you don’t have any ingredient, it doesn’t matter; the infusion does not lose its healing abilities due to the absence of one component.

Mixture based on natural honey

Also a wonderful option is a mixture based on natural May honey.

We will need the following products:

• a little honey
• approximately the same amount of cocoa and butter,
• two spoons of vodka (moonshine).

All of the listed components must be mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained. This medication should be taken half an hour before meals three times a day.

Onion broth

An effective option with a lot of positive reviews is onion broth. So, how to make this product.

To get started we will need:

• liter of water,
• a couple of nice onions
• 250 grams of granulated sugar.

We put the water on the fire and wait for it to boil. When this happens, place the unpeeled onions and sugar in this water, then simmer for another hour over low heat. After the specified time, the broth must be filtered and allowed to cool. You need to consume half a glass four times a day.

Milk-based products

Oddly enough, regular milk helps quite a lot with a dry cough. Add a little cream, about the same amount of honey and one egg yolk to half a liter of milk.

To prepare this product, milk must be brought to a boil and the above ingredients must be added. The drug can only be consumed warm, six times a day, half a glass.

It is useful to drink warm goat's milk, melt a piece of butter in it or add almond butter, honey (but only for those who do not suffer from pancreatitis). It is very good to drink this drink at night.

Drink plenty of fluids

Drinking plenty of fluids is one of the most important points in treating a dry cough. Since when this condition is met, the recovery rate doubles. During illness, it is advisable to consume the following:

• Warm tea with various additives (lemon, honey, jam).
• Cranberry juice, various jelly.
• The above-mentioned decoctions of various herbs,
• Warm goat's milk with a little butter added.
• Alkaline water without gas
• Licorice root infusion.

Another fairly effective method of treating this cough is inhalation.

Decoctions of medicinal herbs

Decoctions of medicinal herbs, in the absence of allergies to them, are decoctions of plantain, coltsfoot, licorice, sage, rose hips

Hot tea with lemon, honey, and raspberries also helps.

• Black radish juice with honey
• Warm mineral alkaline water without gases
• Licorice root infusions

Folk remedies for cough are widely used to treat children in the first years of life, since folk remedies for cough have fewer side effects than cough tablets.

Cough remedies for children can be very tasty and desirable, such as Brazilian banana mixture.

Grate ripe bananas or chop them in a blender, add water and sugar (at the rate of 1 banana per 100 ml of water), the mixture is heated and consumed.

Treatment of dry cough with folk remedies includes the use of animal products, beekeeping and plant products.

Warm milk with soda - a proven folk remedy

Warm milk with honey and the addition of soda is the best remedy for turning a dry cough into a wet, expectorant one. This remedy is tasty and useful not only for treating coughs, but also for strengthening the body.

Treatment of dry cough with folk remedies can be supplemented with a number of additional manipulations, such as inhalation and breathing exercises. Based on the fact that coughing is a process that usually occurs during exhalation, it means that changing the rate of exhalation of air increases or slows down the speed of a coughing attack.

Attempts to cough can be controlled by applying the following measures:

• Stretch your mouth into a slit and suck in air, making the sound “FFFFFFFF.”
• Tighten the chest muscles.
• Without relaxing the chest muscles, exhale quietly, without making noise.

Choosing the right treatment

Whatever treatment principle you choose: drug treatment or treatment with folk remedies, you must remember that treatment must be carried out in combination with increasing immunity and increasing the body's defenses.

But the most important thing is prevention.

Causes of dry cough

• Colds and flu overtake the population during the season of sharp cold or warming, and the first manifestation of the disease is a runny nose and cough.
• Cough has varying degrees of severity. The cause of cough is irritation of the larynx, trachea and bronchi, and the cough itself is a protective reaction of the body, which is trying to cleanse the bronchi and lungs in this way.
• I would also like to note that cough occurs not only with colds and acute respiratory infections, but also with such severe diseases as asthma, tuberculosis, lung cancer, diseases of the nervous system, and so on.
• Sometimes a person does not know why the cough appeared and writes it off as a cold, which sometimes may not be entirely justified.
• To establish the actual cough problem, you should visit a therapist and not start self-medication, as you may not only not get the desired result, but also complicate the problem.
• People have suffered from coughs at almost all times, and therefore people have long learned to get rid of it. For example, people believe that the best medicine for coughs is radish and honey.
• There are many different recipes and here is one of them. The radish should be washed well, cut in half and cut holes in each half. Then chop the pulp, pour honey inside, let it brew so that the juice that comes out of the radish mixes with honey. Take the resulting mixture 1 tablespoon 5 times a day.

Using carrots to treat cough

Carrots are also a good cough medicine. Pre-squeezed carrot juice is mixed with honey and taken a tablespoon every two hours.

The use of fruit and berry juices to treat cough

To thin sputum, take viburnum or lingonberry juice with honey, and for a good expectorant effect, it is recommended to take honey with lemon, aloe.

The best expectorants made from natural raw materials

Some of the best expectorant drugs are:

• coltsfoot,
• eucalyptus,
• plantain,
• chamomile,
• Linden,
• calendula,
• sage,
• raspberries and viburnum,
• mint,
• sagebrush.

Decoctions and infusions are made from the collections, the recipes for which are varied. The simplest way to prepare a decoction is to pour boiling water over the leaves of a plant (for example, coltsfoot) and infuse the decoction for two hours.

Rubbing badger or goose fat into the chest also helps with coughing. Some people add onion or aloe juice to the fat. After rubbing, you need to wrap yourself up in order to sweat well. With sweat, the disease leaves the body.

Folk remedies are good and effective, but in the modern world everyone should definitely consult a doctor.

If treatment with folk remedies does not help and the cough does not go away or weaken within five days, consultation with a specialist is required.

It may be necessary to start taking antibiotics. It should be remembered that an advanced cough can be a consequence of bronchitis, pneumonia or tuberculosis, which means that folk remedies will not help here, and individual treatment is required, which only a doctor can determine.

How to properly treat a dry cough

As you know, a dry cough manifests itself, as a rule, with diseases such as pleurisy and chronic disease of the serous membrane of the lungs.

This cough leads to rather unpleasant sensations, such as acute pain in the chest, fever, difficulty breathing, and increased heart rate.

This situation in most cases foreshadows bronchitis. Also, harbingers of bronchitis are: burning in the chest, severe shortness of breath, weakness.

Proven remedies for dry cough

• If an inflammatory process occurs in the trachea, it can be dealt with by frequent inhalations of various herbs.
• Also, so that a dry cough brings you as little pain as possible, it is advisable to drink a decoction of green mustache leaves and buckwheat flowers.
• An excellent option is to treat dry cough with garlic. You need to finely chop a couple of cloves of garlic, add a little honey and literally two or three tablespoons of vodka.
• It is advisable to store this medicine in the refrigerator. This product should be consumed in the morning and evening for one day. If the procedure does not give the desired result, repeat the treatment again.

Garlic juice is the number one cold remedy

In most cases, coughing is a reflexive defensive reaction, with the help of which the body gets rid of accumulated phlegm and clears the airways. 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, etc. In this case, the patient first experiences a slight cough, which within a few hours or two to three days turns into an intense dry cough.

Along with this, the patient complains of others: increased temperature, 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:

• smoking;
• viral infections, in particular bronchitis;
• entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract;
• dust and allergens.

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 occurs with. A very long spasmodic cough, accompanied by pain in the side, shortness of breath and fever can be observed with.

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 treatments 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 considered. 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.

Dry cough, also known as non-productive cough, has different causes. It can occur in both adults and children.

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

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

Symptom Definition

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

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

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

Types of cough

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

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

Causes of severe cough

Various factors can provoke a severe dry cough in an adult. These include:

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

Dry cough without fever in an adult

Infectious infections rarely go unnoticed in the human body. However, in our region there are still diseases that form and disappear without an increase in body temperature. For example:

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

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

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

Dry suffocating cough

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

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

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

Diagnostics

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

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

Review of cough medicines

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

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

Treatment of dry cough

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

General principles of relief include:

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

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

Unproductive, debilitating, long-term, paroxysmal - may require the use of the following cough medications: mono- (Sinekod) or combined drugs (Stoptussin), as well as more serious medications (Codeine).

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

Homeopathic and herbal remedies for dry cough:

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

Medicine for dry cough to thin sputum:

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

Approximate price of some products:

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

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

What to do at home?

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

Here are some general fundamental features of the therapy:

1. Carrying out regular wet cleaning of the patient’s room;
2. Ensuring control of the air temperature in the house (the main condition is not higher than 22 C);
3. Application of appropriate therapeutic processes to the chest;
4. Using a rational drinking regime (it is best to drink tea, water, Borjomi, warm milk);
5. Non-use of aggressive detergents;
6. Carrying out inhalations using steam, adding baking soda and herbal decoctions to the water;
7. Compliance with the principle of special dietary nutrition with a sufficient number of calories.

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

Folk remedies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prevention

The best prevention of dry cough is a healthy lifestyle and giving up bad habits:

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

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