Prolonged cough or what to do if the cough does not go away? If your cough doesn’t go away for a long time: what to do?

Based on duration, the following types are distinguished:

• acute form (the symptom is pronounced for 2-3 days, gradually disappears);
• protracted form (cough does not go away for a week or more);
• chronic form (cough does not go away for a month or more).

From the dry type, the symptom transforms into the wet type after a few days. If this does not happen, the attacks continue to bother the patient; most likely, the correct treatment was not selected from the very beginning.

Protracted or chronic cough and its causes

For correct diagnosis the cause of the attacks, you need to see a doctor, get an x-ray of your lungs and take several tests.

Most often, cough does not go away with diseases of the upper organs respiratory tract.

Correct diagnosis of the disease of which you have become a symptom is an important step for drawing up effective plan treatment.

Acute respiratory infections and influenza are among the most common organ diseases respiratory system, can cause long-term. This is facilitated by reduced immunity during illness.

A protracted type of symptom may appear due to an untreated disease; at times it is caused by the body at the level of a reflex (with increased sensitivity of the lungs).

Sometimes a dry cough does not go away due to the development of complications of a cold: bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis media, pneumonia, etc. A prolonged form may appear due to diseases such as:

Less often, in children and adults, the cough does not go away due to problems in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, heart failure.

The manifestation of a chronic form of the symptom can provoke an allergic reaction.

People prone to chronic respiratory diseases, with bronchial asthma, tend to suffer from it for a long time, respiratory allergies, occupational respiratory diseases (teachers, miners, chemical production workers).

Often a dry cough in an adult does not go away due to smoking. Bronchitis is one of the most common causes of transformation of the disease into chronic form.

Taking certain medications and using a number of chemicals in everyday life can cause a prolonged dry cough.

Possible complications

Long-term ones are very dangerous for asthma patients, because... can provoke a deterioration in the patient’s condition and lead to suffocation. They are always accompanied by fluctuations in blood and arterial pressure.

Prolonged attacks can cause hypotension or hypertension in a person. Sometimes due to muscle strain abdominal region and increased pressure in the chest during forced exhalation, patients experience hernias. With such prolonged attacks, small vessels are injured, the patient may cough up bloody mucous discharge.

For smokers, a prolonged cough is especially dangerous, because... may cause lung collapse. This happens in people suffering from bullous emphysema. In patients whose bones have lost strength due to certain diseases, coughing can even lead to rib fractures.

After finding out the reason why the cough does not go away, treatment should be started immediately.

Treatment and prevention

To eliminate this symptom, you first need to treat the disease that causes it.

What to do if the cough does not go away for several days? Give preference to gentle methods of combating the disease, traditional medicine. Can be used:

• herbs with medicinal properties;
• various rinses with herbal decoctions;
• compresses;
• herbal teas.

If the cough does not go away for a long time, physiotherapeutic treatment is effective. It includes various inhalations and rinses.

When carrying out such procedures, alkaline and saline solutions are often used (half a teaspoon of soda or salt per glass of boiling water), medicinal herbs, milk and honey (it should be remembered that honey is a strong allergen).

You can use a nebulizer inhaler. The nebulizer is used not only to treat diseases of the respiratory system, but also to prevent them. Treatment with a nebulizer has a number of advantages:

• no age restrictions, ease of use, high performance and efficiency;
• no side effects.

Sprays used for coughs do not give such an effect, because... the medicine is not sprayed so evenly and cannot penetrate all parts of the nasopharynx. The effect of the drugs in such throat sprays is very short-lived.

When it is not possible to diagnose the disease for any reason, the doctor prescribes medications that suppress the symptom:

To treat a protracted form of wet cough, mucolytics are used to thin the sputum.

The effectiveness of therapeutic measures can be complemented by massage. With its help, the bronchi are better cleared of mucus, and muscles that are in increased tone relax.

To get rid of prolonged mucus discharge, drainage or ultrasound therapy is sometimes used.

Treatment of chronic symptoms requires an integrated approach.

It is better to prevent the occurrence of a protracted form of the symptom by adhering to a number of the following simple rules:

• consult a doctor on time and follow all his recommendations;
• get rid of bad habits, smoking;
• spend more time in the fresh air;
• maintain personal hygiene.

Such simple measures have a positive effect on the body in case of any disease.

Cough as a symptom indicates that the respiratory tract is being affected by an irritant (infection, virus, allergen). A cough, especially a prolonged one, may be a symptom of more than 50 various diseases(from a harmless cold to serious heart problems).

Causes of prolonged cough

The most common cause is acute respiratory viral disease of the upper respiratory tract (ARVI). The body of a person with a strong immune system copes with such a disease in a few days, but if the cough does not go away for a week or more, it is worth adding additional treatment measures. Conventional symptomatic medications will no longer help here.

Dry cough

The harbinger is a sore throat. A dry cough is quite difficult to tolerate, this is due to the fact that the airways are irritated; the patient clears his throat and cannot stop until he vomits.

The reason may be:

• Laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx). The main symptom of this disease is a severe sore throat.
• Bronchitis
• Tracheitis
• Whooping cough (occurs in both children and adults)
• Constant inhalation of harmful substances (for example, at work)

As ARVI progresses, a dry cough usually turns into a wet cough. What is the reason for the fact that during ARVI a dry cough does not go away for a long time?

• Significant weakening of the body's defenses (immune system)
• Associated factors that affect the functioning of the upper respiratory tract. This includes smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, and favorable conditions in the room where the patient is located - for example, the air is too dry
• Complication of the disease in the form of a secondary infection (bronchitis or pneumonia)

Moist cough

A wet cough is also called “productive” - this means that mucus (“sputum”) is rejected from the bronchi. A wet, continuous cough is a sign that the infection has spread to the bronchi and lungs. The secretion of mucus is a consequence of the entry of plasma from the blood into the lungs (with pulmonary edema), as well as the separation of purulent contents from the lung cavity. A persistent, wet cough may be a symptom of one of the following:

• Allergic rhinitis
• Pneumonia
• Lungs' cancer
• Bronchitis
• Heart failure

The type of sputum discharged is used to judge the nature of the disease - for example, glassy sputum is a sign of bronchial asthma; mucus, resembling rust in appearance, is secreted during pneumonia, lung abscess characterized by purulent contents when expectorated.

What to do if, after suffering from an acute respiratory viral infection, the cough does not go away for a long time - how to cure it? Here we are dealing with a post-infectious cough. This unpleasant symptom only indicates that the airways are irritated and damaged. It turns out vicious circle- the more often and longer we cough, the more irritation respiratory tract.

Let's see a doctor.

The very first step if the cough does not go away for a month or longer should be to see a doctor. Firstly, the doctor will rule out re-infection and complications after the illness. If necessary, additional tests and examinations will be prescribed to complete the picture.

Even if your problem is a common post-infectious long-term cough, the doctor will be able to select the most adequate treatment so that you can cope with this unpleasant symptom as soon as possible.

• Most often, for a prolonged cough, medications such as Codelac Phyto, Doctor Mom are prescribed (if the factor that provoked the prolonged cough is ARVI).
• Gedelix and Bronholitin are effective for treating dry cough.
• To speed up the removal of mucus residues from the lungs, “ACC”, “Ambroxol”, “Mukaltin”, “Bromhexin” are good

Medicines should only be prescribed by the attending physician; do not self-medicate under any circumstances.

Folk remedies.

You can help the body with the help of folk remedies. As a rule, they are harmless, a combination is also possible drug treatment And folk recipes in the treatment of persistent cough in adults.

Sage decoction. Pour 1 bag of sage (sold in pharmacies) with a glass of milk and put on low heat. Bring the resulting liquid to a boil and strain, take hot with a teaspoon of honey. After drinking the decoction, you need to lie down quietly, wrapped warmly. It is recommended to use this remedy for 5 days (once a day).

Potatoes against cough. Boil 4-5 medium potatoes, drain the water, cover with a large towel along with the pan and breathe hot air until the potatoes cool. Boiled potatoes are also used as a compress. Crush the hot potatoes with a masher, wrap them in cloth and apply them to your chest, wrapping a warm scarf around the top. Keep this compress until it cools down.

Decoction onions . Peel and finely chop half a kilogram of onion, add 2 cups of sugar and 2 tbsp. l. honey Boil the resulting mixture in a liter of water over low heat for 3 hours. Cool and strain, pour into a tightly sealed container and store in the refrigerator. For persistent cough, take 1 tablespoon 5 times a day.

Garlic, onion and milk. Chop a head of garlic and 5 onions and boil in 0.5 liters of milk. Add a tablespoon of honey to the prepared broth. This decoction should be drunk every hour, one tablespoon throughout the day.

Onions, garlic and honey - frequent components of folk recipes for coughs - have bactericidal and tonic properties.

Breathing exercises.

With prolonged cough, very effective means Strelnikova's gymnastics is considered. Performing gymnastics involves observing the following rules:

• The inhalation should be strong, but short, quite sharp. Make active, noisy inhalations through your nose, and soft inhales through your mouth.
• Exhale - slow and smooth;

Here are the main gymnastics exercises by Strelnikova.

Fists. This is a warm-up exercise. It is advisable to perform it while standing, arms relaxed, try to relax the body as much as possible. Take a short and sharp breath through your nose, while clenching your hands into fists. Then - soft and free exhalation, relaxation of the hands. Do 5-6 sets of 4 repetitions (resting 5 seconds between sets).

Drop load. Starting position: standing, hands on the belt, hands clenched into fists. As you inhale, the arms are lowered along the body, the fingers are spread out - as if a load is being lifted from the shoulders, exhale - returning to the original position. 10-12 sets of 8 repetitions.

Pump up the ball. Starting position - standing, arms down along the body and relaxed. Take a strong and sharp breath through your nose, lower your head forward, round your shoulders and relax your arms, hanging them like whips. Exhale through the mouth - return to the starting position. 12 sets of 8 repetitions.

Preventive measures

To prevent persistent cough, several directions can be recommended.

First of all, this is prevention during influenza epidemics. In spring and autumn, strengthen your immune system by taking multivitamins and immunomodulators. Be sure to get vaccinated against the flu. During a seasonal outbreak of ARVI, take antiviral drugs in a prophylactic dose - they will help you not catch a cold in crowded places and at work.

Long-term smoking can cause a lingering cough in an adult. Give up cigarettes if you want to keep your lungs healthy and prevent such an unpleasant symptom as a constant, incessant cough.

To exclude the development of tuberculosis, undergo fluorography in a timely manner, because when the disease process is advanced, tuberculosis is difficult to cure.

It is much easier to prevent the appearance of a lingering cough than to treat it - to do this you need to be attentive to your health, give up bad habits and strengthen your immune system. And if you are still overtaken by such an illness, be sure to consult a doctor for treatment, especially if the symptoms have not stopped for more than a month.

Coughing is a pathological, defensive reaction - it should not exist. In acute respiratory diseases, it passes quickly. If a cough does not go away for a month or more, then this is most often regarded by specialists as a symptom of a chronic respiratory disease.

Any cold is almost always accompanied by a cough. But it happens that the main symptoms no longer appear, and the cough does not go away for a month.

What could be the cause of a persistent cough? Most likely, a new infection has entered the body, weakened by a cold, affecting the respiratory tract.

The body copes with such microorganisms quickly, but under normal conditions immune status. Having cured one disease, sometimes you have to get sick with the next one, therefore, a cough does not go away for a month in an adult or in a child for so long (see). Specify the pathogen to select the appropriate one antibacterial drug, will help additional methods research.

Among the common microorganisms that can “attack” a weakened body:

• mycoplasma;
• pneumocystis;
• mushrooms;
• Koch's bacillus (the causative agent of tuberculosis)
• mixed microflora, etc.

The above pathogens enter the human body by air - by drip. This means that you can become infected with them where there is a crowd of people who are the source of these infections. The lack of proper treatment will lead to the progression of these diseases. Therefore, if the cough does not go away for a month, you should immediately consult a specialist.

When a cough does not go away for two months, this may indicate an allergy to which the person is reacting. bronchial tree peculiar reactions in the form of bronchial asthma. A cough that lasts a long time can be dry, wet, daytime, nighttime, paroxysmal, etc.

The video in this article will tell you in detail about coughing as a symptom of various pathologies.

How to treat a cough that doesn't go away for a long time

What to do if the cough does not go away? There is only one answer - go to a specialist who will determine the cause and then prescribe adequate treatment.

If the cause of the cough is associated with a bacterial infection and there is an increase in temperature, then antibiotics are prescribed. If it is painful and provokes an attack of vomiting, then antitussive drugs are prescribed.

If, on the contrary, the cough is wet, then expectorants are prescribed. If there is an immunodeficiency, then immunomodulators are prescribed.

As a rule, the doctor prescribes taking them long time, alternating between each other. Treatment for chronic cough is not cheap. Not all expensive prices for expensive drugs are considered the best indicator of their quality.

Instead of expensive products, you can choose their non-patented analogues, the name of which you can ask a specialist. The instructions included with the medications will help you navigate the choice of dosage, taking into account your age and diagnosis.

Diseases that cause coughing for a long time

What to do when a cough does not go away and symptoms indicating colds x, do not appear?

Attention! Cough and sputum do not always indicate diseases of the lungs and bronchial tree.

Cardiac asthma – accompanies ventricular failure. With it, blood stagnates in the circulatory system, the plasma of which sweats through the alveoli, which is accompanied by the release of foamy sputum Pink colour. Along with a cough, patients experience acrocyanosis, that is, blue discoloration of certain areas of the skin.

What to do: the cough does not go away and is accompanied by bleeding (see)? Perhaps the doctor may suspect cancer. They can confirm it following symptoms: weight loss, loss of appetite, low-grade fever etc. Analysis of sputum for atypical cells will help clarify lung cancer. The photo shows sputum from lung cancer.

Blood streaks can also appear with tuberculosis. The patient coughs for a long time, loses weight, and feels weak. The diagnosis is confirmed by x-ray, and sputum is also examined.

Rarely, but still, if the cough does not go away for 2 months, this may indicate helminthic infestation(cm. ). Cough is associated with the life cycle of roundworms, which, upon entering the body and before reaching a mature state, must pass through the circulatory respiratory system. At this time, it seems that the person is sick with bronchitis, but in fact it is a completely different pathology.

A cough can be acquired along with the disease if a person works for a long time in production associated with dust. For example, asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that occurs in people who inhale asbestos fibers for a long time.

As a result, they penetrate deeply into the lung tissue and thicken the pleura. All this is accompanied by a chronic, unproductive cough that bothers you for a long time.

Miners are prone to a disease called silicosis. It, like asbestosis, is chronic and is accompanied by a cough. With a lung abscess, before it is opened, the cough can be long and unproductive, but after opening the cough is accompanied by copious discharge purulent sputum, sometimes a mouthful.

Chronic cough accompanies experienced smokers. Their bronchi, covered with soot, react by coughing not only to tobacco smoke, but also for differences ambient temperature, physical activity, changes in body position, etc.

Now it’s clear how to answer the question: if an adult’s cough does not go away, what to do?

Do not wait until it goes away on its own, but contact a specialist (therapist), who can refer you for a consultation to other doctors (pulmonologist, allergist, cardiologist, immunologist, gastroenterologist, etc.). Since cough is not always a separate harmless symptom. Often it indicates a formidable pathology on the part of other organ systems.

Differential diagnosis of some diseases that are accompanied by a prolonged cough:

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

Sometimes, after a cold, a cough remains that does not end for a long time. At the same time, we tried various means and treatment methods. In this case, for medical care You should contact us if your cough does not go away for more than 15 days.

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

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

Prolonged cough: causes

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

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

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

It is worth noting that incorrect, inferior or not timely treatment of such diseases leads to their progression.

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

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

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

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

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

The reasons that provoke a prolonged cough include:

• colds;
• allergies;
• emotional overstrain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Treating a cough that lasts longer than a month

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prolonged cough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cough for more than a month: how to identify the causes

It is also called long-term because it lasts more than 4–8 weeks. Cough caused by airway hyperresponsiveness or pulmonary infection that occurs after infectious process As a rule, it goes away in a shorter period of time. Has your cough been bothering you for more than a month? Read this article to learn how to identify the causes and treat such a cough.

Cough for more than a month: important information about it

Important points to consider if you have a cough that lasts for more than a month:

Since a cough for more than a month can be the cause of not only bronchial asthma or infection, it must be remembered that to exclude cancer, especially in adults, a procedure such as chest x-ray should be performed.

The absence or presence of radiological changes will help make a decision about the need for further research or treatment.

How to identify the causes of cough for more than a month

It is necessary to identify the causes of prolonged cough. Perhaps it:

1. Chronic bronchitis

2. Bronchial asthma

3. Sinusitis

4. Chronic infectious diseases of the lungs

5. Asbestosis, silicosis

6. Sarcoidosis

7. Farmer's Lung

8. Lung cancer

9. Side effect of drugs

10. Heart failure

11. Pleurisy

Quite often, a cough can last for several months after the resolution of some infections, such as, for example, chlamydial or mycoplasma pneumonia, whooping cough.

How to treat a cough that lasts more than a month?

When acute cough occurs in adults, the use of antibiotics is not beneficial. Sinusitis, i.e. long-term respiratory infection or bronchial asthma at an early stage are common causes of prolonged cough.

Cough for more than a month, treatment. The first stages of treatment for sinusitis:

1. rinsing the sinuses, antimicrobials, vasoconstrictors for intranasal use.

2. Antibiotics (erythromycin, doxycycline, amoxicillin) are indicated for patients with purulent sputum or fever. Treatment of cough without fever and sputum involves the use of bronchodilators, often along with antitussives.

If the cough does not improve within 2 months or if it persists despite taking antibiotics, it is possible that the cough is due to non-infectious causes for more than a month. In the case of the development of bronchial asthma, especially at an early stage, a dry cough without sputum discharge may become the only sign of the disease. In this case, a test with bronchodilators is carried out and the peak expiratory flow rate is monitored at home. In addition, the effect of a trial treatment with inhaled GCs can be assessed.

What to do if you can’t get rid of a cough?

Every person gets a cold at least once a year. Everyone has known it since childhood unpleasant symptoms: cough, high temperature, runny nose, weakness, sore throat. Unfortunately, some symptoms can torment a person even after a seemingly complete recovery. The most common case is when the cold has gone away, but the cough does not go away. Persistent cough may persist for several weeks after the cold. What is the cause of cough and how to deal with it?

Cough is the body’s protective reaction to foreign bodies that enter our body. It turns on as a protective reflex when a person chokes on something or even inhales through the mouth various substances, such as dust. During colds, phlegm accumulates in the respiratory tract, which the body perceives as a foreign body and, by coughing, tries to free itself from it and various microbes.

Thus, it becomes clear that cough should be treated not as a result of an illness, but as a process that helps to fully recover. This means: it is better not to get rid of the cough, but to make it more productive. But sometimes the cough becomes very intense, sometimes preventing a person from falling asleep, or even causing vomiting. In these cases, it is undoubtedly necessary to take measures to reduce the strength of this process.

Causes of prolonged cough

Most often, cough occurs with colds:

• flu;
• respiratory syncytial virus infection;
• adenoviral infection;
• acute or chronic bronchitis;
• pneumonia.

If a cough occurs, you must undergo an examination to find out the cause of its occurrence.

Of course, there are other serious diseases that result in an intense and prolonged cough. If a person’s cough does not go away within a month, then first they need to see a doctor, and only then begin possible self-medication. In any case, when a person has a prolonged cough, it is necessary to do fluorography or even an x-ray.

If a cough during a cold does not go away along with the illness, then a post-cold cough must be treated. It is usually accompanied by the release of viscous sputum. Treatment should be aimed at liquefying and releasing mucus from the respiratory tract.

Treatment of persistent cough

It is wrong to talk about treating cough specifically, because it is just a symptom. It is either removed as a symptom, or the disease itself is treated, as a result of which it appeared.
There are 3 main components that will help relieve cough:

• drinking plenty of water;
• inhalation;
• medications that thin the mucus.

When coughing, the patient should definitely drink plenty of fluids to restore water balance in the body. Water helps the process of liquefying mucus and removing it from the body.

Alkaline mineral waters, such as Borjomi or Essentuki, are especially useful. In addition to high fluid intake should be proper nutrition, containing many vitamins - fresh fruits and vegetables.

As for inhalations, this is one of the most effective methods for cough relief. It is not difficult to do inhalation; moreover, there are many different methods, and each patient can choose the most accessible one for himself. One option: brew herbs such as chamomile, sage, thyme, coltsfoot, add a teaspoon of baking soda and a couple of drops of eucalyptus or menthol oil and then inhale the vapors. The inhalation procedure can be performed several times a day.
By the way, essential oils are very effective in steam inhalers. You need to choose those that help thin the mucus and soften the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Lavender essential oil has a softening property. Eucalyptus and thyme are antiseptics. Expectorant effect will be achieved by using incense and marjoram essential oil. You can prepare a mixture of oils for inhalation yourself, or purchase one already prepared at the pharmacy.

Medicines

Medicines for cough should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

As for medications, you should be especially careful here. As with other drugs, you should trust the choice of medication only to a specialist. Going to the pharmacy and, on the advice of the pharmacist, purchasing a popular expectorant is a big mistake that many patients make.

In some cases it can help, but in others it can even do harm, because the pharmacist cannot make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, it is worth going to the doctor and finding out what exactly is the cause of a long, persistent cough.

Speaking generally about medications, you should know that medications for thinning sputum are divided into mucolytic and expectorant. Mucolytics are prescribed in cases where the sputum is very viscous and difficult to remove from the body. Expectorant medications are needed in situations where there is, on the contrary, little sputum. They help the bronchi remove mucus, making it more liquid. At the same time, the medicine causes a cough, as a result of which the bronchi are cleared.

A separate group of drugs consists of antitussive drugs. As you know, a cough is not always worth eliminating, since it is precisely this that helps the body cleanse itself of germs and phlegm. But in some cases, with a dry, suffocating cough, antitussive drugs are prescribed.

This should only be done by a doctor, as these drugs may have strong adverse reactions. In addition, if sputum is present, these medications should be stopped immediately. If, even while taking medications, the cough continues to bother you for 1-2 weeks, then you need to visit a doctor; you may need to change your treatment.

How to relieve a persistent cough?

There are some simple methods, which will help make the cough less painful. Using these tips, available to everyone, you can bring a lot of benefits to a sick body:

1. Gargling saline solution. Solution: warm water with a diluted teaspoon of salt. You can make this solution with baking soda and add a drop of iodine. An irritated throat will not hurt as much when you cough.
2. To give up smoking. If the patient smokes, then at least for the duration of treatment he should quit the bad habit, or at least reduce the number of cigarettes smoked to a minimum.
3. Humidified air. If there are special devices for humidifying the air, then you should definitely use them, and if not, then you can simply put a couple of cans of water in the corners of the room. Humid air easily penetrates the lungs, while dry air irritates them, causing coughing attacks.
4. For a dry cough, you need to take a spoonful of honey. Honey with finely chopped garlic or onion will enhance the effect. This product softens the throat and has an antibacterial effect.
   Thus, with the right approach to treating the disease, you can effectively get rid of cough, eliminating its complications. It must be remembered that any disease that is not completely eliminated can cause serious consequences for the body.

Why does the cough not go away and what to do?

If the cough does not go away for more than three weeks, then experts call it protracted or chronic. Most often, this condition is caused by chronic bronchitis, which is often observed in smokers and people working in hazardous industries (paint and varnish, pharmaceutical, etc. industries). If prolonged coughing bothers a child or a non-smoker, and when possible irritants have been ruled out, prompt examination and consultation with a specialist is recommended.

In case of chronic cough, first of all, they are examined for the entry of nasal secretions into the nasopharynx, the release of stomach contents into the esophagus or pharynx, and asthma. Also, the cause of a cough that does not go away for a long time can be more serious diseases - tumors, heart disease or connective tissue of the lungs.

Why doesn't my cough go away?

There can be many reasons why a cough does not go away for a long time. In some cases, this condition is caused by benign formations in the lungs, smoker's bronchitis, dysfunction or vascular dysfunction.

In addition to constant coughing, other symptoms may be present (wheezing in the lungs, runny nose, blood in the sputum, a feeling of heaviness in the chest, etc.).

The most common cause of persistent cough is asthma. With this disease, coughing may bother you constantly or periodically (in case of exposure to allergens).

An untreated cold can also provoke a lingering cough; as a rule, this condition is caused by increased susceptibility of the lungs, which is why coughing can appear at a reflex level.

Why does the cough not go away after a sore throat?

If after suffering from a sore throat the cough does not go away for some time, then there may be several reasons for this. First of all, this condition is facilitated by a weakened immune system due to illness and treatment, which is unable to resist both new viruses that attack the body and “old” ones that are not treated. Sometimes it happens that the diagnosis was made incorrectly or that the sore throat occurred against the background of another disease.

For example, with viral rhinitis, mucus from the nasal cavity enters the throat, which causes a reflex coughing, thus the body rids the throat of pathological contents.

By external signs Sore throat is often confused with viral pharyngitis. An accurate diagnosis can be made using a smear and culture. Sore throats are caused by bacteria, while pharyngitis is caused by viruses. For angina, antibiotics are invariably prescribed, but such drugs are only harmful to bacteria, while viruses continue to attack the body. As a result, the immune system, weakened by antibiotics, cannot resist viruses, which leads to the progression of the disease and prolonged coughing. Viral pharyngitis against the background of inflammatory processes in the throat can cause a dry cough with spasms in the larynx.

Coughing can also be a sign of rheumatic fever; usually, in addition to coughing, chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and rapid pulse are also disturbing.

If the cough does not go away for a long time, you need to see a therapist and undergo an examination, take an x-ray, after which the doctor will prescribe treatment.

It often happens that after a cold, the cough continues to torment. If cough treatment does not show proper results and this condition lasts more than two weeks, then you should not postpone your visit to the doctor. In most cases, coughing is caused by a new infection or virus that the weakened immune system is unable to fight.

Why doesn't my cough go away for a week?

If the cough does not go away for a week, and other symptoms are observed (runny nose, low temperature), then most likely the body has been affected by a common cold. With timely and correct treatment, both colds and coughs are quite easy to cope with. At improper treatment, non-compliance with the regime or complete absence treatment may develop severe inflammatory process in the trachea or bronchi.

For the treatment of cough early stages It is recommended to do inhalations. It has long been known that inhaling warm vapors creates a moist environment that improves the formation and removal of sputum. For inhalations, decoctions and infusions of medicinal plants and essential oils are used.

To prepare a solution for inhalation you need 1-2 tbsp. medicinal plant (chamomile, sage, mint, thyme) pour 400 ml of boiling water (you can also dissolve a few drops of essential oil in hot water). You can carry out inhalation in several ways: breathe over a bowl of herbal infusion, covered with a towel, roll a tube out of paper and inhale medicinal vapors with it, or use a special inhaler.

Do not inhale over boiling water, or with high blood pressure.

Why does the cough not go away for 2 weeks?

Sometimes situations arise when, despite the prescribed treatment, the cough does not go away and continues to torment for more than a week. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor, undergo additional examination and, if necessary, undergo a new course of treatment.

Coughing that continues for a long time in most cases is caused by a new infection that the weakened body cannot cope with. The most common causes of prolonged cough are mycoplasmosis, pneumocystosis, and more in rare cases cough is caused by fungal infections (candida, chlamydia) or mycobacterium tuberculosis.

It is worth noting that incorrect diagnosis and treatment can lead to severe complications even with a common cold.

Why does the cough not go away for a month?

Coughing may appear as a reaction of the body to pollen, fur or medications. In this case we are talking about an allergic cough.

If a cough does not go away for several weeks under the influence of allergens, then in most cases it turns into bronchial asthma, so it is important to promptly identify and eliminate the irritant.

Also, the cause of prolonged coughing can be a respiratory infection, against which an inflammatory process occurs in the tonsils, pharynx, nasal mucosa, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.

The cause of a prolonged cough in children may be the presence of a foreign body in the upper respiratory tract. With paroxysmal coughing deep breaths the development of whooping cough can be assumed.

Less often, if the cough does not go away for several weeks, the cause is fibrous cystosis, bacterial pneumonia, tuberculosis, tumors in the lungs.

Why doesn't my cough with phlegm go away?

Sputum is a discharge from the bronchi and trachea; it can be normal (in a healthy person) and pathological (with the development of certain diseases).

In the human respiratory tract, mucus is constantly produced, which protects the body from pollutants (dust, small debris, etc.), and also resists pathogenic microorganisms.

The color of sputum can change from transparent to green due to the development of various respiratory diseases, and it may also contain various impurities (blood, pus, etc.).

Producing phlegm when you cough is a good sign because it helps your body get rid of germs. To help the body, medications are prescribed that ease expectoration, promote the removal of sputum (ambroxol, bromhexine) and restore bronchial secretions (ACC).

For allergic cough, antihistamines (loratadine, fexofenadine) are prescribed.

If the cough does not go away, sputum is produced, and there is no fever, then the cause of this condition may be allergies, heart failure, toxic substances in the air, smoking, as well as mites that live in feather pillows.

To alleviate the condition of a wet cough, you need to drink more fluid, it will help reduce the viscosity of sputum and improve its removal from the bronchi.

If the cough with sputum does not go away during treatment, you need to inform your doctor about this and undergo additional examination (blood test, sputum test, x-ray).

Why does a dry cough not go away for a long time?

Coughing without sputum production is called dry coughing; it usually occurs against the background of various diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

If a dry cough does not go away for a long time, it is advisable to start drug treatment. There are several types of medications; drugs based on codeine and ethylmorphine (codeine, glaucine) have a central effect and suppress the cough reflex, acting on the medulla oblongata; drugs based on acetylaminonitropropoxybenzene (Codelac broncho, Omnitus, Falimint, etc.) act on cough receptors.

As auxiliary treatment You can use proven folk remedies that alleviate the condition of a debilitating dry cough. The most effective method for treating this type of cough is warm milk with baking soda, this drink helps reduce the cough reflex and improve your well-being.

You can also drink a decoction of blackcurrant, peppermint, radish juice with honey, and anise fruit extract 2-3 times a day.

For dry coughs, inhalations with baking soda help a lot.

Why does the cough not go away after pharyngitis?

With pharyngitis, the pharyngeal mucosa becomes inflamed; it can occur in both acute and chronic forms. As a result of the disease, a dry cough occurs, which usually worsens at night and leads to spasms of the larynx.

If even after treatment the cough does not go away, then most likely the disease is not completely cured or ineffective therapy was prescribed.

Situations arise when treatment stops on its own, even after a slight improvement in the condition. Usually, in such cases, a person does not want to “poison” himself with chemicals and stops taking medications, in the hope that herbal infusions or strong immunity will help cope with the disease. However, such an attitude towards treatment is unacceptable, since after stopping the medication, the remaining viruses and bacteria can attack the weakened body more strongly, which will lead to the development of severe complications.

Why does the cough not go away after laryngitis?

With laryngitis, a dry cough without mucus discharge, hoarseness of voice is a concern. Usually the disease is a complication of a cold, but it can develop independently, after cold drinks, hypothermia, overstrain of the vocal cords, inhalation of icy or polluted air.

In the initial stages, inhalations, rinsing, warm drinks, and medications to improve expectoration are indicated. Usually, after a few days, sputum production begins, and the disease gradually passes. If coughing does not go away for a long time after recovery, then additional examination is required. A cough can occur due to inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx (adenoids, tonsillitis), and a prolonged wet cough may indicate an infection in the lower respiratory tract.

Why does the cough not go away after pneumonia?

Pneumonia is infectious inflammation lungs. At the beginning, the cough is dry, but over time, as inflammation in the lungs intensifies, it becomes moist and mucous sputum appears. With pneumonia, the cough does not go away for quite a long time; on average, pneumonia lasts about a month, but after recovery, coughing is a necessity for the body, as it helps remove remaining mucus from the lungs; it is usually also called a post-infectious cough. The duration of a post-infectious cough can range from two weeks to several months, depending on the condition of the body.

To improve your well-being after pneumonia, it is recommended to exercise breathing exercises, and also undergo a course of physical procedures.

After treatment, the sensitivity of cough receptors decreases, which is why coughing may occur when inhaling cold air, dust, etc., this condition is a consequence of an infection, but not a manifestation of the disease.

Why doesn't my cough go away after a cold?

A cough almost always accompanies colds or viral diseases. As a rule, cold symptoms disappear after a few days, and after a week the body is completely healthy, but coughing may bother you for several more weeks.

It is believed that coughing after a cold (residual) is normal, but if it lasts more than three weeks, then in most cases it is associated with the development of complications (pneumonia, whooping cough, bronchitis, etc.).

The acute phase of the disease lasts several days, but during this period pathogenic microorganisms destroy the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, which leads to increased sensitivity of the bronchi. After a cold, a person is often bothered by a sore throat, a slight cough, and the discharge of a small amount of sputum. After past illness a weakened body needs some time to return to normal and restore the mucous membranes. During this period, it is necessary to avoid hypothermia, it is advisable to take a course of vitamins.

If after an illness the cough does not go away, becomes stronger, or other symptoms appear (chest pain, fever, sputum with purulent or bloody impurities, etc.), you must consult a doctor to establish the cause and exclude the development of serious diseases.

Why does the cough not go away after bronchitis?

After bronchitis, coughing is observed in approximately half of patients. Most often from residual cough Children suffer because their bronchi are more vulnerable than those of adults, and the recovery period takes longer.

If a cough does not go away after bronchitis, the reasons may be the following:

• slow healing process;
• severe damage to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract;
• complications;
• erroneous or inadequate treatment;
• allergic reactions (particularly to medications).

Acute bronchitis lasts an average of 7 to 10 days, but even after visible improvements, the bronchi need time to recover.

On average, coughing completely disappears two weeks after bronchitis, provided that the treatment process proceeded normally and there are no complications. If the cough intensifies and lasts more than three weeks, you need to consult a specialist, since this condition may be associated with the development of other diseases (asthma, pneumonia, bronchial obstruction, allergies).

Why does cough not go away during pregnancy?

If a pregnant woman's cough persists for a long time, this can lead to serious consequences. During a cough, tension occurs in the abdominal wall and uterus, as a result the tone of the internal organs increases. Uterine tone on early stages pregnancy threatens spontaneous abortion, in later stages - premature birth.

Coughing is usually a symptom of a viral or infectious disease, but it can also appear when exposed to irritants (allergic cough). A severe debilitating cough requires immediate long-term treatment, which should be prescribed by a specialist, taking into account the duration of pregnancy, the woman’s condition and the cause of the cough.

What to do if a child’s cough does not go away?

If a child’s cough does not go away for a long time, the first thing to do is to identify the cause of this condition. If coughing bothers you after an illness (ARVI, influenza, bronchitis, etc.), then in this case the cough may be associated with the recovery period. Harmful microorganisms weaken the body, provoke inflammation and irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, and the body needs time to completely free the bronchi from mucus residues and restore the epithelium.

In this case, coughing does not pose a danger; usually the child coughs occasionally, and there may be a slight discharge of sputum.

It is worth noting that each organism is individual, and the recovery process in each special case progresses in its own way and can sometimes drag on for months.

If the cough continues for more than three weeks, while the amount of sputum increases, the cough becomes stronger, it is necessary to show the child to the doctor, as in this case there may be a secondary infection, the development of complications or a severe allergic reaction.

Folk remedies for cough

If the cough does not go away for a long time, you can use folk remedies that will help soothe the irritated mucous membrane, improve the process of removing phlegm and speed up the healing process:

1. Infusion of dill seeds - take 1 tsp. dill seeds, crush, pour 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 20-25 minutes. It is recommended to drink this infusion instead of water throughout the day until complete recovery.
2. Serum with garlic – 2 tbsp. garlic pour 250 ml of cow's milk whey and put on fire, immediately after boiling, remove from heat and cool. This decoction should be drunk throughout the day.
3. Honey – has unique anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions, with a prolonged cough, you can dissolve 1 tsp in your mouth. honey several times a day.
4. Medicinal decoction - mix licorice, marshmallow root and elecampane in equal parts, take 1 tbsp. mixture and pour 200 ml cold water, leave for two hours. Then put on fire and bring to a boil. Drink the cooled and strained broth in three doses during the day, the course of treatment is 10 days (it is recommended to prepare a new portion every day). If coughing continues, you can repeat the course of treatment after a week.

As already noted, coughing is a protective reaction of the body that helps clear the airways from small particles of dust, various contaminants, viruses, etc. If the cough does not go away for a long time, you need to determine the cause of its occurrence. It's worth remembering residual effects, which is observed during the period of recovery of the body and helps cleanse the bronchi from mucus residues. Also, coughing may appear due to increased sensitivity of the receptors; in this case, coughing is disturbing after inhaling cold air, dust or the action of allergens.

Prolonged coughing, which becomes stronger over time, is accompanied by copious sputum production or other symptoms (chest pain, fever, runny nose, weakness, etc.) requires urgent consultation with a specialist, since this condition may be associated with a serious illness (asthma, tuberculosis) .

Causes and treatment of persistent cough in adults

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

What kind of cough is there?

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

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

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

Causes of persistent cough

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

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

How to cure an old cough

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

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

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

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

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

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

Folk remedies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Treat old cough folk remedies are possible, but only as an addition to drug therapy prescribed by a doctor.

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

If the cough does not go away for more than a month, you need to contact a therapist or phthisiatrician to find out the exact cause of its occurrence and receive appropriate treatment. In making a diagnosis, the sonority of the cough, its productivity and X-ray data are decisive.

What is a cough and why does it occur?

Coughing is a normal reflex reaction expressed by the body to irritation of the respiratory system. It usually accompanies infectious diseases of the respiratory tract, but can also occur as a consequence of a certain nervous shock.

Is it possible to call a cough useful phenomenon? On the one hand, a person experiences some inconvenience when it occurs, but it is precisely when it occurs that the bronchi are cleansed. And the reasons for its appearance are as follows:

Inflammatory reactions of the respiratory tract varying degrees heaviness;

Thermal irritation caused by inhaling air that is too hot or too cold;

Mechanical irritation caused by impaired bronchial obstruction;

Chemical irritation associated with inhalation of pungent gases.

Why is a prolonged cough dangerous?

A cough that cannot be cured within several weeks is called chronic. Most often, a prolonged cough is a consequence of bronchitis, but in some cases it can be a sign of the development of a tumor, heart failure, or interstitial pulmonary disease.

Health deviations that accompany a prolonged cough can be expressed by such pathologies as:

Dry wheezing;

Hemoptysis;

Sour belching or heartburn;

Nasal congestion and chest tightness.

In some patients, a cough may not respond to treatment for more than a month even after a common acute respiratory infection, however, there is also a health hazard in that there is a possible infection of the respiratory tract.

What to do if you have a persistent cough?

If the cough bothers you for more than 4 weeks, you should visit a phthisiatrician to exclude such dangerous diseases, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma and lung cancer. Often adult population does not perceive a cough as a serious deviation in the absence of other symptoms of the disease, however, such an attitude towards one’s own health can have dire consequences if the true cause of the cough is not identified and eliminated.

It is not uncommon for doctors to have cases where a person seeks help for a chronic respiratory tract disease, and all because he tried to fight a cough on his own, following the advice of friends and the recommendations of a pharmacist. Experiments with your own health are inappropriate - it is better to entrust the prescription of drug treatment to a doctor, and supplement it with remedies at home traditional medicine in agreement with a specialist.

How to deal with chronic cough at home

A chopped head of garlic and a dozen onions are boiled in cow's milk until completely softened. The resulting mixture is diluted with honey and bud juice. The finished composition is consumed orally every hour, 1 tablespoon.

A saline gargling solution is prepared by simply dissolving 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. boiled water. The procedure should be carried out every hour.

Inhalations that accelerate the process of sputum discharge are best carried out using essential oils. You need to choose them from marjoram or lavender oils, or use benzoin resin or incense. They soften the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and improve sputum separation.

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

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

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

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

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

The main causes of dry cough related to the respiratory system

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

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

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

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

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

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

Atypical forms of pneumonia

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

Whooping cough, measles, false croup

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

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

Tuberculosis

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

By the age of 20-30, it is believed that every person is infected with Koch's bacillus, but a strong immune system copes with it. Once the body weakens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can become more active and cause pulmonary tuberculosis and its extrapulmonary forms.

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

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

Laryngitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis

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

Diseases of ENT organs

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

Oncological diseases of the respiratory organs

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

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

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

Allergic cough

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

Bronchial asthma

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

Exposure to toxic substances in the home

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

Worm infestations

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

Professional dry cough

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

Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

Taking certain medications

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

Cardiovascular diseases and heart failure can also cause dry cough

The cause of the allergy, the provocateur of allergic reactions, can be determined using tests ordered by an allergist. It is worth taking any manifestations of allergies seriously, since it is not just a dry cough, runny nose or rash, with severe allergic reaction Anaphylactic shock and angioedema may occur, which can be fatal without timely medical attention.

Many people only notice a cough if it is accompanied by a fever. In other cases, they do not take the symptom seriously and wait for the unpleasant phenomenon to go away on its own. They don’t even think about visiting the hospital, and a prolonged cough without fever haunts them for months.

A frivolous attitude towards the body’s signal in most cases ends quite disastrously:

The serious consequences of ignoring a prolonged cough without fever are explained by the fact that it is often a companion to quite serious and dangerous processes occurring in the body. They may affect various organs, as well as worsen the condition of the immune system as a whole.

Prolonged cough, chest pain without fever due to chronic bronchitis

Reflex spasms of the respiratory tract are often a sign of ailments that do not necessarily have acute form. A prolonged cough (more than a month) without fever is very often observed with bronchitis in the chronic stage. Its main features are:

• Parallel occurrence painful sensations in the chest.
• Increased in windy and wet weather.
• Production of copious sputum.

Prolonged ignoring of the symptom and lack of adequate treatment of the underlying disease can lead to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Long cough without fever in tuberculosis

In addition to prolonged bronchitis, there is also a more serious disease of the respiratory system, which may be indicated by bronchospasms that do not give rest for a long time. A prolonged cough (3 weeks) without fever can be a sign of such a terrible disease as tuberculosis. The symptom accompanying this disease has the following characteristics:

The danger of ignoring a prolonged cough without fever caused by tuberculosis is that during reflex spasms, which become more intense, the respiratory organs can be injured and pulmonary hemorrhages may occur. The main disease, in the absence of adequate treatment, will progress, developing into a more severe form.

Persistent cough without fever in smokers

Reflex spastic exhalations that continue for a long time can be caused not only by direct diseases of the bronchi or lungs. They often develop due to the presence of a bad habit - nicotine addiction, provoking the onset of development of various pathological processes in the respiratory organs.

If the cough continues for 3 weeks (no fever), and the person has a long history of smoking, then you should pay attention to the following symptoms:

• Are there any signs of any infectious diseases?
• Does the cough appear most often in the morning, after physical activity(even fast walking), with sharp breaths.
• Are bronchospasms accompanied by the release of dense clots of mucus?

If a long-term cough without fever in a smoker is accompanied by similar symptoms, then there is a high probability that the unpleasant phenomenon is caused precisely by the constant inhalation of tobacco smoke.

The only way to get rid of a prolonged cough without fever in this case is to stop smoking. All other methods (inhalations, mint or eucalyptus candies, soothing gargles) can slightly reduce the intensity of reflex spasms, but they cannot completely get rid of them.

Just as it is impossible to stop the pathological processes that have begun in the respiratory system without giving up a bad habit. After all, very often a long-term cough in smokers develops into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which threatens with serious health consequences.

Protracted cough without fever in heart disease

Reflex spasms of the diaphragm that do not stop for a long time can be caused not only pathological processes, occurring directly in the respiratory organs. If, for example, a cough continues for 2 weeks without fever, then you should pay attention to other sensations and signs:

Prolonged cough without fever due to allergic reactions

The body's hypersensitivity to various irritants can also cause reflex spasms of the respiratory tract. An unpleasant symptom resulting from exposure to allergens can be quite long-lasting. He pursues the person until contact between the patient and the provocateur is eliminated. If the cough continues for two weeks (without fever), then it would not be superfluous to visit the hospital and get tested to identify various intolerances.

An unpleasant symptom caused by an allergy is characterized by the following course:

• Occurs after contact with a specific irritant.
• Absence of such signs painful conditions as: temperature, fever, pain, weakness.
• Possible itching, runny nose, sneezing.
• No sputum.

A prolonged cough without fever may be evidence of an allergic reaction of the body to such ordinary things as:

• Plant pollen.
• Wool.
• Freezing.
• Sun.
• Cosmetical tools.
• Household chemicals.

The reasons for the development of allergies and the occurrence of prolonged cough without fever may be:

• Excessive hygiene, which reduces the protective functions of the immune system.
• Antibiotics.
• Food products oversaturated with chemical elements.

Unfortunately, there are no medications that treat allergies. That's why the only way getting rid of a prolonged cough without fever consists in completely eliminating contact with the irritant that causes intolerance.

Of course, general knowledge about the causes of reflex spasms of the respiratory tract is not enough to independently diagnose and prescribe treatment. Only a doctor can correctly understand why an unpleasant symptom arose, analyze the entire existing clinical picture and identify the disease that causes an unpleasant long-lasting cough without fever. Only after this the specialist prescribes the optimal treatment regimen that will help the patient in as soon as possible get rid of an unpleasant symptom and the main ailment.

What to do if you can’t get rid of a cough?

Every person gets a cold at least once a year. From childhood, everyone is familiar with unpleasant symptoms: cough, high temperature, runny nose, weakness, sore throat. Unfortunately, some symptoms can torment a person even after a seemingly complete recovery. The most common case is when the cold has gone away, but the cough does not go away. A persistent cough may persist for several weeks after a cold. What is the cause of cough and how to deal with it?

Cough is the body’s protective reaction to foreign bodies that enter our body. It turns on as a protective reflex when a person chokes on something or even inhales various substances, such as dust, through the mouth. During colds, phlegm accumulates in the respiratory tract, which the body perceives as a foreign body and, by coughing, tries to free itself from it and various microbes.

Thus, it becomes clear that cough should be treated not as a result of an illness, but as a process that helps to fully recover. This means: it is better not to get rid of the cough, but to make it more productive. But sometimes the cough becomes very intense, sometimes preventing a person from falling asleep, or even causing vomiting. In these cases, it is undoubtedly necessary to take measures to reduce the strength of this process.

Causes of prolonged cough

Most often, cough occurs with colds:

• flu;
• respiratory syncytial virus infection;
• adenoviral infection;
• acute or chronic bronchitis;
• pneumonia.

If a cough occurs, you must undergo an examination to find out the cause of its occurrence.

Of course, there are other serious diseases that result in an intense and prolonged cough. If a person’s cough does not go away within a month, then first they need to see a doctor, and only then begin possible self-medication. In any case, when a person has a prolonged cough, it is necessary to do fluorography or even an x-ray.

If a cough during a cold does not go away along with the illness, then a post-cold cough must be treated. It is usually accompanied by the release of viscous sputum. Treatment should be aimed at liquefying and releasing mucus from the respiratory tract.

Treatment of persistent cough

It is wrong to talk about treating cough specifically, because it is just a symptom. It is either removed as a symptom, or the disease itself is treated, as a result of which it appeared.
There are 3 main components that will help relieve cough:

• drinking plenty of water;
• inhalation;
• medications that thin the mucus.

When coughing, the patient should definitely drink plenty of fluids to restore water balance in the body. Water helps the process of liquefying mucus and removing it from the body.

Alkaline mineral waters, such as Borjomi or Essentuki, are especially useful. In addition to a high fluid intake, there should be a proper diet containing many vitamins - fresh fruits and vegetables.

As for inhalations, this is one of the most effective methods for relieving cough. It is not difficult to do inhalation; moreover, there are many different methods, and each patient can choose the most accessible one for himself. One option: brew herbs such as chamomile, sage, thyme, coltsfoot, add a teaspoon of baking soda and a couple of drops of eucalyptus or menthol oil, and then inhale the vapors. The inhalation procedure can be performed several times a day.
By the way, essential oils are very effective in steam inhalers. You need to choose those that help thin the mucus and soften the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Lavender essential oil has a softening property. Eucalyptus and thyme are antiseptics. An expectorant effect will be achieved by using incense and marjoram essential oil. You can prepare a mixture of oils for inhalation yourself, or purchase one already prepared at the pharmacy.

Medicines

Medicines for cough should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

As for medications, you should be especially careful here. As with other drugs, you should trust the choice of medication only to a specialist. Going to the pharmacy and, on the advice of the pharmacist, purchasing a popular expectorant is a big mistake that many patients make.

In some cases it can help, but in others it can even do harm, because the pharmacist cannot make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, it is worth going to the doctor and finding out what exactly is the cause of a long, persistent cough.

Speaking generally about medications, you should know that medications for thinning sputum are divided into mucolytic and expectorant. Mucolytics are prescribed in cases where the sputum is very viscous and difficult to remove from the body. Expectorant medications are needed in situations where there is, on the contrary, little sputum. They help the bronchi remove mucus, making it more liquid. At the same time, the medicine causes a cough, as a result of which the bronchi are cleared.

A separate group of drugs consists of antitussive drugs. As you know, a cough is not always worth eliminating, since it is precisely this that helps the body cleanse itself of germs and phlegm. But in some cases, with a dry, suffocating cough, antitussive drugs are prescribed.

This should only be done by a doctor, as these drugs can have severe side effects. In addition, if sputum is present, these medications should be stopped immediately. If, even while taking medications, the cough continues to bother you for 1-2 weeks, then you need to visit a doctor; you may need to change your treatment.

How to relieve a persistent cough?

There are some simple methods that can help make your cough less painful. Using these tips, available to everyone, you can bring a lot of benefits to a sick body:

1. Gargling with saline solution. Solution: warm water with a diluted teaspoon of salt. You can make this solution with baking soda and add a drop of iodine. An irritated throat will not hurt as much when you cough.
2. To give up smoking. If the patient smokes, then at least for the duration of treatment he should quit the bad habit, or at least reduce the number of cigarettes smoked to a minimum.
3. Humidified air. If there are special devices for humidifying the air, then you should definitely use them, and if not, then you can simply put a couple of cans of water in the corners of the room. Humid air easily penetrates the lungs, while dry air irritates them, causing coughing attacks.
4. For a dry cough, you need to take a spoonful of honey. Honey with finely chopped garlic or onion will enhance the effect. This product softens the throat and has an antibacterial effect.
   Thus, with the right approach to treating the disease, you can effectively get rid of cough, eliminating its complications. It must be remembered that any disease that is not completely eliminated can cause serious consequences for the body.

What does a persistent cough mean in an adult?

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

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

What can cause a persistent cough?

IN medical practice It is customary to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious causes of severe cough.

Non-infectious include:

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

Types of prolonged cough in adults

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

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

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

When visiting a doctor, many patients report pain in the side, shortness of breath, elevated temperature that accompany the main symptom.

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

Barking - tracheitis or laryngitis.

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

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

ARI, acute respiratory viral infection has an obsessive cough.

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

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

Treatment of dry cough in adults

Smoker's cough

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warming and rubbing help a lot.

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

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

Dry cough with allergic reactions, tracheitis and laryngitis

To successfully treat persistent cough due to similar manifestations, it is necessary to find out exactly the reasons. All activities should be carried out only after consultation with a doctor.

Patients with persistent cough should be provided with:

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

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

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

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

What are the dangers of not treating a persistent cough?

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

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

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

Cough with sputum: how and how to treat if there is no fever

If adults have a constant dry or wet cough, this condition indicates damage to the respiratory tract, which is caused by one or another disease.

This symptom is a kind of self-defense of the body and is caused when foreign particles appear in the respiratory organs, for example, it can be green sputum when coughing.

Often with colds, a cough appears with sputum, which is coughed up. Phlegm is a viscous, thick liquid produced by the mucous membrane.

It is based on water with glycoproteins, lipids and immunoglobulins. Depending on the composition, the foamy consistency may have different colour, which varies from pale yellow to green and brown. A cough with obvious phlegm causes expectoration to clear germs and accumulated toxins from the respiratory tract.

In most cases of illness, a dry cough transforms into a wet cough with sputum, which is expectorated. Most common cause The one that provokes it is smoking.

When smoking, a large amount of mucus accumulates in the respiratory tract, which leads to the appearance of coughing with sputum.

Smoking also paralyzes the fine hairs that are found in the respiratory tract, which makes expectoration very difficult.

Causes and types of sputum when coughing

Cough without fever can be caused by different types diseases. One of the reasons for the appearance of symptoms is the development of asthma. At the initial stage of the disease, the patient experiences slight hoarseness and a dry cough with difficult to separate sputum. After some time, the wheezing becomes strong and a strong cough with sputum appears. In this case, thick, foamy mucus may form in the form of discharge.

In addition, it can be noted:

1. Another cause may be chronic bronchitis. A similar disease with chronic blockage of the airways causes a dry cough, which gradually turns into a cough without fever. In this case, the liquid consistency may contain salty, purulent brown mucus.
2. A cough with yellow mucus often occurs as a result of a common cold. In this case, the color of sputum when coughing may change, as pus accumulates in it.
3. Large quantities of mucus accumulate in the respiratory tract if dust, smoke and other irritants are inhaled, causing coughing with phlegm.

Often similar symptoms are observed with an allergic reaction or chronic sinusitis. A green liquid consistency when coughing is observed if the disease has become chronic.

A severe cough with sputum may also indicate the presence of a serious disease such as lung cancer. Therefore, you should be wary if blood streaks are found in the consistency. The mucus may also contain purulent accumulations.

If a dry cough smoothly turns into a cough with sputum, this may be a signal of the development of pneumonia. Yellow or gray salty sputum in turn changes color due to the activity of the bacteria present in it.

Yellow sputum when coughing

The appearance of yellow sputum may indicate that the patient is developing bronchitis, pneumonia or sinusitis. In the event that a cough with obvious yellow sputum appears unexpectedly and sharply, you should immediately consult a doctor to begin treatment as soon as possible.

It is especially dangerous if the mucus contains purulent or bloody accumulations. The yellow color usually appears when the main consistency is mixed with pus.

To accurately diagnose the disease and prescribe the correct treatment, the doctor prescribes a sputum test, which is collected in a special jar. The procedure is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach, before oral cavity rinsed with a weak antiseptic solution.

Also, purulent sputum may be yellow if you smoke frequently. With bronchitis, the color of the liquid consistency can reveal the cause of the disease and the presence of bacteria in the body.

Treatment is prescribed only after a thorough examination and an accurate diagnosis.

White sputum

White sputum with a curd consistency indicates the presence of a fungal infection or tuberculosis in the respiratory tract. Fungi can infect the bronchi as a result of long-term treatment with antibiotics with reduced immunity. This leads to the appearance on the mucous membrane pathogenic microflora. In the case of tuberculosis, mucus is usually secreted in small quantities.

If in sputum white bloody spots are detected, the doctor can diagnose a pulmonary complication due to damage to the laryngeal vessels during coughing. The white, watery consistency can be caused by external irritants, a viral infection, or respiratory diseases.

Transparent sputum indicates that there is no inflammatory process. A thick and transparent consistency may indicate that pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies, asthma or a cold are developing.

With a constant increase in the amount of mucus and sputum, the patient becomes poisoned, so it is important to start treatment on time to prevent stagnation of accumulations in the bronchi.

Cough and blood

Bloody spots in the sputum when coughing indicate a respiratory disease. If such symptoms appear, you should immediately seek medical help to identify the causes and begin the necessary treatment.

When the reasons lie in the development of lung cancer, blood in the sputum is found in the form of streaks. Coughing up blood can also be caused by bronchitis, in which case small scarlet streaks can be detected in small quantities.

If the causes are the development of pneumonia, fresh traces of blood will appear from coughing with sputum. From what exactly caused painful symptoms, will depend on what treatment the doctor prescribes.

A cough that lasts more than four to eight weeks is considered to be protracted, with no positive dynamics towards recovery observed. This condition is a very alarming symptom that indicates the presence of a serious illness.

Before starting treatment, the doctor will order an X-ray of the lungs to rule out cancer. The reasons for this condition of the patient may lie in the presence of inflammation, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis. A prolonged cough can also occur in heavy smokers with prolonged bronchitis. This disease is considered chronic and is quite difficult to cure.

Prolonged cough is observed in people who, by the nature of their activities, are associated with chemicals. In particular, with constant contact with asbestos, people often develop the disease asbestosis.

To get rid of the disease, you need to change your occupation so as not to contract with the irritant; there are no other ways to solve this problem.

Cough in the morning

Quite often people cough in the morning, and there is nothing wrong with that. Thus, they cough up mucus that has accumulated in the respiratory tract overnight. However, it is important to understand that healthy people mucus comes out in small quantities. If a large amount of sputum is produced, there may be reasons for this.

Most often, heavy smokers cough heavily and cough up mucus in the morning. As you know, a chronic morning cough signals tobacco poisoning. If treatment is not started in time, the symptoms will only get worse.

May also cause a severe cough in the morning chronic diseases lungs, tuberculosis. The patient may cough excessively if mucus has flowed into the throat from the sinuses.

Treatment of cough with phlegm

When cough and sputum are caused by ARVI or bronchitis, and the accumulated consistency is difficult to expectorate, the doctor prescribes treatment using special mucolytic agents that dilute the sputum. Also, in case of difficult to separate sputum, expectorants are prescribed.

Many people, worried about their health, sometimes refuse to take medications, preferring folk remedies. However, it must be taken into account that such treatment methods may also have contraindications and cause side effects. Therefore, before starting treatment, you should consult with your doctor.

It is also important to understand that mucolytic and antitussive drugs cannot be taken at the same time, otherwise the patient’s condition will only worsen.

Medicines that relieve cough are divided into three main groups:

• Expectorants are prescribed to treat cold symptoms with thin sputum.
• Antitussives medicines are prescribed when it is necessary to treat non-productive and dry cough.
• Mucolytic drugs are used when it is necessary to treat symptoms of thick, viscous, and difficult to clear sputum.

Expectorant cough medicines

Althea preparations, which include Mucaltin, Alteika syrup and Althea roots, will help to quickly and effectively cure a wet cough. A medicinal expectorant is prescribed if it is necessary to treat acute and chronic pathologies of the respiratory system in the form of bronchitis, emphysema, tracheobronchitis. The drug is used for viscous sputum that is difficult to separate.

The drug thins the consistency, relieves inflammation, stimulates wave-like contractions of the bronchial walls, so that mucus is easily removed from the respiratory tract. However, treating symptoms with Althea is contraindicated in cases of individual sensitivity, duodenal and gastric ulcers. Diabetics should also exercise caution during treatment.

Thermopsis-based preparations help treat cold symptoms by irritating the respiratory center, which promotes expectoration of mucus. These include cough tablets Thermopsol, Codelac broncho with thyme. The medicine has an expectorant, anti-inflammatory and mucolytic effect due to the active elements it contains.

Breast infusions, which include medicinal herbs such as oregano, coltsfoot, plantain, licorice, sage, anise, marshmallow, help to quickly cure a wet cough. pine buds cough, chamomile, violet, wild rosemary, calendula.

Also, many people prefer to treat cold symptoms with the Bronchofit elixir, which contains wild rosemary, plantain, anise, licorice, sage, violet, and thyme.

Mucolytic cough medications

Mucolytic drugs are prescribed to drink when it is necessary to treat bronchitis. Such drugs dilute sputum, improve its excretion and thereby disrupt favorable conditions for the proliferation of pathogenic organisms.

Medicines, active substance which is acetylcysteine, help get rid of severe symptoms of chronic bronchitis. They are also taken for laryngitis, otitis media, and pneumonia. These drugs are contraindicated in pulmonary hemorrhage, bronchial asthma, pathology of the adrenal glands, liver and kidney failure.

Bromhexine and the drugs containing it Solvin and Bronchosan are widely used for inhalation. The effect of treatment can be seen after 2 days. In case of increased viscosity of sputum, drugs based on carbocysteine ​​are prescribed, including drugs such as Fluditek, Fluifort, Bronchobos and Libexin Muno.

The interesting video in this article offers information on how you can treat a cough.