Cough: Pixabay How to get rid of a cough? This unpleasant symptom often accompanies colds, but can also appear in a number of other cases. Therefore, before treating a cough at home, it is important to establish the cause of its occurrence, as well as determine the type. Taking this information into account, treating cough at home will be effective and will help you quickly restore your well-being.
Causes of severe cough
The most likely causes of a very severe cough are inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract: pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and their combinations (laryngotracheitis, tracheobronchitis). Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs can be caused by infectious and non-infectious factors. Infectious inflammation results from infection with viruses, bacteria or fungi. Non-infectious inflammation develops with allergies and in response to irritating substances (tobacco smoke, industrial dust, chemical agents). In addition, other reasons can lead to a severe cough:
- non-inflammatory respiratory diseases;
- heart failure;
- neuroses.
A doctor should determine the exact cause and give recommendations on what and how to cure a severe cough.
Chocolate
An interesting folk recipe for children who do not want to take medicine.
Action : A thick and warm chocolate drink not only improves your mood, but warms and envelops an irritated throat. Cocoa has a proto-inflammatory effect and calms the urge to cough.
Recipe : Melt a bar of dark chocolate, add grated cocoa, butter (or cocoa butter) and sugar to taste. Add the mixture to the boiling milk and stir thoroughly for several minutes until smooth. You can spread the cooled chocolate butter on a loaf or bun and wash it down with milk.
Symptoms of a severe cough
The manifestations of a severe cough may differ depending on what disease it is caused by:
- for laryngitis and laryngotracheitis.
The cough is rough, “barking”; young children may develop attacks of shortness of breath with difficulty in breathing (stenotic laryngotracheitis or false croup). It is accompanied by hoarseness of voice, intensifies at night and in the early morning hours;
- with tracheitis.
The cough is obsessive, unproductive or unproductive, accompanied by chest pain, occurs and intensifies with deep breathing (for example, during physical activity) and in cold air;
- during an attack of bronchial asthma or broncho-obstructive syndrome.
The cough is wet, unproductive, paroxysmal in nature, shortness of breath with difficulty in exhaling is noted. Coughing attacks may be accompanied by gagging or vomiting. Bronchial obstruction often develops against the background of infections caused by the influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus, and can be observed with bronchitis in young children;
- with whooping cough.
Manifests itself in the form of a prolonged attack of dry or unproductive cough, accompanied by redness and puffiness of the face, vomiting is possible during the attack and the appearance of hemorrhages on the sclera and facial skin;
- for bronchitis and pneumonia.
The cough is wet, unproductive or productive, accompanied by sputum discharge;
What medications can you take to quickly cure a wet cough?
To quickly get rid of a wet cough, the doctor first determines the nature of the discharge, conducts a general analysis of the person’s condition and studies his tests. And only after that he prescribes one of the following drugs:
- ACC or similar means. These are fast-dissolving effervescent tablets. The product allows you to quickly dilute the secretion secreted by the bronchi and remove it from the body. The drug acts as a local anesthetic and is an antioxidant. Prescribed for adult patients.
- Mukaltin. Produced in tablet form. It is a mucolytic agent that quickly thins mucus. Gives excellent results after several days of use. It can be taken by children over 12 years of age and adults who do not suffer from allergic reactions, diabetes mellitus and do not have pathologies of the digestive tract.
- Ambroxol. Tablets or mixtures are prescribed for serious pathologies of the respiratory system and can be taken as a prophylactic agent. The drug removes mucus and quickly eliminates inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs.
- Bromhexine. The tablets should be taken by people who produce thick mucus when coughing. The drug has almost no contraindications and does not reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. When taking, you should drink plenty of water.
- Bronholitin. Syrup is the most effective combination product. It deactivates the cough center, removes bronchial mucus, and removes swelling of the mucous membranes. It is prescribed for both adults and children. However, in rare cases, when taking it, blood pressure increases, dermatitis or rapid heartbeat may occur.
Treatments for a severe cough
What to do if you have a severe cough? First of all, consult a doctor, since self-medication in this situation can lead to the progression of the disease and the development of complications. The specialist, after listening to the patient’s complaints and conducting an examination, will be able to make a presumptive diagnosis and decide how to treat a severe cough. The fight against cough is carried out taking into account the causes of its occurrence, the severity of symptoms, the severity of the condition, the age of the patient and the presence or absence of other diseases. Before treating a severe cough in an adult or child, it is necessary to determine drug tolerance and other features that may affect the choice of medication.
For diseases that occur with cough, complex therapy is carried out, including:
- non-pharmacological measures
. Warm drinks, warming and physical procedures - when body temperature normalizes, home regime;
- taking medications
.
Cough suppressants, multivitamins, if indicated - antibiotics or antiviral drugs, antipyretics. Depending on the type and nature of the cough, different drugs are prescribed: for a non-productive cough,
two groups of drugs are used: antitussives, which suppress the cough reflex and can relieve unpleasant symptoms, but do not affect the cause and mechanisms of cough; - drugs that have an anti-inflammatory effect. This effect is achieved, for example, by Doctor MOM® syrup, the active components of which act on the cause of cough and reduce irritation of the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi;
It is recommended to use mucolytic, that is, mucus-thinning drugs. Doctor MOM® syrup can also be prescribed for the treatment of wet, unproductive cough, since it contains active components, which include glycyrrhizin, which reduces the viscosity of sputum and facilitates its secretion;
use bronchodilators that have the ability to dilate the bronchi;
Drug therapy is not always required, since the sputum easily passes away on its own. But young children often have a productive, but at the same time “ineffective” cough, due to the fact that they simply do not know how to clear their throat. In such situations, it is necessary to prescribe expectorant drugs.
How to treat dry cough in adults
To cure a dry cough, you need a comprehensive approach to the problem. It includes eliminating the cause of this symptom (disease or provoking circumstances), following all doctor’s recommendations, taking prescribed medications and staying in bed in cases where the cough is accompanied by high body temperature. In addition, it is important to follow some rules that help reduce the burden on the respiratory system and facilitate the process of their treatment and recovery.
Humidity and freshness
When treating dry cough in adults, try to keep the air in the room fresh and moist. Ventilate the room more often or, if possible, keep the window ajar if the weather outside allows it. The influx of fresh air reduces the concentration of pathogens present in the room air. If you have a humidifier, turn it on; The humidity in the room should be at least 50%. If there is no such device, and the heating is already on, place wet towels on the radiators and change them as they dry. Wiping the floor in the patient's room with a very damp cloth once or twice a day will also do. By getting rid of dry air, you can reduce the likelihood of drying out the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and, as a result, relieve coughing caused by insufficient hydration.
Drink plenty of fluids
You should drink as much as possible, and always have a cup of warm liquid at hand. It can be just water, herbal, fruit or black tea, fruit drink or milk with butter, familiar to everyone from childhood. Warm water with lemon and honey (if you are not allergic to honey) or a ginger drink at night helps treat dry cough at home. The temperature of the liquid should be at body temperature. Drinking plenty of fluids will help get rid of dehydration or prevent thickening of mucus in the bronchi caused by a lack of fluid.
Medicines
Many dry cough treatments contain substances to thin mucus or facilitate expectoration. If, as in the case of Doctor MOM® cough syrup, the drugs are made on the basis of medicinal herbs, then they have few side effects, and such drugs can be taken for a long time. The combination of 10 medicinal herbs acts in different directions.
Special exercises
In addition to taking medications, to treat a severe cough, you can use methods that help the respiratory system cope with it more effectively. There is a whole set of exercises called “postural drainage”. It is carried out on the recommendation of a doctor and includes special breathing and drainage exercises to help remove mucus. Another method - percussion massage - improves blood circulation and facilitates the removal of mucus from the bronchi. This auxiliary treatment is recommended for adults and especially children.
Treatment of severe cough with Doctor MOM® drugs
Medicines based on herbal components from the Doctor MOM® line can be used to treat both unproductive and unproductive severe cough. Due to the multidirectional action of the active substances that make up the syrup, they produce anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, mucolytic and expectorant effects. For the treatment of adults, any of the products from the Doctor MOM® line can be used (in the absence of contraindications and individual sensitivity to the components of the drug), and children are prescribed syrup Doctor MOM® and Doctor MOM® Phyto ointment (from 3 years of age).
Drink plenty of warm fluids for wet coughs
When answering the question of how to cure a wet cough in an adult, it is worth mentioning another necessary and effective method of treatment: drinking plenty of vitamins. During a cold, you should drink more liquid than usual to moisturize the mucous membrane and quickly thin the mucus. This can be warm mineral water, herbal decoctions, teas, fruit drinks, milk in combination with honey, etc.
