home Audience 2 Frequent dry cough, what to treat. Frequent dry cough in children and adults. Causes and possible diseases

Frequent dry cough, what to treat. Frequent dry cough in children and adults. Causes and possible diseases

Cough is a complex defense mechanism of the body in clearing the respiratory tract of dangerous and foreign substances. The pathogenic agent that causes damage to the mucosa is expelled along with sputum. The respiratory muscles forcefully exhale air from the bronchi, and the bronchial epithelium pushes phlegm out with cilia. But when there is no sputum, the cough is called dry. There is either no mucus, or there is much less of it. This causes the person to constantly try to cough.

A dry cough lasting no more than 3 weeks is an acute cough; from 3 weeks to 3 months is a protracted cough. A persistent cough for more than 3 months is a sign of a chronic process.

Causes of dry cough

The causes of the disease may be different. The most common of them are various types of inflammation in the area:

trachea;
larynx;
bronchi.

Pneumonia and bronchial asthma can also cause a dry cough. Sometimes the reasons lie in the presence of malignant neoplasms in the trachea, bronchi or lungs. Whooping cough in children also contributes to this type of cough. A dry cough appears almost immediately when inhaling caustic fumes; in this case, you need to leave the danger zone as quickly as possible. This is not yet a symptom of the disease, but a warning of danger.

Conventionally, all reasons can be divided into two main groups:

Diseases of the bronchopulmonary system and ENT organs.
Conditions not associated with primary pathology of the respiratory system.

Diseases of the bronchopulmonary system and ENT organs

Irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system and the occurrence of cough can be provoked by various factors. These include:

1. Infections.

In the first place in the structure of these causes are acute respiratory infections. The cause of acute respiratory infections can be a virus or bacteria. Rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis usually develop, and less commonly tracheitis or bronchitis. With these diseases, an acute cough is observed, which can turn into a wet one. It occurs due to increased sensitivity of cough receptors and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, which are irritated by postnasal secretion. It bothers me more often at night, since during the day the postnasal secretion flows down and is reflexively swallowed. This cough may go away on its own. Good help

plenty of warm drinks;
first generation antiallergic drugs;
local antiseptics;
antiviral agents according to indications.

With laryngitis and tracheitis, the cough is debilitating, annoying, and gets worse at night. In such cases, antitussives are additionally prescribed.

After an acute respiratory infection, a cold cough can last for one week, three or even a month. This is how the body tries to get rid of the remaining mucus. This is usually a rare cough that goes away quickly after the prescription of bronchodilators, since the cold in such patients drags on due to increased bronchial reactivity.

The danger of diseases of the respiratory system is that patients like to treat them with folk remedies. As a result, doctors treat a chronic process or its consequences. A periodic inflammatory process will cause cell atrophy, the mucous membrane will be dry, the throat will be sore, and even a short conversation will cause coughing.

Pneumonia is somewhat less likely to occur with a dry cough; this usually happens when infected with atypical flora (mycoplasma, chlamydia).

Severe pain, aggravated by breathing, can occur against the background of pleurisy. It is important that pleurisy occurs not only with infection, but is also possible with oncology, cirrhosis of the liver, and heart failure. Therefore, it is so necessary to find out the causes of dry cough in time.

A terrible barking cough in children primarily suggests whooping cough. The disease is characterized by recurrences (repeated episodes) of nonproductive cough with vomiting. A complication of the disease is false croup. If a child experiences a feeling of shortness of breath, urgently seek medical help.

Tuberculosis is a socially significant disease, some of its forms can begin with coughing, accompanied by weakness and mild low-grade fever in the evening. Currently, tuberculosis has become an epidemic. Not only antisocial sections of the population get sick, but also socially prosperous ones. This is due to an increase in factors contributing to chronic stress.

2. Allergies. Atopy is a distorted response of the body's immune system to certain environmental factors or the condition of the body itself. Allergens enter the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract when breathing; this can be pollen, dust, particles of washing powder and others. These diseases include allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma.

Allergic rhinitis has a chronic seasonal course, and the patient’s quality of life suffers. At the moment, the pharmaceutical market offers a large selection of antihistamines that can reduce the manifestations of the disease.

Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease accompanied mainly by shortness of breath and lack of air. Occasionally, a cough form of the disease is characteristic. The cough can be either debilitating dry or wet. Tests with bronchodilators can clarify the diagnosis. Modern means provide good control of the disease, but it is important to receive qualified help in a timely manner.

3. Oncological pathology of the respiratory organs and mediastinum. A long, painful cough should be examined for the possibility of cancer. The cause of cough in cancer of the lungs, bronchi, larynx, and mediastinal organs is a decrease in the lumen of the airways by a growing tumor and inflammatory secretion, followed by reflex irritation of cough receptors. Early detection of cancer offers a huge chance of cure.

4. Smoker's bronchitis. Periodic cough bothers both active and passive smokers.

5. Occupational lung diseases. The reason is industrial dust particles, which cause chronic inflammation and prolonged coughing. Gradually, areas of inflammation are limited to strands of connective tissue (pneumoconiosis). The lungs lose their elasticity and the drainage function of the airways decreases.

6. Foreign body in the respiratory tract. The cough in these cases is sudden, hacking without relief, accompanied by severe shortness of breath and respiratory distress. As a rule, if a foreign body is not coughed out, it can be removed by bronchoscopy.

Conditions not associated with primary pathology of the respiratory system

These conditions include:

Pathology of the cardiovascular system. Cough is a sign of blood stagnation in the vessels of the lungs. Treatment in this case is aimed at improving blood circulation. A serious life-threatening condition is pulmonary embolism (PE), when the patient suddenly develops severe shortness of breath, chest pain, dry cough and hemoptysis. PE can be fatal.
Gastoesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This disease is characterized by weakness of the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus. The acidic contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus and respiratory tract, causing irritation. The cough gets worse at night when the person takes a horizontal position. Overeating, increased weight, and consumption of certain foods (coffee, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks) contribute to increased reflux. The cough in this case will be difficult to treat if the reflux is not eliminated. Patients are recommended drugs that reduce acidity, improve the tone of the gastroesophageal sphincter, diet and sleep with the head and chest elevated.
Worm infection. Ascaris larvae undergo a pulmonary stage of migration in the human body. Getting into the lungs and bronchi with the bloodstream, they irritate the mucous membrane and cause an unproductive cough.
Nervous and hysterical cough. Prolonged stress can trigger coughing fits in people.
Taking certain medications. A common side effect of taking ACE inhibitors is a mild dry cough. These drugs are used to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients, so replacing the drug with another drug will help solve the problem.

Important! A lingering cough may indicate a serious illness, so you should definitely contact a specialist for diagnosis and prescribing the correct treatment.

Always see a doctor if your cough is accompanied by the following symptoms:

feeling of suffocation and inability to take a deep breath;
shortness of breath prevents you from speaking;
cough is accompanied by fever (body temperature above 38C);
a hacking cough is accompanied by hemoptysis, vomiting, severe pain in the chest or throat;
dry cough is accompanied by loss of body weight, general weakness, and sweating.

Diagnostic search for dry cough symptoms

If the cough does not go away for a long time, you should consult a therapist or general practitioner. Based on the results of the survey and a thorough examination, they prescribe a general blood test and chest x-ray. If necessary, the doctor will refer you for additional examinations or consultations:

spirography and bronchodilator test;
allergy tests;
CT or MRI;
EFGDS;
consultations with specialists (allergist, otorhinolaryngologist, pulmonologist, occupational pathologist, gastroenterologist, cardiologist or oncologist).

Timely treatment and timely treatment is the key to a favorable outcome of any disease.

You are a fairly active person who cares and thinks about your respiratory system and health in general, continue to play sports, lead a healthy lifestyle and your body will delight you throughout your life. But do not forget to undergo examinations on time, maintain your immunity, this is very important, do not overcool, avoid severe physical and strong emotional overload. Try to minimize contact with sick people; if forced contact, do not forget about protective equipment (mask, washing your hands and face, clearing your respiratory tract).

It's time to think about what you are doing wrong...

You are at risk, you should think about your lifestyle and start taking care of yourself. Physical education is required, or even better, start playing sports, choose the sport that you like most and turn it into a hobby (dancing, cycling, gym, or just try to walk more). Do not forget to treat colds and flu promptly, they can lead to complications in the lungs. Be sure to work on your immunity, strengthen yourself, and be in nature and fresh air as often as possible. Do not forget to undergo scheduled annual examinations; it is much easier to treat lung diseases in the initial stages than in advanced stages. Avoid emotional and physical overload; if possible, eliminate or minimize smoking or contact with smokers.

It's time to sound the alarm!

You are completely irresponsible about your health, thereby destroying the functioning of your lungs and bronchi, have pity on them! If you want to live a long time, you need to radically change your entire attitude towards your body. First of all, get examined by specialists such as a therapist and a pulmonologist; you need to take radical measures, otherwise everything may end badly for you. Follow all the doctors’ recommendations, radically change your life, perhaps you should change your job or even your place of residence, completely eliminate smoking and alcohol from your life, and reduce contact with people who have such bad habits to a minimum, toughen up, strengthen your immunity as much as possible spend more time in the fresh air. Avoid emotional and physical overload. Completely eliminate all aggressive products from everyday use and replace them with natural, natural remedies. Do not forget to do wet cleaning and ventilation of the room at home.

Constant coughing in an adult is a common reason for visiting a doctor. Most often it worries adult patients. Coughing is a reflex sign that occurs when the body tries to clear the airways of mucus and accumulated dust. Frequent urge to cough may be due to colds. However, sometimes they report more serious abnormalities. A persistent cough should not be ignored. Such a symptom must be eliminated immediately. For successful treatment, it is necessary to establish the root cause of the deviation. Sometimes negative complications arise due to constant coughing. Often they are irreversible. A visit to the doctor is mandatory.

There can be many reasons for regular coughing and it is not recommended to ignore such a symptom.

Main reasons

Strong or mild, but constant coughing is a pathological sign. It appears only in the presence of certain deviations. A regular cough cannot occur on its own. Only sometimes can it be physiological and be the norm. Such coughing usually does not cause discomfort to a person and he does not pay attention to it.

Physiological coughing usually occurs up to 20 times a day. It can also occur in an absolutely healthy person.

Pathological frequent and prolonged coughing does not go away on its own. It always needs medical intervention. Only a specialist can understand the reasons for the appearance of a negative symptom. Typically, a prolonged cough is present with serious abnormalities. It poses the greatest danger if it is unproductive.

Smokers develop cough on a regular basis

Most often, the occurrence of a lingering cough in adults is associated with:

work at an industrial enterprise;
penetration of toxic components into the respiratory organs;
prolonged smoking or quitting a bad habit;
recent cold or respiratory disease;
allergies (in this case, coughing occurs periodically);
the presence of cancerous tumors in the body;
gastrointestinal deviations;
the presence of osteochondrosis or some other back diseases;
abnormalities in the functioning of the heart and vascular system;
lack of oxygen in the body;
the presence of certain hereditary pathologies;

Coughing may persist after a cold

bronchial type asthma;
lung diseases;
tuberculosis;
deviations in the functioning of the nervous system;
living in an excessively polluted area.

A persistent cough most bothers patients after waking up and at night. During the day the symptom is less pronounced. The cause of the disease can only be determined by passing certain tests. It is impossible to do this on your own.

The most common cause of a prolonged cough is an allergic reaction. The patient may ignore the presenting signs and for a long period of time not even suspect that he has an individual intolerance to something. In this case, fighting cough with traditional drugs may not be effective. You can get rid of the symptom only by eliminating the allergen. Antihistamines are used for treatment. Upon contact with an allergen, coughing may be accompanied by attacks of suffocation and excessive tearing.

Cough is a common symptom of lung diseases

The doctor must understand the causes of the disease before making a diagnosis. Without finding out the root cause, he will not be able to recommend medications for therapy.

A persistent cough is a dangerous symptom

A constant urge to cough can pose a huge danger to human life and health. In order to assess the risk, you need to pay attention to the accompanying signs. If you have certain symptoms, you should urgently visit a medical facility.

Sometimes an adult may cough for an extended period of time every day. This unpleasant symptom is usually accompanied by a host of other unpleasant symptoms. Typically, the patient complains of:

weakness;
decreased performance;
sleep disturbance.

In addition to a cough, your temperature may also rise

However, more serious symptoms may also be present. Typically these include:

difficulty breathing;
severe malaise;
excessive sweating;
rapid loss of body weight, despite a balanced diet;
a sharp increase in body temperature;
redness of the skin of the face.

The causes of these symptoms are usually serious disorders. For each patient, treatment is selected individually. Typically, specialists take into account a large number of different factors, starting with the underlying disease and ending with the age and weight of the patient.

Against the background of a cough, a person may experience breathing problems

An urgent need to go to the hospital if the patient not only has symptoms, but also his condition is rapidly deteriorating.

He may be diagnosed with the following diseases:

pneumonia and bronchitis in chronic form;
bronchial asthma;
tuberculosis;
pathologies in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Cough with other symptoms may be caused by a cancerous tumor

The listed diseases pose a huge danger to the patient. Only a doctor can help cope with the illness that has arisen. Once you start using medications, coughing will be much easier. If treatment is not timely, the disease becomes chronic. At this stage of development, it is much more difficult to get rid of the disease. Some of the previously listed ailments can cause death in the patient.

Even a slight but regular cough is a significant reason to visit a medical facility. Ignoring such a sign can lead to a rapid deterioration of the condition. Irreversible consequences may occur.

Neurogenic cough

A common cause of persistent cough in adults is emotional stress. Of course, constant stressful situations negatively affect human health. Sometimes they can cause serious illnesses. Often a person coughs when suffering from a nervous disorder. In this case, irritating factors arise that affect the brain. They are prerequisites for the cough reflex.

Coughing can occur due to emotional stress

A mild cough that occurs during emotional stress is usually called neurogenic. It occurs without an underlying disease and has characteristic differences. Typically patients complain of:

mild bouts of unproductive cough;
the occurrence of paroxysmal cough during periods of emotional stress.

Symptoms intensify when a person experiences stress. It disappears during the period of calm. The main symptoms may be accompanied by excessive tearing. Usually, severe coughing attacks provoke the appearance of a gag reflex. Neurogenic coughing does not occur at night.

Neurogenic cough usually has a barking character. It does not cause significant discomfort to the patient and is not accompanied by other negative symptoms.

When treating a cough due to emotional disorders, a consultation with a psychotherapist may be required.

This cough usually lasts for a long period of time. It will disappear completely only after proper treatment. But even in the presence of mild neurogenic cough, the patient needs treatment. With such an illness, he needs to visit a psychotherapist. He will confirm or, on the contrary, deny the presence of a neurogenic abnormality, and, if necessary, prescribe adequate treatment. It usually does not last long, and the course of treatment usually does not include traditional antitussives. They are ineffective for neurogenic cough. The patient is advised to avoid stressful situations if possible. Thanks to this, you can significantly reduce the risk of a nervous cough. You cannot do without consulting a psychotherapist.

Infectious diseases

The cause of frequent and prolonged coughing can be infectious diseases and various inflammatory processes. Their presence can be suspected if an unpleasant sign is observed for more than a few weeks. Both the upper and lower respiratory tract may be affected. A prolonged cough is always present with:

pharyngitis;
laryngitis;
bronchitis;
tracheitis.

The presence of infectious diseases of the nasopharynx causes constant coughing

The reason for the frequent urge to cough is also a disruption in the functioning of the nasopharynx. The most common include:

sinusitis;
sinusitis;
rhinitis.

Often, prolonged coughing occurs in the presence of infectious diseases. These include whooping cough. The appearance of this disease is often recorded in young children. The disease rarely appears in adults.

Usually, with prolonged coughing, the presence of tuberculosis is suspected. In order to confirm or refute it, you need to pass certain tests. In the presence of such a disease, the cough is dry and debilitating.

Taking medications must be agreed with your doctor

If the root cause of the disease is an infectious disease or inflammation, the patient is prescribed medication. In some cases, surgery may be necessary. If symptoms appear, you should consult a specialist. He will tell you how to eliminate constant coughing in an adult and identify the causes of the disorder.

Medicines can be combined with traditional medicine. Then the treatment will be more effective. You can give preference to medicinal drinks based on:

In addition to medications for coughs, you can use various natural teas and decoctions

It is also recommended to take warm baths with the addition of sea salt. Traditional medicine does not allow one to get rid of infectious diseases or inflammation. However, thanks to it, the course of the disease can be significantly alleviated. Any natural ingredients must be approved by a doctor.

Why dry coughing happens - the doctor will tell you about it in the video:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Productive cough: causes and effective treatments

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

More information about cough can be found in the video:

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

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

But the main causes of cough are, of course, associated with inflammatory and infectious diseases. Most of it is provoked by laryngitis, lesions of the nasopharynx (,), infectious diseases - measles, croup, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Danger signs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drug treatment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Folk recipes

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

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

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

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

A dry cough, which is classified as non-productive, is mainly one of the symptoms of respiratory diseases, which today are in first place in terms of prevalence. Moreover, this problem is relevant for people of any age category. Every year, both adults and young patients turn to doctors in connection with pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system. Moreover, the number of such patients is increasing due to unfavorable environmental conditions, hereditary burden, as well as many household and professional risk factors.

Based on available data, dry cough is a constant symptom in 11-18% of the population of our planet. But, as a rule, the patient does not regard it as dangerous. However, the cough reflex significantly weakens the body. However, it can cause complications in the form of pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax.

Symptom Definition

Cough is a complex protective mechanism that the body needs to clear the airways of foreign and dangerous objects. This reflex expels the pathogenic agent that causes damage to the mucous membrane along with sputum. When you cough, the muscles of the respiratory organs create a force that accelerates the release of air from their bronchi, and the epithelium of this organ, with its cilia, pushes phlegm out of the body.

However, sometimes the cough is dry. With this process there is no phlegm. In this case, there is either simply no mucus, or it is produced in small volumes. This causes a person to have a dry, frequent cough. If this condition lasts up to 3 weeks, then it is considered acute. From three weeks to three months - protracted. If a dry, frequent cough does not go away beyond this period, then it is a sign of a chronic process. At the same time, additional symptoms occur in the form of hoarseness in the voice, shortness of breath, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, and weakness.

Varieties

Every person should pay attention to the occurrence of a frequent and dry cough. After all, if you do not make efforts to get rid of its acute type, the problem will become protracted and become chronic.

What form can a frequent and dry cough take in an adult and a child?

Chronic. Sometimes such a cough occurs due to bronchial asthma, excess weight, or existing chronic diseases. Heavy smokers also suffer from this form of unpleasant symptom.
Barking. Such a cough is evidence that the respiratory system has been attacked by pathogenic microorganisms or damage to the vocal cords has occurred. As a result, a person develops hoarseness and hoarseness.
Violent and continuous. This form of unpleasant phenomenon indicates the occurrence of whooping cough or asthma. Frequent dry cough in a child, which occurs at night, sometimes becomes a consequence of the DPT vaccination.
Long with a dull tone. With this form of frequent dry cough in a child or adult, pneumonia can be suspected.
Day or night. Such forms of cough most often occur due to the occurrence of pathologies of the circulatory system. This may be pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, heart disease or heart failure. Sometimes a night or daytime cough occurs due to neurological diseases.

Causes of dry cough

What causes this unpleasant phenomenon? Its reasons may be:

Whooping cough. This pathology is characterized by frequent coughing shocks, accompanied by a deep breath, during which a whistling sound is heard.
Pharyngitis. With this pathology, not too intrusive short coughs are observed. In this case, the nasopharyngeal mucosa dries out or mucus accumulates directly at the entrance to the larynx.
Tuberculosis. This pathology causes a cough in which low tones can be heard, with a tendency to gradually increase.
Tracheitis and laryngitis. With such pathologies, a barking cough appears. Its occurrence is facilitated by inflammatory processes affecting the vocal cords. If a patient has a barking dry cough, frequent breathing with difficulty and bubbling sounds, then this is a sign of the appearance of croup.
Bronchial asthma or obstructive bronchitis. In this case, a dry and frequent cough is obsessive and occurs closer to the morning.
This disease is obsessive in nature.
Mental disorders. Sometimes, while eating or talking, metallic notes can be heard in a dry cough. This condition may result from a mental disorder. However, such a pathology can be diagnosed only after a thorough examination.
Sinusitis, rhinitis or sinusitis. The development of such diseases is accompanied by the accumulation of sputum in the respiratory tract. When it gets into the lungs, an involuntary cough occurs.
Heartburn. Often a dry, frequent cough without fever appears in an adult. And the reason for this phenomenon is the abuse of various hot sauces and spices.
Allergy. A very frequent dry cough indicates that there is some irritant that negatively affects the respiratory system. This could be washing powder and house dust, plant pollen or household chemicals. Often such patients have coughing attacks. They intensify at night.

Among the factors that provoke a very dry and frequent cough are also:

emotional experiences and stressful situations;
smoking, which irritates the bronchi;
foreign bodies entering the mucous membrane;
adverse reactions that occur when taking medications;
heart failure;
oncology;
pathologies of the thyroid gland;
problems with the gastrointestinal tract caused by the formation of a fistula in the esophagus or trachea.

Carrying out diagnostics

If you have a frequent dry cough, what should you do to get rid of the problem? First of all, it is necessary to eliminate its cause. And for this you will need to see a doctor. He will study the patient's complaints and conduct an examination. To make an accurate diagnosis, it will be necessary to donate blood and sputum (if the latter is available) to carry out the necessary research.

For certain causes of dry cough, their identification is possible through radiography. This method allows you to detect the presence of darkening of the pulmonary field or changes in the pulmonary pattern, as well as the development of tumors in the chest area.

Sometimes, to identify the causes that provoked a dry cough, doctors use spirometry and spirography. Carrying out such studies makes it possible to identify diseases of the bronchopulmonary system at the earliest stages of their development.

The most effective examination method used in the case of dry cough is body hymography. In this case, various parameters are established not only of the lungs, but also of the whole body. Based on the data obtained, the doctor draws conclusions about the patient’s health level and the presence of hidden pathologies. Body lethysmography is an absolutely painless procedure, harmless to the body and does not require any preliminary preparation. In this regard, it can be done quite often if necessary.

Before prescribing a course of treatment for dry and frequent cough, a tossography may be performed in specialized clinics. This is a modern method, based on the results of which experts judge the intensity and frequency of cough, as well as its distribution in time. Such an examination allows you to determine the exact cause of the cough. Based on this, the correct treatment will be prescribed.

If the frequent dry cough is protracted, the doctor sometimes sends his patient for bronchoscopy. In this study, a special probe is used, equipped with a miniature video camera. The bronchoscope is inserted into the lungs and transmits the resulting image to a monitor.

There is also a thoracoscopy method. In this case, the causes of dry cough are investigated using a special device. A thoracoscope (as this device is called) is inserted into the lungs through a puncture in the chest wall. This technique makes it possible to detect lung cancer and other diseases.

Drug therapy

How to treat frequent dry cough? Sucking on lollipops will help relieve such symptoms in a child or an adult. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that they be fortified or medicinal. In this case, it is important to increase the activity of the salivary glands. This will encourage frequent swallowing. Saliva begins to moisturize the mucous membranes, relieving their irritation. At the same time, the swallowing reflex helps relieve attacks. To completely eliminate a cough, its transition from dry to productive is very important. After the sputum is removed, the unpleasant symptom will no longer bother the person.

If a child’s frequent dry cough does not stop, it is recommended to start using mucolytic and expectorant drugs. Such drugs will reduce the viscosity of sputum, which will make it possible to begin the process of its removal.

Antispasmodics

When treating frequent dry cough in children and adults, sometimes it becomes necessary to eliminate its attacks. For this purpose, drugs are used that have a depressing effect on the cough center. Antispasmodics will help in this case. Such remedies relieve spasms in the bronchi and help eliminate cough. Among them are “Theophedrine” and “Atropine”. Taking them helps relax the muscles of the bronchi and ventilation of the lungs. Using these remedies, you can eliminate an attack in chronic pulmonary obstruction and bronchitis.

Antitussives

Sometimes attacks of an unpleasant symptom cause significant harm to the patient’s body. This happens with bronchitis, dry pleurisy, whooping cough and other diseases. In such a situation, how to treat a frequent dry cough? Even before the formation of sputum occurs, it is best to begin to suppress this unpleasant reflex. Such a measure will not completely weaken the patient’s body.

In this case, drugs are used that will not cause addiction. They have a local effect on nerve receptors, while providing a sedative and analgesic effect. Moreover, such drugs do not belong to the group of narcotic drugs.

Such drugs are used only at the very beginning of the disease, before sputum appears and, as a rule, before bedtime. Most often, Bronholitin syrup is used to eliminate this problem. It helps to obtain a combined effect, providing antiseptic, mucolytic and antitussive effects. But it is worth keeping in mind that if sputum forms, you should stop taking cough suppressants.

Mucolytics

If an adult or child has a frequent dry cough, what should you do if there are signs of sputum stagnation? In this case, the patient will need to be given drugs that would dilute it and facilitate its removal from the body - expectorants and mucolytics. Such drugs combine both of these effects with a weak anti-inflammatory. The use of mucolytics is justified in the presence of wheezing in the apices of the lungs and bronchi, as well as in hard breathing. As for the intensity of cough, such drugs cannot reduce it. However, taking them frees the body from accumulated mucus, making breathing easier.

Products with this effect can be purchased at the pharmacy. The most effective and affordable of them are Ambrobene, Amroxol, Bromhexine and their analogues.

Syrups based on plantain provide good help in eliminating dry cough. These are "Doctor Theiss" and "Gerbion".

Antibiotics

Drugs in this group are used to eliminate infections when the bacterial nature of the pathology is confirmed. That is, it is considered advisable to prescribe antibiotics only in the most severe cases. If the disease is mild, then such a course of therapy may be harmful for the patient. After all, the action of antibiotics is aimed at suppressing natural immunity, which, among other things, contributes to the development of allergies.

Sedatives

Frequent dry cough caused by stress can be eliminated only after treatment of the nervous disease. In such cases, consultation with a doctor is required. It is dangerous to take sedatives without its prescription.

Antihistamines

If a dry cough is of an allergic nature, then getting rid of the unpleasant symptom should begin immediately. The fact is that after some time, coughing attacks can take on a more complicated and protracted form.

In case of allergies, doctors, as a rule, prescribe medications such as Suprastin, Zyrtec and Zodak.

Radical treatment

Sometimes taking medications prescribed by a doctor is not able to relieve debilitating attacks of frequent dry cough. And this fact significantly worsens the quality of life of a child or adult. In such cases, treatment is carried out with the prescription of a course of drugs that contain ethylmorphine, codeine and other substances that help suppress the cough center of the brain. However, it is worth keeping in mind that such medications have some side effects. They affect various brain functions and are addictive. That is why they are taken only in the most extreme cases, and even then, as a rule, only in a hospital setting. This happens, for example, in oncology.

Inhalations

If a child or an adult has a frequent and dry cough without fever, then medications administered into the respiratory tract in the form of steam will help provide the fastest and most effective help. Carrying out inhalations allows you to moisturize the mucous membrane of the lungs and bronchi and “deliver” medications to the source of infection. When carrying out such procedures, the process of formation and removal of sputum is activated in the body.

Inhalations are performed using nebulizers. In the absence of such devices, it is enough to take any container into which you need to place a hot medicinal solution. In this case, the patient should breathe the steam, covering his head with a thick cloth.

For inhalation use:

pharmaceutical drugs - “Lazolvan”, “Berodual”, “Ambrobene”;
mineral water, soda or saline solution, which soften and moisturize dry mucous membranes;
herbal decoctions from sage, eucalyptus, linden, mint, chamomile, cedar or fir.

Folk remedies

You can also relieve a person from a dry cough by using alternative medicine recipes.

Let's look at some of them:

Gargling. Various solutions are used to carry out this procedure. The greatest effect can be obtained from them if the cause of the cough is inflammation of the larynx. Rinsing will soften the mucous membrane, moisturize it and relieve inflammation. Most suitable for these purposes is a solution prepared from soda and salt, taken in equal quantities with the addition of a few drops of iodine. Chamomile infusion also has a fairly good effect.
Drinking warm milk. This product, when heated, will soothe and soften the throat. By adding a small amount of either cocoa or butter, as well as one teaspoon of honey, the milk will produce a softening and enveloping effect that can last for a long period of time.
Warming up the body. If there are no suspicions of complications from infections and the patient has a normal or slightly elevated temperature, rubbing, massage and compresses will help eliminate a dry cough. They are most effective for congestive processes in the lungs and bronchitis. The simplest compress recipe is to prepare a flat cake from flour and honey with the addition of corn oil. This mixture is applied to the patient’s chest, covered with parchment paper or film, insulated with woolen cloth and secured with a bandage.