Coughing attacks in an adult: causes, symptoms and treatment. How to calm a night cough - Cough keeps you awake

Coughing fits in a child and an adult occur when the receptors of the tracheobronchial tree are irritated. In this case, the cough can be dry or wet.

In certain diseases, severe coughing attacks can occur at night. The reason for this is that the mucus in the horizontal position of the body flows more strongly along the back of the throat, irritating it and causing coughing fits. In addition, sputum in the lungs is poorly absorbed in the supine position.

Stopping a coughing fit is necessary if it interferes with a person's sleep, causes suffocation, vomiting. For this, various means are used, both traditional medicinal and folk.

Causes of coughing fits

A coughing fit in a child or adult is a response of the body to the action of the pathogen,

If an attack of coughing is of a single nature, then this should not cause concern, since such a cough is provoked by an irritant that has suddenly entered the airways. But, if severe coughing attacks are recurrent in nature and tend to increase, then it is necessary to pay attention to the symptoms accompanying the cough. After all, coughing attacks in themselves are not a disease, they only indicate the presence of certain disorders in the body.

Therefore, before asking how to relieve a coughing fit, it is necessary to establish the reason for which it is caused. After all, the treatment of cough will not bring relief until the factor causing it is eliminated.

Factors that cause coughing fits are divided into:

• Inflammatory and allergic - increased viscosity of sputum, bronchial spasms, inflammation of the mucosa, swelling of the airways, increased sputum formation;
• Thermal - irritation of the respiratory tract with hot or cold air;
• Mechanical - enlarged lymph nodes, the presence of tumors that compress the bronchi and trachea, a foreign body in the larynx or ear canal;
• Chemical - inhalation of various gaseous substances along with air.

The immediate causes of coughing attacks in adults and children are:

• Bronchial asthma. This disease is accompanied by severe coughing attacks, which most often occur at night. From the constant tension of the muscles of the diaphragm, the patient feels pain in the abdomen and chest. The attack lasts about 30-60 minutes.
• Whooping cough. The main symptom of this disease is a strong and convulsive cough. At the beginning of the disease, it looks like a common cold, but conventional remedies (mustard plasters or inhalations) do not help to cope with it, and over time it becomes even stronger. Seizures often occur at night;
• Respiratory diseases of the respiratory tract. If the disease is treated correctly, then the cough disappears after 3 days, if the disease is not treated, then it can turn into bronchitis or pneumonia;
• Acute bronchitis, which develops as a result of inflammation of the bronchial mucosa. In addition to coughing, the symptoms of the disease are sore throat, runny nose, hoarseness, fever;
• Ingress of a foreign body into the respiratory tract (crumbs, dust particles). The attack ends after the removal of contamination from the lungs.

You should be especially careful with coughing fits in a child, because the baby cannot always explain what he feels. In children, coughing fits are more often caused by inflammatory diseases and exposure to mechanical factors. If a coughing attack in a child is accompanied by fever, rhinitis, general weakness, lacrimation, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, then most likely the cough is caused by a cold. If coughing is the only symptom and occurs at night, then it may be due to excessive salivation due to teething. It is also not uncommon for a child to inhale small parts of toys, which can lead to the development of suffocation.

When to see a doctor

You should seek medical help without delay if your child's coughing spells are accompanied by symptoms such as:

• Suffocation;
• Increased respiratory rate;
• Temperature;
• General weakness;
• Pain while coughing;
• Sickly looking child.

As for coughing attacks in adults, episodic single attacks, as a rule, do not cause concern.

The following situations require immediate medical attention:

• A significant increase in temperature against the background of bouts of severe coughing;
• The duration of the period with the presence of coughing fits is more than a week without improvement;
• Attacks of suffocation;
• The content of blood impurities in the sputum, yellow, green color of bronchial discharge, thick sputum;
• Pain in the chest when coughing.

How to relieve a coughing fit

In order to get rid of coughing attacks, various drugs are used: mucolytics, expectorants, antitussives.

But before taking any measures to eliminate a cough, it is necessary to accurately establish the cause that causes its attacks. Indeed, in some diseases, coughing is a protective reflex necessary for the body to remove excess sputum and mucus.

During a coughing fit:

• Relax and calm down.
• Change body position. To soften the attack, it is better to sit down, fix your back with a pillow;
• Soothe irritated throat mucosa by sucking on a lozenge with honey or inhaling steam;
• Drink a glass of warm milk with butter.

Coughing attacks are usually worse at night, because the blood at this time moves more slowly in the lungs and mucus stagnation occurs. In order not to cough at night, you need to try to roll over more often. In addition, in order to prevent night attacks, you should sleep on a high pillow.

Various herbal syrups, lozenges for resorption, combined drugs with enveloping, local anesthetic, emollient and antiseptic effects can be used to alleviate coughing attacks.

If the cough is caused by bronchial asthma, then special remedies prescribed by the doctor are used.

This exercise helps to relieve a coughing fit: stand up straight and raise your right hand up. Then you need to pull it up as far as possible. You need to stretch until the cough subsides.

Help fight coughing attacks and various folk remedies. For example, during an incessant cough, you can take a remedy made from overcooked sugar, water and aloe juice, or rub your back and chest with radish juice.

Relieve a nocturnal cough can help remedy from 1 tablespoon of sage, boiled with a glass of milk and infused for 40 minutes.

Coughing attacks are very exhausting for a person, prevent him from sleeping peacefully at night and cause discomfort in the daytime. Coughing fits are a kind of reflex associated with a sharp exhalation, which clears the airways of bacteria and foreign bodies. Coping with coughing fits is not so easy, and you can start treatment only after consulting a doctor who will determine the exact cause of the attacks and recommend remedies to get rid of them.

When infectious agents, dust or allergens penetrate the bronchi and lungs, irritation of the respiratory tract receptors occurs and a cough occurs. The latter helps to clear the tracheobronchial tree from irritants such as sputum, mucus, pus, and various foreign bodies. Coughing attacks in an adult and a child can occur due to viral respiratory pathologies, including SARS, bronchitis and others, however, how to figure out why they occur in the absence of symptoms characteristic of colds?

What are coughing fits

This phenomenon serves as a response of the body to the impact of any irritant, manifested by a sudden onset of coughing. The latter during attacks can be convulsive, when, due to coughing shocks following one after another, a person cannot take a breath. Sometimes a paroxysmal symptom ends with vomiting, heart rhythm disturbance, fainting. This phenomenon is not an independent disease, but only a symptom indicating the presence of a certain disorder in the body.

The reasons

Coughing fits can be observed in a number of different respiratory diseases, which differ only in additional symptoms. The doctor prescribes the treatment of cough syndrome only after determining the root cause of the pathology. So, a paroxysmal cough can be a sign of:

• ARI or SARS;
• acute or chronic bronchitis;
• deviations in the functioning of the respiratory system;
• allergic reaction;
• whooping cough;
• tuberculosis;
• bronchial asthma;
• the presence of malignant tumors;
• deviations in the work of the cardiovascular system.

Dry

This symptom may indicate some internal pathologies and infectious diseases. Dry paroxysmal cough, in addition, can cause some psychotropic and antihypertensive drugs, diuretics. In this case, the attacks have a mild intensity (there is a slight frequent coughing). When assessing bronchospasm, one should take into account the strength of the cough impulse, the frequency of manifestation and the time of occurrence (morning, afternoon, night, during meals, etc.). The causes of intense dry spastic exhalation are:

• SARS;
• acute bronchitis;
• whooping cough;
• bronchial asthma;
• entry of foreign objects into the respiratory tract.

Chronic dry cough appears for other reasons, while the symptom is characterized by a duration of the course. The factors causing its development include:

• the presence of neoplasms;
• tuberculosis;
• heart defects;
• regular exposure to stress factors;
• smoking;
• chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs;
• pathology of the endocrine system;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

sudden

A sudden dry or wet cough is a symptom that indicates a bacterial or viral infection. Suddenly spastic exhalations are characteristic of smokers, but non-smokers such attacks, which are repeated for several days, should alert. The occurrence of this symptom can be explained by the presence of viral infections or non-infectious diseases and pathological conditions of the respiratory, nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems. Possible causes of sudden seizures include:

• abnormal structure of the vocal cords or larynx;
• infectious and / or catarrhal pathologies such as bronchitis, inflammation of the larynx, lungs, SARS, influenza, etc .;
• prolonged smoking;
• the presence of a foreign object in the airways;
• bronchial asthma of an allergic nature;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (gastric juice enters back into the esophagus, as a result of which an attack of spastic expiration develops after eating);
• the presence of certain diseases of the cardiovascular system (for example, cardiac ischemia);
• allergic post-nasal edema;
• nervous tension before important events;
• in infants, this occurs during teething due to excess salivation.

An attack of dry cough at night in an adult

The factors that cause this symptom, which is accompanied by fever, are obvious - these are respiratory tract infections, pneumonia or acute bronchitis. In some cases, unproductive coughing attempts in adults and children occur at night for no apparent reason. Having intense bouts of dry cough at night, the patient may feel great all day long and not cough at all or do it occasionally. Symptoms that appear only during sleep may indicate:

• asthma;
• gastric reflux;
• sinusitis;
• heart failure;
• a cold;
• lack of iron;
• allergies (if the symptoms appear only at night, then the allergen should be looked for near the place of sleep).

How to stop

To eliminate a symptom that appears suddenly, you should find out what causes it. If the cause of coughing attacks is not due to any pathology, but has a physiological origin, spastic exhalations quickly pass without complications and there is no need for treatment. Often, such a symptom is observed in a child in the morning and is the result of an attempt by the body to free the bronchi from the mucus accumulated during the night.

The doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics for flu or pneumonia, bronchodilators for bronchial asthma. If the cause of the pathological condition is an allergy, then the allergen should first be eliminated, in addition, the doctor prescribes an antihistamine. For symptomatic treatment of cough, mucolytic and expectorant drugs are used. If there is no need to thin and remove sputum, antitussive drugs such as Codeine are sometimes indicated.

With a sudden attack of spastic incessant exhalations caused by stress and excitement, you can take motherwort, valerian. Cough caused by GERD is treated with antacids. If the cause of spastic exhalations is a foreign object that makes breathing difficult, it is removed from the nose, but this is done very carefully so as not to damage the mucous membrane. If a child has a cough, they do not try to remove the object on their own, since it can move inside and get into the bronchi / lungs, which will increase the signs of suffocation.

First aid

To relieve an attack, it is necessary to lay the patient so that the head is slightly raised. To stimulate the removal of mucus, an antitussive drug should be taken. If a person is in a serious condition, it is better to call an ambulance. If foreign objects enter the larynx, the patient is hospitalized in a surgical hospital. Adults and children with inflammatory lung disease are sent to the therapeutic department, with gangrene of the organ - to surgery.

To stop a cough in a child at night, you should put the baby in bed, calm him down and provide him with a warm drink (milk with honey, warmed mineral water with soda, decoction of medicinal herbs). Such drinks can soften the mucous membrane, eliminate discomfort and sore throat that occur during spastic exhalations. In addition, to alleviate the condition of the child, it is important to humidify the air in the room.

To drown out a cough attack in babies 6 months and older, inhalations can be done. For this purpose, eucalyptus, cedar oils are used. In addition, a decoction of potatoes is suitable for the procedure - a remedy that eliminates sore throat, shortness of breath, and moisturizes the respiratory tract. Inhalation is carried out as follows:

• hot water is poured into a bowl;
• add a couple of drops of essential oil to it;
• the baby is picked up and covered with a towel with his head left to inhale the steam until the attack stops.

Medications

Therapy of the symptom should be aimed at eliminating the causes of the manifestation of the pathological condition, however, symptomatic treatment also plays an important role. An exhausting cough should be removed as soon as it occurs in order to prevent damage to the mucous membrane of the larynx. Only a doctor will choose the right medicine, taking into account the individual indicators of a particular patient, the root cause of the symptom and the appropriateness of treatment.

Antitussives

Medicines of this group are used when the secret is not separated, it is produced in a minimal amount, or the secret has a thick and viscous texture. Dry cough remedies are:

1. Synekod. The medicine contains butamirate, is available in the form of drops and syrup. Sinekod is intended for the treatment of dry cough of any origin. The drug begins to act already 15-20 minutes after ingestion, and it can be given even to small children (from 2 months) - these are big pluses of the drug. The disadvantage of Sinekod is an unpleasant, sharp taste.
2. Codeine. This drug refers to narcotic drugs that, when the dosage is increased, can be addictive, so the drug is used only as prescribed by the doctor and with strict adherence to doses. The advantages of the drug are considered high efficiency and analgesic effect.
3. Bromhexine. This mucolytic drug is often prescribed for the treatment of dry spastic exhalations. The medicine does not remove the cough protective reflex, so you should not expect an instant effect. Bromhexine gradually thins and removes phlegm, so that a dry cough turns into a productive wet one. A big plus of the drug is its ability to stimulate the production of surfactant in the bronchi, which helps to clear them of mucus faster.

Antihistamines

An allergic cough may not appear immediately, but this symptom is difficult to confuse with others, since it is characterized by swelling of the nasal mucosa, frequent sneezing and a runny nose. Cough attacks are always unproductive (without sputum separation). Antihistamines are used to treat this symptom, including:

1. Tavegil. Synthetic drug of powerful action, available in the form of tablets, ointments, suppositories, sprays, solutions. Take the drug for a week. The advantage of the drug is the absence of a sedative effect. The disadvantage of Tavegil is that the drug is forbidden to be taken by children under one year old, women during pregnancy and lactation.
2. Suprastin. One of the most popular antiallergic drugs. It is produced in the form of tablets and infections, which have an effect as quickly as possible in acute allergic reactions. Suprastin for coughing in adults is prescribed for almost all types of allergies. The advantage of the drug is that it can be taken even by newborns, since the drug is absolutely harmless and has no side effects.
3. Tsetrin. The medicine belongs to the group of selective agents and is valued for its lack of effect on the nervous system. The advantage of Tsetrin is that it does not have a sedative or depressant effect. The disadvantage of the drug is the average antihistamine effect.

How to stop a cough in a child

A common cause of coughing attacks in babies is laryngitis - swelling of the mucosa, which occurs due to peculiarities in the structure of the larynx in the vocal cords. The cause of the pathological condition in children may be an allergic reaction of the body or a common sore throat. You can stop a cough in a baby in the following ways:

• give a warm drink that will soften the mucous membrane of the pharynx, eliminate perspiration;
• offer the baby a spoonful of honey or a piece of butter to moisturize and lubricate the throat;
• make an inhalation with essential oils (this remedy helps even with an intense barking symptom);
• give your child a baby syrup based on essential oils, which quickly relieves a cough attack.

In addition to these methods, the treatment of spastic exhalations is carried out systemically. Centrally acting drugs fight the symptom at the brain level by acting directly on the cough center. Preparations of this type quickly and effectively eliminate a painful attack, but require strict adherence to the doctor's instructions. Central antitussives given to children include:

1. Synekod. A medicine based on butamirate is a substance with a bronchodilator and antitussive effect. Reception of Sinekod is allowed from 2 months of age. The downside of the remedy is the side effects that can occur in children.
2. Broncholitin. The drug contains glaucine, ephedrine and basil essential oil, which helps to eliminate a cough attack, relieves bronchospasm. Bronzolitin can be given to children 3 years of age and older. The disadvantage of the drug is the likelihood of side effects, including nausea, tachycardia, drowsiness.
3. Stoptussin. The composition of the drug includes guaifenesin and butamirate, due to which cough attacks are suppressed and sputum begins to separate. Babies from 6 months are given the drug in the form of potassium, for children over 3 years old syrup is suitable. The disadvantage of Stoptussin are side effects, including the formation of kidney stones.

Folk recipes

Alternative medicine should be used with caution, as some prescriptions are highly effective and require the correct dosage. In addition, it is important to consult a doctor before using folk remedies, as some medications can cause allergies and swelling. Effective antitussive recipes are as follows:

1. Warm drink. To soothe an irritated throat and relieve an attack, warm whole milk with honey and a piece of butter should be drunk at night. These components moisturize the pharyngeal mucosa, eliminate shortness of breath and relieve inflammation.
2. Compresses. For this purpose, you can use radish with honey, vegetable oil, warmed honey, which covers the skin of the throat. From above, the compress is covered with polyethylene and a warm scarf. The procedure is done at night.
3. Herbal decoctions. Such funds are taken orally or used for gargling. Chamomile has proven itself well, which is brewed with hot water (1 tbsp per 1 tbsp boiling water). The plant relieves inflammation, soothes the mucous membrane, helps to remove phlegm.

Video

If you also have the flu and a bad cough that refuses to go away, chances are you won't be able to fall asleep quickly. The rest of the day awaits you discomfort, frost on the skin and a runny nose, however, the worst is yet to come. When you get home and all you want to do is lie down on your bed to rest and recuperate, coughing will become your worst enemy.

And if the symptoms of the disease are not so pronounced in the morning, then during the day they will intensify: frequent sneezing; nasal congestion; increase in body temperature in the evening. The question arises: Why does the cough get worse at night? Professor Allian Maurice, director of research on the cardio-respiratory system at York Medical School, answered this question: “Throughout the day, a person constantly swallows, which helps to drain the mucus in the nose. When we go to bed, it becomes more difficult to empty our airways naturally, and we don't swallow as hard as we do during the day."

When we lie down, mucus begins to collect in the nose and throat, as a result, we are left with the only alternative - breathe through your mouth. At the same time, the nerves of the throat are dried and irritated and a sonata of uncontrolled coughing begins. Thus, the negative consequences of a dry night cough are:

• Irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat;
• Lack of rest due to frequent awakening at night;
• Causing anxiety to people who sleep nearby;
• Possibility of choking on saliva or mucus.

After spending a sleepless night, you feel tired, the pain in your back and neck is unbearable, there is a feeling of depression, your chest is on fire and our throat is so dry that an ordinary sigh turns into a real drama. You ask yourself questions: “How to relieve a coughing fit at night in an adult, how to stop a cough that starts?” However, don't worry there is a solution: it is possible to defeat a coughing fit at night in an adult and return a pleasant sleep if you follow the following simple tips and use folk remedies for coughing.

Sleep leaning over and don't sleep on your back

You can get rid of coughing attacks in an adult at night with the help of posture during sleep. The mucus that we have in our nose, chest and throat is the culprit that irritates our throat when we lie down on the bed. The position we take in bed helps in the fight against cough, and if you have experienced a sleepless night coughing constantly, know that the more you can bend over, the better.

You don't have to sleep sitting up to do this, put a few extra pillows under your head to make it higher and let gravity do the work.

While sleeping on your back allows the lungs to rest and straighten out, it is also possible that when we have a cold, it will be difficult to breathe in this position, especially if we have a stuffy nose. Try to lie on your side to make it easier for the mucous fluid to flow in the right direction.

Take a hot shower and gargle

Cough can be relieved with hot water vapor. A hot shower will not only allow you to relax after a long day of snot and sneezing, but hot water vapor also helps soften mucus and, as a result, makes it easier to clear your nose and chest. Inhale the steam slowly for a few minutes and then blow your nose or cough to clear any remaining mucus from your respiratory organs.

Gargling is a preventive, cheap and simple remedy that relieves irritation of the throat and helps prevent coughing. If you add a little lemon or honey to hot water, you get the perfect remedy for softening and moisturizing the throat. Gargling will help you swallow and breathe easily throughout the night.

Prepare the room, change bed sheets and monitor humidity

When you are weak, you feel very tired and the only thing you want to do is get up at night in search of a glass of milk, candy or a pill that will help you sleep. Rest is essential, so it's important that you make your room the perfect place to sleep. Place everything you need on the bedside table in advance: water, handkerchiefs, cough syrup, etc.

Dust mites and other allergens are in bedding, waiting for the night to attack your body. When we catch a cold, our cough gets worse and we have difficulty breathing, which irritates our throat. It is very important to change bed linen at least once a week and wash them at a temperature of at least 60 C to kill all bacteria.

It is also recommended to dry washed laundry in the sun. Sunlight is a very effective means of killing microorganisms. You also need to ventilate the sleeping area every day. Fresh air flow is a simple means to prevent the appearance of harmful bacteria and microorganisms.

A humidifier helps you breathe easier when you have a cold, by eliminating dry throat during sleep. The ideal air humidity corresponds to 50%.

Another necessary remedy for colds is to drink plenty of water, which moisturizes the mucous membrane of the throat, thereby reducing its irritation.

How to stop a coughing fit at night: folk remedies

Lemon and honey juice

When answering the question of how to stop a coughing fit, you should immediately remember the lemon with honey. This tool allows you to quickly relieve an attack of dry night cough.

Ingredients:

• One glass of warm water (200 ml);
• Juice from one lemon;
• One teaspoon of honey.

Mix all the ingredients and drink in small sips before going to bed. You can also drop a tea bag into a glass of water if you like. This drink has sedative properties, softens mucus, freeing the airways. In addition, lemon is a source of vitamin C, the consumption of which improves the protective properties of the body, and this vitamin is also a good antiseptic. Honey is an antiseptic and antioxidant.

It is believed that this home remedy for night cough, being sweet and warm, causes more saliva, which also eliminates irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat and promotes release respiratory tract from mucus.

Sucking candy and chocolate

There is also no need to go to the pharmacy, any tablet or food that can be sucked on can relieve throat irritation, moreover, sucking sweets contain refreshing ingredients, for example, eucalyptus or mint. Caramel provides life-saving relief from cold ailments: in the process of sucking caramel, we stimulate the secretion of saliva, which relieves the pain in the throat when we swallow it, and allows mucus to flow freely.

Another effective remedy that allows you to quickly get rid of night attacks of dry cough is chocolate. Dark chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which has a stronger cough suppressant effect than conventional cough syrups. This substance, which is also found in tea, although in smaller quantities than in cocoa, helps suppress vagus nerve activity, thus avoiding the occurrence of a reflex act that provokes a cough. According to one British study conducted in 2013, to combat acute coughs, including chronic ones, it is enough to eat one chocolate bar a day.

Garlic and onion

These two vegetables have a strong antiseptic effect, and allow you to destroy any virus or bacteria that provokes a cough. In addition to eating these vegetables in their raw state, you can make broth from them.

Ingredients:

• Half an onion head;
• One clove of garlic;
• Required amount of water.

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat over a fire. Filter the liquid. You may not like the taste of this drink, so you can add some liquid from the lemon. Drink liquid before going to bed.

Drink

If the night cough occurs frequently, it should always be left next to the bed. water bottle. You also need to drink more water or other fluids throughout the day. Herbal tinctures, green tea, natural fruit juices and mineral water are the most recommended drinks. In addition to coughing during the winter, many people suffer from it during the warmer months of the year. Instead of drinking hot tea, you can pour it into a bottle and carry it with you to drink throughout the day. In addition, the problem of dehydration is also solved in this way.

Another effective means to stop dry cough at night in an adult, is milk. This remedy has contraindications for those people for whom lactose causes an increase in mucous secretions in the respiratory tract. If you are lactose tolerant, you can drink a cup of hot or warm milk with honey before bed. This drink will help you sleep and relieve a sore throat.

Gedelix helps us well with seizures. No wonder the instructions say that it relieves spasm

A sudden cough may not portend anything dangerous and is a natural reaction to some kind of irritant. A cough that lasts for weeks is a sign of a chronic illness. Ways to stop an attack depend on the origin of the cough - more than 50 reasons are named. We will tell you how to deal with a cough on your own, but there are also cases in which specialist help is needed.

Dry cough, respectively, is unproductive - it only irritates the larynx and increases bronchospasm. It is necessary to cause the separation of sputum, thin it, improve its discharge and thereby remove toxic substances. For this, bromhexine preparations and herbal remedies (sage, eucalyptus, chamomile, thyme) are used. They reduce inflammation, relieve coughing, stimulate sputum production. With a mild dry cough, lollipops with herbal extracts will help. You also need to drink more.

At dry cough smokers are helped by the drugs "Bronchogen", "Fluimucil", "Gedelix", "Doctor MOM", eucalyptus tincture. And traditional healers treat the cough of smokers with milk mixed with mineral water, which must be drunk three times a day.

At stubborn, exhausting cough, you need to take the means to stop it: "Stoptussin", "Libeksin".

Cough with SARS
Infections cause a cough that develops over several hours and changes from dry to wet. You can determine the disease by the nature of the coughing fit - here are some of these diseases:

• laryngitis - hoarse voice, dry cough, "barking";
  
• tracheitis - loud cough with chest pain;
  
• bronchitis - wet rales, loud painless cough with difficulty breathing.
  

To alleviate the attack, it is not recommended to lie down - it is better to sit with a pillow under your back. With a dry cough, you need to drink tea with ginger or hot milk with honey (or butter). A mixture in equal proportions of juice squeezed from chopped onions and honey helps. The mixture is insisted for 4 hours and taken twice a day for a teaspoon.

At night cough, when the blood in the lungs moves more slowly and the mucus does not resolve, it is recommended to turn over in bed more often. Before going to bed - drink some water with burnt sugar dissolved in it (regular sugar should be heated in a dry frying pan until it turns brown).

If we talk about children's cough, only a pediatrician can determine the method of treatment. It is not worth choosing medicines on your own. But you can use some natural remedies to help relieve a cough before visiting a doctor.

• In a 1:1 ratio, mix olive oil with honey - give your child three times a day in a teaspoon. You can also give sweet almond oil.
  
• To cleanse the bronchi and lungs: boil the lemon for 10 minutes over low heat, cool, remove the peel and squeeze the lemon juice into a glass. Add the same amount of glycerin, then add liquid honey to the rim of the glass.
  
• For dry cough(if there is no allergy to citrus fruits): pour the orange, finely chopped together with the peel, with sugar, cook for half an hour over low heat. The mixture can be taken several times a day.
  

asthmatic cough
A loud, violent and hysterical cough with dry wheezing, a feeling of fullness in the chest, especially worse at night and in the absence of high temperature, indicates asthma.

During an attack, much depends on the ability to calm down and relax. You need to sit on a chair astride, facing the back, put a pillow on the back to lean on it. Try to normalize breathing by making full exhalations, and use an inhaler (Berotek, Berodual, Salbutamol), inhaling twice. If there is no improvement, take two more doses after 10 minutes. If it is impossible to stop a coughing fit, call an ambulance. Most often, the doctor makes an injection of aminophylline, a fast-acting agent for expanding the bronchi (the action of the tablet of the same name occurs only after 40 minutes). In severe cases, prednisolone or dexamethasone is administered.

Cough with allergies
Asthma-like cough occurs under the influence of allergens: poplar fluff, dust, strong odors, animal hair, pollen, etc. when the immune system attacks foreign particles. At the same time, the skin sometimes turns red, the face swells, the eyes are watery.

At the beginning of the attack, you should take an antiallergic agent (claritin, suprastin, tavegil, diazolin) and, if possible, eliminate the source of the allergy. It is recommended to rinse the mouth and nasopharynx with clean warm water.

In order to avoid a recurrence of an attack, it is necessary to ventilate the premises more often, do wet cleaning, and get rid of “dust collectors”. If the cough does not go away (and the temperature does not appear), you need to contact an allergist.

If a person chokes
When a foreign body enters the respiratory system, suffocation occurs. It is impossible, contrary to popular belief, to slap the victim on the back: the foreign body will go deeper into the airways. Encourage the person to inhale slowly and exhale strongly. If natural coughing is ineffective, use the Heimlich method. Stand behind the casualty with your arms wrapped around their waist and leaning forward. Place a clenched fist on his stomach above the navel, put the other hand on top and make sharp pressure until you can get rid of the foreign body.

If the child is choking, encourage coughing. If the cough is quiet or silent, and the child begins to choke, place him on your knees with his head down, lightly holding the lower jaw with the fingers of one hand. With the other hand (the base of the palm), tap several times between the shoulder blades, directing the movements towards the child's head. After that, lay the child on his back and, with your fingertips, sharply press several times on the stomach at the junction of the ribs. Check your mouth. If the foreign body does not come out, call an ambulance and repeat from the beginning.

Self-treatment of any type of cough is possible only in mild cases. Seek immediate medical attention if you have a persistent cough, wheezing that is clearly audible at a distance, chest pain, blood or greenish sputum. Do not delay visiting a doctor for nighttime coughing attacks, and even more so when a high temperature appears.

Cough is an important and useful phenomenon. It is needed in order to cleanse the lungs and respiratory tract from extraneous irritants - dust, dirt, but most often - mucus.

If the body cannot do this, we are faced with a phenomenon called "dry" cough. Its difference from wet is that a child or an adult tries to cough up, but the sputum does not go away.

Before trying to stop a coughing attack on your own, you should consult a doctor and determine which disease caused this unpleasant symptom.

What childhood diseases can be accompanied by coughing fits?

1. In 90% of cases in children, cough is caused by SARS or a cold. Accompanied by familiar symptoms: fever, runny nose, sneezing.
2. Acute bronchitis. It starts suddenly, is complemented by moist rales, quickly turns into a wet cough.
3. Tracheitis. As a rule, in children it begins at night and intensifies in the morning. Accompanied by pain in the throat and behind the sternum.
4. Whooping cough is a common viral infection. The baby coughs very strongly and often, and at night the situation worsens. During an attack, you can notice that his tongue is stuck out and rolled into a tube. Often the child turns red / blue, the face swells.
5. False croup - swelling of the mucous membrane of the larynx. Cough rough, barking. The child has difficulty breathing. Most often, the attack begins at night.

If you notice that your baby has begun to cough periodically, and attacks are accompanied by signs of the diseases listed above (or other symptoms, such as redness or itching of the skin, watery eyes, and others), you should urgently make an appointment with a doctor.

An attack of false croup can threaten the baby with suffocation. In this case, it is very important to get medical help as soon as possible. If you notice that the child is coughing, choking and turning blue - this is a reason to urgently call an ambulance.

For what symptoms should you call an ambulance?

So, we repeat once again, urgently calling an ambulance for a heavily coughing baby is necessary in cases where the cough:

• appeared suddenly and does not stop;
• arose against the background of high body temperature (above 38 ° C);
• accompanied by suffocation, a change in complexion (the child turns pale / blue) or loss of consciousness.

How to help at home?

Sufficient indoor humidity

The main assistant in an attack of dry cough is moist cool air. Put a humidifier, a bucket of water, put a damp towel on the pipes. Remove heaters. This will clear the baby's airways of germs, viruses and accumulated mucus.

Bathing

Bathe the child. In this case, the purpose of taking a bath will not be cleanliness, but moist air. This is the simplest and most effective type of inhalation. At the same time, do not tightly close the doors and windows in the bathroom, otherwise the humidity will be too high and the children's weak lungs will not be able to cough up the accumulated lump of mucus.

Inhalations

Steam inhalations with decoctions of herbs, essential oils will also help relieve a coughing fit in a child. A decoction of chamomile is often used as a way to quickly relieve discomfort in the throat. If there is no inhaler, then you can help in a way proven by generations: let him breathe over potato vapors.

Note! Contrary to popular belief, inhalations should not be carried out before going to bed. The child during sleep will not be able to get rid of the mucus accumulated in the lungs.

Children under one year of inhalation are contraindicated, in principle! In babies, the lungs do not have sufficient strength to independently remove sputum through the respiratory tract.

Folk remedies

Also, a plentiful alkaline warm drink effectively helps with a cough: milk, alkaline mineral water, chamomile tea. To enhance the effect, these drinks can be consumed with honey or butter. This will soften the mucous membrane and relieve coughing in children.

Herbal infusions: thyme, coltsfoot leaf, plantain are excellent expectorants. But! Before using such a remedy, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician and remove all cough preparations that suppress expectoration!

Otherwise, the child will not be able to get rid of the mucus that has accumulated in the lungs and bronchi.

Pharmacy preparations

If a baby's "dry" cough is a symptom of SARS, treatment should begin with a visit to the doctor. Usually, in this case, expectorants of plant origin are prescribed in the form of syrup or tablets.

Against the background of SARS, a cough can be a consequence of a runny nose: mucus from the nose of the crumbs flows down the back of the throat and settles in the lungs, causing a cough. In such a situation, before going to bed, you can drip a saline solution into the child’s nose, or vasoconstrictor drops prescribed by a doctor.

Pediatricians usually resort to sputum thinners if expectorants have not had a positive effect.

Attention! Before you start drug treatment, be sure to consult your doctor and carefully read the instructions for the drug. Remember, when self-medicating and choosing the wrong cough remedy, you risk only aggravating the condition of a sick child.

What to do with a coughing fit in a healthy child?

Eliminate the possibility of allergies

If a seemingly healthy baby regularly suffers from bouts of dry cough, including those that occur at night, allergies can serve as its source. The only method of struggle: consult a doctor, identify the allergen and remove it away from the child.

When a foreign body is inhaled

If a healthy child who is out of sight of a parent has a sudden paroxysmal cough with choking, then it is quite possible that the young researcher mistook something small for an edible object. Thus, by coughing, he tries to get rid of the foreign body in the airways.

The cessation of coughing serves as a reason for parents to begin providing first aid to the child: tilt him so that his head is below the priests and lightly hit him on the back several times, between the shoulder blades, moving towards the head, as if knocking out a foreign object.

Arising without any reason

A sudden, unreasonable severe attack of nocturnal coughing must necessarily entail an ambulance call. While waiting for an ambulance, help your baby drink plenty of fluids and humidify the air in the room.