What to do if you have a coughing fit. Symptomatic treatment of attacks of dry cough. Why there are coughing fits

A sudden cough may not portend anything dangerous and is natural reaction to any stimulus. 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 call the separation of sputum, dilute it, improve its discharge and thereby remove toxic substances. For this, bromhexine preparations are used and herbal remedies(sage, eucalyptus, chamomile, thyme). 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 help the drugs "Bronchogen", "Fluimucil", "Gedelix", "Doctor MOM", eucalyptus tincture. BUT traditional healers treat the cough of smokers with milk mixed with mineral water to 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 - husky voice, cough dry, "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.

• Mix in a 1:1 ratio olive oil with honey - give the 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 attack, they call " ambulance". Most often, the doctor makes an injection of aminophylline - fast acting agent to expand the bronchi (the effect of the tablet of the same name occurs only after 40 minutes). AT severe cases administered prednisone or dexamethasone.

Cough with allergies
Asthma-like cough occurs under the influence of allergens: Poplar fluff, dust, pungent 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, gently holding lower jaw 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.

It is considered more dangerous and heavy than wet. This is due to the fact that with a wet cough, sputum is removed from the lungs, which helps to clear the bronchi of mucus and microbes.

With a dry cough, sputum is not excreted, it accumulates in the lungs, increasing inflammation. Dry cough attacks can be very painful and prolonged, causing pain and gag reflexes.

Dry cough attacks: causes and possible diseases

The main task is to remove mucus from the lungs and bronchi. If this task is not performed, the cough becomes excruciating and does not lead to relief. is an alarming symptom, especially if it lasts a long time and appears for no reason.

There are many ways to relieve an attack of dry cough, but eliminating one attack is often ineffective.

You need to look for the cause of this condition and eliminate it:

• Bronchial asthma. This is a chronic disease, accompanied by shortness of breath, dry exhausting cough, lack of air. The disease is treated only symptomatically. As a rule, along with an attack of dry cough, the patient begins to panic, as he expects another attack of suffocation. Asthma is often associated with allergies and occurs after exposure to an allergen.
• Heart failure. In heart failure, the cough is reflex and is not accompanied by other symptoms. pathological signs. As a rule, first there is a rapid heartbeat, then shortness of breath and dry reflex cough. Eliminate cough in this case is possible only after treatment.
• SARS and. At viral diseases dry cough occurs at the very beginning of the disease. Over time, a dry cough turns into a wet cough, which allows mucus to be pushed out of the lungs. If a dry cough lasts for a long time, more than a week, you need to see a doctor.
• Allergy. An allergic reaction is very often accompanied by cough and shortness of breath. This kind allergic reaction called respiratory. As a rule, dry cough occurs after inhalation of pollen, dust, vapors and other allergens that cause irritation of the mucous membrane. It is possible to remove such a cough antihistamines after cessation of contact with the allergen.
• and . With diseases of the nose, accompanied by edema, a person is unable to breathe through the nose. For this reason, he begins to breathe through his mouth, the throat dries up, becomes irritated, and a dry cough occurs. You can eliminate it by moisturizing the mucous membrane of the throat and eliminating swelling of the nose.

Danger signs: when you need a doctor

It is considered not only unproductive, but also dangerous. It helps to remove phlegm from and damages the respiratory tract, irritates the throat, causes asthma attacks.

It is not difficult to distinguish a dry cough from a wet one. With a dry cough, the patient makes a barking sound, expectoration does not occur, and the coughing attack itself not only does not bring relief, but only irritates the airways even more, provoking a new attack.

When contacting a doctor, you should describe in detail the coughing attacks, after which they occur and how long they last. There are a number of signs that require immediate medical attention.Dry cough lasts a long time. If it does not disappear within 2 weeks or more, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

A prolonged dry cough can be a sign of a serious illness, infection, or pathology of the respiratory tract.

An attack of dry cough causes vomiting. In some cases, cough occurs due to diseases of the stomach, reflux, heartburn. Anyway persistent vomiting dangerous because of the cough. It leads to dehydration of the body, weakens it, irritates and injures the esophagus and throat.

During an attack of coughing, wheezing and whistling are clearly heard. Similar symptoms meet at chronic bronchitis, as well as when a smoker coughs. As a rule, they occur at night or in the morning.

The accompanying increase in body temperature indicates infectious disease. It could be pneumonia, tuberculosis, or another disease. In tuberculosis, dry cough and fever are also accompanied by severe sweating.

Useful video - How to relieve coughing fits in a child:

Dry cough is accompanied by severe allergic reactions. If a dry cough causes shortness of breath, swelling, you should immediately consult a doctor and remove the swelling before it passes to the larynx, as this can be fatal.

Painful sensations when coughing. If the cough is accompanied severe pain in the chest area, this may indicate damage to the pleura. In this case, an examination is necessary.

How to relieve an attack of dry cough with medication?

Treatment of dry cough should be aimed primarily at eliminating the causes of its occurrence. However, symptomatic treatment is also very important. An agonizing attack of coughing should be relieved as quickly as possible to prevent irritation of the throat and larynx.

In the pharmacy you can find many drugs for dry cough. When choosing one or another remedy, it is necessary to take into account the age of the patient and the appropriateness of treatment. Antitussives are not always useful, as they do not allow you to remove sputum.

Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor and determine which remedy is needed: antitussive or mucolytic.

Dry cough medicines:

• Synekod. Antitussive drug based on butamirate. Produced in the form of syrup and drops, it is intended for the treatment of dry cough of any etiology. Sinekod can be given even to children from 2 months. The drug actively suppresses cough reflex and begins to act within 15-20 minutes.
• Codeine. Codeine can be classified as drugs, which, when the dosage is exceeded, quickly become addictive, so it should be used carefully and only according to indications. Codeine has a pronounced antitussive and analgesic effect.
• Bromhexine. Bromhexine is classified as a mucolytic drug used for dry cough. It does not relieve the cough reflex, so you should not expect instant action. Bromhexine and removes it, which allows you to turn a dry cough into a more productive wet one. The drug stimulates the production of surfactant in the bronchi, which allows you to clear them.
• Antihistamines. If an attack of dry cough is caused by allergies, it is necessary to take an antiallergic drug such as Zodak, Diazolin, Suprastin. They will relieve swelling and eliminate allergy symptoms within half an hour. For best result it is necessary to stop contact with the allergen.

It is worth remembering that it is impossible to use mucolytic and antitussive drugs at the same time, since sputum will be actively secreted and linger in the lungs.

Folk methods of dealing with an attack of dry cough

When applied folk remedies need to be careful. Not all of them are effective for dry cough caused by infection. Before using any means, you should consult your doctor.

Some funds traditional medicine provoke an allergic reaction and swelling, therefore, before using them, it is necessary to conduct a small reaction test.

Folk recipes:

• Warm drink. Warm drinks, such as milk with butter, will help relieve an attack of dry cough and soothe an irritated throat. warm tea with honey or lemon. It's safe and pretty effective means. Oil and honey moisturize the mucous membrane of the throat and instantly soothe it. Do not drink hot liquids, as they further irritate the throat and lead to burns of the mucous membrane.
• . Help with dry cough steam inhalation with eucalyptus leaves. It is necessary to brew the leaves with boiling water and breathe over the steam. Eucalyptus relieves irritation, eliminates inflammation, improves local immunity.
• Herbs. Decoctions of herbs can be drunk or gargled with them. Chamomile soothes and relieves inflammation, St. John's wort has an antitussive effect. A decoction of chamomile is great for, it will soothe an irritated throat.
• Radish with honey. In a black radish, you need to cut out the core and pour liquid honey into it, let it brew. This medicine is taken in a teaspoon several times a day. It perfectly relieves inflammation, sore throat, moisturizes the mucous membrane.
• . Warm compresses are put on at night. They relieve coughing spells. As such a compress, you can use heated honey, vegetable oil, radish with honey. From above, the compress is insulated with polyethylene and a warm scarf.
• Vitamin blend. A mixture of lemon zest and peel, ginger and honey will help relieve a sore throat, relieve a cough, and also boost immunity. This mixture can be eaten as is or added to warm tea and drunk.

Particular care should be taken in choosing folk remedies for pregnant women and children. Not all herbs essential oils safe for infants and fetus. They can cause a severe allergic reaction or provoke contraction of the uterine muscles.

Cough is a reflex reaction of the body to irritation of the receptors of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. It can occur suddenly or recur constantly. Sometimes a cough torments a person with seizures. They do not let you sleep at night and interfere during the day. This may happen according to different reasons. And before looking for a way to cough, you need to understand why it appeared. After all, any means will be ineffective if the cause of the attack is not eliminated.

Why there is a cough

This symptom of many diseases prevents physical activity person, exhausts the body, attracts the attention of others. Cough may occur for the following reasons:

Dry cough attack

Most of the aforementioned diseases begin with a dry cough. It most often occurs in the form of seizures. This may cause pain behind the sternum or in the throat, shortness of breath, vomiting. This is a cough without sputum discharge, which is why it is also called unproductive. It often occurs due to an allergic reaction or ingestion. Dry cough attacks in adults and children need to be removed with medications or folk remedies. The main thing in this case is to moisturize the mucous membrane and relieve irritation.

Is it possible to block a wet cough

When coughing up sputum, it is considered productive, as it clears the airways of mucus. Such moist cough cannot be removed. On the contrary, he needs to be helped with the help of expectorants and mucus-thinning agents. But in some cases, it can also cause seizures. They are relieved by inhalation, warm drink or special medications.

Why attacks often occur at night

Cough may occur in different time, it depends on the causes that caused it, and the characteristics of the disease. But most often there is an attack of coughing at night. Especially with rhinitis, laryngitis or heart failure. Seizures are affected by horizontal position body. In this case, mucus flows down the trachea and irritates the respiratory tract. In addition, relaxed muscles and slowed circulation contribute to the fact that sputum stagnates in the lungs.

First aid for an attack

It is not always necessary to get rid of a cough. Often he is defensive reaction organism. Therefore, help to a person suffering from a cough should be to alleviate his condition:

• you need to sit down, leaning on a pillow, or stand up, leaning forward a little;
• relax and calm down;
• humidify the air, for example, put a wet towel on the radiator, turn on the humidifier, or put a pot of hot water next to it;
• dilute 20 drops of valerian tincture in 100 g of water and drink;
• helps chamomile tea;
• you can suck on a lollipop with menthol or honey.

And how to relieve a coughing attack that caught a person not at home, for example, on the street or at work? You need to stand up straight, raise right hand up and pull it as high as possible until the cough stops.

Do I need to see a doctor

Usually, episodic bouts of dry cough in adults should not cause concern. If they do not recur and do not bring serious discomfort, you can deal with them yourself. Many patients with chronic diseases, for example, allergies or asthma, know how to relieve a coughing fit. But there are cases when it is better to consult a doctor:

How to relieve a coughing fit in a child

Particular attention should be paid to such symptoms in children. If the cough is accompanied by fever, runny nose, watery eyes and weakness, then it is caused by a cold or a virus. To get rid of such a cough, you need to treat the underlying disease. It is necessary to consult a doctor for this, do not give the child medication on their own.

If the cough is the only symptom, this may be the result of an allergic reaction or a foreign body entering the respiratory tract. This often happens in babies who are left unattended: they can inhale the parts of toys, crumbs from food or other small objects. You should immediately consult a doctor if the child's cough is accompanied by high temperature, weakness, shortness of breath. And if the baby began to choke, his face turned pale or blue, you need to call an ambulance.

And how to relieve a coughing fit in a child on your own?

Cough medicines for adults

All drugs can be taken only after examination by a doctor and determining the cause of the cough. Basically, they affect the body in a complex way. How to relieve a coughing fit with medication?

Folk recipes for cough

Such funds well help to relieve coughing fits in an adult. But not all of them are suitable for helping with an attack. Majority folk recipes you need to prepare in advance, this is done if a person’s cough is repeated often. Other medicines taken long time, which is also more suitable for treatment. But there are cough remedies for adults that will help relieve attacks or make them less frequent.

• Pour vodka over dry nettle grass and leave for 10 days in a dark place. Drink a tablespoon for seizures.
• To sleep peacefully at night, you need to burn a tablespoon of sugar in a dry frying pan. Dilute this zhzhenka in a quarter cup of water and add a few drops of aloe juice.
• Prevents coughing attacks at night decoction of sage in milk. Such a remedy is prepared in advance: boil a tablespoon of herbs in a glass of milk and leave for 30-40 minutes.
• Tea with ginger, honey and lemon helps well.
• If there is no allergy to bee products, you can mix honey with butter and eat a spoonful of this product with warm milk.
• In some cases, warming the chest helps. You can make a compress from boiled potatoes or rub yourself with ointment for colds.

An important symptom of disease respiratory system is a persistent, debilitating cough. In some cases, it is associated with colds. Sometimes with infectious processes, and even less often - with pathologies of other body systems.

People suffering from the manifestation of this symptom often ask the question: "How to stop a cough in an adult?" The article will be devoted to the answer to this question.

It usually occurs with reflex irritation of receptors located in the mucous membrane of the upper airways. Annoying factors there may be microorganisms or mucus flowing down the wall of the pharynx.

Another cause of cough is stagnation in the terminal sections of the lungs - the alveoli, where difficult-to-separate sputum accumulates during the disease. Exacerbates secretion permanent forced position body in bed.

So:

1. A persistent cough without stopping can be caused by smoking. It's for the lovers cigarette smoke more common pathological changes in lungs and upper respiratory tract(cm. ). This is due to the fact that tobacco contains nicotine and resins that irritate the bronchial mucosa;
2. A persistent cough can develop a common cold, not subjected to active treatment flowing in chronic form with periods of high and low. In the presence of adverse conditions a person may progress the disease from a common cold to bronchial asthma or pneumonia;
3. Laryngitis, tracheitis – important diseases, contributing to the development of dry painful cough, "tearing" the throat of a person. The standard complaint for this disease is "can't stop coughing in the morning" (see );
4. Pleurisy disappears with fever, chills, shortness of breath, severe cough and unpleasant painful sensations in chest(cm. );
5. Bronchial asthma is a disease requiring immediate treatment. The cough that occurs against its background is paroxysmal, more often at night.

It should be remembered that it is possible to quickly stop a cough without eliminating the underlying pathology in only rare cases.

Types of chronic cough

According to the manifestations, the following types of cough are distinguished, having various clinical manifestations:

1. Hypnotic;
2. dry barking;

Mainly arising coughing is dry in nature and appears in a person not only in the morning or evening, but throughout the day. Dust, cold, or vice versa, high humidity in the room can be provoking factors for an attack.

The appearance of a person with a long debilitating cough is very characteristic and is shown in the photo.

Why won't the cough stop?

Depending on the factor that caused unproductive cough, the reasons for the progression of the disease may be different. Often this is due to a general decrease in immunity, deformation of the bronchial wall, a change in the nature of the mucous secretion in the respiratory tract (often observed in smokers).

Joined pathogenic flora(bacteria or viruses) can also delay the cure of a cough.

Attention! The cough is aggravated and with serious oncological processes, for their diagnosis, you should contact a specialist.

How to stop a cough?

In cases where a cough has developed in a person with a cold, it is recommended to limit yourself to improvised means to eliminate pathological symptoms. If the cough is caused by diseases such as pleurisy or bronchial asthma, then adequate treatment only a doctor can prescribe.

To diagnose the cause of the disease in a person, an anamnesis is collected, as well as necessary tests which usually includes:

1. General analysis of blood, urine, biochemistry;
2. Bacteriological seeding on flora;
3. Serological research methods;
4. X-ray diagnostics (if necessary).

Based on the results of research, we can talk about the presence or absence of certain diseases in a person. Drug therapy is prescribed in accordance with the identified pathological syndrome, which contributes to the formation of a strong incessant cough.

Folk methods

How to quickly stop a cough without application drug therapy? Is it possible? Yes, sure.

For relax prolonged cough in adults can be used:

1. Milk, butter and honey.

Since ancient times, the famous drink that helps to defeat colds due to a large complex of vitamins and useful trace elements;

1. Warm plentiful drink.

Stop cough with milk or decoctions from medicinal fees(licorice, chamomile) can be even a child. They have a general strengthening effect on the body, stimulate the formation and separation of liquid sputum, which facilitates the course of coughing;

1. Inhalations with decoctions of herbs (linden, coltsfoot) have a calming effect on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.

The video in this article is detailed instructions cooking effective means for treatment chronic cough. If treatment fails, go to medical methods, which have at least more high price but proven effectiveness.

Drug therapy

When visiting a doctor, a study should be made to identify the pathogen that caused the disease and an unbearable cough.

Depending on its nature: viral, bacterial or fungal, direct treatment of the disease is applied:

• If a pathogen turned out bacterial cell- extensive use of antibiotics a wide range(summamed), and, if possible, narrowly focused;
• At viral cause development of cough are popular antiviral drugs(Acikrovir, Arbidol) and immunomodulators (Viferon, Interferon), allowing not only to reduce the activity of the pathogen, but also to increase the natural defensive forces organism;
• And, accordingly, the fungal flora is cured antifungal drugs(nystatin);
• It is mandatory to prescribe mucolytic drugs (bromhexine), expectorants (ACC), affecting the muscle fibers of the bronchi and the structure of the existing sputum. Thereby specific treatment there is a "softening" of cough;

What if allergic nature cough, than to stop it in this case?

• It is necessary to prescribe antiallergic drugs (loratadine, suprastin), which relieve hypersecretion and spasm of the respiratory muscles.
• Effective antitussives - libeksin, sinekod, weakening the hyperexcitability of the bronchi.

Conclusion

Dry cough, which occurs in many people, can be not only a symptom of a cold. And, therefore, its treatment will be significantly different from that of SARS.

Prescribe therapy to stop a coughing fit when bronchial asthma and pleurisy (and other serious illnesses) can only be a doctor. However, in other cases, every modern person should know how to stop a cough in an adult.

There are enough various kinds cough, and they need to be treated differently. But it is worth remembering that in case of illness, you must first consult a doctor in order to avoid undesirable consequences. If this is not possible, you can fight a cough at home.

Cold cough. There is a recipe for how to relieve a coughing fit when colds. To do this, stock up on milk, butter, soda and mineral water. After boiling milk, add 1 tablespoon butter and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda or water. Drink the potion hot, the result will not be long in coming.

Folk recipe to stop coughing fits. There are cases sudden appearance cough. And the more you cough, the harder it is to stop. I can't clear my throat or stop coughing. In such a situation, try to do this: Raise your right hand as high as possible and stretch well. The cough will subside. This procedure helps not only from prolonged coughing attacks, it is a means of treating and preventing cough, if done constantly. But you should not give up other folk remedies for treating cough. It is better to use everything in combination.

Attacks of coughing. If you suffer from coughing attacks at night, first of all, you need to change your position from horizontal to vertical, sit or stand, leaning forward a little. So the coughing fit will pass sooner. Another exercise that will help get rid of a cough not only at night, but also during the day. To do this, you need to raise your right hand and stretch up strongly. Soon the cough will subside. Also, ordinary chamomile flower tea, bought at a pharmacy, helps with coughing fits.

Children's cough. There are also methods that can stop a child's dry cough attacks. To do this, you need to prepare an egg mixture. First you need to boil a glass of milk, add a tablespoon of butter, the same amount of honey. Add to this mixture egg yolk, pre-whipped, as well as a quarter. Drink the mixture warm. Soon the child will forget about coughing.

As for children's syrups, the most effective for dry cough is Erespal. However, regarding the dose and duration of taking this cough syrup, and any other syrups and medicines needed in without fail consult a doctor. Also children's cough perfectly treats tincture of pine buds. To do this, boil half a liter of milk, add pine buds, no more than a tablespoon, insist the mixture for an hour, and then drink in small doses throughout the day.

Dry cough. An excellent recipe for how to stop a coughing fit in an adult. To do this, you need 250 grams of white grape wine and 60 grams of ground pepper roots. This mixture is brought to a boil, then filtered and drunk hot three times a day. If it is necessary to stop a dry cough in a child, this mixture can be rubbed into the chest.

Running cough. You can also stop severe attacks coughing compresses. This type of treatment is perfect for advanced forms of cough. To create a solution for compresses, you need to mix a tablespoon of dry mustard, honey, a little flour, sunflower oil and one and a half tablespoons of vodka. All this is heated in a water bath, put in cheesecloth and applied to the throat. The compress is wrapped in cellophane, and on top with a scarf to create the effect of a sauna. Doing this procedure for a couple of days in a row, you can get rid of the cough.