Treatment of acute cough. Causes leading to coughing. Decoctions and infusions for cough

Cough is one of the most common disorders that occur in children. The basis for the development of cough is defensive reflex aimed at protecting the body by restoring airway patency.

Cough is a complex protective reflex reaction, which is accompanied by a sharp contraction of the respiratory muscles, leading to a powerful jerky release of air from the lungs. The implementation of the cough reflex leads to irritation of sensitive receptors located in the nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and pleura, foreign bodies, neoplasms and products inflammatory process. The air flow formed by coughing and moving at high speed through the airways cleans them, capturing and removing bronchial secretions, sputum and foreign bodies. That is, the main physiological role coughing is the removal of sputum and foreign bodies from the respiratory tract.

The physiological function of cough is very important for both healthy child, and for a child with illnesses bronchopulmonary system. In both cases, the cough keeps the airways open and ensures normal, unobstructed breathing. The role of cough as a mechanism for clearing the bronchopulmonary system and upper respiratory tract must be taken into account when choosing a cough medicine, or rather, when choosing between antitussive and expectorant drugs. In particular, in cases where cough improves airway patency and clears them of inflammatory secretions, it is not blocked by antitussives, but facilitated and supported by expectorants.

Cough in children: causes

Depending on the cause that caused the appearance of a cough, it is customary to distinguish physiological and pathological cough.

1. Physiological cough. Physiological cough occurs periodically in everyone healthy person and is absolutely normal. Its task is to clean the respiratory tract from bronchial secretions accumulating in them and small foreign bodies that have fallen from the outside. Children normally have up to 15-20 episodes physiological cough per day, and more often children cough in the morning. It should be noted that infants cough more often in older children. This is due to the frequent small quantities milk or milk formula into the respiratory tract during feeding, with the launch of a cough reflex during crying, as well as with periods profuse salivation associated with teething small child. Such a cough is normal (physiological), does not require treatment and should not bother parents.

   A physiological cough has characteristics that distinguish it from a cough that occurs in connection with pathological processes. These include the short duration of episodes of coughing and their frequency in the absence of any other symptoms of the disease.

   With prolonged attacks of coughing, the absence of rhythm in its occurrence, and also if the cough is accompanied by an increase in the child's body temperature, sleep disturbance, mood, loss of appetite, or the appearance of symptoms such as a runny nose, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea - contact your pediatrician immediately.

2. Pathological cough. This kind of acute cough occurs as a symptom of the disease, is of a diverse nature, depending on the nature of the disease.

Acute cough arises suddenly, against the background, it would seem, full health and lasts no more than 1-2 weeks. The leading causes of acute cough in children are SARS, aspiration (inhalation) foreign body, whooping cough and helminthiases.

1. Acute cough as a symptom of SARS- this is the most common variety cough. Cough with SARS develops over several hours or days, accompanied by other signs viral infection(runny nose, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, etc.) and gradually changes its character from dry to wet. As a rule, with ARVI accompanied by a cough, the doctor makes diagnoses such as pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis or pneumonia.

   In many cases, the study of the characteristics of the cough allows you to determine the level of airway damage even without additional examination.

   At pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx) cough accompanied by a scratchy, lumpy, sore or dry throat that causes the child to cough almost continuously.

   For laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx) barking is typical, agonizing cough accompanied by hoarseness or hoarseness of voice. In children early age, due to the special structure of the larynx and surrounding tissues, laryngitis can be complicated by the development of croup (swelling and narrowing of the larynx), which can lead to shortness of breath, suffocation and even respiratory arrest.

   For tracheitis characterized by a loud, intense, sometimes to abdominal pain and vomiting, cough, which is accompanied by a feeling of itching, burning or soreness behind the sternum.

   Cough at bronchitis quickly becomes wet and is accompanied by the separation of mucous or purulent sputum. If bronchitis occurs with spasm of the muscles of the bronchi (bronchitis with a spastic component or obstructive bronchitis), the cough becomes paroxysmal, painful and is accompanied by a feeling of shortness of breath and wheezing.

   Cough with pneumonia pneumonia ) is also accompanied by sputum production, which at a certain stage of the disease acquires a characteristic "rusty" color. Sometimes this cough can cause pain, which, unlike coughing with tracheitis, are localized in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ribs, on the side or behind.

2. Acute whooping cough. Whooping cough is a childhood infection whose main symptom is coughing. At the same time, the nature of the cough with whooping cough is very different - it changes depending on the age of the child, the phase of the disease and immune status sick. In the early days of the disease, cough is the only symptom, it is dry and occurs more often in the evening and at night. As the disease progresses, the cough becomes painful, paroxysmal. Coughing attacks follow one after another, are interrupted by convulsive inspiration and end with the separation of thick sputum and vomiting. At the height of the disease, the number of coughing fits can reach 50 episodes per day.
3. Cough with helminthiasis. More often, with the appearance of a cough, ascaris invasion (ascariasis), or rather, the phase of pulmonary migration of the larvae of these helminths, is associated. This phase is accompanied by the effect of oxygen on the helminth larvae and is essential for the subsequent transformation of the larvae into adult roundworms. Cough with ascariasis often occurs at night, often accompanied by an allergic skin rash, increased body temperature. The cough can be dry or wet, and when sputum appears, blood is often found in it.
4. Acute cough with aspiration of a foreign body. This form of cough occurs suddenly and is not accompanied by other symptoms of the disease. Cough during aspiration of a foreign body is dry and very intense. If the foreign body has big sizes or aspiration accompanied by spasm of the larynx, cough accompanied by rapidly progressive signs of choking, such as labored breathing, blueness of the face, loss of voice and confusion.

If there are signs of suffocation, presumably associated with the aspiration of a foreign body, one should:

• check the child's mouth with a finger and remove all foreign bodies from it (food debris, buttons, coins, small parts of toys);
• put the child on his knees face down and rhythmically hit the interscapular region with the base of the palm several times - the direction of the blow is from the bottom up, towards the child's head;
• immediately call an ambulance.

The cessation of coughing without signs of a foreign body in the child's mouth means that either the foreign body was expelled from the respiratory tract and swallowed by the child, or that it has penetrated into the small bronchi, where there are fewer sensitive receptors that support cough reflex. The latter option is dangerous for the development of the inflammatory process and impaired lung function, so such a child must be shown to the doctor.

How to treat cough in children

The treatment of cough depends on the nature of the disease that caused it and includes three main areas - compliance with the treatment regimen, drug therapy and non-pharmacological interventions.

Requirements for a coughing baby regimen include:

• peace, warmth (air temperature 20-22 ° C), high humidity air in the room where the child is;
• no contact with irritating the respiratory tract or strong-smelling substances, including tobacco smoke;
• plentiful drink (tea, juice, dairy products, non-carbonated alkaline mineral and drinking water);
• milk and vegetable diet, food at the request (desire) of the child.

To non-drug methods cough control include:

• distracting hot (water temperature not higher than 43 С) foot baths;
• inhalation with water vapor, solution baking soda, inhalations with essential oils etc. (on the recommendation of a doctor);
• breathing exercises;
• positional drainage;
• massage chest.

Drug therapy for cough is selected and controlled by the attending physician. The main drugs used in the treatment of coughing children are antitussives and expectorants. Antitussive drugs are prescribed to children ONLY with a dry, intense cough. These drugs inhibit the cough reflex, eliminating the painful, not productive cough, tiring child. With a wet cough, which is accompanied by sputum, it is impossible to prescribe antitussive drugs. Their use in this case leads to stagnation of sputum in the bronchi, the creation favorable conditions for growth and development pathogenic microorganisms and development severe complications. The main drugs for the treatment of wet cough are expectorants / mucolytics. Their goal is to make sputum more liquid, fluid and facilitate its evacuation from the bronchi during coughing. This goal is achieved by stimulating the activity of the ciliated epithelium of the lining of the trachea and bronchi, increasing secretory function mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and changes physical characteristics(thickness and viscosity) of the inflammatory secretion. Against the background of taking expectorant drugs, the cough becomes "softer", more productive, which makes it easier to breathe and general state sick child.

Discussing expectorant drugs, I would like to dwell in more detail on drugs of natural origin, namely, drugs based on licorice. Licorice (another name for licorice) is medicinal plant, medicinal properties which are actively used both in non-traditional and in traditional medicine. The most useful part plants are its roots and rhizomes, rich in vitamin C, a variety of carbohydrates, essential oils, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, minerals and other compounds with healing abilities. Licorice root preparations are used in complex therapy organ diseases digestive system, allergic reactions, joint diseases and some diseases nervous system. However, the most frequent indication to the appointment of licorice are respiratory diseases, which are accompanied by a cough.

Licorice root syrup has long been known as an inexpensive, safe and highly effective expectorant, widely used in both adult and pediatric patients. Therapeutic effect licorice syrup in coughing patients is due to an increase in the activity of the ciliated epithelium and an increase in the secretory function of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, as well as the anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects of licorice.

In general, licorice preparations characterize:

• soft and complex impact on the lungs and respiratory tract in diseases, causing the appearance cough
• possibility combined application with others medicines, including expectorants with a different mechanism of action (for example, preparations based on ambroxol), due to the lack drug interactions and the depressing effects of drugs on the effects of each other;
• safety of use due to natural origin active ingredients and great experience use of drugs from licorice root.

Prevention of cough in children

Prevention of cough in children is mainly in the prevention of diseases that cause coughing. This includes measures specific (for example, vaccination) and non-specific (hardening, taking vitamins, healthy eating, rehabilitation of foci chronic infection etc.) prevention, which are implemented by parents and supervised by a pediatrician.

An acute cough is a cough that does not last long. It is caused by bronchitis, a foreign body, pneumonia, air pollution poisoning or SARS. Most often acute infections respiratory tract appear due to viruses. If a person does not have shortness of breath and hemoptysis, additional research are carried out extremely rarely, usually everything is treated with simple syrups or inhalations. Antibiotics are prescribed for extreme cases when a person has purulent sputum or fever.

Acute dry cough

Acute cough more three weeks does not last. It occurs due to a viral infection. If the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor do not help, you can resort to folk remedies such as honey, raspberries, lemon, and so on. In order not to spread the infection further, you should use a handkerchief and wash your hands often. When coughing, cover your mouth with a handkerchief or hand, even children should know this.

If a person smokes, at the time of illness, it is better to abandon this addiction. After recovery, you may no longer want to go back to cigarettes.

Seeing a doctor is mandatory if blood is released during a cough, there is a lack of air, and so on.

A cough that lasts more than three weeks can be considered chronic. It occurs most often due to smoking. If a smoker refuses cigarettes, after a month his cough disappears.

• Severe dry cough
• Dry cough in an adult
• Dry cough without fever
• Nocturnal dry cough

Cough in acute bronchitis

Cough may be due to serious illnesses like bronchitis, tuberculosis, pleurisy, sarcoidosis, heart failure and so on. If a person has lung cancer, then the cough appears on early stages illness. With TB, coughing can be delayed, which is why the population is so often tested for TB. This disease is difficult to diagnose, but easily treated, in the early stages of the disease.

Cough is a complex reflex act during which there is a sharp contraction of muscles and powerful release air. Sensitive receptors located in the larynx, trachea, large bronchi and pleura are irritated, and a cough appears.

The cough reflex clears the airways of mucus, fluid, and foreign bodies. It is called a defense mechanism that protects the respiratory tract from harmful particles.

Physiological cough is considered normal. The body from time to time gets rid of accumulated sputum or foreign bodies that have entered the airways. At the same time, the person does not get sick, and the cough stops as soon as the body gets rid of what interferes with it.

Pathological cough appears on the background of the disease. It can be varied and most often depends on what kind of ailment bothers a person. In order to get rid of a pathological cough, you need to find out the cause of its occurrence. Doing this is not always easy.

• Bronchial cough
• Tracheobronchitis

Acute cough treatment

If the cough is accompanied by sputum production, it is called productive. When there is no phlegm, the cough is considered dry. ARI and SARS are often accompanied by an acute cough. In order to heal, you need to understand why cough has begun.

Cough is a natural reflex phenomenon that occurs when the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract is irritated by vapors of substances or foreign bodies. The symptom appears as defensive reaction, in which the respiratory tract gets rid of sputum or dust, to achieve normal breathing.

The symptom manifests itself not only in the form of a dry or wet cough. He has other characteristics that affect the patient's condition. Persistent cough may appear when pathological processes(pneumonia, SARS, bronchitis, etc.) and mechanical damage pathways with food, dust or foreign bodies.

Etiology

Many people are interested in the question of how to treat a cough in a child or an adult patient. But before asking the search for therapy, the doctor and the patient need to understand why the symptom arose. Sore throat and cough occur under the influence of various factors, which in medicine are divided into several categories:

• mechanical - foreign bodies in the airways, ear canal, swollen lymph nodes, inflammation of the trachea and bronchi;
• allergic;
• chemical - exposure to chemical vapors;
• thermal - at low temperature.

Often, the cough does not go away and may reappear for the reason that it irritates the cough zones - the back wall of the larynx, pleura, branching of the trachea and bronchi.

Cough in children and adults cannot be ignored, as the symptom may manifest itself in more severe form when the symptom is already indicative of chronic or serious problems with health. Before starting treatment folk remedies and medicines, doctors need to figure out what ailment the symptom indicates.

Cough wet, dry or any other nature indicates such pathologies:

• - manifested by a dry cough, which develops into a wet one;
• – barking cough, hoarseness of voice;
• - rough, when coughing, severe pain is felt;
• acute bronchitis - coughing with sputum;
• - a painful attack of coughing, at first dry in nature, and then wet with sputum;
• and - seizures at night, when discharge from the nose irritates the back of the throat.

As for newborns, the causes of the onset of the symptom in them differ from adults. Often, a cough in infants manifests itself after feeding, when milk enters the respiratory tract. It also appears during strong discharge saliva during teething. Cough after eating and with excessive saliva is not a pathological process, therefore, does not require treatment.

Classification

According to the nature of the appearance of the cough, clinicians identified two types of symptom:

• - without sputum. It is divided into two forms -, accompanied by pain attacks or a sore throat, a decrease in the volume of the voice. And also paroxysmal - characteristic of tracheitis and bronchitis;
• - accompanied by expectoration, wheezing, heaviness and unpleasant feeling in the chest. Marked with and .

According to the duration of the course, a strong cough in a child and an adult can be of the following forms:

• acute - lasts no more than three weeks with infectious diseases;
• - longer than duration acute form for a few weeks. This type of cough manifests itself in the pathology of the bronchi and lungs, with the accumulation of mucus in the nasopharynx, with mental disorders and frequent use drugs.

According to the periodicity identified:

• regular - manifested in severe attacks in which a person cannot breathe normally. In a child and an adult, such a cough can be up to vomiting, respiratory arrest and fainting;
• temporary - a single attack of coughing without side effects.

Dry cough

Many people believe that if a cough does not go away for a long time, then this already indicates a pathology, but this is not so. This symptom is a protective reflex in response to various stimuli.

In medicine, it is believed that the dry type of cough is the safest and can be quickly cured. Cough is not manifested in the release of mucus or sputum from the lungs. The patient feels only a slight sore throat, as well as other signs:

• barking character;
• heat;
• labored breathing;

These unpleasant manifestations not only indicate a formed ailment in the body, but also lead to insomnia, headaches and nervous breakdowns. Clinicians argue that an unproductive, that is, dry, attack is more exhausting for the body than another type.

The attending physician, before determining how to quickly cure a cough, must establish the cause of the symptom. Quite often, this symptom is manifested in heavy smokers, but there are other root causes for the appearance of the symptom:

• respiratory infections;
• allergies;
• inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa;
• pneumonia;
• inflammation in the trachea;
• bronchial asthma;
• tumors.

Cough in a child without fever may manifest itself as a consequence passive smoking. Doctors have long been saying that a person who stands next to a smoker is also exposed to danger and exposure to smoke. Therefore, the child may experience a cough that does not go away for a long time and does not indicate the development of pathologies.

Before starting cough treatment in an adult or child, the patient needs to undergo a series of examinations to establish exact reason appearance similar symptom. After diagnosing and establishing accurate diagnosis, the doctor can decide how to quickly cure a cough at home.

In the course of timely started therapy, the patient's condition immediately improves and subsides. obvious symptom. To eliminate cough prescribed various methods treatment:

• the use of medicines;
• physiotherapy;
• inhalation therapy.

As part of drug treatment the following drugs are prescribed:

• antispasmodics;
• thinning sputum;
• expanding bronchi;
• decongestants;
• sedatives;
• antitussives;
• antibacterial.

If a cough in a baby or an older patient manifests itself from an allergy, then the patient is prescribed antihistamine medicines sorbents and bronchodilators.

Wet cough

To answer the question of how to treat wet cough in a child, the doctor first needs to diagnose this disease in a person. It may be accompanied by the appearance of such a clinic:

• sharp bouts of coughing;
• dyspnea;
• heat;
• loss of appetite;
• wheezing;
• an admixture of blood in the sputum;
• greenish tinge of sputum;
• pain syndrome in the chest;
• nocturnal cough.

Cough and snot that occur with other symptoms act characteristic symptoms such pathologies:

• and ARVI;
• bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• bronchial asthma;
• allergies.

Sputum with this symptom is detected in different types. Clinicians have identified 6 main types of mucus:

• plentiful;
• with a rusty tint;
• watery;
• viscous;
• with an admixture of blood;
• purulent.

When a cough with sputum is detected, the patient raises the question of how to cure a cough at home. Only a doctor can give an answer, since the therapy of a symptom directly depends on the intensity of manifestation and type.

During treatment, the patient is allowed to adhere to the following measures:

• the use of folk remedies is allowed, namely hot tea with lemon, raspberries, honey, lingonberry syrup or hot milk. Each remedy is aimed at liquefying sputum;
• humidify regularly.

Complex remedies help eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections, maintain efficiency, but often contain phenylephrine, a substance that increases arterial pressure, which gives a feeling of cheerfulness, but can cause side effects from of cardio-vascular system. Therefore, in some cases it is better to choose a drug without components of this kind, for example, AntiGrippin from NaturProduct, which helps to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of SARS without provoking an increase in pressure. There are contraindications. It is necessary to consult with a specialist.

As for drugs, doctors prescribe drugs that improve the expectorant effect and thin the sputum.

To cure a cough in a child at 1 year old, parents are allowed to massage on the chest and back. A similar effect on the lungs and bronchi improves sputum discharge. A coughing baby can also cough up on his own during active games. Such a process of therapy is considered much better than drinking medicines.

It is recommended to treat cough in a child older than 3 years with inhalations. Preference is given to inhalation through a nebulizer. This device sprays the therapeutic substance with which it is filled, and contributes to the delivery of the drug directly to the bronchi. However, before treating children, you need to seek the advice of a doctor, especially if the child is 2 years old. Otherwise, the cough to vomit in the child may continue for a long time.

When choosing medicines for a child, you need to be very thorough so that they do not harm the body. In medicine, there are drugs that can treat a cough in a child of 2 years. All of these medicines will be based on plant extracts and active components. Also, all medicines for children at this age are offered in the form of a syrup, which is convenient to take several times a day.

Cough without fever

People are used to the fact that if a person falls ill, then his body temperature necessarily rises, his condition worsens, cough, runny nose and other signs appear. However, doctors say that there are pathologies that manifest themselves with a slight increase in the mark or, in general, without an increase.

Cough without fever occurs with the same pathological processes as described above. However, the patient is not bothered by one of the many symptoms. Cough without fever is manifested in such pathologies:

• cold;
• allergy;
• stress;
• oncological disease;
• pathology of the heart;
• diseases of ENT organs;
• tuberculosis;
• thyroid disease.

Quite often, a cough without fever occurs in children who have just had SARS. It's connected with high level vulnerability and sensitivity of the respiratory mucosa. What to do in this case? Doctors say that there is nothing pathological in this process. It is enough for the child to follow all the recommendations of doctors and continue the course of treatment. With such an ailment, it is undesirable for children to go to the team, but it is better to stay at home for two or three days in order to finally recover from the infection. Otherwise, the child may develop chronic inflammation or complications.

Cough during pregnancy

In women during pregnancy, the body becomes very vulnerable. Therefore, even short contact with sick people can contribute to the disease. Cough is only a symptom of a particular pathology, therefore, when such a symptom is found, you need to look for the root cause, and not try to get rid of an unpleasant symptom.

If a woman has a symptom due to an illness, then it remains topical issue than to treat a cough during pregnancy, so as not to harm the baby. Look for the answer in the doctor's office. To eliminate the sign of the patient, sparing syrups, tablets and vitamins are prescribed. In no case should a woman put jars and mustard plasters, take hot bath and steam your feet to keep warm. You also need to be careful with the dose of vitamin C.

So how to treat a cough during pregnancy at home? For all the prohibitions that the doctor imposes on treatment, the woman is recommended simple physiotherapy procedures. At home, you can do inhalations with different herbs, gargling.

Doctors do not particularly recommend using alternative methods treatment, but several methods remain available and permitted. At the appointment, the doctor can tell you how to treat a cough with folk remedies and how often they can be used.

For the treatment of cough, it is advised to use:

• honey - rub on the chest, make compresses, eat a few teaspoons, add to tea;
• milk - use a little warm, you can add sage, figs;
• garlic and onions - chopped vegetables take one spoonful three times a day.

Prevention

To prevent the occurrence of a recurrent cough, doctors advise what can be done for prevention:

• to eat healthy food;
• do not smoke and avoid breathing cigarette smoke;
• treat diseases in time;
• observe the rules of hygiene;
• in the cold season, do not overcool.

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Cough is a protective reflex that clears the airways of germs, dust, foreign objects and excess mucus. provoke unpleasant symptom can not only bronchopulmonary pathologies but also diseases gastrointestinal tract and even nervous disorders. By the nature of the cough, one can judge the features of the disease and what treatment the patient needs.

Types of cough

Cough can be classified in different ways. For example, according to the time of occurrence, it is morning, afternoon or night, and according to the duration of the course:

• acute (passes within 1-4 weeks),
• protracted (lasts from 1 to 3 months),
• (goes on for more than 3 months).

An indicative sign for the doctor is the absence or presence of sputum in the patient. From this point of view, the cough is divided into dry (unproductive) and wet (productive). In the first case, sputum is not formed at all or is excreted in very small quantities. This cough causes unpleasant feeling soreness in the throat, pain in the chest and upper abdomen, sometimes vomiting.

A wet cough is said to be when sputum appears. Attacks stop after coughing up mucus and resume again when it accumulates in the airways.

Possible causes of dry cough

SARS. An irritating cough is due to direct impact viruses on the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. After 2-3 days, when the infection reaches the trachea and bronchi, the cough becomes wet.

Pharyngitis.. It is also characterized by moderate pain in the throat. Some patients may experience a slight increase in temperature. Cough occurs already in the first days of illness.

Sinusitis.. The appearance of a cough is due to the fact that mucus flows down the back wall pharynx and causes irritation of cough receptors.

Laryngitis.. Cough with laryngitis - "barking", hacking.

Acute tracheitis or bronchitis. Inflamed or bronchial tubes. With pure tracheitis, the cough has a characteristic metallic tint. With bronchitis, it is deep, painful.

Foreign body entry into the respiratory tract. It is characterized by a sudden attack of coughing, which is accompanied by shortness of breath and blue skin.

Taking certain medications. For example, ACE inhibitors(Enap, Renitek) or beta-blockers (Atenolol, Concora). These drugs are prescribed for patients with arterial hypertension and arrhythmia.

Reflux esophagitis. This term refers to throwing gastric juice into the esophagus. In this case, the patient has a feeling of heartburn. At night, when the patient is in horizontal position, the acidic substance reaches the pharynx, causing irritation of the cough receptors.

False croup. Children's pathology, which is characterized by inflammation of the larynx and narrowing of its lumen. Cough at false croup barking, paroxysmal, with shortness of breath.

Whooping cough. Breeding in nervous tissues, whooping cough acts directly on the cough center in medulla oblongata. Patients cough in response to any stimulus - loud noise, bright light, emotional experiences. Seizures may be accompanied by vomiting or respiratory arrest.

Heart failure. With this disease, the process of blood circulation is disturbed. Stagnation in the lungs, blood provokes the appearance of a dry cough. Seizures become more frequent in the supine position.

Pleurisy. Inflammation of the lung membrane -. Cough with pleurisy is painful, exhausting. He is often accompanied by pain in the right side.

Tumors of the lung.. At the same time, the patient has weight loss, weakness, and hoarseness is possible.

Psychogenic disorders. stress, nervous tension may cause an increase in neck muscles and, as a result, appearance and cough. Attacks often occur in the morning or evening.

Causes of wet cough

SARS. Moist cough occurs within a few days of proper treatment passes within a week. Sputum with a cold is usually clear, but when attached bacterial infection may become purulent.

Cough is the most common complaint when a patient visits a doctor. Every third patient at the therapist and, when describing complaints, indicate coughing fits.

Why is there an acute cough? This is an important and most difficult task for specialists, since such a condition can be caused a large number of diseases.

The most common causes of acute cough are:

1. Pulmonary causes- Diseases of the lower respiratory tract (lung disease, smoke and gas poisoning, aspiration, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, pleurisy, infections, pneumothorax, allergic reaction, bronchial asthma).
2. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract (infections, viruses, colds, flu, allergies, medication).

Acute cough with viral respiratory infections is the most common reason for visiting a hospital. But many people begin to self-medicate and try to get rid of the annoying disease on their own. Whereas in world practice, acute cough is considered a life-threatening symptom.

Diagnostics

To identify the cause and correct diagnosis resort to identifying the presence or absence of cough productivity. Often in medical practice this issue is very easy to deal with. If the patient coughs up sputum, then he has a productive cough. No sputum means a non-productive cough.

However modern medicine argues that this is not enough to determine the exact nature of productivity.

So, with an acute cough, it is necessary to pay attention to the color of sputum, its consistency. It is important to identify or exclude blood impurities in the sputum.

When a patient presents with complaints of acute cough, it is necessary to carefully collect an anamnesis from him. To quickly exclude many pathologies, you should carefully study the medical history, look at the latest tests, x-rays, and pictures. After consultation, prescribe the necessary diagnostic and laboratory research.

Causes and treatment of acute cough

The main cause of acute dry cough is influenza and SARS. This condition lasts from 14 to 25 days and disappears without a trace. In most cases, it is not necessary to take medications, enough steam inhalations, tea with honey and raspberries, hot milk with honey. Medications may be prescribed to quickly relieve the symptoms and bouts of coughing.

common cause acute cough syndromes can be: rhinosinusitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, pharyngitis. In such conditions, a wet productive cough is often diagnosed. And the syndrome itself proceeds enough long time.

If bronchitis has a viral and bacterial source, the doctor prescribes mucoactive medical preparations that prevent the development of mucostasis and pneumonia.

Less commonly, acute cough occurs from: pneumonia, heart failure, pleural disease, pulmonary embolism, foreign body aspiration, lung disease.

With pneumonia, the development of a productive acute cough is detected. As a rule, in the first 48 hours the cough is dry. At lobar pneumonia you can detect the appearance of blood in the sputum. Acute syndrome cough combined with high temperature, shortness of breath, painful sensations in the chest area.

Self-medication for pneumonia is unacceptable. Treatment should be strictly under medical supervision.

Cough with thromboembolism pulmonary artery accompanied severe shortness of breath and chest pain. There is often bleeding.

It is also important to note that sudden cough in children and adults, it can cause aspiration of a foreign body that is coughed up or removed during bronchoscopy.

Rare causes of cough can be a suppurative process in the lung parenchyma. In such cases, the cough is accompanied by purulent sputum.

Not to mention smoking. Long-term use of nicotine causes a chronic cough.

Summing up, I would like to remind you that the treatment of acute cough should begin with a visit to the doctor. The main recommendations for treatment and prevention are: copious amounts water, tea with raspberries and honey, steam inhalation, taking drugs that have an expectorant effect.