What causes a cough. Factors that cause coughing. Elimination of cough attacks. Possible Causes of a Cough Without a Cold in an Adult

We used to say "I have a cold, I'm sick, I have a cough." But in fact, it is not some kind of independent disease, it is just a sign, a symptom that can manifest itself in many different diseases and conditions, dysfunctions of internal organs. Only by understanding well what causes coughing, you can get the correct diagnosis and begin treatment of the underlying disease, the symptom of which is coughing.

There may be several reasons for what happens, and the usual reasons for us - hypothermia, viruses and other misfortunes - are far from the only ones on this list.

Our throat and nasopharynx are lined with a very sensitive mucous membrane that performs many functions. It protects us from the penetration of particles of dust, gases, plant pollen, the smallest microorganisms, a significant part of which belongs to the pathogenic microflora. But sometimes there is a failure, and our protective system does not work. This may be due to a drop in immunity due to the presence of some other diseases, severe overwork, or simply due to a very massive attack on our body by various external and internal factors. As a result, various irritating agents enter our respiratory tract. To get rid of them and cleanse the respiratory system, the body resorts to a defense mechanism - coughing.

With reflex irritation of the nerve endings, our tracheas begin to contract in order to push the aggressor out of themselves, and their glands produce a large amount of mucus, which we used to call sputum. So there is a cough and the person understands that he is ill.

But if the mechanism of coughing is generally understood, then it can have a lot of reasons.

Among them are the following:

Since there are many reasons, the treatment of a disease or condition depends entirely on what provoked such a condition of the patient. Only after finding out this, the doctor will prescribe treatment.

Methods for treating cough and the means used

Having figured out what causes a cough, you need to find out how and with what it can be treated.

With some of its types, treatment will be purely symptomatic, that is, it will be necessary to remove the manifestations:

• If there has been a thermal effect without burns of the respiratory tract, rinsing with a soda solution or inhaling it will help well, but hot liquids should be avoided in every possible way.
• The chemical effect will need to be neutralized, the necessary drugs can only be prescribed by an experienced doctor familiar with such conditions.
• With mechanical irritation of the mucous membranes, washing the nasopharynx with a weak (physiological) solution of sea salt works well. It will not only simply wash away all the harmful things that have entered the human body, but also disinfect the mucous membranes and relieve inflammation.
• requires a special, integrated approach. It consists in eliminating the effects of the allergen, the use of antihistamines and, if necessary, anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as in the local effect on inflamed mucous membranes by washing, rinsing and.

Cough provoked by the influence of inflammation or infection requires the greatest attention. The most important thing here is to figure out what exactly led to its appearance. The treatment depends on what the cause is.

Treatment features:

• Bacterial infection and severe inflammation can be destroyed by antibiotics, but they are powerless against viruses, special antiviral drugs will be required. When treating a disease caused by fungi with antibiotics, a dangerous growth of a fungal infection can be achieved, since antibiotics contribute to the oppression and destruction of beneficial microflora. It also suppresses mycotic infection. So only a thorough identification of the cause of the cough will help to deal with the methods of treatment.
• Of the general recommendations for coughing, one can name the use of mucolytics for and expectorants with wet, plentiful drinking, bed rest, proper balanced nutrition, and being warm.

You can learn more about coughing from the video:

The throat and nasopharynx should be washed, rinses should be used with softening and disinfecting solutions, and inhalations should be done. The simplest and most affordable remedy has proven itself well - a warm solution of salt and soda:

• Salt is best taken from the sea, it contains a lot of healing trace elements that quickly reduce swelling and inflammation of the mucous membrane.
• Soda, on the other hand, has the ability to actively soften the throat, which is extremely necessary with constant urge to cough.
• You can add iodine to such a solution only if there is a source of purulent infection, since this powerful antiseptic has the ability to dry the mucous membranes, and this can lead to increased coughing, especially if it is allergic, mechanical, chemical or thermal in nature.

Traditional medicine recommends using the healing properties of honey and milk. Bee products are good for coughs, but are prohibited for allergies. Adding honey and peasant butter or goat fat to warm milk makes this drink not only tasty, but also healing. It is good to use it not only for coughing, but also for any, especially in young children.

Various teas also help a lot, for example, linden decoction with honey or raspberry tea have an active diaphoretic effect, and also have a good effect on an irritated sore throat.

Having learned what causes a cough, it is necessary to find out what consequences this can lead to. Allergic cough is very dangerous. If it is not treated in a timely and correct manner, it can lead to the development of bronchospasm, bronchial asthma, Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock, and even death.

The same can provoke mechanical, chemical and thermal effects. The last two can also lead to severe burns of the respiratory mucosa, which in turn can become such deadly diseases as pneumonia and sepsis.

If you do not treat a cold cough, then the disease will not go away by itself, at best it will become chronic, and at worst it will cause serious complications.

Complications of a cold cough can be in the form of inflammation, severe conjunctivitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and in especially neglected and dangerous cases, it can threaten life with meningitis or other dangerous inflammatory diseases.

Whatever the nature of the cough, only timely seeking medical help and strict adherence to medical recommendations can lead to quick relief from it without any risky consequences.

Gastric cough is considered the first sign of colds, some chronic and acute forms of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Irritation of the respiratory tract and the cough reflex can be the cause of disorders of the internal organs, such as the heart, stomach or esophagus. In gastroenterological practice, the term or gastroesophageal reflux is known. So, can there be a cough from diseases of the stomach or esophagus?

Discomfort in the throat

The nature of the pathology

Cough in gastroesophageal disease (GERD cough) is unproductive, without sputum, accompanied by soreness and belching with an unpleasant odor. With reflux, it is impossible to reliably determine the nature of the cough, since during a coughing fit a certain amount of air comes out with an eructation, which may resemble sputum discharge. According to the type of flow, gastroesophageal reflux is classified into two main forms:

• acute process;
• chronic form.

In acute gastroesophageal reflux, the cough is paroxysmal in nature, and occurs immediately after any meal. Acute cough does not go away for a long time. With chronic disease, cough accompanies the patient after eating foods that are aggressive for the gastric mucosa (sour, salty, spicy), is characterized by belching and disappears after a while. Cough may be accompanied by severe pain in the retrosternal region and heartburn. Differential diagnosis for suspected gastroesophageal reflux involves endoscopic research methods. Minimally invasive techniques allow you to quickly identify any damage to the stomach or esophagus, tumor-like growths and other pathological formations.

Important! The treatment process for gastric cough differs from the nature of its occurrence. So, if there is damage to the esophagus as a result of chemicals entering its cavity, then intensive gastric lavage is performed. In case of minor damage to the stomach, surgical correction may be required. Any treatment is agreed with the doctor on an individual basis.

Etiological factors

The occurrence of gastric cough can be due to a number of provoking factors. In children, the cause of the disease is often various anomalies in the development of the digestive tract. Adults suffer from pathology as a result of the lack of a diet, the presence of other diseases of the digestive tract in history. The main causes of gastric cough include the following conditions:

Gastric cough can be caused by a low standard of living, addiction to alcohol and tobacco, drug addiction. The lack of a diet and high-quality multi-component food can contribute to the development of diseases that can provoke the development of gastric cough and severe belching.

Important! Gastric cough is not an independent disease, it is a symptom of some disorder from the organs of the epigastric region. Symptoms of gastric cough in adults and children are approximately the same, accompanied by soreness and discomfort in accordance with the existing disease from gastroenterology.

Clinical picture

The manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux in each patient varies depending on the provoking factors. It is the combination of cough and aggravated gastroenterological history that makes it possible to identify reflux from tonsillitis, SARS, cough in heart failure, and the common cold. After treatment with mucolytic drugs with gastric cough, there is no relief, and attacks are noted only after eating. According to the type of course of the provoking disease, cough features are also noted:

When the patient is positioned on his back (usually at night), coughing attacks may intensify, and its intensity may provoke a gag reflex. The disease is accompanied by general malaise, irritability, fatigue, soreness in the sternum due to frequent muscle contraction when coughing. Cough with heartburn becomes the most unpleasant, associated with the penetration of acid into the respiratory tract.

Important! With a pronounced violation of motility in different parts of the digestive tract, the contents of the stomach are thrown into the esophagus, which leads to acid damage to the mucous tissues. Cough with this pathology is accompanied by severe heartburn, dryness, intermittent breathing with a characteristic whistle, up to the development of apnea.

Diagnostics

The final diagnosis is made after studying the patient's clinical history, his complaints, based on data from clinical studies (laboratory or instrumental). The most informative methods for studying internal organs include:

The course of gastritis is accompanied by the ingress of secretions into various parts of the esophagus. The condition occurs with an increase in the acidity of gastric juice. The irritated mucosa contains special receptors responsible for the formation of a cough reflex. Cough with gastritis of the stomach appears only an hour after eating, which allows the stomach to have time to digest a small part of it. Gastritis in its chronicity is detected by gastroscopy. Treatment of gastritis is reduced to a decrease in the acidity of the gastric secretion, the appointment of a strict diet, the exclusion of aggressive and unhealthy foods. Launched forms of gastritis lead to ulceration of the gastric mucosa, opening the beginning of the development of ulcerative lesions of the organ. Against the background of the rapid development and spread of ulcerative foci on the mucous membrane, the patient complains of pain in the chest, back or abdomen, a deep cough without sputum and difficulty in breathing. The cough in gastric ulcer is dry, debilitating, with much scratching in the throat.

Important! Gastric ulcer and gastritis are among the most common diseases that provoke the formation of gastroesophageal reflux and cough. Identification of the root cause of cough allows you to draw up the right treatment tactics, allows you to cure the disease even in the early stages by conservative methods without surgical intervention.

Treatment tactics

Before treating gastric cough, it is necessary to undergo a complete examination. Treatment of gastric cough is carried out in a complex manner, which is explained by the multidirectional course of the pathological process. Therapy is aimed at eliminating the root cause of coughing, relieving pain, restoring normal well-being. Predominantly used drug correction of the pathological condition. The operation is indicated when medical treatment is impossible or ineffective or in severe forms of the provoking disease. Mandatory therapy includes a special diet, which includes a number of basic rules:

• small portions of food (up to 5 times a day);
• cooking from quality products;
• exclusion of fast food, alcohol, tobacco;
• after eating, you need to walk or sit for about half an hour;
• the presence of fruits and vegetables in the diet.

With adequate therapy, the cough gradually disappears. After treatment, patients are forced to follow a healthy lifestyle, exercise normal physical activity, and eat properly and fractionally. Compliance with the recommendations of the doctor will protect against recurrence of the disease.

Important! Mandatory in the treatment of cough with heartburn is the appointment of drugs of the antacid group. Antacids carefully envelop the mucous membrane of the stomach and lumen of the esophagus from the aggressive effects of the secretory fluid. The dosage and duration of the course is determined only after the final manifestation of the diagnosis.

Cough with a disease of the gastrointestinal tract is an unpleasant symptom. With adequate therapy, the cough gradually disappears. After treatment, patients are forced to follow a healthy lifestyle, exercise normal physical activity, and eat properly and fractionally. Compliance with the recommendations of the doctor will protect against recurrence of the disease.

Causes of cough. Does coughing always mean respiratory problems?

Indeed, in most cases, coughing indicates the defeat of the respiratory tract by some kind of disease. In this case, often, coughing is the symptom of the disease that makes the patient see a doctor. The question: is cough always a symptom of a disease of the respiratory system, is very interesting for a more detailed consideration. This is especially true for chronic cough. Before considering the list of diseases that can cause cough, we will describe some of the characteristics of cough in order to subsequently describe the different types of cough in various diseases. Knowledge of the elementary features of cough in various diseases can be extremely important not only for medical professionals, but for all people who are faced with this problem.

In order to determine the type of cough and its belonging to any disease, you need to pay attention to its main characteristics: the duration, strength of the cough, the moment of the day when the cough is the strongest, the cough is wet or dry, the nature of the sputum that is released during coughing, the timbre of the cough , the presence of other symptoms of the disease.

How long does the cough last?
From the point of view of clinical development, we distinguish between acute, protracted and chronic cough.
Acute cough - present for up to 3 weeks. Acute cough is characterized by the constancy of symptoms, that is, the cough is present almost all the time. Acute cough is characteristic of most acute respiratory viral infections (influenza, parainfluenza, RS infection, adenovirus infection), acute bronchitis, pneumonia, pharyngitis. Acute cough, as a rule, is exclusively protective in nature and helps to cleanse the body of germs and sputum.
Protracted cough. Unlike acute cough, persistent cough lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months. A persistent cough is less persistent than an acute one. It is quite possible that the cough develops in waves (the appearance and disappearance of a cough after a few days) or its appearance only at certain times of the day (for example, in the morning or at night). A lingering cough also most often indicates a lesion of the respiratory tract, however, unlike an acute cough, a lingering cough indicates a slow course of the disease and the possibility of its transition to a chronic form.
Chronic cough. The diagnosis of chronic cough is established when the cough lasts more than 3 months. Immediately, we note that chronic cough can be a sign of very dangerous diseases: chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, heart failure, tumors of the lungs and respiratory tract, tuberculosis. Therefore, patients with chronic cough need the most thorough examination and treatment. In some cases, chronic cough can occur in nervously ill people (without certain diseases of the respiratory system), as well as in people exposed to adverse environmental factors: dust, smoke, corrosive gases. Smokers have a chronic cough - it can be both a sign of prolonged irritation of the bronchi with tobacco smoke, and a sign of one of the complications of smoking (bronchitis, lung cancer).
Chronic cough is usually intermittent. Chronic cough is characterized by periods of exacerbation and remission, as well as cough fixation, that is, the occurrence of cough at a certain time of the day. Exacerbations of chronic cough are associated with an exacerbation of the disease that caused it or with the impact on the body of any irritating factors (cold air, dust, allergens).
Chronic cough, as a phenomenon, loses its protective role and may be the cause of the development of some disorders of the respiratory system: emphysema, bronchiectasis, spontaneous pneumothorax, disruption of the heart, the formation of a hernia of internal organs, etc.

Strong or weak cough?
Usually, the strength of the cough depends on the severity of the disease: acute respiratory diseases are accompanied by a strong, "hysterical" cough. Chronic diseases - are manifested by a mild cough (coughing). A particularly severe cough is characteristic of such respiratory diseases as whooping cough (convulsive cough), acute tracheitis or acute bronchitis caused by influenza or other acute respiratory viral infections. Coughing is often observed in chronic smokers, patients with chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, lung cancer. In chronic cough, the transition from coughing to hysterical cough always means an aggravation of the course of the disease.

What time of day does the cough appear?
The appearance of a cough at a certain time of the day can be a fairly characteristic sign of a particular disease. A cough that lasts all day is typical for acute respiratory infections (flu, parainfluenza, whooping cough), as well as for acute laryngitis, acute tracheitis, acute bronchitis. Cough that occurs in the morning is typical for patients with chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, with a lung abscess. Night cough is typical for patients with heart failure, patients with lung cancer, patients with tuberculosis. Often, a nocturnal cough is the only symptom of gastroesophageal reflux, chronic sinusitis, or chronic rhinitis. Allergic cough occurs at any time upon contact with an allergen. Allergic coughs and asthmatic coughs are characterized by a seasonal appearance in spring or autumn.

Wet or dry cough? What kind of sputum?
The terms "dry" or "wet" cough require further clarification. It is customary to talk about dry cough in those cases when, when coughing, either no sputum is secreted at all, or very meager amounts of sputum are released. Wet cough accompanied by copious sputum. Sputum is produced by the bronchi and trachea. Microbes and their poisons are excreted from the body along with sputum when coughing. During many diseases, there is often a transition from a dry cough to a wet one, as well as a change in the nature of sputum (for example, from watery to purulent). Such a change in the nature of cough, as well as a change in the nature of sputum, depends on the natural development of the disease. With many viral infections (influenza, parainfluenza, RS infection), the cough is initially dry; the appearance of purulent sputum suggests that a bacterial infection has joined the viral infection - this development is typical for most SARS.
Dry cough is also characteristic of chronic pharyngitis, the initial stages of pneumonia, lung cancer, the initial forms of tuberculosis, gastroesophageal reflux (gastric juice from the stomach into the esophagus), chronic sinusitis, pleural diseases (systemic connective tissue diseases, tumors), for patients with heart failure for allergy sufferers.
An important cough with copious discharge is characteristic of the final stages of pneumonia (croupous pneumonia), chronic bronchitis, and tracheitis. Very abundant sputum is observed with bronchiectasis.
The nature of the sputum also indicates the nature of the disease - watery sputum at the onset of ARI indicates a "purely viral" infection, while purulent sputum is a clear sign of a bacterial infection. In heart failure, scanty amounts of sputum produced by coughing are usually frothy and may be pink in color. The cough of patients with bronchial asthma is also accompanied by the release of scanty viscous, vitreous sputum. The appearance of sputum with blood impurities (hemoptysis) is always an unfavorable sign. If bloody sputum was only once or several times, then this is most likely a consequence of a blood vessel that burst when coughing. Chronic cough with bloody sputum can be a sign of heart failure, pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer.

Timbre of cough
In some diseases, the timbre of coughing can be quite characteristic. In acute tracheitis, for example, a loud, chesty cough.
With whooping cough, the cough is painful, periodically interrupted by pauses with a sonorous sigh, which again turn into a cough.
Cough with laryngitis is rough, barking. Usually, along with a cough, patients with laryngitis also complain of hoarseness.
In chronic bronchitis, the cough is deep, muffled.
Patients with bronchial asthma complain of a severe, muffled, suffocating cough.

All of the cough characteristics described above can change over the course of the disease.

It is customary to consider cough as a symptom of a disease of the upper and lower respiratory tract. This is a wrong opinion. The cough reflex is a natural reaction of the body, its response to respiratory irritation.

This irritation can be caused by various reasons:

• environmental factors;
• foreign bodies in the airways;
• inflammatory processes...

Reflex contractions of the muscles responsible for inhalation and exhalation do not turn on for no reason - they are caused by irritating factors.

Cough and its causes

The physiology of cough is as follows:

Together with the air, mucus and foreign bodies are coughed up, irritating sensitive cilia-receptors. During inflammatory processes, mucus accumulates on the pile of cilia, which they also try to remove by coughing.

If the irritation is of an inflammatory nature, then the central nervous system gives a command to increase the production of a protective secret - mucus - and the body tries to get rid of it.

In inflammatory diseases - respiratory diseases - rejecting mucus, the body tries to get rid of the waste products of pathogenic microorganisms.

If the infection has invaded the lungs and bronchi, excess mucus is secreted. Exhausted by the disease, the body cannot get rid of it, even provoking severe coughing attacks. Mucus remains in the respiratory organs, pathogenic microorganisms successfully develop in a favorable environment for them, the inflammatory process spreads to the bronchi and lungs, affecting them. Complications begin - bronchitis of varying severity, pneumonia, pneumothorax may occur ...

The most common causes of forced exhalation, in which the airways are sharply reduced:

• inflammatory processes - the introduction of pathogenic microorganisms;
• chronic diseases - asthma, obstruction, tuberculosis and the like;
• neoplasms in the respiratory system;
• taking medications;
• foreign bodies in the airways;
• cardiovascular insufficiency;
• gastroesophageal reflux;
• allergy;
• environmental factors - air pollution.

Not everyone has severe seizures with external influences. The occurrence of allergic reactions depends on the state of health in general, hereditary factors, duration of exposure, type of pollutant or allergen.

Coughing begins - what treatment is needed?

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to establish the type of cough. Attacks can be classified as productive and unproductive. Attacks are productive, in which sputum is rejected along with accumulated toxins and foreign inclusions, this brings relief, albeit for a short time.

An unproductive cough causes pain - after it, irritation of the mucous membrane of the larynx increases, pain in the chest appears.

Diseases that cause unproductive seizures:

• the initial stage of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract - a symptom: sore throat;
• viral infections;
• prolonged smoking;
• lungs' cancer;
• emphysema…

What causes a productive cough?

1. Runny nose - mucus flows down the back of the larynx.
2. Inflammation of the bronchial branches and progressive lung diseases provoke the release of a thick, viscous secret with pus, which the body tries to get rid of.
3. Pneumonia. When a purulent secret is released, pain behind the sternum appears.

Wet attacks do not always bring relief. For example, with whooping cough and scarlet fever, children develop vomiting, impaired consciousness, wheezing on exhalation, and disturbed night sleep.

Attacks are classified according to the severity of manifestation.

1. Acute. This type of seizure can last up to 2 weeks. The most common cause of occurrence is a foreign body in the respiratory tract or a respiratory disease.
2. Lingering. Last up to 4 months, may occur periodically. Most often they are provoked by various pathologies in the respiratory organs or chronic diseases: bronchial asthma, obstructive syndrome, heart failure, tuberculosis, reflux associated with the release of gastric contents, etc.

In people prone to allergies, coughing may occur intermittently and disappear when exposure to the allergen ends. But do not think that allergic attacks do not need to be treated. They cause a decrease in the immune status, it becomes possible to introduce pathogenic microorganisms through the respiratory route. Secondary infection occurs.

Diagnosis by type of cough

When diagnosing a disease, special attention is paid to seizures.

Estimated intensity:

The deeper the inflammation spreads, the more intense and more frequent the attacks.

The nature of the disease can be indicated by the time of day during which an exacerbation occurs.

• Morning - most likely the pathology is associated with chronic bronchitis, asthma, long smoking experience;
• night - most often this happens with the pathology of the cardiovascular system, respiratory failure, oncological processes, tuberculosis, sinusitis, chronic rhinitis and sinusitis - when mucus flows down the back wall, with gastroesophageal reflux;
• a sharp sudden appearance - with stenosis, during asthma, with laryngitis.

If an attack can occur at any time, most likely it is an infectious lesion of the respiratory system.

Experienced phthisiatricians, therapists and pulmonologists can make a diagnosis, focusing only on the timbre of the sounds that appear when coughing.

For example, with acute tracheitis, the sound is sonorous, with laryngitis it is characterized as "barking", with bronchitis - deaf, with sputum flowing down the larynx during a runny nose and ENT diseases associated with the respiratory system, the sound is light, "rustling".

Further diagnosis consists in assessing the clinical picture:

• visual examination and complaints of patients,
• blood tests and sputum cultures;
• x-ray;
• bronchoscopy.

In some cases, more serious examinations may be required - MRI or CT of the chest.

How to treat cough diseases

It is impossible to give general advice on treatment without knowing the exact diagnosis. Therapeutic measures differ significantly for various diseases and conditions.

If a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract, it is necessary to do a fibrobronchoscopy, during which it is removed. If this fails, surgery may be required.

Allergic coughs are treated with antihistamines, corticosteroids, adrenaline injections, and decongestants.

Antihistamines are also used in the therapeutic regimen in the treatment of infectious and chronic diseases of the respiratory system - they help eliminate edema and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

If a smoker has a long history of smoking, then it is impossible to treat a cough with strict measures - a complete rejection of a bad habit. This will only lead to increased seizures, respiratory failure can be provoked - the muscles will stop contracting without nicotine stimulation and sputum will accumulate in the lungs, the smoker will begin to choke. In the treatment of smoker's bronchitis, the number of cigarettes smoked is reduced gradually.

If coughing attacks are caused by an infection, then the disease is treated, and the symptom - cough - is relieved.

Accelerates the recovery of the connection of traditional medicine:

• rinsing with infusions of medicinal herbs and saline solutions;
• decoctions and potions from plants with mucolytic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Chronic diseases accompanied by cough syndrome are not treated on their own - each case is considered individually.