A lingering cough that has been observed for several weeks is one of the symptoms of an allergic disease. It is caused by the reaction of the body to the allergen in the respiratory tract. In this case, a variety of substances and substances can act as an irritant: washing powders and deodorants, poplar fluff and flower pollen, animal hair and house dust.
The main signs of an allergic cough are a prolonged manifestation of its symptoms, which can occur for several weeks or even months. However, usually there are no other signs characteristic of a respiratory disease: the patient does not have a fever, the throat is not hyperemic. A cough may be accompanied by a prolonged runny nose, the appearance of which, in turn, is also caused by the reaction of the body to a particular allergen. In the advanced stage, an allergic cough, the symptoms of which are not always easy to recognize, takes on a paroxysmal nature and may be accompanied by spasm of the larynx and even seizures, especially in young children. If these symptoms occur, seek medical help immediately, as suffocation can progress!
To determine the source of allergies, you should monitor the patient's condition in certain situations. Shortly after exposure to an allergen, a coughing attack usually begins. If you can’t find out on your own what exactly causes an allergic cough, you need to consult an allergist for specific tests. In addition to blood sampling for analysis, he can recommend carrying out scarification tests, in which a small amount of allergen is injected into the skin to test the body's reaction to it.
This method has contraindications: for example, it cannot be applied to children under five years of age in order to avoid severe allergic reactions. In children under five years of age, an allergic cough, the symptoms of which at this age are already pronounced, will have to be treated on the basis of examination, a survey of parents and a blood test, in particular, indicators of an allergen-specific IgE immunoglobulin. Scarification tests are not carried out during the period of exacerbation of allergies, as well as on the skin, altered due to a disease.
An allergic cough can have a seasonal character and occur during the flowering period of plants. In this case, the patient's condition worsens when leaving the house. In addition to coughing, seasonal allergies are characterized by conjunctivitis, sneezing, runny nose. In the summer, freshly cut grass may be an allergen, in the autumn - smoke from bonfires on which fallen leaves are burned. An allergic cough, the symptoms of which are aggravated indoors, has a different nature. It can provoke indoor plants, pets, feather pillows. If coughing occurs after eating, you should consider what foods can cause it.
Treatment for allergic cough begins with eliminating contact with the allergen. In addition, carpets, books and soft toys must be removed from the room in which the sick child or adult is located. It should also, if possible, take out upholstered furniture from it. Every day you need to carry out wet cleaning without the use of household chemicals. Significantly alleviate the condition of a child or an adult suffering from an allergic cough will help a household humidifier with an ionizer.
An allergic cough, the symptoms of which tend to return again and again, requires complex treatment, aimed not only at eliminating it, but also at cleaning the body. Otherwise, it may resume after some time, but the cause of it this time will be a different allergen. Patients are prescribed sorbents (for example, Enterosgel) and antihistamines (Claritin, Fenistil). Symptomatic treatment consists of taking antitussive drugs. An allergic cough in children, whose symptoms are pronounced, is relieved by inhalation. Do not self-medicate, otherwise it is possible to develop asthmatic bronchitis, and in the future - bronchial asthma.
For the treatment of allergic cough, it is not necessary to use folk remedies, at least without consulting a doctor. Many of the plants used in folk medicine, by themselves, can be strong allergens and the patient’s condition will only worsen after taking them.