What is a cough?
Cough is a very common attack among people and animals. It manifests itself as a protective reaction of our body to various external stimuli. The natural purpose of a cough is to extract the pathological contents of the respiratory tract. In fact, the process itself is akin to exhaling, only abrupt and quick, in which the abdominal muscles and diaphragm contract. During this process, the lungs are compressed, and the air in them, along with harmful substances, is sent up the bronchial tree.
Causes of Cough
There are a great many reasons for its occurrence, such as inflammatory processes in the lungs, larynx, and trachea. This also includes various kinds of mechanical, chemical and thermal stimuli. In order to cure this symptom, it is very important to know what caused it. There is a separation of cough into two types: productive and unproductive.
First type
In the first case, a wet cough is meant. Its main feature is the presence of sputum in the lungs. Such a cough can occur in seizures, especially if the sputum is thick and viscous, which greatly complicates coughing. The reasons should include mechanical irritation of the receptors located on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. A strong wet cough occurs with inflammation and swelling of the lungs, acute and chronic bronchitis. In addition, he appears with the so-called "smoker's bronchitis."
Second type
An unproductive cough is otherwise called dry . It occurs, as a rule, in the early stages of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea, bronchi and larynx, with irritation of the lung membrane. There are two types of dry cough:
- Paroxysmal. He’s a “barking” cough, which is characterized by exhaustion and the inability to cough. Diseases in which such a symptom is observed are the early stages of acute bronchitis, inflammation or pulmonary infarction. Also, paroxysmal cough is observed at the beginning of bronchial asthma, pulmonary thromboembolism and dry pleurisy. Inhaling chemicals and trapping foreign bodies in the airways can also cause dry coughing attacks.
- Unobtrusive. This is the least disturbing symptom that appears with pulmonary fibrosis, some types of heart failure, compression of the trachea or bronchi, the appearance of a tumor, as well as polyps in the bronchi themselves.
How to treat dry cough in adults
Both species are very dangerous and, in the absence of proper therapy, can cause complications, such as pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum. It is very important to know how to treat a dry cough. It requires a completely different approach and, accordingly, preparations, rather than its wet variety. After all, there is no sputum in this case, which means there is nothing to liquefy in the lungs. It requires medications that can suppress the cough reflex. Such drugs differ in the type of exposure to two types: central and peripheral. In the first case, the result is based on the effect of the drug on the medulla oblongata, namely, on the suppression of the human respiratory center. These are Codeine, Glaucin, Ethylmorphine, Dextromethorphan and other combined preparations based on them. In the second case, we mean the suppression of the cough reflex by directly affecting the receptors of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. This includes drugs made on the basis of acetylaminonitropropoxybenzene.
Doctors often prescribe medications to their patients with the following commercial names:
Bronchicum syrup, dry cough tablets Falimint, Broncholitin, Codelac, Panatus forte, Neo-Codion, Fervex syrup for dry cough, Stoptussin, Terpincode cough tablets .
How to treat dry cough with folk remedies
In addition to drug treatment, there are also alternative recipes. Often they are no less effective, especially since most of them can be combined with taking medications prescribed by a doctor. This will help get rid of the disease as soon as possible. Many simply do not like going to doctors and drinking extra pills. How to treat a dry cough, if you do not want to load the body with "chemistry"?
There are several folk ways:
- Inhalation. Here a solution of honey in warm water (40 degrees) in a ratio of 1 to 5, infusion of sage or drinking soda (1-2 tablespoons per glass of water) is suitable. The latter is suitable even for asthmatics, because it does not cause an allergic reaction.
- Rinse. A good effect is provided by the infusion of sage, eucalyptus and calendula, which must be mixed in equal parts. The mixture is poured with boiling water for ten minutes, after which it remains suitable for use for another three hours. You can also use a solution of soda in the same ratio as for inhalation. Gargling is recommended as often as possible during the day, this does not allow pathogenic bacteria to accumulate on the mucous membrane.
- Reception of herbal tinctures. An effective tool is meadow clover, brewed with boiling water (2 tablespoons per teapot). To improve the taste of the drink, it can be mixed with honey. There is a more complicated folk recipe: plantain leaves, rose hips and chamomile flowers, mixed in equal proportions, it is necessary to hold in boiling water for twenty minutes. Then strain the resulting mixture and drink several times a day. It is enough to use half a glass of such an infusion at one time to experience a therapeutic effect.
There are many other recipes, but for all their diversity, it should be remembered that folk remedies give a slower effect compared to traditional treatment. It is impossible to get rid of a cough in one day. It usually takes about two weeks with enhanced therapy, but without the necessary treatment, coughing can be delayed for a long time and entail dangerous consequences.