Cough cannot be distinguished as a separate diagnosis, since this is a symptomatic phenomenon, which means that the treatment of dry cough is only a relief of one of the signs of a developing disease. Before applying cough suppressants, you need to determine its type and correlate the characteristics with the possible causes of the pathology.
Causes of Dry Cough
Normally, a dry cough, called unproductive, is replaced by an abundant discharge of sputum after 3-4 days. If this does not happen, then based on the available signs of the syndrome, a diagnostic study is prescribed to determine the pathology. In this case, all options for prolonged dry cough are divided into two categories: typical and atypical.
If we are talking about the pathology of the respiratory organs, then they speak of a dry cough of a typical course, which includes:
- laryngitis and tracheitis;
- pneumonia, pleurisy;
- allergy to external irritants;
- asthmatic manifestations;
- whooping cough;
- tuberculosis;
- tumors of various etiologies in the organs of the respiratory apparatus.
Atypical types of cough, that is, not associated with damage to the respiratory organs, include:
- cough at the time of development of the gag reflex;
- irritation of the bronchi with helminthic invasions;
- stomach reflux;
- gallbladder inflammation.
In addition, one should not forget about the “smoker's cough”, diseases of a professional nature, accidental ingress of foreign objects or dust particles into the ENT organs — all these may be the causes of dry cough, the treatment of which will differ from the usual methods of provoking expectoration.
The clinical picture of various types of cough
All types of cough reflex belong to certain groups of signs by which a preliminary diagnosis can be deduced:
- Pleurisy is a painful dry cough of a paroxysmal nature, leaving severe pain behind the sternum and shortness of breath. Concomitant symptoms - chills, fever.
- Laryngitis, pharyngitis - a cough that resembles barking sounds, with muffled tones and severe hoarseness at the end of an attack. Before starting the attack, the patient complains of a feeling of stiffness in the throat and a hoarse voice.
- Tracheitis is a coughing attack involving up to twenty reflex episodes. The patient is tormented by pain in the hypochondrium.
- Whooping cough is a very painful, jerky cough, during which the patient tries to take air into his lungs, which makes a lingering, wheezing sound. Accompanying symptoms - redness of the face, vomiting.
- Bronchial asthma is a paroxysmal, choking cough, often with the inability to take a breath before the end of the attack.
Allergic cough, like smoker's syndrome, can be characterized by several areas of a symptomatic clinic. There are also no strict signs that can be used to determine coughing after toxic poisoning or irritation of the respiratory system with chemicals.
Dry cough treatment
Symptomatic cough therapy is possible only when it comes to inflammatory processes in the larynx, baby pertussis, or occupational diseases. All diseases associated with damage to the bronchi should have development and a consistent phase change. By stopping the reflex syndrome in its unproductive form, a person interferes with the natural discharge of sputum, and the disease can develop into pneumonia.
There are general methods to alleviate the condition, helping to reduce the frequency of attacks and accelerate the treatment of dry cough:
- maintaining air humidity in the house and at the place of work;
- plentiful warm drink (except coffee);
- inhalation with saline or therapeutic decoctions;
- Licorice or fruit acid syrups and lozenges.
If a coughing attack catches up at a time when there are no pills at hand, a regular absorbable candy can help. The principle of its action is simple - a lollipop, being in the mouth, irritates receptors that provoke the work of the salivary glands. Saliva, standing out, softens the throat and when swallowing, eliminates dryness and perspiration.
Dry Cough Medications
Dry cough medicines are divided according to the principle of action, which, in turn, depends on the diagnosis. In total, drugs of this type work in three areas:
- Antitussive - immediate relief of the syndrome by affecting the parts of the brain that form the response of the reflex. Drugs of this type are divided into narcotic and non-narcotic blockers.
- Mucolytic - drugs that contribute to the rapid change in the phase of dry cough for an expectorant effect.
- Combined - multicomponent drugs that work simultaneously to relieve inflammation, eliminate (or form) sputum, and improve overall well-being through vitamin supplements in the composition.
It is impossible to accept at the same time several contradicting each other on the principle of action of funds. Acceptance of antitussive drugs should not be combined with mucolytics, and medications aimed at treating dry cough should not be included in the same therapeutic regimen with agents that actively separate sputum.
Antitussive drugs
When taking pills for dry cough, it is worth considering a number of side effects and the fact that medicines of this series are not prescribed for children under 12 years old and pregnant women.
- “Terpincode” - tablets help in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory apparatus, provoked by the entry of viruses and colds infections. They have an antimicrobial effect, reduce the number of seizures, thin out sputum. Contraindications: gastritis and ulcerative lesions of the digestive tract, individual intolerance to the components.
- “Omnitus” - eliminates any type of cough by inhibiting the syndrome through the corresponding sections of the central nervous system. It does not affect the digestive tract, it is able to gently relieve irritation of the throat mucosa, which allows you to refuse the use of special lozenges. Contraindications: children under six years of age, individual intolerance to the components of the drug and allergies of any nature.
- "Libexin" - in addition to suppressing the cough reflex, the drug has an analgesic and antispasmodic effect. Effective in diseases of the bronchi without sputum separation. Contraindications: galactose intolerance, childhood, allergy to the components of the drug.
Doctors do not prescribe cough suppressing drugs as the main treatment. Drug treatment of dry cough in adults requires taking into account a large percentage of individual intolerance to the components of the drugs.
Mucolytic drugs
Mucolytic syrups and tablets for dry cough contribute to the dilution of sputum mucus without changing its volume, that is, without provoking its formation. Coughing becomes productive, and respiratory organs are gradually released from mucous accumulations.
- "Ambroxol" - has a clear therapeutic effect from the first day of use. Expectorant is plentiful, therefore, in the first 2-3 days from the start of treatment with the drug, it is advisable not to leave the house in order to have time to release the oral cavity from mucus in time. The tool is effective for any colds associated with the accumulation of sputum in the bronchi, and is also used for cystic fibrosis. Contraindications: gastritis and ulcers, pregnancy, individual intolerance to the components.
- "Bromhexine" - has a similar effect, breaking the viscosity of sputum and helping it to go out with a productive cough. It is prescribed for lesions of the pulmonary system with pneumonia, with bronchitis, laryngitis, closed and open form of tuberculosis, asthmatic manifestations. Contraindications: chronic kidney and liver diseases, allergy to the components of the drug, pregnancy in the first trimester.
Dosages of drugs vary depending on the severity of the disease and the patient's age. Adults are preferably prescribed a tablet form of drug release, and for children, syrups with different tastes are recommended.
Combination drugs
Dry cough medicines for an integrated approach to the problem, as a rule, have a complex composition and are able to replace several narrowly targeted drugs at once.
- "Stoptussin" - well helps with a protracted dry cough associated with pain in the bronchial region. The main action - liquefaction and abduction of sputum - is combined in the drug with an analgesic effect. A medicine is prescribed for all etiologies of dry cough. Contraindications: pregnancy in the first trimester, lactation and allergy to the components of the composition.
- "Halixol" - improves contractility of the bronchi, due to which the separation of liquefied sputum occurs more intensively. With the help of the drug, all types of infectious lesions of the respiratory system, bronchial asthma, and lung diseases are successfully cured. Contraindications: first trimester of pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, individual intolerance to the elements of the composition.
Despite the fact that combined drugs are almost always included in the treatment regimen for dry cough with tuberculosis, pneumonia and other complex diseases, their use cannot be called strategically important. Therefore, it is not recommended to independently change the tactics of therapy, based on information from the annotation to the drugs.
Dry cough inhalation
Inhalation with a dry cough by a nebulizer is one of the first measures that is recommended by doctors to stimulate the cough syndrome and translate it into a productive form. At the first stages of treatment, until the cough reflex takes the form of seizures, inhalations are done using ordinary saline, then, if necessary, the effect of the procedure is enhanced by phyto-components and essential oils.
Plants that contribute to irritation of the bronchi and liquefaction of sputum:
- pharmacy chamomile;
- medicinal sage;
- St. John's wort
- elecampane;
- coltsfoot.
Of these herbs, taken individually or in various combinations, decoctions are prepared in a water bath and allowed to stand under the lid. The filtered and cooled infusion is poured into the tank of the steam inhaler and breathe the generated steam for about ten minutes.
Important! Do not use an electric nebulizer for inhalation with a dry cough using medicinal herbs and oils! The smallest particles of steam, saturated with heavy oils, will settle on the lungs and cause severe complications in the form of fatty pneumonia!
The best way of phyto-inhalations to relieve a cough reflex is to breathe over a bowl of fresh, hot broth, covering your head with a towel. The herbal composition can be supplemented by dropping fir or eucalyptus oil into the infusion.
Pregnancy Cough Treatment
What to do with a dry cough for a pregnant woman, if almost all drugs with directed or complex effects bear a child is one of the main contraindications to the use of the drug? Pharmacology offers only a few drugs of suitable properties that help solve this problem. However, it will be possible for a woman to use drugs only in the last two trimesters of pregnancy - this is the insurance of manufacturers from the unexpected reaction of the future mother's body to the components of complex compounds.
Here are some of the drugs that are allowed to treat dry cough during pregnancy:
- "Bronchicum" - a syrup prepared on the basis of herbs. Softens and removes mucus from the bronchi, relieves inflammatory foci.
- Libexin is one of the most recommended drugs prescribed to women in an interesting position. It affects the body with minimal aggressiveness, is rapidly excreted in the process of metabolism, does not irritate the mucous membranes of internal organs.
- "Sinecode" - successfully treats all forms of paroxysmal cough, dilutes sputum mucus.
The only completely safe way for a future mother to cope with a disease that manifests itself in the form of a dry cough is to turn to traditional medicine. In the absence of an allergy to honey, it is recommended to use this product more often in combination with warm milk, black radish juice, horseradish and onion. Drinking homemade fruit drinks from fresh or frozen berries will accelerate the metabolic effect and increase the body's resistance.
Dry cough in pediatrics
What to do with a dry cough in a child? In the early days of the onset of the symptom, doctors do not recommend contacting pharmacy drugs so as not to deprive the child's body of the opportunity to show immune defense. If the cough remains unproductive on the fourth day, a small patient is prescribed drug therapy.
The most commonly used agents for treating dry cough in children are:
- "Influenza" - is prescribed for acute respiratory viral infections for babies from 1 year. It dilutes sputum and removes it with medium intensity, so as not to provoke vomiting in the smallest. The list of ingredients contains a lot of herbal ingredients, so individual intolerance is possible.
- "Libexin" - reduces the pain that occurs during an attack, helps to reduce the tone of the bronchi and facilitate the release of mucus from them.
- “Herbion with plantain” - acts very quickly, causing rejection of a large amount of sputum and clearing the bronchi. Given the presence of vitamin C in the list of components of the drug, the syrup is an immunostimulating drug.
Treatment in children with dry cough of low or medium intensity is supplemented with steam inhalations with saline, plenty of warm drink. You can give herbal decoctions, diluted in half concentration, milk with honey and a slice of butter.
Herbal remedies for cough relief
There are many options for breastfeeding that make expecting a dry cough easier. Almost all ready-made formulations from the category of alternative treatment for dry cough contain grass coltsfoot, roots of marshmallow or licorice. In view of the effectiveness of these plants, they are often used in one-component decoctions for home treatment.
To dilute sputum and convert dry cough to productive, they also use:
- St. John's wort
- oregano;
- peppermint;
- Ledum.
The last phytocomponent is undeservedly ignored by pharmacists, and yet its properties are comparable to the effects of a full-fledged therapeutic, non-symptomatic agent. Ledum, brewed according to all the rules and used regularly, can not only soften the cough, increase its productivity and contribute to the outflow of mucus, but also affect the healing of the lungs from the cause of the disease, whether it is asthma, tuberculosis of any form, pneumonia or whooping cough.