Despite the fact that the main cause of cough is considered to be respiratory problems, very unexpected factors can provoke this symptom. Surprisingly, it can cause it ... the stomach! As a result of diseases of the digestive system, patients often have the so-called gastric cough. Symptoms and treatment of this pathological condition deserve detailed consideration.
What it is?
How is a gastric cough different from the usual cough in our understanding? Firstly, he is not accompanied by signs of a cold, hypothermia. Secondly, such a cough is not accompanied by sputum discharge, because its presence is attributed to the characteristic features of respiratory tract diseases.
As evidenced by the reviews available from the doctors regarding the treatment of the disease, symptoms and treatment of gastric cough are based on the course of the disease of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested by a feeling of weakness and constant fatigue, nausea, belching.
Causes of the disease: who is at risk?
Accordingly, only gastrointestinal pathologies are capable of causing a gastric cough, including gastroesophageal reflux, gastritis, and peptic ulcer and infectious diseases of the digestive system. Fatigue and sore throat can occur with increased acidity of the secretion of the stomach, as well as intestinal disorders, food poisoning. Thus, poor nutrition is the main reason why gastric cough can develop, and the symptoms and treatment of gastrointestinal ailments are the determining factors in the fight against it.
The risk group for the disease includes people of the middle age group - from 35 to 50 years. Alcohol abuse and smoking, overweight increase a person's chances of acquiring a gastric cough, which can only be caused by digestive diseases.
Symptoms of gastric cough
It is worth noting that the manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases largely determine the nature of the cough. It is impossible to eliminate it with antiviral and mucolytic drugs, since its etiology has nothing to do with a common cold.
Confusing a gastric cough with “normal” is quite difficult, as it is accompanied by a number of distinctive features:
- dry prolonged coughing;
- abdominal cramps during coughing;
- intestinal disorders (diarrhea, constipation);
- respiratory failure during night sleep;
- sore throat;
- heartburn;
- specific sour taste in the mouth;
- pain when swallowing.
Even parasites are capable of provoking a gastric cough, no matter how strange it may sound. Worms that enter the human body have a significant effect on the well-being of the patient. Injuring the walls of the digestive system, they cause flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, allergic reactions and joint pain. With infection with helminths and damage to internal organs, a gastric cough is often accompanied by chronic fatigue syndrome. As a rule, the peak of perspiration occurs at night, when the patient is in a horizontal position.
Diagnosis of the disease: tests and procedures
Before proceeding with the treatment of the disease, the patient must undergo a comprehensive diagnosis. The causes of gastric cough lie in serious pathologies of the digestive tract, and therefore it is important to recognize the provoking factor and begin therapy with its elimination. In addition, without examination, it is impossible to prescribe medications correctly. Medicines used at random can cause even more irritation of the mucosa, which will certainly negatively affect the patient's condition.
To verify the true nature of the disease and accurately determine the dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, doctors recommend that patients undergo the following types of studies:
- Fibrogastroscopy is an unpleasant procedure for the patient, which allows you to assess the degree of damage to the mucous membrane and walls of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
- Colonoscopy is a diagnosis of the patient’s large intestine, capable of detecting inflammation in a specific area of the organ, as well as various pathological neoplasms.
- Clinical tests of blood, urine - their results serve as reliable indicators of the general condition of the patient's body, since they indicate the presence or absence of an inflammatory process.
- Fluorography - a study is carried out to exclude pathology of the lungs and respiratory system.
- Analysis of feces - its delivery is required to confirm intestinal infections, helminthiasis.
- Intraesophageal pH-metry - assesses the level of acidity of the stomach and allows you to determine the stage of development of reflux.
Gastric Cough Medicines
The findings of specialists play a fundamental role in the treatment of gastric cough. The causes of this disease should be eliminated in the first place - the only way to get rid of the constantly present discomfort in the throat. Drug effects on the digestive organs will increase their muscle tone and, as a result, functionality. The doctor should choose specific medicines - self-medication is unacceptable. Most often, with symptoms of gastric cough, treatment is prescribed by a gastroenterologist according to the following scheme:
- Prokinetics - indispensable for functional disorders of the digestive system. The group of such drugs include Motilium, Motilak.
- Antacids are medicines whose action is aimed at neutralizing the acidity of the stomach, creating a protective surface on the mucosa and preventing its damage by gastric juice, bile. The most common among this category of drugs are Almagel, Maalox, Gasterin, Gastal.
- Antisecretory drugs - minimize the production of hydrochloric acid ("Cimetidine", "Omeprazole", "Ranitidine").
- Foaming drugs - necessary to neutralize the irritation caused by gastric juice, eliminate heartburn.
- Probiotics - medicines containing live microorganisms are prescribed to restore the balance of intestinal microflora.
In the morning, symptoms of gastric cough are often worse. In this case, the adoption of antitussive drugs will be a reasonable solution. They act on the mucous membrane of the larynx, contributing to its hydration and softening.
A few folk recipes: healing and simple
Treatment of gastric cough and symptoms of chronic gastrointestinal pathologies is often supplemented with alternative methods. Such, for example, is folk therapy. As an independent method of treatment, the use of non-traditional methods in most cases is meaningless due to their lack of effectiveness. However, in combination with drug treatment, folk remedies for symptoms of gastric cough will help speed up the healing process.
If you believe the numerous user reviews, these recipes helped to defeat the disease:
- Olive oil. For 1 glass, you need 5 tbsp. l honey and 30-40 ml of lemon juice. Mix everything thoroughly and take 1 tsp on an empty stomach. everyday. You can store the product in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
- Milkshake with mummy. For cooking, you need 1 cup of warm milk and a small pinch of plant material. Drink the composition before bedtime for a week.
- Potato juice. To eliminate the symptoms of gastric cough and treat acidity, you should drink 0.5 cup freshly squeezed potato juice in the morning before meals.
What else can be used for treatment?
An equally useful remedy for the disease will be herbal decoction. As components, you can use various raw materials, but the most effective for gastric cough is a mixture of plantain, licorice and sage.
On the one hand, such a drink has an enveloping property, protecting the mucous membrane of the esophagus from exposure to irritants (coarse, salty, acidic foods), and on the other hand, it soothes sore throat. Cooking should be based on the proportion: 250 ml of boiling water - 1 tbsp. l plant components.
Signs of gastric cough in infants
Before using folk remedies, it is advisable to consult with your doctor. Especially when it comes to treating gastric cough in children. Symptoms of this ailment are undoubtedly more common in people of mature or advanced age. Cases of morbidity among children are quite rare, but they do occur. It is possible to recognize the disease, as a rule, by the complaints of the child. It is more difficult to suspect gastric cough in infants. Symptoms of pathology in babies manifest:
- frequent spitting up or vomiting;
- wheezing with healthy respiratory organs;
- nasal congestion;
- signs of asthma;
- poor appetite and lack of weight;
- irritability and tearfulness.
How to treat the disease in babies?
The treatment of reflux in infants, which is the most common cause of gastric cough at such an early age, is prescribed by a doctor. Drugs are selected by a specialist and are prescribed in a strict dosage. It’s dangerous to give a baby any medicine without a doctor’s permission. But this does not mean that parents can sit back: you need to help the child cope with the accompanying symptoms of the disease.
For example, in case of diarrhea or vomiting, it is important to constantly replenish the water-electrolyte balance in the baby's body. A solution of rehydron will help to avoid dehydration, which can be given to children from birth, and for the fixing effect, babies are given a little rice broth.
A few words about prevention
In order to prevent a recurrent course of gastric cough, it is important to observe the basics of a healthy diet, because its manifestation mainly depends on the state of the digestive system. You need to eat fractionally, eat low-fat dishes enriched with fiber and valuable trace elements.
In addition, one should not forget about the diet, under which the digestion process quickly returns to normal. It is better to refuse soda and alcohol, fried and spicy dishes, sweets and fast food altogether.