Coughing after bronchitis is a common and normal occurrence. Recovery of the pulmonary mucosa cannot occur in an instant. The stronger the immune system, the faster the recovery. It is important that the effects of bronchitis (coughing attacks) do not become permanent. Recovery will occur faster thanks to both medical treatment and the use of traditional medicine.
Signs of residual cough
Doctors reassure patients that there is nothing wrong with residual coughing after an illness. But this does not indicate that it can be ignored completely. Coughing indicates possible complications. How long can a cough last and when should a doctor check? The disease itself can last from a week to three. You should consult a doctor if:
- There is an increase in coughing attacks without coughing.
- Other symptoms appear.
If the question suddenly arises whether the situation of delaying symptoms longer than the term is serious, then the answer is yes. Most likely, other disorders occurred in the body with which urgently should begin to fight.
Why does cough not end after bronchitis?
Residual cough is a consequence of a weakening of the immune system and the body as a whole. It will take a long time to completely remove the infection from the body.
Firstly, the vulnerability of the bronchial receptors is very increased, and coughing is a reaction to cold air, dusty rooms or smoke. Secondly, the body is trying to independently get rid of the waste products of bacteria that caused the disease. In addition, the airways undergo a recovery process from the effects of the disease.
If the intensity of coughing does not change, and the seizures are accompanied by an increase in body temperature, then these are alarming symptoms indicating the need for additional examination. The causes of complications can be diseases:
- whooping cough;
- pneumonia;
- chronic form of tuberculosis.
While human immunity is not able to fight infection, doctors should prescribe medications. As soon as the exacerbation goes away, the drugs are canceled so that the body itself can resist inflammation. That is why a phenomenon such as residual cough arises.
What makes it clear that these residual symptoms have decreased?
The crisis is over when:
- The temperature normalizes, it does not rise for several days.
- There is no temperature chills, wheezing.
- Coughing becomes weaker, attacks are much less common and their strength does not increase.
What can depend on the full recovery of organs?
The healing process is influenced by several factors:
- Age. A cough after bronchitis in a child will pass much later than in an adult.
- Dependence on environmental impact.
- Immunity indicators.
- Properly selected treatment.
- Forms of the disease. If bronchitis is chronic, then the cough will not completely disappear, but will remain in a weaker form until the next exacerbation. The chronic form is characteristic of smokers, since the lungs are so badly affected by nicotine and are exposed to a lot of stress.
Drug treatment
Cough after bronchitis remains in both adults and children. For a speedy recovery, the remaining mucus should be removed. The functions of the bronchi can fully recover on their own in 1-3 weeks, but provided there is no infection. The question arises: "How to cure a cough after bronchitis completely?". Answer: mucolytic agents containing carbocysteine. For the treatment of bronchitis in both adults and children, the following drugs are used:
- "Bromhexine hydrochloride." It has an expectorant effect, the drug is rapidly processed by the gastrointestinal tract and distributed in the tissues. "Bromhexine" (in tablets) adults and children are required to take 8 mg 4 times a day. The medicine can be diluted in water and used as an inhalation. During pregnancy, the medicine should not be taken.
- "Fluifort" - thanks to the drug reduces the viscosity easier coughing. Adults are prescribed 750 mg 3 times a day, children (depending on age) from 50 to 250 mg 3 times a day.
- "Mukaltin" - instructions for use with adult tablets is very simple. These are round gray tablets with a dividing strip in the center. They have an expectorant effect. It is important not only to know what dosage is required for adults and children, but also that the drug is prescribed only to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and as an addition to the main treatment. The instructions for the use of adult tablets "Mukaltina" indicate that they need to take 2 tablets 4 times a day. Children from 12 years old - 1 tablet 3 times a day. During pregnancy, the drug is only allowed in the third trimester.
Contraindications for preparations containing carbocysteine:
- Poor component tolerance.
- Ulcer.
- Pathology of the kidneys.
- Pregnancy and lactation.
- Contraindicated in children under 12 years of age.
If the cough stays dry, then medications that help thin the sputum should be added. It could be:
- Sinecode.
- "Herbion".
- Stoptussin.
Full treatment involves the mandatory adoption of antibiotics. But you should consult a doctor and undergo a full examination. The doctor will select the right medicine and dosage. If a complete diagnosis is not possible, then broad-spectrum antibiotics are suitable. It is not worth it to self-medicate and personally prescribe medications for yourself, there is a big risk of getting a "bonus" in the form of chronic bronchitis. In addition to medicines, folk secrets for treating diseases can also be used.
How did our grandmothers cough?
The remedy that our grandmothers used constantly was warm milk with honey and added butter. You need to give a drink at night to mitigate coughing and relieve irritation from the mucous membrane. But this method is suitable only for those who do not experience intolerance to lactose or allergies to honey.
You can use the following recipe: 10 pieces of dried figs are poured with 1 glass of water and put on a small fire. After half an hour of boiling, add 1 cup of sugar and water. When the sugar has completely dissolved, pour the juice of half a lemon and fall asleep 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger. You need to take the drug when coughing attacks occur in 90-100 ml, no more than 3 times a day.
The residual cough after bronchitis will well remove the juice from the sweet radish and carrots, to which is added 1 tbsp. l honey. The drink should be infused until the honey is completely dissolved. Drink the medicine should be 1 tbsp. l each hour.
Pregnancy and residual cough
What to do those women who were not lucky enough to get sick, being in position? How can they cure residual cough after bronchitis? They should be very careful in taking medications, since half of the funds are strictly forbidden to them. A protracted cough leads to negative consequences, up to a miscarriage.
Grandmother's treatment methods are absolutely indispensable for pregnant women. But in any case, you should first consult with your supervisor.
- Mix part of the honey, part of the crushed apple and 2 parts of ground or grated onion to a mushy state. 6 times a day to eat 1 tbsp. l medicines.
- They are good for inhalation coughing with an extract of St. John's wort and chamomile, or the old and favorite way is to “breathe over potatoes”.
Breathing exercises
This kind of exercise is very helpful for coughing. Thanks to them, ventilation of the lungs improves, inflammation is removed and the amount of mucus in the airways is significantly reduced. It is very important to do this gymnastics on a regular basis, otherwise there will be no sense in it.
Floor exercises
- With a slow inhalation through the nose, the toes of the feet begin to stretch upwards, while exhaling, they stretch forward.
- Hands are placed on the belt. Next, the knees are bent alternately. Flexion is inhalation, extension is exhalation.
- The kitty exercise is the other way around. In the prone position, bend your arms at an angle of 90 degrees and push off from the floor with the back of the head and elbows, bending the thoracic region - inhale, return to the starting position - exhale.
- Place straight arms behind your head and pull - inhale, return back - exhale.
Standing exercises
- With a sweep, the arms rise - inhale, the body descends with an inclination forward - exhale.
- Take a deep breath and hold your breath for up to 10 seconds.
- Take 5-7 short breaths, then also 5-7 exhalations.
Chest massage
A good remedy in the fight against residual cough can be a chest massage. Thanks to massage movements, the passage of mucus through the respiratory tract is facilitated, immunity is strengthened and the restoration of damaged tissues is accelerated. Movement should begin from above and slowly move to the lower back, without affecting the spine and kidneys.
Massage movements can be alternated. Stroking, tapping is suitable, and it will not be superfluous to nip the skin slightly, increasing the flow of blood. Before starting the massage, the patient recommends drinking milk with honey or tea, this helps to thin the sputum.
Inhalation
Inhalation is a good treatment for bronchitis in adults. If earlier compressor inhalers could be found only in hospitals or sanatoriums, then today they are available in almost every pharmacy.
The principle of their work is to turn the medicine into the smallest particles, which contributes to the penetration of the drug directly into the inflamed lungs, without loading the body with processing of the drug itself.
The most effective way to treat bronchitis is to use a nebulizer. In the nebulizer, you can use pharmacy drugs, ready to be used as inhalations, or to make alkaline inhalations using Borjomi or Narzan, after releasing the gas. You can not use oily products or still water, tap water, this will inevitably cause burns to the mucous membrane.
When treating bronchitis, both drug treatment and treatment with folk remedies should be combined, and inhalations should also not be neglected.