Allergic cough is a fairly common sign of an allergic reaction to various kinds of irritants. Recently, doctors attribute it to a special form of bronchial asthma. When, when inhaling, an irritating substance penetrates the bronchi, they do not narrow, but make movements to push out the allergen.
This is very similar to a cough that occurs with bronchitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, or a cold. Usually it goes away on its own, immediately after the source of the allergy disappears. However, it is necessary to carry out the treatment of allergic cough, especially in children.
Main reasons
A source of cough that has nothing to do with a cold is any type of allergen that has entered the human body. A symptom can occur for a variety of reasons, among which it is necessary to highlight such as:
- reaction to plant pollen;
- tobacco smoke;
- components of cosmetics and detergents;
- medications;
- Food;
- dust present in the room;
- pet hair.
In some cases, even insect bites can provoke an allergic cough, but this phenomenon is very rare. More often, industrial allergens can provoke an attack.
What may be the symptoms
The person begins to feel the first symptoms of an allergic cough quite suddenly. Basically, at this time there is contact with an external stimulus. Among the frequent symptoms of allergic cough, it is necessary to distinguish such as:
- frequent attacks, especially at night;
- colorless sputum may be released;
- a feeling of sore throat;
- chills;
- runny nose;
- itching of the skin;
- weakness throughout the body;
- difficulty breathing.
After eliminating the allergen, the attack immediately recedes. If an allergic cough lasts for a week or more, but there are no other signs of a cold, then you need to visit a doctor for a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment choice.
How to distinguish from a cold cough
It is important to be able to correctly distinguish an allergic cough from manifestations of diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as this will help to correctly diagnose and conduct treatment. There are certain signs by which you can recognize the feature of the attack. It is worth noting that the allergic nature of cough is characterized by the fact that:
- attacks begin suddenly and last several minutes;
- dry cough, irritating throat;
- not accompanied by fever;
- attacks are repeated mainly at night.
With a cold, general intoxication of the body is observed, the temperature rises, general health worsens. If a person cannot completely clear his throat, then this is an allergic reaction of the body. Treatment with the usual medications does not bring any relief.
Such a reaction of the body is not dangerous in itself. The most important thing is to prevent the occurrence of edema of the mucosa in the nasopharynx. All this can provoke a narrowing of the lumen of the larynx. In this case, the treatment will be quite long and complicated.
Diagnostics
Depending on the symptoms of allergic cough, appropriate treatment is selected. However, initially it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis to select a method of therapy. A significant role in the diagnosis has a history taking. The doctor should have full information on how exactly the attack arose and what triggered it.
In addition, for the diagnosis requires allergic tests and tests, accompanied by physical activity. If the result is positive, then this means that an allergen is present in the body. Be sure to confirm the diagnosis using a general blood test with a detailed description of the leukocyte formula.
Treatment features
How to treat an allergic cough, only the attending doctor can determine, since all drugs are selected depending on the type of allergen, as well as the severity of the course of the disease. Initially, you need to eliminate contact with the allergen, which may require a change of scenery, place of residence or work. To eliminate acute episodes of the disease, bronchodilator drugs are used, and antihistamines are used to prevent relapses.
A good result is provided by folk remedies and methods, which should be selected only by a qualified specialist.
The therapy is generally quite long and takes several months or even years. If the treatment was carried out incorrectly, then the occurrence of polysensitization is possible, which is an indication for hospitalization and the implementation of desensitizing measures. These include dialysis using systemic drugs, as well as blood transfusion.
Drug treatment
Symptoms and treatment of allergic cough in adults can be very different, and much depends on the characteristics of the course of the disease. The doctor selects medications after a comprehensive examination. First of all, antihistamines are prescribed, in particular, such as Suprastin or Diazolin. They have a short effect, and for a longer effect, Erius or Zodak are well suited.
It is necessary to ensure that at least 1 hour passes between taking medications and eating food. For better digestion of food, it is recommended to use activated carbon or Atoxil. For therapy, it is recommended to carry out inhalation procedures using sodium chloride.
If there are breathing problems, then for the treatment of allergic cough in adults, such drugs as Eufillin, Pulmicort, Berodual are suitable. They can also be used for inhalation.
In more complex cases, it is recommended to use Prednisone or Dexamethasone. They can be used in tablet form or in the form of an injection. Such drugs will help eliminate respiratory failure.
After eliminating an acute attack, you need to apply the method of immunostimulation. For this, an allergen is administered intravenously and then subcutaneously. Initially, they begin with small dosages, and then they are gradually increased. This method will help to completely get rid of allergies. Immunity immediately begins to fight with foreign objects, and then a reaction is generated to the component used.
Another method is plasmapheresis - mechanical purification of the blood from the contained allergens, immune complexes and toxins. A similar procedure is quite effective. However, it has a temporary effect. In addition, it is worth noting that this method has certain contraindications.
Folk remedies
You can quickly get rid of an allergic cough by using traditional medicine. The juice of apples, carrots, and cauliflower has good properties. They need to be mixed by adding the juice of a bunch of greens. You need to drink a drink 3 times a day. You can also consume celery juice.
Nettle infusion has a good effect. To prepare it, pour 3 tbsp. l raw materials with 2 glasses of water. Take the infusion you need before eating food. Cold water with potassium chloride helps with the manifestations of an allergic reaction. Dilute the product in a proportion of 10: 1. Take the finished product before eating food.
If the allergy was triggered by the pollen of plants, then you need to dig in the nose infusion of field horsetail. To prepare a medicinal product, you need to pour 2 tsp. plant materials 2 tbsp. l boiling water. You need to bury the product several times a day.
With severe bouts of coughing, you need to take a bath with the addition of various essential oils. You can take cypress, lemon, lavender oil. They can also be used to make compresses on the chest.
Nutrition and lifestyle
When treating an allergic cough in a child or an adult, it is important to determine the allergen in a timely manner and eliminate contact with it. If there is no way to do this, at least reduce contact with the allergen. Be sure to switch to a hypoallergenic diet. For this, citrus, red and orange vegetables and fruits are excluded from the diet. You must also discard nuts.
It is desirable to exclude seafood and chocolate from the usual diet. In addition to diet food, careful care of the room is also required. If there are animals at home, then you need to thoroughly clean the room. In the case of dry feed, the bowl should be placed outside the living area. Do not use feather pillows. They need to be replaced with special hypoallergenic, having synthetic fillers.
It is temporarily forbidden to use decorative and therapeutic cosmetics. When washing, do not use powders or conditioners. For washing things, it is recommended to use laundry or baby soap.
Inhalation
To eliminate the symptoms of an allergic cough in a child, treatment is also carried out with the help of inhalers. For inhalation, a nebulizer is widely used. Saline or mineral alkaline water can be poured into the apparatus. A similar procedure helps moisturize the mucous membrane of the respiratory system to ease an attack. In addition, there are special drugs that affect the bronchi.
Inhalations with Pulmicort have a good effect. This medicine refers to hormonal drugs, and it is often used for bronchial asthma and many other respiratory diseases, in which breathing becomes difficult. The drug helps to eliminate swelling, inflammation and prevent bronchospasm.
Before inhalation with Pulmicort, you must first consult with your doctor, since the dosage for each child or adult is selected individually. The drug can be used to treat children from 6 months of age. The required amount of the drug must be diluted with saline, poured into a nebulizer and inhaled, the effect of which will be noticeable within 10 minutes.
You can also carry out inhalation with "Berodual", which is used for dry cough with viscous sputum. It helps to expand the bronchi by relaxing smooth muscles. Before using this tool, you must first consult with a pediatrician to determine the correct dosage. The drug must first be diluted with saline, then pour into a nebulizer and conduct medical procedures 4 times a day.
Treatment of cough in children
The attack is quite difficult for children to tolerate. Respiratory problems can frighten a child very much and lead to serious consequences, therefore, parents need to know what symptoms of an allergic cough the child has. In particular, such signs as:
- lacrimation and pain in the eyes;
- exacerbation of an attack at night;
- the formation of a rash on the body;
- sneezing and nasal congestion.
If it becomes very difficult for the child to breathe, standard methods and humidification of the air do not give the desired result, you need to immediately call an ambulance. This condition is the first sign of asthma. An allergic cough in a child can occur with a sharp allergic reaction to a food irritant or chemical agent.
Treatment is based on the use of gentle drugs in the absence of allergies to the components of these funds. Only the attending doctor must select medications. Among the most effective it is necessary to highlight:
- syrups ("Herbion");
- antihistamines (Fenistil, Zirtek, Zodak, Tsetrin);
- herbal inhalations or with the addition of drugs.
It is very important for parents to exclude all irritants so that treatment is more successful. Be sure to minimize contact with soft toys and replace them with high-quality rubber or plastic. Most importantly, they should not have an unpleasant chemical smell.
Treatment of an allergic cough in a child can be carried out using folk remedies, for example, herbal preparations. If there is no allergy to honey, you can take a decoction made from crushed lemon with the addition of 2 tbsp. l honey and a little water. The resulting mixture should be well infused until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Take 1 tbsp. l 6 times a day.
You can carry out inhalation, prepared on the basis of a decoction of medicinal plants. Aromatic oils can also be added to water if there is no allergic reaction to them. It is important to understand that coughing is only a consequence of an allergy. Get rid of it will help only correctly selected therapy after the required studies.
Preventive measures
Coughing with allergies causes significant discomfort to a person and does not allow him to live normally. It is difficult enough to cope with allergies, it is much easier to prevent its occurrence.
If an allergen is known, contact with it should be avoided. If the type of allergen is not exactly known, then you need to conduct special tests and monitor when a cough occurs. Be sure to follow a diet, do not start pets, do not use harmful chemicals. Choose clothes and bedding only from natural fabrics. Wet cleaning needs to be done daily.
An allergic cough can cause significant discomfort, therefore, timely diagnosis and treatment should be carried out.