Coughing is a normal process. It is a consequence of the penetration of any foreign objects into the respiratory tract, for example, aspiration contents or exudate. In most cases, a cough develops against the background of the pathological process. Normally, it should be maintained for a maximum of one week. A lingering cough in an adult most often indicates that the patient ignored the symptoms of the disease, and therefore the pathology turned into a chronic form. An incorrect diagnosis or illiterate treatment also often causes a person to continue to suffer from an unpleasant symptom.
Why does an adult cough dry for a long time?
As a rule, an unproductive reflex accompanies the course of various pathological processes. At the same time, it is erroneous to believe that an adult does not have a dry cough for a long time only because of damage to the bronchial tree or lungs. Possible diseases and their clinical manifestations are described in the table below.
| Pathology | What happens in the body | Characteristic symptoms |
| Nodular or diffuse goiter | Under the influence of a number of provoking factors, an increase in the thyroid gland occurs. Due to this, compression of the bronchi and trachea occurs. In other words, the thyroid gland compresses them. A natural consequence is irritation of the respiratory tract and the appearance of a pronounced reflex. As a result, an adult does not have a strong cough for a long time. It is worth noting that it is never accompanied by sputum production. | - Compression of the esophagus and upper respiratory tract.
- Difficulty swallowing and breathing.
- Hoarseness in voice.
- Pain in the neck.
- The appearance of protrusion in the thyroid gland.
|
| Pleurisy | This term refers to the inflammatory process in which the protective membrane that lines the lungs from the outside is involved. In most cases, pleurisy is a complication of any other disease. If the treatment was carried out incorrectly, in adults the cough does not go away for a long time. He is very painful and can bother for several months. | - Painful sensations that occur during the breathing process.
- Constant feeling of weakness.
- Pain behind the sternum, worse during bending and coughing.
- Elevated body temperature.
|
| Sinusitis | When the upper respiratory tract is affected, exudate and mucus leak into the lower. The cilia of the ciliated epithelium perceive the pathological fluid as a foreign object, which must be disposed of as soon as possible. The consequence is the development of a strong dry cough in an adult. For a long time, it does not pass, usually due to self-medication. Tissues get used to vasoconstrictive drops, so that the swelling persists. | - Difficult nasal breathing.
- Lacrimation.
- Isolation of the pathological secretion from the nasal passages.
|
| Heart failure | Contrary to popular belief, often an adult does not cough for a very long time due to myocardial damage. Under the influence of any unfavorable factors, the functioning of the heart is disrupted, and therefore the liquid connective tissue is worse supplied with oxygen. At this stage, a person begins to suffer from severe shortness of breath. It, in turn, leads to a drainage of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and the appearance of an unproductive reflex. If an adult does not cough for a long time, it is recommended to be examined by a cardiologist. The reflex will remain until the root cause of its occurrence is eliminated. | - Dyspnea.
- Heart rhythm disturbance.
- Dizziness.
- Fainting.
- Swelling of the lower extremities.
- Pallor of the skin.
- Swelling of veins localized in the neck.
|
| Pharyngitis | The process of the disease is accompanied by inflammation of the epithelium and mucous membranes of the pharynx. The cough is dry, it occurs due to tissue irritation. Often, pathogenic microflora moves into the lower respiratory tract, so that the symptoms become more pronounced. | - Sore throat.
- Decreased swallowing activity.
- Hoarseness in voice. Often, he completely disappears.
|
| Laryngitis | This term refers to inflammation of the larynx. Cough in this case is quite specific. He is booming and barking. If the treatment was carried out, but the adult does not cough for a long time, most likely, the disease managed to lead to a complication - the development of secondary respiratory failure. At this stage, asthma attacks may disturb. | - Coming and lump in the throat.
- Hoarseness in voice.
- An increase in body temperature to subfebrile values.
- Dry cough, which after a while becomes wet.
|
As can be seen from the table, the causes of a long-lasting unproductive reflex can be very diverse. If an adult does not cough for a long time, treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor based on the results of laboratory and instrumental diagnostics. Ignoring an alarming symptom can lead to serious consequences.
A wet cough does not go away for a long time: reasons
A long-lasting productive reflex can be the result of a large number of diseases. If an adult does not have a wet cough for a long time, it is customary to say that an illness progresses in his body, which is characterized by a chronic course.
The most commonly diagnosed pathologies are described in the table below.
| Disease | What happens in the body | Clinical manifestations |
| Tracheitis | This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea, which can have a different nature. Cough is a consequence of the accumulation of pathological exudate. The reflex is barking and rough, accompanied by the separation of sputum yellow or green. | - Pain behind the sternum.
- Runny nose.
- Difficult nasal breathing.
- Signs of an intoxication process.
|
| Bronchitis | This is a common pathology of the lower respiratory tract. Against the background of the active life of pathogenic microorganisms, the mucous membrane lining the bronchi is inflamed. If an expectorant cough does not go away for an adult for a long time, this indicates the transition of the disease to a chronic form. | - Dyspnea.
- Painful sensations in the sternum, aggravated during physical exertion.
- Over time, coughing becomes unproductive, that is, sputum is excreted, but it is very small.
|
| Pneumonia | Inflammation of the lungs develops against the background of the active life of pathogenic microorganisms. The role of a starting factor most often is hypothermia. Delaying with the treatment of the disease is unacceptable. If the cough and concomitant symptoms persist for more than two weeks, death can occur. | - High body temperature.
- Signs of general intoxication of the body.
- Painful sensations in the sternum from the affected lung, greatly aggravated by sneezing and coughing.
- Wheezing and shortness of breath.
|
| Tuberculosis | It develops after infection of the body with a Koch stick. The disease can be asymptomatic for several months. If cough with sputum does not go away for a long time, it is necessary to undergo an examination. Pathology is socially significant and annually takes millions of lives. | - General deterioration of health.
- Weakness.
- Psycho-emotional instability.
- A sharp decrease in body weight.
- Excessive perspiration, especially at night.
- In advanced cases, a cough is accompanied by a discharge of sputum with blood.
|
| Bronchial asthma | This disease, the basis of the development mechanism of which is an increased degree of tissue sensitivity to any irritating factors. The bronchi perceive the allergen as a foreign object and try to get rid of it. The attack occurs about 10 minutes after the contact of the body and the irritating factor. Sputum discharge indicates its end. | - Wheezing.
- Choking sensation.
- Difficult breaths.
|
| Lung cancer | Malignant pathology, which very often leads to death. The complexity of the treatment lies in the fact that most often patients turn to a medical institution at a late stage. At an early stage of development, pathology does not appear in any way. The only symptom is that a cough lasts a long time in adults. In this case, the reflex appears, it would seem, for no apparent reason. | - Hoarseness in voice.
- Whistling sounds that occur during breathing.
- Constant fatigue.
- An increase in body temperature to subfebrile values.
- Constant weakness.
- Enlarged lymph nodes located in the subclavian area.
|
| Reflux esophagitis | Pathology is characterized by the movement of food in the opposite, that is, non-physiological direction. Most often develops against a background of gastritis, a hernia or an ulcer. The contents of the stomach, moving along the esophagus in the opposite direction, irritates its walls, and therefore a cough occurs. Patients complain of a productive reflex. But actually it is not sputum that comes out, but partially digested food. | - Belching with a sour taste.
- Increased salivation.
- Painful sensations in the sternum, in nature resembling manifestations of angina pectoris.
- Heartburn.
|
| Bronchiectasis | This term refers to irreversible changes in the bronchi, due to which their functioning is disrupted. | - Dyspnea.
- The cough is accompanied by the separation of a large amount of sputum, especially in the morning. Its volume can reach up to 0.5 liters.
- Signs of intoxication.
|
| ARVI | The tissues of the larynx are irritated during the flow of pathological secretions on them, due to which a cough appears. But if a wet cough in an adult does not go away for a long time, it is customary to talk about the development of complications, for example, about tracheitis. | - Runny nose.
- Elevated body temperature.
- Headache.
- Sore throat.
|
The persistent productive reflex is often a danger not only to health, but also to human life. In this regard, treatment cannot be delayed.
Smokers Cough
The presence of an unproductive reflex is the first alarming symptom that indicates the start of the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
With regards to why a cough does not last long in an adult who is addicted to smoking. Cigarette smoke contains several thousand harmful compounds and two hundred kinds of poisons. Penetrating into the bronchi, it settles in the form of tarry substances and soot. As a result, the ciliary epithelium is disrupted. Soot literally presses the cilia, due to which all harmful compounds remain in the bronchi.
It is important to know that the epithelium has a protective function. Sooty cilia are not able to move and remove poisons from the body.
The first alarming symptom is morning coughing. It is dry, but due to the constant action of smoke in the bronchi, an inflammatory process develops, the course of which is accompanied by the formation of sputum.
Who to contact
If the first alarming symptoms occur, you must make an appointment with a pulmonologist. The doctor will draw up a referral for diagnosis and, based on the results, will be able to find out why an adult does not cough for a long time. After that, the specialist will draw up a treatment regimen.
Diagnostics
During the initial appointment, the doctor interviews the patient and conducts an examination. After that, he draws up a referral for a comprehensive examination, including:
- Roentgenography.
- Bronchoscopy.
- Sputum analysis.
- FGDS.
- Blood tests (clinical, biochemical).
Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor draws up a therapy regimen.
Drug treatment
The management tactics of the patient directly depend on the reason why the cough is worrying for a long time. To get rid of the reflex specifically, symptomatic therapy is indicated.
If there is a dry cough, mucolytics and expectorants are prescribed. The main task is to ensure that sputum begins to separate. Against the background of taking the preparations, the mucus liquefies and begins to leave the lungs. As a rule, doctors prescribe the following drugs: Doctor Mom, Herbion, Mukaltin. If the pathogenic microorganism has become the cause of the underlying disease, antibiotic administration is indicated.
If there is a wet cough, doctors prescribe drugs on both a plant and a synthetic basis. The most highly effective are the following products: Pectusin, Bromhexine, ACC, Lazolvan. Additionally, antibiotics are prescribed. Most often, doctors recommend taking one of the following drugs: Amoxiclav, Azithromycin, Ceftriaxone.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
The following procedures help to cope with a long-lasting cough:
- Electrophoresis
- UHF
- Magnetotherapy.
- Massage.
- Inhalation.
It is important to understand that physiotherapy is an auxiliary treatment. In no case should it be considered as the main way to get rid of cough.
Folk methods
To reduce the severity of an unpleasant symptom, you can resort to alternative medicine. However, this does not eliminate the need to seek qualified medical help.
The most effective are the following recipes:
- Take 1 chicken egg, 10 g of honey, 5 g of soda, 10 g of butter and 0.25 l of vodka without additives. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. The resulting product must be drunk in one gulp on an empty stomach. It is enough to take it for 2 days.
- Take 1 large onion and grate it or chop it with a blender. Pour the resulting slurry with 200 g of granulated sugar. Put the container on fire. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool the resulting product and add 30 g of honey to it. Take 1 tbsp. l onion jam every hour.
- Take the root of ginger and chop it finely. 1 tbsp. l the resulting mass pour 200 ml of boiling water. Let it brew for 15 minutes. Add 20 g of honey and a lemon slice to a warm liquid. Such tea should be drunk every one and a half hours.
It is important to remember that any folk remedy is a potential allergen. If signs of an adverse reaction occur, treatment must be completed.
Possible consequences
The prognosis directly depends on the cause of the long-lasting cough and the timeliness of contacting a doctor. If you do not ignore the alarming symptom and sign up to a specialist as soon as possible, you can avoid the development of dangerous complications.
The lack of therapy leads to the progression of the underlying disease. At the same time, nearby tissues are involved in the inflammatory process. In almost 50% of cases, death occurs.
Regarding smokers. In this case, the only way to get rid of cough is to give up addiction. It is important to remember that smoking is a provoking factor in the development of a large number of diseases that pose a danger to human life.
Finally
A persisting cough is an alarming sign. In this case, it is recommended to consult a pulmonologist. The doctor will draw up a referral for diagnosis and, based on its results, draw up a treatment regimen.