Inflammatory processes in the respiratory organs cause a lot of unpleasant sensations and are mainly accompanied by characteristic symptoms: fever, severe cough. If such signs are absent, do not hope for a mild course of the disease. Most often, bronchitis without coughing is observed in a chronic form. Without the help of a specialist, it will be difficult to cope with such a disease. Moreover, self-medication almost always leads to a deterioration. Let us consider in more detail whether there can be bronchitis without coughing, what are the methods of treating this ailment.
Bronchitis - what kind of disease?
Pathologies of the upper respiratory tract are very common among the population of various age categories. One of the most common diseases is bronchitis. This ailment is associated with inflammation of the bronchi - the tubes that connect the respiratory parenchyma of the lungs and trachea. They serve as part of the airways.
Bronchitis manifests itself in acute and chronic form. The second type often occurs against the background of improper treatment or a complete lack of therapeutic manipulations. Depending on the form of the disease, both the symptoms and the treatment method differ. Recently, doctors have been faced with a lack of signs characteristic of the disease. Can there be bronchitis without coughing and other signs of pathology? Experts answer this question in the affirmative and recommend that you seek medical help as soon as possible.
Reasons for the development of pathology
Viral and bacterial agents are the main culprits of this disease. Bronchitis often develops against a cold, with constant contact with allergens or toxic substances. Dust is another factor that can trigger the development of the inflammatory process in the upper respiratory tract. Causes that increase the risk of any form of bronchitis include:
- genetic predisposition;
- decreased immunity;
- smoking;
- adverse climatic conditions;
- poor environmental conditions.
How is bronchitis manifested?
The main symptom that distinguishes inflammation of the bronchi from other ailments is coughing and secretion of thick sputum. The mucous secretion has a protective function - it is responsible for local immunity and purifies the air that enters the bronchi when inhaling. An increased amount of sputum begins to be produced during the inflammatory process, due to which the lumen in the bronchi narrows. The patient’s increased breathing provokes a cough.
Bronchitis can also be accompanied by fever, fever, weakness. At night, sweating in the neck, back and head increases. Coughing fits at this time also intensify.
Does bronchitis happen without a cough?
A cough is an organism reflex that is triggered when foreign particles enter the respiratory tract. Thanks to this reaction, the bronchi are cleansed and can function normally. However, this characteristic symptom is far from always present from the first days of the disease.
Often, patients who have bronchitis without coughing see a doctor. Symptoms may be limited by hard breathing, nasal congestion, general weakness. With this course, pathology is often confused with acute respiratory disease. The absence of cough and secretion of the mucous membrane requires mandatory medical treatment, which can only be selected by a doctor.
In what cases is there no cough?
Coughing up sputum and adequate drug therapy can quickly get rid of the disease. If bronchitis without coughing is observed, it is necessary to establish the correct diagnosis first. A similar situation occurs in both children and adult patients. The main symptom of bronchitis may be absent in the following cases:
- The initial stage of the disease - the first few days the patient is unaware of the development of the inflammatory process in the bronchi. The pathological condition is more like a cold or SARS. The first coughing attacks sometimes begin only on the 5-7th day.
- The chronic form of bronchitis - the cough reflex may be absent completely or may appear only in the morning or after heavy physical exertion. Pathology can be determined by hard breathing and shortness of breath. Bronchitis without cough and fever sometimes indicates the presence of a chronic form of the disease.
- Bronchiolitis - when infectious pathogens enter the bronchioles, cough is also absent. Bronchioles are the smallest parts of the bronchi in which there are no receptors responsible for the cough reflex.
How does bronchitis occur in children?
The most vulnerable part of patients to viral and infectious diseases are children. Imperfect immune system is the main reason. As a complication after the flu, an acute respiratory illness often develops bronchitis. Without a cough in a child, the inflammatory process in the bronchi is usually observed only in the first days.
The tactics of treatment completely depend on the diagnosis made by the doctor. In children, the pathology most often proceeds in an acute form, which is characterized by symptoms such as severe cough (mostly dry), fever. The obstructive type of ailment has similar symptoms, in which wheezing, whistling and noise in the bronchi also occur. Temperature increased slightly (37-37.5 ° C).
Acute bronchiolitis is a type of bronchitis in which a child develops respiratory failure and shortness of breath, and the frequency of breaths increases. Recurrent bronchitis occurs in the same way as an acute form of the disease. Chronic pathology is not always accompanied by a cough reflex from the first days. The number of relapses depends on the state of the child’s immune system.
What threatens the absence of cough with bronchitis?
With inflammation of the bronchi, coughing is a “useful” symptom, the presence of which indicates that the body is trying to get rid of excess sputum with pathogens. There is bronchitis without coughing, when only whistles and wheezing are heard on the exhale. This situation says that a lot of mucus has accumulated in the bronchi, which should be removed as soon as possible. If you do not take the necessary measures, serious complications may develop:
- pneumonia;
- respiratory failure;
- bronchopneumonia;
- obstructive bronchitis;
- acute bronchiolitis.
An infection located in the bronchi can penetrate deep into the respiratory system, complicating the course of the disease. Such a development of the situation is particularly dangerous for young children and infants.
What to do in the absence of cough?
Specialists pay special attention to patients who have bronchitis without coughing and fever for more than three days and at the same time there is shortness of breath, whistles and wheezing when listening.
It is important to start therapy as soon as possible in order to prevent the development of complications in the form of pneumonia, chronic bronchitis. For a more accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to make laboratory tests of blood serum and pass the sputum culture to the flora.
Cough-free bronchitis: treatment
Treatment should begin with medication with a mucolytic effect. Such drugs help to thin the viscous secret secret, stimulate the cough reflex. Antibacterial and antiviral agents are used depending on the type of causative agent of bronchitis.
Antipyretic drugs are used if the temperature rises to 38.5 ° C. Children are allowed to give medicines based on paracetamol and ibuprofen in the form of a syrup.
The conditions in which the patient is affected affect the healing process. If during inflammation of the bronchi the sputum clears its throat poorly or there is no cough at all, it is necessary to increase the humidity in the room. For this, it is better to use special humidifiers. Such a device must necessarily be in a house where there is a small child.
Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. Regardless of the form of the disease, you should adhere to proper nutrition, eliminate harmful products (fatty, smoked, salty). The menu should more consist of dairy dishes and plant products.
Cough Stimulation Drugs
Regardless of who develops bronchitis without coughing and fever - in a child or an adult - you should seek help from a doctor. Only a specialist can choose the appropriate medication, depending on the characteristics of the disease.
For the discharge and dilution of sputum, mucolytics are used. They can be of plant or synthetic origin. The following drugs have an expectorant and mucolytic effect:
- "Ambroxol".
- "Broncholitin."
- "Herbion".
- Ambrobene.
- "Bromhexine."
- "Lazolvan."
- "ACC".
- "Mukaltin."
- Stoptussin.
The bronchodilator effect is Erespal, produced in the form of tablets for adults and syrup for children. It is prescribed more often with respiratory failure. In addition to medical effects, breathing exercises, massage, physiotherapy exercises and inhalation therapy will benefit . The latter method allows you to directly affect the focus of the disease, avoiding the passage of drugs through the gastrointestinal tract.
Inhalation
Significant relief can bring inhalation with various medicinal herbs or drugs. The therapeutic effect is due to the action of drugs on the mucous membrane of the bronchi. Preparations for inhalation are able to eliminate the inflammatory process, have an antiseptic and bronchodilator effect.
Cough-free bronchitis accompanied by obstructive syndrome can be completely cured by daily inhalations. Depending on the type of inflammatory process in the bronchi, a certain type of procedure is selected. Inhalations are warm, steam, oil and wet. In the treatment of obstructive, recurrent, chronic bronchitis, inhalation is recommended using a nebulizer.