How to cure a protracted cough in an adult: causes, symptoms, treatment options, advice of therapists

Cough - a natural reaction of the body to an irritant in the throat or bronchi. This is not an independent disease, but a symptom of any deviation. The causes of coughing can be about 50 pathologies, and they need to be treated.

Etiology of the phenomenon

The question of how to cure a protracted cough in an adult arises if there is no transition from dry to wet cough with its subsequent disappearance. There are several reasons for this situation:

1. A complication of acute respiratory viral infection has occurred. As a rule, these are very dangerous diseases - tracheitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis or generally pneumonia. If these pathologies are left without proper treatment, the patient may experience pulmonary edema and, as a result, death.
2. Coughing may result from external irritants: dusty air that a person is forced to breathe, smoking, or a dry environment.
3. Often, non-professionals or the patient himself cure a prolonged cough in an adult. He begins to take drugs that are not suitable for him, is mistaken with dosages, and so on. All this does not help to cure a dry cough, while causing concomitant disturbances in well-being.
4. Sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinuses, can lead to coughing. The fact is that the mucus secreted by the mucous membrane during inflammation flows directly into the throat, irritating it and causing a strong cough.
5. There is a disease such as bronchial asthma. She has only one symptom - a dry cough. Other symptoms, such as suffocation, shortness of breath, weakness, and so on, are not observed.
6. Coughing can cause heartburn. In this case, the gastric juice rises along the esophagus and enters the respiratory tract, causing irritation. The reason for this phenomenon is a weakened sphincter, cutting off the stomach from the esophagus, and increased acidity of the gastric juice.
7. In rare cases, coughing is a consequence of heart failure. The mechanism of this symptom is simple - blood accumulates in the vessels of the lungs, which causes an attack, especially if a person is lying at this time.

Which specialist treats cough

Since coughing is one of the symptoms of a possible pathology, the doctor involved in its treatment should be a specialized specialist. First of all, a patient with a dry cough should seem to the therapist, that is, to a specialist of a wide profile. And after examining the patient, he will direct him to someone who can help in this situation. This can be an ENT who treats the respiratory tract, or a pulmonologist - a specialist in the lungs, a cardiologist who treats the heart, or a neurologist who restores the nervous system, or a gastroenterologist who is responsible for the stomach, esophagus and gall bladder. But sometimes the therapist himself determines how to cure a protracted cough in an adult, and he prescribes therapy.

Syrup cough treatment

To treat a protracted cough in an adult should begin with the causes of its occurrence. But it is also necessary to remove an unpleasant symptom without waiting for the effect of therapy. After all, a long dry cough is not only capable of causing the burst of thin blood vessels in the throat or eyes, it can provoke the development of a hernia from a strong and frequent increase in pressure inside the peritoneum.

Most often, the following syrups are used to stop coughing:

1. "Prospan". This drug is based on an extract from ivy foliage. It moisturizes the mucous membrane, relieves spasm and has an antimicrobial effect on the patient's throat. Syrup is safe even for small children from 1 year.
2. With the help of Fluditec, a wet cough is relieved. The drug is used to treat children and adults.
3. Linkas is the answer to the question: how to cure a protracted dry cough in an adult and a child. The medication is safe and effective for children from 6 months. The syrup contains licorice and red pepper, which allows you to successfully fight any inflammation in the throat.
4. Thanks to active advertising, any adult knows how to cure a protracted cough using Doctor Mom. The syrup includes extracts of licorice, aloe, ginger, as well as turmeric and menthol. The tool is perfect for both children and adults with dry cough.
5. "Bronchicum" helps the patient get rid of viruses and germs, causing an expectorant effect. The patient simply gets rid of sputum. However, the drug has a number of contraindications and side effects, therefore it is prescribed by a doctor.
6. The treatment of young children with cough "Herbion" is absolutely safe. In this syrup, plantain extract is present, which makes the likelihood of an allergy almost zero.
7. "Lazolvan" is what treats a prolonged cough in an adult, since the drug has a bitter taste and children do not perceive it. But the presence of Ambroxol in its composition significantly accelerates the separation of sputum, therefore, a cure for cough.
8. The complex composition of Broncholitin, namely the presence of basil oil, glaucin, ephedrine, makes the drug the most effective for solving the problem of how to cure a protracted cough in an adult. But the drug is dangerous for the treatment of young children.

It must be remembered that a dry cough during treatment becomes wet, and only after expectoration of sputum completely disappears. With a dry cough, you do not need to wait for the immediate effect of a syrup or other medicine.

Other cough medicines

How to treat a protracted cough in an adult should be decided by the doctor, especially when it comes to drugs taken orally. Indeed, given the peculiarity of the transition of dry cough to wet, appropriate preparations are also needed. Medicines and dosage should not be confused. That is why self-medication in this case is extremely dangerous.

1. The simplest and most affordable drug is Mukaltin, which contains marshmallow juice and has an expectorant effect. Available in the form of small tablets.
2. Ambrobene tablets bring relief within 30-40 minutes after administration. However, the composition of the drug does not allow its use during pregnancy and a stomach ulcer.
3. Using Libexin, you can quickly stop any dry cough. But only adults can use this drug, except for pregnant women.
4. Stoptussin helps to remove phlegm and relieve bronchospasm. In general, the medication is safe for children, but it is not recommended to take it without the recommendation of a doctor.
5. "Bromhexine" is used to separate sputum, but it is not recommended to use it with pregnant women and children under 3 years old.
6. The most powerful drug is ACC Long. However, because of the likely side effects, the medicine should not be taken by pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 15 years of age.

Cough without fever

Before treating a protracted dry cough in an adult, the doctor examines the patient and tries to find out additional symptoms. If the patient has only a cough, and the body temperature does not rise, then this can indicate a number of specific diseases no less dangerous than those that cause it.

A cough without fever can be caused by the following pathologies:

1. An allergic reaction to dust, pollen, animal hair, and so on.
2. Precipitation of resins and other hazardous elements on the bronchi resulting from tobacco smoking.
3. Sometimes a foreign body stuck in the bronchi can cause a dry cough.
4. Dry cough is a symptom of pharyngitis - a disease caused by a person's prolonged exposure to a dusty, unfavorable environment with dry air.
5. In chronic bronchitis, there is rarely a fever, but cough is always present.
6. In adults without fever, rhinopharyngitis can occur - inflammation of the nasal mucosa and facial sinuses. This disease is often accompanied by a cough.

Non-fever cough therapy

Usually, therapy for coughing without an increase in body temperature is aimed specifically at suppressing the symptom. To moisturize the mucous membrane of the patient takes drugs such as Libexin, Flavamed or Lazolvan.

An allergic cough is removed by "Diazolinum", "Suprastinum", "Claritinum".

An unpleasant symptom is relieved by inhalation. The composition of the spray includes various drugs, including those of natural origin.

Therapists advise drinking more fluids when treating cough, especially warm decoctions of medicinal herbs. Warm drinking, in principle, has a softening effect on the mucous membrane.

Cough with fever

If a person has a cough accompanied by a high body temperature, this means that the inflammatory process has begun in the body. And in this situation, it occurs in the upper respiratory tract, facial and frontal sinuses, throat and bronchi.

Usually, such diseases are called by one term - acute respiratory viral infection, or SARS. But if you look closely at this type of disease, then the following pathologies are revealed:

• respiratory tract infection;
• inflammatory processes in the epiglottis, trachea or larynx;
• inflammation in the bronchi;
• false croup;
• inflammation in the bronchioles;
• whooping cough;
• pneumonia
• the appearance in the sinuses of the adenoids;
• bronchial asthma.

All these diseases have their own targeted treatment, so what to treat a protracted dry cough in an adult or a child, in each individual case, the specialist decides.

Tips by Dr. Komarovsky

Recently, people are interested in the topic of how to treat a protracted cough in an adult according to Komarovsky. The fact is that this specialist makes you see the problem of the disease and how to treat it from a different angle. He reasonably believes that cough therapy is based on television advertising. People, listening to the advice of marketers, at the first symptoms of a cold, begin to take expectorant drugs that thin the sputum and intensify the cough. Although, according to the logic, a cold causes abundant secretion of mucus anyway, because with this disease a person blows his nose every now and then.

Moreover, if you give your child a mucolytic (a drug that dilutes phlegm) and put him to bed, then the baby simply will not have the strength to cough up the mucus infected with the virus. And in this case, a long fight against the disease is expected.

That is why Komarovsky does not recommend taking expectorant drugs for children under 5 years of age - they simply do not have the strength to cough up sputum, and it accumulates in the lower bronchi. Therefore, he urges not to take for granted television advertisements for cough medicines, especially not to use them on their own and not to give them to their children. Any treatment should be prescribed by a doctor. Remember: only a doctor decides how to treat a prolonged wet cough in an adult and a child.

Traditional medicine cough treatment

Cough has haunted man throughout the history of civilization. Naturally, many centuries ago, people found simple and safe ways to deal with this unpleasant phenomenon. The only thing you need to do before starting treatment according to the prescriptions of ancient doctors is to consult your doctor. After all, the patient may be allergic to one or another component of the therapeutic agent. This is especially important if therapy with folk remedies is aimed at treating the child.

1. With colds, the mixture obtained from figs and milk helps well. It is prepared simply - you need to boil 3-4 fruits quickly in 200 ml of milk. Literally 1 minute, and the tool is ready. If it is prepared from dried fruits, then they will need to be soaked in water for 20-30 minutes. This medicine is very useful and tasty, so you can give it to children 100 grams 3 times a day for 15-20 minutes before eating.
2. Honey is very useful for colds, it relieves intoxication and helps the body fight the virus. And in order to treat a cough with this sweet treat, you need 1 tbsp. dilute a spoonful of golden nectar in a glass of warm milk. If you take this solution before bedtime, then the patient will sleep peacefully until the morning, without coughing. Modern therapists advise adding a few grams of soda to such a drink, this will speed up the healing process. Sometimes propolis is used instead of honey, it is also very useful.
3. It soothes sore throats and helps to cough milk with butter. In a glass of warm milk you need to put 50 grams of butter, mix it thoroughly and drink it before bedtime. To make the medicine tasty, cocoa butter is allowed, not cream. This is not reflected in the healing properties of the drink.
4. Black radish with honey. It’s easy to prepare a cough remedy - a radish fruit is taken, a small cavity is cut out in the flesh, in the place where the tops grew, and 2-3 tablespoons of honey are poured into it. After 3-4 hours, when the excreted juice is mixed with honey, you need to give this drink to the patient. After that, honey can again be poured into the hole and wait for the next dose of medicine.
5. In some regions of Russia, goat fat is widely used to treat colds. Moreover, both for internal use and for grinding. Inside, fat is taken along with honey (2 tablespoons) and milk (1 cup). Before going to bed, it is recommended to rub the throat, back and chest with goat fat melted in a water bath.
6. Very young children can rub their chest and back, melted in a water bath with interior pork fat mixed with propolis. Tea with raspberries or currants also helps with colds.
7. To get rid of this unpleasant symptom at home, you can make mint sweets. In a metal pan, add milk, powdered sugar and peppermint extract, you need to cook until the drop of syrup freezes in water. Children eat such candies with pleasure.

Cough Prevention

Any therapist knows how to treat a prolonged wet cough in an adult and a child. But it is best to take several preventive measures so that the cough does not appear in principle:

1. You need to strengthen your immunity, regularly playing sports. Hardening and gymnastics will help prevent coughing and colds.
2. It is necessary to get rid of bad habits that are dangerous to health, including alcohol intake and smoking. Tobacco smoke destroys the lungs, causing a chronic cough called “smoker's cough”.
3. In winter, you need to protect the throat and chest from hypothermia.
4. When the first signs of a cold appear, you do not need to try to treat yourself, this can lead to the transition of the disease into a chronic form.
5. If a person works in a hazardous industry with dry and dusty air, he must have a respirator that protects his lungs from dust.
6. And so that a small child is less likely to cough and get sick, you must adhere to some rules. His room should always be warm. You should also monitor the humidity in the nursery. To do this, just put a basin of water next to the bed. It is also recommended that you regularly wet the room.

How to cure a protracted cough in an adult and a baby, we examined. And the last thing: you need to trust advertising less, think more with your own head and not self-medicate.