The appearance of a symptom such as coughing greatly complicates life. It's one thing if you always celebrate it at this time of the year in response to the flowering of some herbs or to contact with another allergen (for example, detergent). It’s another matter when a cough doesn’t cough up (that is, it is dry), and it has been tormenting you for several days.
If the cough persists for 2 weeks or a little more (up to 20 days), it is considered acute. The causes are usually respiratory infections:
1) Viral: influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus infection. Such a cough is usually dry at first, a small amount of mucous (transparent or whitish) sputum may cough up. It is accompanied by a rise in temperature, weakness, runny nose, redness of the eyes.
2) Bacterial: staphylococcal, streptococcal, pneumococcal infections, whooping cough. These microbes can enter the body against the background of an existing viral infection. In this case, there is no such situation as coughing: a rather large amount of yellow, yellow-white, yellow-green (purulent) sputum leaves.
A bacterial infection that arose independently (not against the background of ARVI) most often manifests itself in the form of an increase in temperature, there may be a dry cough, with its gradual transformation into a wet one. Abundant purulent sputum stands out.
A cough for a week or two is a sign of the onset of a chronic disease
1. If the cough does not clear up, then it can be a manifestation of bronchial asthma. In this case, there is no temperature, a person may be disturbed by a difficult exhalation, a moderate feeling of lack of air. Wheezing on exhalation (even at a distance) can be heard, when counting the number of breaths, there are more than 20 per minute.
2. Chronic bronchitis. In this case, the cause is more often bacterial or viral, the infection enters the bronchi usually against the background of smoking. Here the cough is often wet, sputum is purulent, a large amount leaves in the morning. Characterized by faster fatigue, weakness.
3. Pulmonary tuberculosis. In this case, the cough is rather moist, hemoptysis, weakness, sweating at night, and a slight increase in temperature are noted.
4. Taking drugs such as Enalapril, Berlipril, Captopril (Captopress), and Lisinopril cause a situation when the cough does not cough, it is dry and exhausting enough. The withdrawal of the drug leads to the disappearance of symptoms.
5. Heart disease, including hypertension. In this case, the cough is dry, usually occurs at night.
6. Oncological diseases of the lungs. This is characterized not only by dry cough, but also by a decrease in body weight, weakness, and there may be hemoptysis.
7. Occupational lung diseases : silicosis, asbestosis.
Recommendations for a rather long course of the disease
If the cough does not cough, then conduct the following examinations:
a) blood pressure measurement;
b) measuring body temperature three times a day;
c) general blood test;
g) X-ray examination of the lungs.
This must be done to find out why the cough does not go away for a week or more.
Before the test results are ready, do inhalation with 1% soda,
boiled husk of potatoes. If there is a suspicion of the allergic nature of the cough, then taking the Erius, Cetrin, or other antihistamine will be effective. If the body temperature is elevated, then inhalation should not be done, it is better to drink the Lazolvana (Ambroxol) tablet and undergo examinations to make it possible to conclude whether you have an infectious disease and whether you need antibiotics.