Allergic cough is a fairly common symptom of an allergic reaction to various irritants. Recently, doctors attribute it to a special form of bronchial asthma. When an irritating substance enters the bronchi during inhalation, 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. It usually goes away on its own, immediately after the source of the allergy disappears. However, allergic cough must be treated, especially in children.
Main reasons
The source of a 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;
- drugs;
- 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 are the symptoms
The first symptoms of an allergic cough a person begins to feel quite suddenly. Basically, at this time there is contact with an external stimulus. Among the frequent symptoms of an allergic cough, one should highlight such as:
- frequent seizures, especially at night;
- may produce colorless sputum;
- sore throat feeling;
- chill;
- runny nose;
- itching of the skin;
- weakness all over the body;
- breathing difficult.
After the elimination of the allergen, the attack immediately recedes. If an allergic cough continues 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 allergic cough from manifestations of upper respiratory tract diseases, as this will help to correctly diagnose and treat. There are certain signs by which you can recognize the peculiarity of the attack. It is worth noting that the allergic nature of the cough is characterized by the fact that:
- attacks begin suddenly and last for several minutes;
- cough dry, irritating throat;
- notaccompanied by an increase in temperature;
- attacks recur mainly at night.
With a cold, there is a general intoxication of the body, the temperature rises, and general well-being worsens. If a person cannot completely clear his throat, it means that this is an allergic reaction of the body. Treatment with conventional medications does not bring any relief at all.
Such a reaction of the body in itself is not dangerous. Most importantly, to prevent the occurrence of mucosal edema 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 difficult.
Diagnostics
Depending on the symptoms of an allergic cough, the treatment is appropriate. However, initially it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis to select a method of therapy. An important role in the diagnosis is the collection of anamnesis. The doctor must have full information as to how exactly the attack occurred and what provoked it.
In addition, allergy tests and tests accompanied by physical activity are required for diagnosis. If the result is positive, then this means that an allergen is present in the body. It is imperative to confirm the diagnosis with a complete blood count with a detailed description of the leukocyte formula.
Features of treatment
How to treat an allergic cough, only the attending doctor can determine, since all drugs are selected depending on the type of allergen, andas well as the severity of the disease. Initially, you need to eliminate contact with the allergen, which may require a change in environment, place of residence or work. Bronchodilators are used to eliminate acute attacks of the disease, and antihistamines are used to prevent relapses.
Folk remedies and methods that should be selected only by a qualified specialist have a good result.
Therapy is usually quite long and takes several months or even years. If the treatment was carried out incorrectly, then polysensitization may occur, which is an indication for hospitalization and the implementation of desensitizing measures. These include dialysis using systemic drugs, as well as blood transfusions.
Medicated 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 is good.
You need to make sure that at least 1 hour passes between taking medications and eating food. For better digestion of food, it is recommended to use activated charcoal or Atoxil. For therapyit is recommended to carry out inhalation procedures using sodium chloride.
If there are breathing problems, then for the treatment of allergic cough in adults, drugs such as Eufillin, Pulmicort, Berodual are suitable. They can also be used for inhalation.
In more complex cases, it is recommended to use Prednisolone or Dexamethasone. They can be used in tablet form or as an injection. Such drugs will help eliminate respiratory failure.
After eliminating an acute attack, you need to apply the method of immunostimulation. To do this, the allergen is injected intravenously and then subcutaneously. Initially, start with small dosages, and then gradually increase them. This method will help to completely get rid of allergies. Immunity immediately begins to fight foreign objects, and then a reaction is developed to the applied component.
Another method is plasmapheresis - mechanical purification of blood from contained allergens, immune complexes and toxins. Such a 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 get rid of allergic cough quite quickly by using traditional medicine. The juice of apples, carrots, 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 drink celery juice.
Nettle infusion has a good effect. To prepare it, you need to pour 3 tbsp. l. raw materials 2 cups of water. The resulting infusion should be taken before eating. From the manifestations of an allergic reaction, cold water with potassium chloride helps well. You need to dilute the product in a ratio of 10: 1. Take the finished product before eating.
If the allergy was provoked by plant pollen, then you need to instill an infusion of horsetail into the nose. To prepare a healing agent, you need to pour 2 tsp. vegetable raw materials 2 tbsp. l. boiling water. You need to bury the remedy several times a day.
For severe coughing attacks, 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 chest compresses.
Food and lifestyle
When treating an allergic cough in a child or adult, it is important to identify the allergen in a timely manner and eliminate contact with it. If there is no way to do this, you need to at least reduce contact with the allergen. Be sure to switch to a hypoallergenic diet. To do this, citrus, red and orange vegetables and fruits are excluded from the diet. You should also give up nuts.
It is desirable to exclude seafood and chocolate from the usual diet. In addition to dietary nutrition, careful care of the premises is also required. If there are animals at home, then you need to thoroughly clean the room. In the case of feeding dry food, the bowl should be placed outside the living area. It is forbidden to use featherpillows. They need to be replaced with special hypoallergenic ones with synthetic fillers.
It is temporarily forbidden to use decorative and medical cosmetics. When washing, do not use powders and conditioners. For washing things, it is recommended to use laundry or baby soap.
Inhalations
To eliminate the symptoms of an allergic cough in a child, treatment is also carried out with the help of inhalers. A nebulizer is widely used for inhalation. The device can be filled with physiological saline or mineral alkaline water. This procedure helps to moisturize the respiratory mucosa to ease the attack. In addition, there are special drugs that affect the bronchi.
Inhalations with Pulmicort have a good effect. This medicine belongs to the hormonal drugs, and it is often used in bronchial asthma and many other diseases of the respiratory system, in which breathing becomes difficult. The drug helps to eliminate swelling, inflammation and prevent bronchospasm.
Before inhaling with Pulmicort, you must first consult with your doctor, as 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 alsocarry out inhalation with "Berodual", which is used for dry cough with viscous sputum. It helps to expand the bronchi by relaxing the smooth muscles. Before using this remedy, you must first consult with your pediatrician to determine the correct dosage. The medicine must first be diluted with saline, then poured into a nebulizer and carried out treatment procedures 4 times a day.
Cough treatment for children
A seizure is difficult enough for children. Breathing problems can be very frightening for a child and lead to serious consequences, therefore, parents should definitely know what are the symptoms of an allergic cough in a child. In particular, there are such signs as:
- lacrimation and pain in the eyes;
- exacerbation of seizure at night;
- formation of a rash on the body;
- sneezing and stuffy nose.
If it becomes very difficult for a child to breathe, standard methods and air humidification do not give the desired result, you should 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 drugs. Only the attending physician should select medications. Among the most effective, it is necessary to highlight:
- syrups("Gerbion");
- antihistamines ("Fenistil", "Zyrtec", "Zodak", "Cetrin");
- inhalations based on herbs or with the addition of drugs.
It is very important for parents to eliminate all irritants in order for the treatment to be more successful. Be sure to minimize contact with soft toys and replace them with high-quality rubber or plastic ones. Most importantly, they should not have an unpleasant chemical smell.
Treatment of an allergic cough in a child can be carried out with the help of 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 inhalations prepared on the basis of a decoction of medicinal plants. You can also add aromatic oils to the water if there is no allergic reaction to them. It is important to understand that coughing is only a consequence of allergies. Only the right therapy after the required research will help get rid of it.
Carrying out preventive measures
Cough with allergies causes significant discomfort to a person and does not allow him to live normally. It's hard enough to deal with allergies, it's much easier to prevent them.
If the allergen is known, contact with it should be avoided. If the type of allergen is not exactly known, then you need toconduct special tests and monitor when a cough occurs. Be sure to follow a diet, do not have pets, do not use harmful chemicals. Choose clothes and bed linen only from natural fabrics. Wet cleaning should be done daily.
Allergic cough can cause significant discomfort, therefore, it is necessary to carry out timely diagnosis and treatment.
