Cough is considered a necessary phenomenon, with the help of which the respiratory tract is cleared of unnecessary elements, such as phlegm or dust. But most often, the symptom in question indicates the presence of serious pathologies in a person. Bronchospasm is a sign of the presence of harmful substances in the body and a method of getting rid of them through the respiratory system. What if you suffocate when you cough, there is a feeling of lack of air? This symptom directly indicates the presence of respiratory pathologies. In addition, in such a situation, other violations in the body are possible. In this material, we will take a closer look at the causes of the disease and ways to get rid of it.
Why is there suffocation?
"I choke when I cough" is what smokers often say. And this is not surprising, because the resin contained in cigarettes enters the respiratory tract and irritates the mucous membrane. Tobacco smoking over time leads to the appearance of smoker's bronchitis, when coughing fits torment the patient daily. A chronic process develops in the lungs, resulting in the possible appearance of tuberculosis.
Why do people choke when they cough? The following reasons are distinguished:
- bronchial asthma, which is of allergic or infectious origin;
- respiratory pathologies resulting from inflammatory processes - laryngitis, bronchitis, tracheitis, as well as heart failure;
- swelling in the lungs, the formation of benign and malignant tumors, inconstancy of blood pressure;
- nervous breakdowns, emotional stress, stress, abnormal psychological state.
When talking about children, rickets, lack of s alts in the body or birth trauma are considered the key causes of endless coughing.
Classification
A person feels short of breath with an unproductive cough. The symptom can be both pathological and physiological. The first option is due to the presence of various kinds of diseases. The second case indicates irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system.
Coughs are subdivided according to duration:
- Spicy. Often observed with colds and viral diseases. The patient feels weakness in the body, his temperature rises, a runny nose appears. In this case, the person chokes while coughing for about three hours.
- Lingering. Its feature is the presence for two weeks. It does not always go away on its own, so if you have a symptom, it's best to see a doctor.
- Recurrent. Cough recurs monthly, accompanied by nauseaand vomiting.
- Chronic. As you know, such diseases are constantly present. There is no way to get rid of it without addressing the root cause.
You choke when you cough. Symptoms
Cough as such is a sign of many pathologies. If there is a feeling of shortness of breath and suffocation, the clinical picture should be analyzed. Let's try this:
- This kind of cough in most cases occurs in long-term smokers. The best method of therapy is to give up a bad habit.
- When choking occurs mainly in the morning, we can talk about chronic bronchitis. Here you can’t do without the help of a specialist.
- Dry persistent cough coupled with fever and sputum indicates the presence of laryngitis.
- Bronchial asthma is characterized by intense bouts of bursting cough. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and large amounts of sputum.
- Suffocating when coughing patients with benign or malignant tumors in the lungs or bronchi. It seems to the patient that everything inside him will now burst.
Intensive cough in children
As you know, babies suffer most of the diseases much harder, because the still unformed body is more susceptible to attack by viruses and infections. If a child is choking on a cough, parents should carefully address this issue. In most situations, the symptom in question is associated with respiratory diseases. However, there are exceptions: a cough canindicate problems of the gastrointestinal tract or disorders of the cardiovascular system. Convulsive expiration with wheezing also occurs when a foreign body enters.
Additional symptoms will help determine the cause. For example, weakness in the body and weight loss are manifested with a dry cough. A child can suffocate in the presence of tuberculosis and tumor lesions. As for the treatment of the symptom, it is better to leave this issue to the doctor. To begin with, he will make a diagnosis, and then form the most effective treatment in this situation. Often, the specialist recommends taking expectorants and antitussive medicines.
Diagnosis
If you do not identify the cause of the cough in a timely manner and do not start treatment, complications are possible. Bronchospasm, for example, causes air to linger in the lungs, causing the respiratory rhythm to fail. The lack of oxygen leads to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, the brain cannot function, and the person loses consciousness. Oxygen starvation is the basis for the development of a large number of disorders in the body.
The doctor makes a diagnosis using laboratory tests. Among the mandatory are a general analysis of feces and blood, as well as allergy tests. To make the prognosis more accurate, the doctor may additionally prescribe computed tomography, electrocardiogram and fluorography of the thoracic region.
Anamnesis is considered an important step in the formation of a diagnosis,that is, the collection of information about the disease from the words of the patient. The doctor pays special attention to the intensity, duration and frequency of attacks. After a comprehensive diagnosis, the specialist prescribes a course of therapy.
General principles of treatment
What to do if you are choking from a cough? Do not rush to resolve the issue on your own, it is better to follow the advice and recommendations of your doctor. Medicines must be taken strictly according to the instructions. Specific drugs are prescribed by the doctor, but if a mild form of cough is detected, you can recover at home.
To achieve a positive result, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- correctly determine the cause of the symptom;
- the patient needs to be provided with comfortable conditions;
- keep external exposure to dust or other irritants to a minimum;
- to prescribe therapy, the purpose of which will be the fight against the underlying ailment;
- avoid stress during treatment.
Therapy depending on the cause
When a person begins to choke when coughing, it is necessary to determine the cause of this symptom. Based on this, treatment is prescribed. If we are talking about bronchial asthma, the doctor recommends the use of inhalations to prevent the occurrence of spasm. Expectorants and antibiotics are sometimes prescribed.
Cough may be caused by heart failure. With this diagnosis, it is necessary to eliminate the spasm and expand the vessels. Antitussive drugs will not interfere either. Heart problems often lead to a buildup of fluid in the airways that needs to be pumped out. Then the cough will most likely subside.
Suffocative spasms directly indicate the presence of malignant tumors. Patients are in serious condition and are treated only under medical supervision. If the cause lies in an infection, it is recommended to use anti-inflammatory drugs, and drugs to expand the bronchi will not interfere.
Smoker's bronchitis develops in every second person suffering from addiction. There is only one way to cope with it - the complete rejection of smoking.
At night, people suffering from SARS (acute respiratory viral infection) suffocate from coughing. To cure the disease is quite simple, because there are many effective drugs. Complex therapy is effective here, including massage and compresses.
Medicated treatment
Often, doctors prescribe traditional therapy, because medicines show good results in the fight against pathologies of this type. The most common drug categories are:
- antibiotics and antivirals that kill infection;
- expectorant medicines aimed at eliminating cough;
- lozenges indicated for sore throats;
- antihistamines to help with respiratory swelling and inflammation.
As an addition tothe above medicines are perfect for inhalation with a nebulizer. This device will alleviate the symptom (“choking when coughing”) and relieve swelling. Depending on the type of cough, you should choose a good saline solution or medicine.
Folk Therapy
In addition to drugs, non-traditional methods of treatment are used to combat convulsive exhalation with wheezing. We are talking here about folk methods.
Let's consider those recipes that will alleviate the patient's condition:
- Vegetable decoction. For cooking, you will need the fruits of mallow, wild rosemary and anise. You need to take all the ingredients equally, about one teaspoon each and mix with a glass of boiling water. Let the decoction brew for a day, then take fifty milliliters several times a day.
- Radish juice with honey. This composition perfectly copes with the manifestations of any cough. The recipe is very simple: you only need to mix the ingredients in equal amounts. Take orally three times a day, half a large spoon.
Prevention
What to do if you are choking from a cough? The best option would be to avoid such a state. To do this, you need to eliminate provoking factors. These include mold, tobacco smoke, dust and animal hair. Do not forget to periodically ventilate the room. It is necessary to carry out wet cleaning, consume liquid in the right quantities.
Besides, strengthen your immune system, watch your daily routine. An important aspect is the diet, it should be adjusted to a he althier one. As you know, sportsis the best cure for all diseases. By exercising daily, the chance of symptom occurrence is greatly reduced.
Try to spend more time outdoors. This should be done even before the appearance of sore throat. This symptom is the first wake-up call. If this happens, you need to think about visiting a doctor.
Conclusion
It is worth noting that a pronounced cough indicates a variety of pathologies. To accurately determine the cause of an unpleasant symptom, you need to seek help from a specialist. The latter will conduct a comprehensive diagnosis, and then prescribe the most effective treatment in this situation. The prognosis in most cases is positive if all medical recommendations are followed and preventive measures are followed.
