Respiratory infections are something that everyone faces almost every year. But the disease is not always in a hurry to leave us quickly. Residual cough after SARS is not such a rare occurrence. Sometimes he torments a person for about a month.
What are the reasons for such a cough after SARS? Perhaps the disease has not been completely cured and has passed into a more severe form - chronic bronchitis. Perhaps the reason was too dry air or adverse environmental conditions. Moreover, experts call cough after a cold or flu a natural non-pathological phenomenon in some cases. It helps to remove the remaining mucus from the respiratory tract, dead cells.
When a cough after SARS is dangerous, and when there is no reason to worry, when you need to see a doctor, we will consider in this article. We will also analyze the features of such a cough in a child, treatment methods.
Dangerous reasons
If a cough persists for a long time after SARS, this may indicate a complication of the disease, the development of severe pathologies:
- Asthma.
- Diseases of the heart and lungs.
- Various natureneoplasms localized in the lungs.
Respiratory diseases in this case serve as a provoking factor, exacerbate the disease. Inflammatory processes with the formation of purulent accumulations make the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs too susceptible to the effects of factors that can provoke a cough.
Non-pathological causes
Cough after SARS in a child and an adult in most cases is a non-pathological phenomenon. It usually disappears on its own after a while. The length of this period depends on the state of the patient's immune system, the climatic conditions in which he lives. Of considerable importance is the presence of such a bad habit as smoking.
Residual cough after SARS, in particular, can provoke the following:
- Excessively dry air in the patient's room.
- Violation of the water balance. An insufficient amount of fluid enters the patient's body.
- Reinfection with a respiratory infection.
- Nervous strain, frequent stressful situations.
- Long-term use of vasoconstrictors.
Development of complications
Cough after an acute viral respiratory illness in most cases is a residual symptom. It does not require treatment, it goes away on its own over time. But if a person suffers from a prolonged cough after SARS, an adult or child is likely to develop a complication.
If you coughseveral weeks, a month does not pass, this may indicate the following:
- Chronic bronchitis. Accordingly, with this disease, inflammation of the bronchi is diagnosed, as well as a modification of the tissues of their walls. Such a pathology can develop quite quickly. And during the year to declare themselves several exacerbations. In the chronic type of bronchitis, the patient is tormented by a protracted paroxysmal cough. In this case, purulent mucus is released, a person may be overcome by shortness of breath.
- Pneumonia. Infectious inflammatory disease that affects the lung tissue. Cough here will not be the only symptom. Patients are tormented by pain in the sternum, severe fever, increased sweating, shortness of breath. Violent cough with pus and mucus.
- Whooping cough. With this disease, a lesion of the mucous membrane lining the respiratory tract is diagnosed. Whooping cough is especially dangerous for children under 2 years of age. The child has sudden severe bouts of "barking" cough. Sometimes it is so intense that it causes vomiting, difficulty breathing. At the same time, it is possible that the pathology can develop not only in a child, but also in patients of a much older age.
Cough after SARS in an adult in some cases may also be the following complication, a consequence of the disease:
- Tuberculosis.
- Chlamydia.
- Pneumocystosis.
- Mycoplasmosis.
Therefore, if a cough after a cold torments you for a long time, you should definitely consult a doctor to diagnose your condition.
When not to see a doctor?
Both wet and dry cough after SARS are considered by most doctors to be harmless, a natural phenomenon. Moreover, it is beneficial for the body. After all, in this way the airways are cleaned. Coughing frees them from residual mucus, dead epithelial cells.
If the patient was prescribed an adequate treatment regimen, if he followed it exactly, then after recovery, all the characteristic symptoms of the disease gradually cease to torment him. Appetite appears, body temperature normalizes, general well-being improves. The cough becomes weaker, its attacks disturb the person less and less.
Cough after SARS does not go away? None of the specialists will be able to name the dates when this phenomenon can be considered pathological. With regards to coughing after SARS in a child, this period can be delayed for 2-4 weeks. For adults, it may take longer.
When should I see a doctor?
Accordingly, a visit to the doctor is necessary if you continue to suffer from cough within 3-4 weeks after recovery. But in some cases, it is necessary to seek medical help earlier if, in addition to coughing, you begin to notice the following symptoms in yourself:
- Increased body temperature.
- Systematic purulent sputum production.
- Feeling of wheezing in the lungs.
- The appearance of severe shortness of breath.
- Severe pain in the sternum area.
- General deterioration of well-being.
All this may indicateon the development of complications of a respiratory viral disease that require immediate treatment. Is cough after SARS contagious? There is no single answer to the question. Even after recovery, viruses, fungi, bacteria can remain in the patient's body, which caused the infection. And they can enter the external environment by airborne droplets with the same cough.
Features in children
Let us analyze separately the consequences of SARS in children, the symptoms and treatment of the condition. It is dangerous for young patients in that a complication in the form of whooping cough may appear. If the child was previously vaccinated, then the disease proceeds in a mild form, without serious complications. But if the baby has not been vaccinated, the consequences can be very serious, even fatal.
Signs of whooping cough infection are as follows:
- Frequent cough but no sputum production.
- Rise in temperature to subfebrile level.
- Slight runny nose.
Residual cough after SARS in a child can also lead to such a complication as spasm of the glottis. It becomes difficult for the child to inhale air. This is accompanied by vomiting. Due to the lack of oxygen, the face turns red, the limbs begin to turn blue. In this case, urgent medical attention is needed.
Also, a cough left after a cold may indicate the development of an allergic reaction. Therefore, contacting a pediatrician is a must here.
In some cases, residual cough may indicate an untreated runny nose. Mucus from the nose runs downback wall of the larynx, irritates her. The cough here will be dry, without sputum production.
Status Diagnosis
Clinical recommendations for ARVI can be presented by the attending doctor only after a comprehensive diagnosis. For this, sometimes a visual examination of the patient, familiarization with his complaints about symptoms is not enough. Especially in case of suspected complication of SARS.
In any case, with a prolonged cough after recovery, you need to contact a specialist - self-medication can only aggravate your condition. In particular, the patient will be prescribed the following:
- Fluorography.
- X-ray.
- Clinical blood test.
- Complete blood count.
If the doctor has suspicions about the development of dangerous complications, the following may be additionally prescribed:
- Analysis of sputum secreted by coughing.
- Chest MRI.
- Computed tomography of the chest.
Medicated treatment
Once again, we note that in the case of a prolonged cough, self-medication should not be prescribed. The treatment regimen should be drawn up only by a qualified doctor. Taking into account the general condition of the patient, the severity of the complication. We must not forget that previously a person took a considerable amount of potent drugs aimed at treating acute respiratory viral infections, which could also have a negative effect on the body.
The main direction of therapy here is to eliminate the tormenting patientsymptom, completely restore the mucous membranes of his respiratory tract. In the article, we also analyze the consequences of SARS, symptoms and treatment in children and adults. The latter is aimed at thinning sputum and helping to quickly remove it from the respiratory tract. For this, mucolytic agents are prescribed. Children are shown herbal preparations.
With the help of such drugs, it is possible to significantly increase the effectiveness of treatment with a minimum set of side effects. Phytoncides will help speed up recovery. They not only destroy pathogenic microflora, but are also able to relieve swelling of the mucous membranes.
In the case of a prolonged cough after SARS, drugs based on ivy or marshmallow extract, as well as products with ambroxol and bromhexine, are effective. To speed up the removal of sputum from the respiratory tract, inhalations are carried out. The most effective here are procedures using a nebulizer.
If a patient suffers from a dry cough without sputum, he is prescribed inhalations with mineral water or saline. Moreover, with a dry cough, steam inhalations are also shown as an effective preventive measure. When the cough is wet, inhalations with solutions containing ambroxol will be effective.
If you do not have a special inhaler at home, then you can turn to simple inhalation of steam. You bend over a container with a hot solution for inhalation, cover your head with a towel. In this position, you slowly and deeply inhale the steam. To make such inhalations more effective, in addition to the main component, they add a couple of drops of essentialoils - sage, eucalyptus or lavender.
Treatment for complications
If the cough is caused by complications after SARS, then special drugs will be prescribed to combat this consequence. For example, methylxanthines and beta2-agonists are prescribed for bronchial asthma. If the cause of the cough is an allergic reaction, antihistamines will be effective. You should also try to avoid contact with allergens that caused this disease. If the complication is of a bacteriological, viral nature, then antibiotics cannot be dispensed with.
In addition to all of the above, the patient is provided with plenty of fluids - in such pathological conditions, it is important to maintain the water balance in the body. As for the diet, it should contain the daily rate of nutrients and vitamins necessary for the body.
Auxiliary Therapy
As an auxiliary treatment, folk remedies are also effective here. However, they should be used only with the permission of your doctor. We list the well-known proven recipes:
- Radish with honey. Carefully cut off the top of the root vegetable and cut out some of the pulp. Put a few teaspoons of honey into the resulting recess. Close the top with the cut top. Let the product brew for 2-3 days. During this time, the radish juice will mix with honey. This natural medicine is taken 1 tablespoon several times a day.
- Banana medicine. Finely chop a few ripe fruits and combine them with sugarsyrup. To prepare the latter, 10 g of sugar are mixed in one glass of water. This solution is taken in small portions several times a day.
- Dill infusion. Crush the dill seeds well. Pour one teaspoon of this mass with one glass of boiling water. Leave for approximately 30 minutes. This infusion is consumed instead of coffee or tea throughout the day.
- Healing decoction. Mix one tablespoon of licorice, elecampane, marshmallow root. Pour in one glass of cold water. Bring the resulting mass to a boil over low heat. Strain, chill. Take in small portions three times a day for 10 days.
It is also effective to use warm compresses, apply ointments based on natural remedies - medicinal herbs. It would be useful to eat more fresh fruits, berries and vegetables.
Prevention
Preventive measures here are quite simple:
- Controlling the humidity in your home.
- Frequent wet cleaning.
- The use of products that prevent overdrying of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.
- Drinking enough fluids throughout the day.
- Cut perfume and smoking.
Cough after a cold and SARS is a natural residual phenomenon. With its help, the body cleans the airways after an illness. But if the symptom persists for a long time, along with other disturbing manifestations, a visit to the doctor should never be postponed.
