Cough cannot be singled out as a separate diagnosis, since this is a symptomatic phenomenon, which means that the treatment of dry cough is only a relief of one of the signs of a developing disease. Before using cough medicines, you need to determine its type and correlate its characteristics with possible causes of the pathology.
Causes of dry cough
Normally dry cough, called unproductive, is replaced by profuse sputum discharge after 3-4 days. If this does not happen, then based on the existing signs of the syndrome, a diagnostic study is prescribed to determine the pathology. At the same time, all variants of a long dry cough are divided into two categories: typical and atypical.
If we are talking about the pathology of the respiratory organs, then they talk about a dry cough of a typical course, which includes:
- laryngitis and tracheitis;
- pneumonia, pleurisy;
- allergy to external irritants;
- asthmatic manifestations;
- whooping cough;
- tuberculosis;
- tumors of various etiologies in the organs of the respiratory apparatus.
To atypical types of cough,that is, not associated with damage to the respiratory organs, include:
- cough during the development of the gag reflex;
- irritation of the bronchi by helminthic invasions;
- gastric reflux;
- inflammation of the gallbladder.
In addition, we must not forget about the "smoker's cough", diseases of an occupational nature, accidental ingress of foreign objects or dust particles into the ENT organs - all this can be the causes of dry cough, the treatment of which will differ from the usual methods of provoking expectoration.
Clinical picture of different types of cough
All types of cough reflex belong to certain groups of signs by which a preliminary diagnosis can be made:
- Pleurisy is a painful, dry, paroxysmal cough that leaves behind severe chest pain and shortness of breath. Associated symptoms are chills, high fever.
- Laryngitis, pharyngitis - cough, reminiscent of barking sounds, with dull tones and severe hoarseness at the end of the attack. Before the onset of an attack, the patient complains of a feeling of hardness in the throat and a hoarse voice.
- Tracheitis is a cough attack that includes up to twenty reflex episodes. The patient is suffering from pain in the hypochondrium.
- Whooping cough is a very painful, jerky cough, during which the patient struggles to take air into the lungs, which causes a long, whistling sound. Accompanying symptoms - redness of the face, vomiting.
- Bronchial asthma - paroxysmal, choking cough,often with the inability to take a breath until the attack ends.
Allergic cough, like the smoker's syndrome, can be characterized by several directions of the symptomatic clinic. There are also no strict signs that can be used to identify cough after toxic poisoning or irritation of the respiratory organs with chemicals.
Dry cough treatment
Symptomatic cough therapy is possible only when it comes to inflammatory processes in the larynx, childhood whooping cough or occupational diseases. All diseases associated with the defeat of the bronchi must have the development and successive change of phases. Stopping the reflex syndrome in its unproductive form, a person prevents the natural discharge of sputum, and the disease can develop into pneumonia.
There are general relief methods that help reduce the frequency of attacks and speed up the treatment of dry cough:
- maintaining humidity at home and at work;
- plentiful warm drink (except coffee);
- inhalation with saline or medicinal decoctions;
- lozenges and lozenges based on licorice syrup or fruit acids.
If a coughing fit occurs at a time when there are no pills at hand, an ordinary absorbable candy can help. The principle of its action is simple - a lollipop, being in the mouth, irritates the receptors that provoke the work of the salivary glands. Saliva, being released, softens the throat and, when swallowing, eliminates dryness and perspiration.
Drugs for the treatment of drycoughing
Dry cough medicines are divided according to the principle of action, which, in turn, depends on the diagnosis. In total, drugs of this type work in three directions:
- Antitussives - immediate relief of the syndrome by influencing the parts of the brain that form the triggering of the reflex. Drugs of this type are divided into narcotic and non-narcotic blockers.
- Mucolytic - drugs that contribute to the speedy change of the dry cough phase to an expectorant effect.
- Combined - multi-component products that work simultaneously to relieve inflammation, remove (or form) sputum, improve overall well-being through vitamin supplements in the composition.
It is impossible to take simultaneously several funds that contradict each other according to the principle of action. Taking antitussive drugs should not be combined with mucolytics, and drugs aimed at treating dry cough should not be included in the same therapeutic regimen with drugs that actively separate sputum.
Antitussives
When taking pills for dry cough, it is worth considering a number of side effects and the fact that drugs of this series are not prescribed for children under 12 and pregnant women.
- "Terpinkod" - tablets help in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory apparatus, provoked by the ingress of viruses and colds. They have an antimicrobial effect, reduce the number of seizures, dilute sputum. Contraindications: gastritis and ulcerative lesions of the digestive tract, individualcomponent intolerance.
- "Omnitus" - eliminates any kind of cough by suppressing the syndrome through the corresponding parts of the central nervous system. It does not affect the functioning of the digestive tract, it is able to gently relieve irritation of the throat mucosa, which allows you to refuse the use of special lozenges. Contraindications: children under six years of age, individual intolerance to the components of the drug and allergies of any nature.
- "Libexin" - in addition to suppressing the cough reflex, the drug has an analgesic and antispasmodic effect. Effective in bronchial diseases without sputum separation. Contraindications: galactose intolerance, childhood, allergy to drug components.
Doctors do not prescribe cough suppressants as the primary treatment. Drug treatment of dry cough in adults requires taking into account a large percentage of individual intolerance to drug components.
Mucolitics
Mucolytic syrups and dry cough tablets help thin sputum mucus without changing its volume, that is, without provoking its formation. The cough becomes productive, and the respiratory organs are gradually released from mucous accumulations.
- "Ambroxol" - has a clear therapeutic effect from the first day of use. Expectoration is abundant, therefore, in the first 2-3 days from the start of treatment with the drug, it is advisable not to leave the house in order to have time to free the oral cavity from mucus. Meanseffective for any colds associated with the accumulation of sputum in the bronchi, and is also used for cystic fibrosis. Contraindications: gastritis and ulcers, pregnancy, individual intolerance to the components.
- "Bromhexine" - has a similar effect, breaking up the viscosity of sputum and helping it come out with a productive cough. It is prescribed for lesions of the pulmonary system with pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis, closed and open forms of tuberculosis, asthmatic manifestations. Contraindications: chronic kidney and liver diseases, allergy to drug components, pregnancy in the first trimester.
Drugs vary according to the severity of the disease and the age of the patient. Adults are preferably prescribed a tablet form of drug release, and syrups with different flavors are recommended for children.
Combination drugs
Dry cough medicines for an integrated approach to the problem, as a rule, have a complex composition and can replace several narrowly targeted drugs at once.
- "Stoptussin" - well helps with prolonged dry cough associated with pain in the bronchi. The main action - liquefaction and sputum discharge - is combined in the preparation with an analgesic effect. A medicine is prescribed for all etiologies of dry cough. Contraindications: pregnancy in the first trimester, lactation and allergy to the components of the composition.
- "Halixol" - improves the contractility of the bronchi, due to which the separation of liquefied sputumhappens more intensely. With the help of the drug, all types of infectious lesions of the respiratory system, bronchial asthma, and lung diseases are successfully cured. Contraindications: first trimester of pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, individual intolerance to the elements of the composition.
Despite the fact that combined remedies are almost always included in the treatment regimen for dry cough in tuberculosis, pneumonia and other complex diseases, their use cannot be called strategically important. Therefore, it is not recommended to independently change the tactics of therapy, based on information from the annotation to the drugs.
Inhalation for dry cough
Inhalation with a dry cough with a nebulizer is one of the first measures recommended by doctors to stimulate the cough syndrome and translate it into a productive form. At the first stages of treatment, until the cough reflex has taken the form of attacks, inhalations are done using a normal saline solution, then, if necessary, the effect of the procedure is enhanced with phytocomponents and essential oils.
Plants that irritate the bronchi and thin sputum:
- pharmacy chamomile;
- sage officinalis;
- St. John's wort;
- elecampane;
- coltsfoot.
From the indicated herbs, taken individually or in various combinations, decoctions are prepared in a water bath and let them brew under the lid. Strained and cooled infusion is poured into the tank of the steam inhaler and breathe the resulting steam for about ten minutes.
Important! Use an electric nebulizer for inhalationdry cough with the use of medicinal herbs and oils is impossible! The smallest particles of steam, saturated with heavy oils, will settle on the lungs and cause severe complications in the form of fatty pneumonia!
The best way of phytoinhalation to relieve the cough reflex is to breathe over a bowl of fresh hot decoction, covering your head with a towel. The herbal composition can be supplemented by dropping fir or eucalyptus oil into the infusion.
Pregnancy cough treatment
What to do with a dry cough for a pregnant woman, if in almost all drugs of directed or complex effects, bearing a child is one of the main contraindications to the use of the remedy? Pharmacology offers only a few drugs of suitable properties that help solve this problem. However, it will be possible for a woman to use drugs only in the last two trimesters of pregnancy - this is the insurance of manufacturers against an unexpected reaction of the body of a future mother to the components of complex compositions.
Here are some of the remedies approved for dry cough during pregnancy:
- Bronchicum is a syrup made from herbs. Softens and removes mucus from the bronchi, stops inflammation.
- "Libexin" is one of the most recommended remedies prescribed for women in an interesting position. It affects the body with minimal aggressiveness, is quickly excreted in the process of metabolism, does not irritate the mucous membranes of internal organs.
- "Sinekod" - successfully treats all forms of paroxysmal cough, dilutesphlegm.
The only completely safe way for a future mother to cope with a disease that manifested itself in the form of a dry cough is to turn to traditional medicine. In the absence of an allergy to honey, it is recommended to use this product more often in combination with warm milk, black radish juice, horseradish and onion. Drinking homemade fruit drinks from fresh or frozen berries will accelerate the metabolic effect and increase the body's resistance.
Dry cough in pediatrics
What to do with a dry cough in a child? In the first days of the onset of a symptom, doctors do not recommend contacting pharmaceutical preparations so as not to deprive the child's body of the opportunity to show immune protection. If the cough remains unproductive on the fourth day, a small patient is prescribed drug therapy.
The most commonly used remedies for dry cough in children are:
- "Grippostad" - is prescribed for SARS for babies from 1 year old. Liquefies phlegm and removes it with medium intensity, so as not to provoke vomiting in the smallest. There are many herbal ingredients in the ingredient list, so individual intolerance is possible.
- "Libeksin" - reduces the pain that occurs during an attack, helps to reduce the tone of the bronchi and facilitate the release of mucus from them.
- "Gerbion with plantain" - acts very quickly, causing rejection of a large amount of sputum and clearing the bronchi. Given the presence of vitamin C in the list of components of the preparation, the syrup belongs todrugs with immunostimulatory properties.
Treatment in children of dry cough of low or medium intensity is supplemented with steam inhalations with saline, plenty of warm drink. You can give herbal decoctions diluted in half concentration, milk with honey and a piece of butter.
Phytorecipes for cough relief
There are many breastfeeding options on the market that make it easier to expectorate with a dry cough. Almost all ready-made compositions from the category of alternative treatment for dry cough contain coltsfoot grass, marshmallow or licorice roots. Due to the effectiveness of these plants, they are often used in one-component decoctions for home treatment.
To thin sputum and convert dry cough into a productive one, also use:
- St. John's wort;
- oregano;
- peppermint;
- ledum.
The last phytocomponent is undeservedly overlooked by pharmacists, and yet its properties are comparable to the action of a full-fledged therapeutic, not symptomatic remedy. Ledum, brewed according to the rules and used regularly, can not only alleviate the cough, increase its productivity and promote the outflow of mucus, but also affect the cure of the lungs from the cause of the disease, whether it be asthma, tuberculosis of any form, pneumonia or whooping cough.
