Any cough, including asthmatic, as a symptom, can accompany many diseases. In some cases, it acts as the only sign of serious ailments, for example, tuberculosis, lung cancer, bronchial asthma. For a quick recovery, you first need to find out the cause of the cough. If the doctor knows some of its characteristics (strength, presence of sputum and associated secretions, time of manifestation, etc.), it will be easier for him to make the correct diagnosis.
What is asthmatic cough?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract, characterized by asthma attacks, shortness of breath, severe cough. It should be noted that doctors began to consider this pathology from the point of view of an inflammatory disease only a little over 15 years ago. It was this step that made it possible to achieve a breakthrough in the treatment of the disease.
An asthma attack is very often accompanied by a strong cough with wheezing. In this condition, many patients feel pressure in the chest. As a rule, at night the situation worsens. This is due to the fact that in the supine position, sputum begins toquickly accumulate in the respiratory tract, and this provokes a strong cough.
Many patients are often unaware of their disease. Most believe that a person with asthma should constantly use a special spray can and suffocate. In fact, this ailment is very often manifested precisely by bouts of the so-called asthmatic cough.
Why does it occur?
If a person suffers from an atopic form of the disease, a cough can be triggered by a variety of allergens (contact with animals, fungi, flowering plants).
In addition to the above allergens, attacks of asthmatic cough can provoke pollutants, physical activity, loud laughter, strong odors. In such situations, the bronchi show hyperactivity to various stimuli. In the role of the latter are often the most common colds. If, after treatment, the attacks do not subside, it can be considered that the cough is a symptom of asthma.
Key Features
Coughing with bronchial asthma, as a rule, causes a lot of discomfort. Modern medicine offers several options for the treatment of pathology. It is very important to seek medical help in a timely manner if signs such as:appear
- sore throat;
- cough that worsens at night and is paroxysmal;
- malaise;
- suddenly occurring nasal congestion;
- wheezing in the bronchi;
- irritability;
- decreaseappetite.
Difficulty breathing is another symptom that accompanies asthmatic cough attacks. This phenomenon occurs due to the narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, which complicates the flow of air directly into the lungs, causing suffocation. According to experts, half of asthma patients experience this symptom.
Clinical picture
Asthmatic cough has its own characteristics, which is why it is not much like a cough with colds. The next attack may look like this: a quick breath, followed by a heavy exhalation, but at the same time the chest rises, as if inhaling. Exacerbation of this problem can cause wheezing, sputum production.
Diagnosis
Very often, patients are sent for a special examination if they suspect a disease such as bronchial asthma. This is quite understandable and does not require much time. The thing is that it is coughing that is the primary symptom of this disease.
Examination involves skin allergy tests, in some cases special inhalation tests are used.
The appointment of a chest x-ray is considered erroneous, since with asthmatic cough no changes appear in the picture. After the allergen is established, therapy is prescribed.
Basic principles of treatment
First of allit is recommended to remember a number of important points that are the basis of therapy for a problem such as asthma cough:
- Mustard plasters and baths with them are under the strictest ban, as they only increase the allergic reaction.
- It is not recommended to warm up the chest with a pepper patch. Tinctures or any other means, which include pepper, only increase the allergy.
- When nasal congestion and swelling, it is important to choose the right nasal drops, take into account their composition. The ideal option is considered to be a remedy with an anti-allergic effect.
- It is necessary to resort to the help of herbal medicine with extreme caution, and it is better to refuse it altogether. Some injuries may cause the opposite of the expected response. In this case, it is advisable to first consult an allergist.
Remember that in any case it is better to refuse self-treatment and use the recipes of our grandmothers. The thing is that herbal medicine or mustard is unlikely to get rid of the symptoms, and the problem will only progress. In this matter, the only right decision is to seek qualified help from a specialist.
Medicated treatment
First of all, it should be noted that only a doctor can prescribe therapy. To relieve bronchial spasm, as a rule, drugs are prescribed that expand the bronchi themselves. Currently, the following medicines have received the greatest prevalence: Fenoterol, Salbutamol.
If availableconcomitant allergic manifestations, antihistamines are prescribed ("Suprastin", "Tavegil", "Diazolin"). In the case of a bronchial infection, antibiotics are used for treatment. If the viral nature of the disease is suspected, the following drugs are recommended: Genferon, Kipferon, Viferon.
How else can you fight another asthma attack? Chest massage and special breathing exercises contribute to the reduction of the existing inflammatory process. In addition, special physiotherapy procedures (drug electrophoresis, UVI) are prescribed.
A variety of inhalations are also widely used, which help to moisten the respiratory tract and thin the sputum, as a result - to quickly remove it directly from the body. We have listed only the most common ways to beat asthmatic cough.
The treatment of this problem today does not go unnoticed. So, doctors actively use the technique of introducing microdoses of the allergen. The thing is that when the minimum amount of an allergic substance enters the body, it gradually begins to get used to it. As a result, such a protective reaction as asthmatic cough attacks disappear over time. However, it may take about two years to achieve an effective and lasting result. Unfortunately, today not all patients agree to this kind of therapy. According to studies, patients who completed the course of treatment to the end were able to avoid the transition of the pathology to chronic asthma. Of course, one should not assume that in this case, patients literallysuffer bouts of severe coughing. As an additional symptomatic therapy, mucolytic and general tonic agents are prescribed.
Consequences
As a rule, the prognosis for asthmatic cough is favorable. Only in some cases (28-30%) there is a transformation into bronchial asthma.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted once again that asthmatic cough should not be ignored, the symptoms of which often resemble those of the most common cold. Only with proper treatment and compliance with all the recommendations described in this article, you can overcome this problem.
We hope that all the information presented here will be really useful for you. Stay he althy!
