It's hard to argue that a cough is one of the more annoying symptoms of a cold. It interferes with the day to perform their work duties, and at night - to sleep fully. In addition, coughing can be physically debilitating or cause psychological discomfort. After all, who would enjoy an attack during a lecture or workshop? An unpleasant symptom should be eliminated at its first appearance. And before starting treatment, it is worth finding out the causes of the disease.
Why there is a cough
Cough is not a disease, but only a symptom of it. A reflex reaction occurs when a foreign body or sputum enters the respiratory tract. Inflammation due to bacteria and viruses can also cause coughing. The danger is that such a symptom accompanies not only acute respiratory infections, but also complex diseases, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, complex bronchitis, etc. Therefore, when a cough occurs, you should first consult a specialist. By self-medicating, the patient runs the risk of serious complications.
Cough has its own characteristics for each disease. It can be dry, wet or barking. Impurities of blood in the sputum or pain in the chest can alert the patient. Fighting dry cough is much more difficult. In some cases, antibiotics have to be used.
Causes of dry cough
Before choosing an effective remedy for dry cough, it is necessary to identify the cause of its occurrence. It is worth noting that any cold can begin with a dry cough. Bed rest and plenty of fluids contribute to the transformation of a dry cough into a productive one. At the same time, the treatment period does not exceed seven days.
If the symptom does not resolve within a few weeks, there is a serious cause for concern. The patient can independently decide what to take with a dry cough in order to temporarily eliminate an unpleasant symptom, but only a qualified therapist should be fully treated. After a preliminary examination, the doctor may prescribe tests that are fundamental for the choice of drugs.
The main diseases that can trigger a dry cough include various viral infections, laryngitis, diphtheria, tuberculosis, heart failure, influenza, acute respiratory infections, etc. Dry cough can also be normal for a smoker. At the same time, it is difficult to answer the question of what quickly helps with dry cough. A person has only to get rid of a bad habit - and the unpleasant symptom will go away.
Why is it important to start treatment faster
Dry cough is debilitating and unpleasant. Irritant action leads to complications. So, ordinary bronchitis with untimely seeking medical help can provoke pneumonia. Pneumonia requires inpatient treatment with expensive drugs. What to take with a dry cough at the beginning of the disease, everyone should know.
It is very important when a symptom appears to identify that it does not belong to such serious diseases as tuberculosis and a malignant tumor. In any case, the sooner the patient turns to a therapist, the greater the chance of a positive outcome.
Drinking plenty of water will relieve dry cough
Many people know that ordinary water during a cold is just as important as medicines. At the same time, some people forget to drink plenty of fluids. Meanwhile, warm teas and herbal infusions contribute to the rapid liquefaction of sputum. A dry cough quickly turns into a productive one.
You can drink not only mineral water, but also various fortified drinks. It can be non-cold fruit drinks, dried fruit compotes, raspberry and herbal teas. The main thing is that the drink was not hot and not cold. The ideal temperature is 37 degrees. Effective expectorants for dry coughs may contain honey. You can make regular tea with lemon and honey. Warm milk with honey and butter also has a positive effect.
Inhalations
Effectively mitigate dry cough help inhalation. This treatment is great for both adults and kids. Children over five years old will be able to successfully breathe over the steam. But it is not recommended to do inhalation for small children. It could be dangerous.
Inhalations can be done at home. Pharmacies offer special devices - nebulizers. They are just the same and are intended for the treatment of various diseases of the respiratory tract. The main thing is to choose the right solution for inhalation. An excellent remedy for dry cough is an infusion of chamomile. Its preparation will not take much time. Dry herbs purchased at a pharmacy are poured with boiling water and infused for 15 minutes. For inhalation, you can use sage, rosehip, St. John's wort, calendula, and raspberry leaves.
It doesn't matter if you failed to purchase a nebulizer. At home, you can use the old grandfather method - pour a warm solution for inhalation into a saucepan and breathe over it. In terms of efficiency, this method is no different. But, unfortunately, it is less convenient.
During inhalation, you can also use dry cough preparations for children and adults. What medications will help in a particular case, the doctor will tell you. Syrups such as Lazolvan, ACC, Ambrobene, Fluimucil, etc. have an excellent effect. A few teaspoons of syrup are added to the solution for inhalation.
Massage for dry cough
Helps get rid of unpleasantcoughing fits massage. It helps loosen phlegm and improve blood circulation. But it has to be done right. In addition, in some diseases, massage is generally contraindicated. You can’t do it either if the patient has a fever.
Massage for dry cough should be done correctly. The technology is quite simple. First of all, a little special ointment or essential oil is applied to the hands. What to take with a dry cough will tell the therapist. Medicinal balms, such as "Doctor Mom" or "Evkabal", have an excellent effect. The ointment should also be applied to the area of the shoulder blades and chest. These places should be affected first. In addition, it is necessary to massage the neck and lower back. After the massage, you can not go outside for half an hour. It is good if the procedure is performed at home.
Compresses for dry cough
Any warming procedures can be useful to eliminate an unpleasant irritating symptom. They also include compresses. You should not do them only at elevated body temperature. Compresses improve blood circulation. As a result, the immune system begins to work better, and sputum liquefies and exits the lungs without problems.
Different solutions can be used for compresses. Folk methods are popular. A simple boiled potato helps to get rid of a cough. After heat treatment, the vegetable is slightly cooled, rubbed and applied to the chest.patient's cell. It is very important to avoid the area of the heart. Such a compress can be put at night. Just a few treatments will be enough to turn a dry cough into a wet one.
A solution of vegetable oil, vodka and honey is also effective. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions and heated in a water bath. In the resulting solution, a bandage folded several times is moistened. It should be applied to the area between the shoulder blades. To prevent the solution from evaporating too quickly, a plastic bag is placed on top of the compress.
Plants to help
There are plants that help to overcome a cough as quickly as possible. They have been used by women to treat their relatives since ancient times. Pharmacies offer ready-made breast fees. They are used not only for inhalation, but also for oral administration. Plants such as sage, chamomile, coltsfoot, oregano, plantain, can eliminate dry cough as quickly as possible. What to take in a particular case, the doctor will tell.
Even medicinal herbs should be included in treatment only on the recommendation of a specialist. Some plants can have the exact opposite effect. As a result, there will be a dry cough of an allergic nature. Quite often, such a symptom is difficult to eliminate.
Allergic dry cough
Despite the fact that coughing with allergies is not a symptom of the disease, it causes a lot of trouble. It can be quite difficult to calm him down. And if you do not attach importance to coughing, not far from bronchial asthma.
Revealallergic cough is simple. He is obsessive. Cough does not subside due to the use of classic drugs. It is completely possible to get rid of the problem only after the elimination of the object that causes allergies.
Before taking tablets for the treatment of dry cough, it is worth finding out what exactly caused the allergic reaction. Such a symptom is quite common in the spring, when nature comes to life. Plant pollen and dust can trigger the appearance of all cold symptoms. It can be not only a cough, but also inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Issues are resolved within a few weeks. And to temporarily eliminate unpleasant symptoms, you have to use antihistamines.
What to take for dry cough
If the cough is not allergic, it can be easily eliminated with medication. But self-medication is not worth it. What drugs should be taken with a dry cough, only the therapist will tell. The appointment is made based on the form of cough, as well as the accompanying symptoms of the disease. Sometimes simple antitussive pills are not enough. In advanced cases, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
Treatment can give good results if it is complex. Thinning agents are used together with antiviral drugs. Additionally, you can use folk remedies. But all actions must be performed in agreement with a specialist.
Combinations are offered in pharmacies, which areboth expectorant and antitussive. These include Sinekod, Bronholitin, Libeksin. These medicines are effective only when they are taken correctly. Failure to comply with the dosage leads to stagnation of sputum. As a result, the cough is not cured, but only progresses.
Central action drugs
Effective in the treatment of dry cough are drugs of central action. These are drugs that do not affect sputum, but the cough center of the brain. Such drugs can be narcotic and non-narcotic. Both of these groups perfectly eliminate dry cough. What medicines to take, the specialist will tell you.
Narcotic drugs are used only in the most advanced cases. The main disadvantage is the possibility of addiction. Although non-narcotic drugs begin to act not so quickly, they have much fewer drawbacks. After just a few days of use, coughing fits are much less.
Peripheral antitussives
Unlike drugs of central action, peripheral drugs reduce the cough reflex due to their effect on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Such drugs are less effective, but they have practically no drawbacks. Therefore, there is often no question of what to take with a dry cough. What medicines will help, everyone knows who once already encountered an unpleasant symptom. Medicines are available in both tablet and syrup form.
Peripheral antitussive drugs can be prescribed not only for children, but also for adults. Particular attention is paid to the dosage. Regardless of which drugs should be taken for dry cough, the course of treatment is prescribed by a doctor. Peripheral drugs are usually taken for at least five days.
A wide range of medicines can take the patient by surprise. It can be difficult to decide what to take for a dry cough in order to avoid side effects. Timely access to a therapist will speed up the recovery process and avoid complications.
