Mr. Cough: how to treat him

Causes of sore throat

The appearance of an unpleasant symptom is most often associated with an upper respiratory tract infection. But this is not the only reason why your throat starts to feel sore.

An unpleasant feeling appears when a person accumulates moral tension. It comes out physically through the constant desire to cough. This is especially noticeable before performances: people first seem to “clear” their throats or take a sip of water. This allows you to stop the tickling and start speaking.

Discomfort in the throat may be associated with thyroid disease. The symptom also occurs in people who inhale chemicals with a burning effect on the mucous membranes for a long time. Most often this is an occupational hazard. Or the mucous membrane is irritated by gastric juice, which is thrown through the esophagus in some gastrointestinal pathologies. There is also a dry paroxysmal cough and a sore throat due to cigarette smoke. Especially if it is inhaled by a person who is not used to it, or if it enters through the nose.

The cause of soreness may be drying out of the oropharyngeal mucosa. It appears when there is difficulty breathing through the nose or excessively dry air (due to heating or working with very hot objects). Perspiration often occurs with increased vocal load - among singers, artists, and public figures.

Dry cough

A dry cough originates in the upper respiratory tract. It comes in fits and starts - often unpredictable and uncontrollable. The process is accompanied by a “barking” sound. However, the attacks do not bring relief.

The cause of a dry cough can be inflammation of the throat mucosa and soreness. However, a prolonged cough only irritates the mucous membrane more, forming a “vicious circle.” Also, a dry cough occurs when the bronchi do not secrete enough mucus to effectively remove germs from the body.

If you have a severe and prolonged dry cough due to a cold, your doctor may recommend a drug that stops the cough reflex (Omnitus, Sinekod). And to facilitate the discharge of sputum, special means that stimulate expectoration (Bronchicum TP, Gerbion, licorice root syrup) may be recommended.

With proper diagnosis and treatment, the dry cough is replaced by a wet one, the infection and germs are removed from the body along with sputum, and the inflammation goes away.

Possible diseases

A paroxysmal cough and sore throat appear in many diseases. Main pathologies:

• neurosis - an obsessive desire to cough without signs of diseases of the respiratory system;
• pharyngitis, laryngitis - pathologies of the respiratory system that occur due to viral or bacterial infection;
• allergic reaction - accompanied by lacrimation, nasal discharge, redness of the eyes;
• pathology of the thyroid gland - the growth of the organ creates discomfort in the throat, causing soreness;
• gastroesophageal reflux - failure of the gastric sphincter with the reflux of its contents into the esophagus and tissue irritation;
• nasal polyps, adenoiditis, deviated nasal septum - a person has to breathe more often through the mouth, which causes the mucous membrane to dry out and cause soreness.

The exact cause of the tickling is determined by the doctor based on the results of the examination. To do this, you need to see a therapist.

Causes of deep dry cough

Whooping cough

Debilitating attacks of deep convulsive cough are a characteristic symptom of whooping cough.
Paroxysm is provoked by any external irritants: conversation, laughter, pain, touch, etc. An attack consists of 2-15 series of short coughing impulses, continuously following each other. After each series, the child sharply inhales air, which whistles through the narrowed glottis. After the attack ends, a small amount of clear, viscous sputum, resembling thick mucus, is released. Sometimes reflex vomiting occurs after a deep cough. Whooping cough is called a “hundred-day cough” - it persists for three months, the intensity and frequency of attacks decreases gradually. During paroxysm, the child is excited. His face turns red, his eyes become bloodshot, and his neck veins are noticeably swollen. Protrusion of the tongue may cause the frenulum to tear or rupture. Muscle tension is accompanied by damage to the capillaries, the formation of many small hemorrhages on the sclera and facial skin. In severe cases, the attack provokes tonic and clonic convulsions, loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest (apnea), involuntary release of urine and feces. Moderate catarrhal symptoms and intoxication are noted. Similar manifestations are less pronounced in parawhooping cough.

Pulmonary tuberculosis

The occurrence of a deep dry cough, which persists for more than three weeks, is accompanied by a temperature of up to 37.5-38 ° C and sweating, intensifies in the second half of the night, disturbing sleep, is a serious reason to exclude tuberculosis. Non-productive cough is one of the symptoms of focal and infiltrative variants of pulmonary tuberculosis infection, observed in the initial period of acute disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis and beyond exacerbation in the cirrhotic form of the disease. In tumorous tuberculosis, the symptom manifests itself as bitonal attacks.

Tracheitis and bronchitis

Attacks of a deep, unproductive cough, which over time turns into a wet cough, combined with rawness, pain behind the sternum or in the chest area, often indicate an inflammatory lesion of the tracheobroncheal tree. In an acute process, cough is accompanied by malaise, catarrhal symptoms, and fever. Frequent intense coughing attacks provoke overstrain of the respiratory muscles and abdominal muscles, causing noticeable muscle discomfort.

With laryngotracheitis, hoarseness and discomfort in the larynx are additionally noted, and reactive enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes is possible. The spread of inflammation to the bronchi (tracheobronchitis, bronchitis) is indicated by shortness of breath and wheezing, characteristic of bronchial obstruction. A dry, deep cough quickly gives way to an unproductive cough, and then a wet cough with mucous or mucopurulent sputum. Recurrent or persistent unproductive cough attacks with pain during deep breathing and episodes of hemoptysis are typical of atrophic bronchitis.

Other diseases of the bronchi and trachea

Dry tracheobronchial or bronchial cough can be caused by non-inflammatory causes. In these cases, its occurrence is due to irritation of the receptor apparatus of the bronchi and tracheal bifurcation due to a violation of the drainage function or obstruction of the respiratory tract. The symptom is revealed in the clinical picture of such diseases as:

• Williams-Campbell syndrome
  . Underdevelopment of cartilage tissue contributes to decreased tone and dyskinesia of the bronchial wall. Insufficient drainage function predisposes to frequent bronchitis and pneumonia. The cough is accompanied by noisy wheezing (stridor) breathing, severe shortness of breath, and bluish discoloration of the nasolabial triangle. The pathology is usually detected in early childhood.
• Broncho-obstructive syndrome
  . An organic or functional disorder of bronchial patency, in addition to a deep, unproductive or unproductive cough, is manifested by noisy breathing with prolonged exhalation, and attacks of suffocation. Auxiliary muscles are involved in breathing: the sternocleidomastoid muscles of the neck are tensed, the intercostal spaces are retracted. Apnea attacks are possible in children.
• Stenosis of the trachea and bronchi
  . For congenital and acquired narrowing of the trachea, cough-syncope syndrome is typical, in which, at the height of an attack of a dry barking cough, suffocation with dizziness, loss of consciousness, and the discharge of viscous mucus after an attack is observed. Cough with stenosis of large bronchi is painful, paroxysmal, combined with stridor breathing with difficulty exhaling.
• Foreign body of the bronchus
  . If foreign objects accidentally enter the respiratory tract, a protective reflex is triggered, triggering a paroxysmal whooping cough. The patient experiences suffocation, the face turns blue, the voice disappears, vomiting and hemoptysis are possible. A similar mechanism for the development of dry cough is typical for bronchial adenoma, but the symptoms are not so acute; shortness of breath and stridorous breathing predominate.

Lung diseases

An unproductive cough is characteristic of some atypical pneumonias (chlamydial inflammation, respiratory mycoplasmosis, legionellosis), fungal and protozoal processes (candidiasis, cryptococcosis, pneumocystosis), and the period of formation of an abscess with a lung abscess. The intensity of a deep cough, the presence and severity of accompanying symptoms (shortness of breath, suffocation, fever, intoxication) depend on the factor that caused the inflammation. Non-inflammatory pathologies with cough attacks include:

• Diffuse pneumosclerosis
  . Compaction of the parenchyma due to the proliferation of connective tissue disrupts normal gas exchange in the lungs. Therefore, in addition to a dry cough and thoracic pain, pneumosclerosis also reveals shortness of breath, cyanosis of the skin, and fatigue.
• Malignant lung tumors
  . Cough with hemoptysis and shortness of breath is an early symptom of central lung cancer. In Pancoast disease, a rough cough occurs against the background of hoarseness, Horner's syndrome, pain in the arm and shoulder, paresthesia in the hand on the affected side, and compression of the superior vena cava.
• Acute atelectasis of the lung
  . The appearance of a deep cough is preceded by a sharp pain in the affected half of the chest. Increasing shortness of breath and skin cyanosis are detected. The patient's pulse quickens and blood pressure drops. Typically, half of the chest lags behind in breathing.
• Lung damage
  . A persistent deep cough with weakness, fever, and expiratory shortness of breath develops with radiation pneumonitis, complicating radiotherapy for oncological pathology. The symptom first bothers you occasionally during exercise, then constantly and at rest.
• Antisynthetase syndrome
  . The main pulmonary manifestations of fibrosing alveolitis in dermatomyositis are a deep cough and shortness of breath. Most patients are characterized by a combination of symptoms with fever and Raynaud's phenomenon (pale and cyanotic fingers).
• Histiocytosis
  X. A feature of dry cough in people suffering from pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma is its persistent, annoying nature. The patient also experiences thoracic pain and difficulty breathing. Possible damage to the skin, liver, spleen, lymphadenopathy.

A cough without sputum can precede acute conditions and serve as an initial sign of some pulmonary diseases. The symptom is observed in the prodrome of pulmonary edema, combined with rapid breathing, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and dizziness. The periodic appearance of a deep, dry cough and shortness of breath on exertion is characteristic of the first stage of pulmonary cystic fibrosis, which can last up to 10 years.

Pleural lesions

Some of the receptors that initiate the cough reflex are located in the pleura. Therefore, pathological processes involving the serous membrane of the lungs, as a rule, occur with a non-productive cough. The symptom is often combined with chest pain that worsens during breathing, shortness of breath, cyanotic skin and mucous membranes, fever, and intoxication. The appearance of a deep cough without sputum is typical of dry and serous pleurisy, including those of tuberculosis origin. The occurrence of symptoms is also facilitated by:

• Benign tumors of the pleura
  . The growth of voluminous neoplasms is accompanied by a dry cough, shortness of breath, thoracic pain, low-grade fever, and exudation into the pleural cavity. Possible intercostal neuralgia.
• Malignant pleural neoplasia
  . Similar symptoms progress more quickly with pleural metastases and pleural cancer. The pain is excruciating and radiates to the shoulder blade and shoulder girdle. Horner's syndrome is detected early, the superior vena cava is compressed.
• Pneumothorax
  . Activation of the cough reflex occurs with traumatic stimulation of pleural receptors in patients with pneumothorax. In addition to a cough attack, there is sharp thoracic pain, shortness of breath, cyanosis or paleness of the face, and panic fear of death.

Sometimes the cause of an unproductive deep cough is reactive excitation of pleural receptors during inflammatory and volumetric processes that occur in the abdominal organs adjacent to the diaphragm. The symptom is described in the clinic of subdiaphragmatic abscess and splenic cysts, although other signs of the listed pathologies are leading in such cases.

Diseases of the esophagus

Excitation of the receptors of the tracheobronchial tree is observed due to their compression in patients suffering from epibronchial diverticula of the esophagus. With large protrusions, night coughing is complemented by dysphagia, belching of undigested food and air, nausea, and bad breath. Esophageal cancer is characterized by a combination of progressive dysphagia, dry cough, pain and a “lump” behind the sternum, and exhaustion due to malnutrition.

Volumetric formations of the mediastinum

Compression of the bronchi, causing coughing, occurs with lymphoma and other mediastinal tumors, mediastinal cysts, and aortic aneurysm. After the asymptomatic stage, such diseases manifest themselves as thoracic pain of varying intensity, signs of compression of other chest organs - deep coughing attacks, dysphagia, shortness of breath. Headaches and dizziness are possible due to disruption of the venous outflow from the head with pressure from the space-occupying lesion on the superior vena cava.

Heart diseases

In dilated cardiomyopathy and coelomic pericardial cysts, the leading cause of dry chest cough is the reaction of compressed bronchi. The diseases occur with discomfort, pain in the precordial area, palpitations, interruptions, shortness of breath, against which a dry cough periodically appears. In pericarditis and post-infarction syndrome, the pleural reaction plays a key role in the implementation of the cough reflex. Coughing appears against a background of shortness of breath, moderate or severe chest or thoracic pain.

Occupational diseases

A number of occupational diseases that affect the bronchi and lungs are manifested by a non-productive cough - silicosis, silicosis, berylliosis. At the onset of the disease, there is usually a dry cough, which is gradually replaced by a growing cough and is aggravated by shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, and signs of respiratory failure. Occupational pathology develops in patients who inhale dust with silicon dioxide and silicates, beryllium vapor, and smoke with its compounds for a long time. In the latter case, a severe acute course with conjunctivitis and hyperthermia is possible.

Allergy

The causes of deep paroxysmal cough in allergic lesions of the bronchi and lungs are bronchospasm, swelling and hypersecretion of the mucous membrane when exposed to allergens to which the body is sensitized. A distinctive feature of a cough episode is that it occurs against a background of suffocation or shortness of breath. Often, at the end of the attack, the patient expectors a small amount of viscous mucous sputum. The development of a deep allergic cough is observed in such pathological conditions as:

• Asthmatic bronchitis
  . Obstruction of the medium and large bronchi due to an immediate or delayed allergic reaction causes attacks of dry cough with noisy, difficult exhalation and expiratory shortness of breath. The disease is provoked by inhalation of dust, fluff, pet hair, plant pollen, and in some patients it is a manifestation of food, vaccine, or drug allergies or is a consequence of previous respiratory infections.
• Bronchial asthma
  . A cough of asthmatic origin usually occurs in paroxysms and is combined with other signs of bronchial obstruction - wheezing audible at a distance, expiratory shortness of breath, and occasional suffocation. A dry cough, along with nasal congestion, itchy skin, anxiety and sleep disturbances, is a precursor to an attack. Asthmatic suffocation itself is accompanied by an unproductive cough with scanty viscous sputum.
• Allergic alveolitis
  . Atopic damage to the alveoli and interstitial lung tissue is characterized by a clinical picture of inflammation. Allergic alveolitis is often preceded by prolonged massive contact with the allergen. The appearance of increasing shortness of breath and dry cough is typical for the acute and subacute course of the disease. The symptom manifests itself against the background of fever, chills, headaches, and general malaise, reminiscent of the symptoms of ARVI.
• Schistosomatid dermatitis
  . The allergic component is the leading one in the development of an unproductive deep cough with repeated parasitic skin lesions as a result of the introduction of schistosome larvae living in natural bodies of water. The appearance of cough attacks with fever and headaches is facilitated by sensitization of the body after a previous invasion. The symptom is observed against the background of typical skin lesions - urticaria, itching, red spots and nodules, swelling.

Diagnosis of pathology

Making a diagnosis begins with an examination by a therapist, collecting complaints, and taking an anamnesis. After this, a general blood test is prescribed.

If the cause cannot be established, the patient is referred to an otolaryngologist, endocrinologist and allergist, as well as for a consultation with a neurologist. You will need to additionally take a blood test for immunoglobulin E, a throat smear, and an ultrasound of the thyroid gland.

If the cause of the condition is not found, a consultation with a gastroenterologist and esophagogastroduodenoscopy is prescribed. Based on the results obtained, treatment is prescribed.

3. Symptoms and diagnosis

There are acute, subacute and chronic non-productive cough. The main criterion is the persistence of symptoms: if the cough is reduced within 3 weeks, it is considered acute; if it persists for more than 8 weeks, it is said to be chronic. In many cases, a dry cough is accompanied by a number of additional symptoms: chest pain, headache, weakness, shortness of breath, weight loss, etc.

Today, the exact cause or causes of a nonproductive cough can be established, according to various estimates, in 90-100% of cases, although sometimes this requires an in-depth examination and takes some time. The first diagnostically significant sign for a specialist is the nature of the cough; There are such varieties as:

• barking (usually with lesions of the trachea or larynx);
• small and frequent (pleural pathology);
• bitonal (tumor processes);
• night "heart";
• whistling asthmatic, etc.

Anamnesis is studied, examination, auscultation, and percussion examination of the chest are performed. In case of diagnostic doubts or ambiguities, laboratory tests of blood, urine, sputum (if the required amount can be collected with a dry cough), radiographic and/or tomographic studies, bronchoscopy, diagnostic bronchoalveolar lavage (wash), biopsy and other procedures as indicated are prescribed. As necessary, specialized specialists are involved (oncologist, infectious disease specialist, neurologist, etc.).

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Principles of treatment

The key to successful treatment is identifying the cause. There are several areas of therapy:

• sedatives - help with neurosis;
• anti-inflammatory drugs - used for infectious diseases;
• antihistamines - effective for allergies;
• antitussives - block cough receptors;
• antibiotics - help against bacterial infections if other remedies are ineffective;
• Cough lozenges - relieve discomfort, moisturize the mucous membrane due to increased secretion of saliva.

If the cause of tickling is chronic poisoning by vapors of volatile substances or tobacco smoke, it is worth minimizing contact with the irritant. This will help get rid of the unpleasant symptom.

Read also: Swelling of the throat

Dear patients! Remember that only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, determine the causes and nature of the disease, and prescribe effective treatment. You can make an appointment with our specialists or call a doctor at home by calling 8-(4822)-33-00-33

Be healthy and happy!

How to deal with a persistent cough

Most people, unfortunately, do not know how and how to treat a persistent cough. Many people use strong antibiotics, antipyretic tablets at temperatures below 38 ° C, put mustard plasters on, breathe over hot potatoes or rely on other folk remedies, and close the windows tightly to avoid drafts. This tactic, to put it mildly, is not entirely correct. So what can be done and what remedies should be used to get rid of a lingering cough? Help your body.

In addition to the obvious health measures - walking in the fresh air, ventilating the room at night, proper nutrition, humidifying the air in the room, consuming plenty of liquid, quitting smoking and alcohol - various herbal remedies and herbal preparations, for example, based on viburnum, help fight a lingering cough , raspberry, eucalyptus, aloe and licorice root. Tea with ginger and milk with turmeric are also reliable helpers in the fight against cough, as are traditional tea or milk with honey. They will not be able to completely cure a cough, but they can be used as general tonics and emollients.

Do not self-medicate.

Treatment of a persistent cough using antibiotics may not always bring positive results.
The fact is that these medications can put a serious strain on the body. In particular, on the gastrointestinal tract. It is also worth remembering that modern antibiotics are active against various microorganisms, but these microorganisms do not always cause a lingering cough. Pay attention to herbal preparations
. As for cough syrup, we face a rather serious problem: most chemical medications cannot be taken for more than 10 days. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to herbal preparations. In particular, Doctor MOM® cough syrup, which contains extracts of ten medicinal herbs, including aloe, licorice, ginger and turmeric. Due to its plant origin and the absence of alcohol, this syrup can be taken for up to three weeks in a row. It helps relieve inflammation and remove remaining mucus from the respiratory system. If the cough does not go away for a month or several weeks, be sure to consult a doctor. This will help determine the cause of the illness and avoid the disease becoming chronic.