What to do if an adult’s cough has not gone away for a month. Constant cough

Often from different people You can hear complaints of a protracted, prolonged cough. He is capable of delivering many unpleasant moments to a person and significantly reduce the quality of life of both the sufferer himself and the people around him. From what persistent cough long time stalking some people? The reasons for this can be quite varied.

Why does the cough last a long time?

It is no secret that reflex convulsive spasms are associated with a large number of diseases. However, some patients manage to get rid of unpleasant symptom in a matter of days, while for others the cough does not stop for a whole month, and sometimes even a year. Why is this happening?

There are several reasons for this. According to research by pulmonologists, the phenomenon lingering cough The following factors may cause:

How to cure a persistent cough: correct diagnosis is the first step to recovery

The main advice that doctors give to people who are faced with long-term convulsive reflex exhalations is not to independently search for the cause that caused them, and not to use drugs that suppress spasms. With any of the diseases listed above, a lingering cough may occur, treatment of which should be started only after visiting a doctor. The specialist will order all the tests and identify the factor that provokes the unpleasant symptom.

The question of what to do if a cough does not go away for 2 weeks, a month or 2 years should be asked to the doctor, and not to your grandmother, neighbor or friend.

It won’t hurt to conduct parallel examinations with a pulmonologist, an ENT specialist and an allergist. Specialists will be able to take a diverse approach to finding the problem. Each of them will appoint necessary tests at prolonged cough and procedures that help to make a diagnosis with the greatest accuracy and clarify the situation, thanks to which the treatment of the disease will be much more effective.

Only after the conclusions of all doctors, exclusion of some causes, confirmation of others, treatment is prescribed, which the patient must strictly comply with.

How to treat a persistent cough?

Once the doctor has identified the cause and indicated methods to combat the disease, the patient can only adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen. Most often for symptomatic treatment unpleasant phenomenon methods such as:

1. Medication.
2. Folk remedies.
3. Warming up.
4. Inhalations.
5. Compresses.
6. Massage.

Medications for persistent cough

If appropriate for use against convulsive spasms respiratory tract pharmaceuticals The doctor first considers the need to prescribe antibiotics. With their help, treatment is carried out long cough accompanied by copious green sputum, sometimes with impurities yellow color. Such discharges are evidence of various purulent inflammation, occurring in the respiratory organs, and requiring the use of drugs that suppress the pathological process.

Experts try not to use antibiotics wide range actions, due to sustainability pathogens to such drugs, but a drug is prescribed that treats specifically a specific disease. In this case, the doctor will definitely find out from the patient what drugs he used before. Great importance has the region of residence of the patient, since in different areas there is resistance to various means at pathogenic organisms not the same.

Medicines for a prolonged cough are often prescribed to help thin mucus and speed up its elimination from the body. This:

• Fluditek.
• Lazolvan.
• Bromhexine.
• Bronholitin.

The medications listed above, which have a symptomatic effect, are taken in combination with medications aimed at getting rid of (treatment) from the underlying disease.

Treatment of persistent cough with folk remedies

When fighting a disease, successful results are achieved with the help of unconventional methods medicine. Doctors willingly prescribe, and patients use folk remedies because of their simplicity, availability, and low cost. They have proven themselves very well:

All traditional methods are prescribed individually, depending on the disease causing the symptom.

How to treat a prolonged cough with warming?

Various thermal procedures provide an excellent effect in the fight against illness. This includes such remedies known from childhood as:

These remedies are very effective in relieving lingering coughs caused by diseases of the respiratory tract and nasopharynx. Unfortunately, in a number of other cases their effectiveness is controversial.

How to treat a long (protracted) cough: inhalations and compresses are an excellent way to combat this unpleasant phenomenon

Effective methods of combating the disease are those that act directly on the patient’s throat and respiratory tract. These are compresses and inhalations. Their advantages lie in their low cost and ease of use, as well as a small list of contraindications.

The following components can be used for compresses:

• Aloe.
• Animal internal fat.
• Cottage cheese.
• Cabbage.
• Vodka.
• Vegetable oil.

Ingredients for inhalation solutions when treating a lingering cough, they are also quite simple. This:

• Medications (ambrobene, lazolvan, fluimucil, sinupret).
• Propolis.
• Eucalyptus.
• Calendula.
• Saline solution.
• Soda.
• Mineral water.

Do not forget that these methods are not always appropriate, and only a doctor can prescribe them.

How to treat a persistent cough with massage?

Exist various techniques manipulations that are effective in combating persistent cough. Among them the most popular are:

It is best if a specialist performs the procedure. However, some relatives of patients learn the techniques themselves and successfully help their loved ones.

What to do if a lingering cough does not stop after strictly following all medical prescriptions?

It is very rare, but it happens that the patient carefully follows all the doctor’s instructions, but the illness does not recede. In this case, you must not lose faith in recovery. It is necessary to go for a second consultation with a specialist, undergo additional examinations. A symptom can be caused in parallel by several causes present in the body, or one disease was cured, and the second, dormant for the time being, suddenly became active.

Sometimes these things happen due to the incompetence of the doctor. Therefore, it is very important not to skimp on treatment, but to go to see experienced specialist, which has proven itself well.

Fortunately, cases of unsuccessful treatment due to the fault of doctors are the exception rather than the rule. Therefore, if the patient strictly follows all the specialist’s instructions, does it regularly and does not give up treatment halfway, then getting rid of a lingering cough and the illness that causes it will not take long.

- this is an unpleasant irritant not only for the coughing person himself, but also for the people around him, and there is always a well-wisher ready to give advice on how to get rid of this obsession. Constant coughing deprives a person of normal rest even at night, does not allow him to work fully, fulfill his duties, and the person is constantly in a pre-stressful state. In addition, a persistent cough can serve as a signal that not everything is fine in a person’s body, and it is necessary to go to the clinic as soon as possible for a comprehensive examination.

Persistent cough in a child- this is a reason to immediately visit a doctor, because it dangerous case, it can lead to respiratory arrest and self-medication is inappropriate here. Only a doctor through diagnostics can determine the cause of a severe cough and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Coughing, in general, is a protective reaction of the body to some disturbances in activity. internal organs breathing: certain muscles intuitively contract, and by sharply throwing out in small portions air, irritants are removed from the surface of the larynx and bronchi. If the removal of irritants does not occur, muscle contraction continues - this is an incessant cough. That’s why it’s important to find out its reasons. It also happens that the cause may be dust, caught in top part lungs.

The first symptom in some people is a sore throat, and if it is not possible to determine the cause of this, then discomfort can be considered as a symptom of some kind of respiratory disease. There are coughs that are dry and with phlegm, at night and in the morning, strong and not very strong. To determine the cause of a persistent cough in a child, or any other person, you should pay close attention to the following characteristics:

• how long does the attack last, is it superficial or deep, with anguish;
• Is the cough dry or with sputum, if the latter, then is there blood or mucus clots in it, is there wheezing and whistling;
• are they accompanying him? heat, vomiting, lacrimation, runny nose, headache;
• pay attention to atmospheric conditions: irritants can be dusty air, smoke, dandelion or poplar fluff, other airborne particles and toxic substances.

Linked With respiratory organs – inflammatory processes can occur in them or viruses and bacteria and fungal formations can settle. This result occurs if:

• a person has a weakened body and reduced immunity;
• noted smoking abuse and alcoholic beverages, inhalation of dry air, ;
• the course of viral diseases of a different nature is complicated - inflammation of the lungs and bronchi, in children this is whooping cough and measles - of an infectious nature, laryngeal stenosis or false croup;
• there is tuberculosis or allergies, asthma, diseases of the cardiovascular system.

A hacking cough may be the first warning sign that cancer is approaching. Basic actions will help reduce risks occurrence of dry cough- this is to maintain normal air humidity and water balance body, limit or stop smoking, wipe the floor and furniture with a damp cloth every day, minimize the use of air freshener in the room.

If a dry cough is not treated, it goes into the wet stage, with mucus secretion. In general, everything that has been said about dry cough fully applies to cough with sputum, but the range of causes is somewhat expanded and is represented by the following reasons:

The color of mucus may indicate a certain disease: yellowish-green- at purulent diseases, as a rule, these are colds. Coughing removes accumulated mucus along with harmful bacteria and viruses. Blood in the sputum notifies about possible destructive processes in the tissues of the lungs during pneumonia and tuberculosis. The discharge is black - a cancerous tumor may have arisen.

Prevention of occurrence wet cough includes all measures, listed for the prevention of dry cough, and complements them by recommending avoiding spicy foods.

Cough in children

Besides common reasons listed above, children may also have their own reasons for a prolonged cough, which are rarely found in adults. Anyway this is alarm signal and it is necessary to correctly diagnose the signs of diseases indicated by cough:

Under no circumstances should you self-medicate a child; this can cause harm to him. irreparable harm. Before doctor's appointment You should carefully remember the smallest details and features of the child’s behavioral mood in order to notify the doctor about them.

Relieve coughing attack

To alleviate the child’s suffering from a debilitating cough, it is necessary to take measures to weaken and stop coughing before the doctor arrives. Medications that reduce the sensitivity of sensors help reduce the activity of an attack, but they are made in the form of tablets. It is not always possible to give them to small children, but they are possible side effects. Syrups are usually used. The following remedies are recommended:

• warm lime tea, baked milk with honey, berry juice - you can drink all this;
• suck herbal lozenges with the effect of pain relief and cessation of soreness;
• gargle warm aqueous solutions – baking soda or furatsilina, herbal decoctions;
• let the cut ones breathe onions, it resists bacteria very well, although it does make your eyes water.

The main task is to remove the irritant and stop the inflammatory process in the throat. Removing mucus from the nasopharynx is no less important than fighting a cough.

Treating a persistent cough

There are many drugs available for treatment by acting on nerve endings, reducing their sensitivity, and therefore the cough reflex. Codeine is an excellent drug and will quickly help eliminate a cough, but it can be addictive. Dextromethorphan without side effects, but, of course, only a doctor should prescribe it.

When curing a wet cough, the first step is to overcome phlegm; to do this, you need to liquefy its deposits on the walls of the respiratory tract. Mucaltin will help reduce viscosity by adding a liquid phase to the sputum, as a result it will be expectorated along with the bacteria it contains. There are other medications that are prescribed by a doctor and are divided into separate classes:

• sputum-thinning mucolytic drugs - Lazolvan and ACC, Bromhexine;
• expectorant medications aimed at removing phlegm - Gedelix, Doctor IOM;
• influencing through the brain nervous system and those that reduce the cough reflex - Libexin and Codeine, already mentioned above (as prescribed by a doctor);
• medicinal products combined action– and Bronchosan;
• Antibiotics are prescribed with caution because they often do more harm than good.

Please note: in the initial stage of treatment with mucolytic drugs, the cough may temporarily intensify, but as the sputum thins and is removed from the body, the cough will go away. Of course, before giving the drug to a child, you should study the instructions and make sure that this medicine will not harm the child, and only then treat it.

Folk remedies

In addition to carrying out the course of treatment prescribed by a doctor, the use of some cough remedies developed by traditional medicine is not prohibited. These are warming with mustard plasters and compresses, rubbing and inhaling the vapors of infusions of various medicinal herbs. This is feasible only if the child does not have any rejection of the components of the treatment used and when in good condition. Procedures that can be used:

• prepare the mixture - dissolve one tablespoon of honey and cranberries in a glass of warm water, give the child a teaspoon of the resulting syrup;
• to warm up, take a cabbage leaf and cover it with a layer of honey, apply it to the chest and secure it with a bandage, you can remove it in the morning;
• breathe in the steam from fresh boiled potatoes;
• Brew a tablespoon of herbs (linden or chamomile flowers) into a glass of water, sweeten with honey or sugar, and give to drink.

The duration of the procedures, as a rule, does not exceed half a month. In this case, you should constantly go to the doctor.

A child's cough that does not stop for a long time may indicate not only severe cold, but also a much more serious disease

A child's persistent cough can seriously alarm parents. This symptom may indicate serious problems with health, since it is not always associated with a cold. What to do in this case, and what factors can provoke such a problem should be considered in more detail.

Initially, it is important to establish the reason that provoked the child’s incessant cough.

To make it easier to identify, pay attention to the following characteristics of this symptom:

• Duration of attack. A prolonged attack, periodic exacerbations or an almost continuous cough, mild or hysterical. Every little detail needs to be taken into account.
• Presence of sputum. There is a huge difference between dry and . In addition, these types also manifest themselves in different ways: wheezing, whistling, barking sounds etc. In some cases, sputum is found specific secretions and blood.
• Associated symptoms. Cough may appear as independent symptom or be accompanied by other manifestations of the disease: fever, runny nose, lacrimation, rash, nausea, etc.
• Provoking factors. In some cases, you may notice that certain conditions are causing the cough. environment eg dry air, dust, allergens. They may be the main cause, but often they are only part of the problem.

Possible reasons

It is worth taking a closer look at the situations that explain why the cough does not stop. Children's body very vulnerable to infections and viruses, and also has incompletely formed organ systems.

Therefore provoke pathological manifestations can do almost anything. Every day you face potential risks. Infants and adolescents are especially vulnerable, as during these periods changes occur in their bodies that can cause health problems.

Dry cough

To make it easier to differentiate the problem, it is worth considering the wet ones separately. A dry, continuous cough in an adult and a child is caused by approximately the same factors.

A dry cough often occurs due to irritation of the larynx. For example, dust particles settle on the mucous membrane and cause a sore throat.

As a result, the child begins to cough, soft fabrics during hysterical attacks they become injured and irritated even more. This leads to worsening of the condition and can provoke chronic course pathology. With microdamage to the mucosa, there is a risk of infection and the development of subsequent complications.

Wet cough

If a dry cough is stopped, quite often it can transform into a wet one. It is characterized by the formation of mucous sputum in the respiratory tract and release during the next attack.

On the one hand, it’s good when the sputum is removed. However, if it accumulates abundantly, recovery is impossible.

More often wet cough associated with the following pathologies:

• pneumonia;
• ARVI;
• obstructive bronchitis;
• tuberculosis;
• gastrointestinal diseases (for example, reflux);
• oncology.

During development inflammatory process are formed in the respiratory tract congestion, foci of suppuration and accumulation of mucus. These secretions contain particles of epithelium, dead cells involved in fighting infection, and bacteria.

The color of the mucus may vary. So, during purulent processes it becomes yellowish (see) or green color as in the photo. These are quite common manifestations of colds.

Coughing helps remove accumulated mucus and, accordingly, bacteria along with their waste products. Blood impurities may indicate damage, erosion and dangerous consequences with pneumonia or tuberculosis. Black discharge is an alarming signal indicating the development of a cancerous tumor.

What to do

In order not to harm the child and not provoke the development of complications due to improper treatment, only a doctor should prescribe therapy. If your child's cough does not stop for more than one or two weeks, be sure to contact the clinic for help.

In some cases, such a symptom in the absence accompanying symptoms is completely natural and harmless. These are residual effects after a cold or other illness associated with the respiratory tract. But if the matter is the progression of the disease or its degeneration, you cannot hesitate. That is why it is recommended to seek qualified help as early as possible.

Relief of attack

To prevent the child from suffering until the doctor arrives, parents need to know how to quickly stop coughing. The attack can be alleviated with the help of special medications that block the sensors. However, they come in tablet form and are therefore not suitable for small children.

In addition, it is worth considering contraindications and side effects. Syrups can be used as an alternative.

Therefore, you can use the following methods:

• Warm drink. For example, brew linden tea if your child does not have allergies. Can also be used warm milk with honey and butter, compote, fruit drink or tea.

• Lollipops. Pharmacies sell mints that help with sore throats. They can also stop a coughing attack, but their effect is short-term.
• Rinse. Soda solution in warm water, furatsilin, a decoction of herbs, such as chamomile. You can use sea salt.
• Onion. Cut onion and let the child breathe it. This excellent remedy against bacteria, but onions irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes.

It is important to get rid of the irritant and relieve inflammation from the throat. If there is phlegm, pay more attention to its removal than to eliminating the cough as a whole.

Cough treatment

After a doctor’s examination and diagnosis, a course of treatment is established. The main emphasis is on medications.

How to treat a persistent dry cough in a child:

• antitussives;
• mucolytics;
• drugs that stimulate mucus expectoration;
• antihistamines in case of allergies.

Additionally, antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs, immunomodulators and other medications may be prescribed to eliminate the cause of such a symptom. Carefully follow the precautions stated in the instructions for each drug. Remember that medications in tablet form are contraindicated for children under three years of age.

It is worth highlighting a few more ways to stop coughing:

• Inhalations. Herbal decoctions, eucalyptus, essential oils, medicines, for example, Miramistin.

• Warming up. Back rubs and chest warming ointments, steaming feet, mustard plasters, wrapping in a woolen scarf.
• Gargling. Medicines, saline and alkaline solutions, plant decoctions.

Be sure to provide your child good rest and nutrition, as well as sufficient warm drinks.

Additional events

Traditional medicines are not always able to solve the problem completely. In addition, the price of some of them makes you look for alternative ways eliminating cough.

The following recommendations will help partially alleviate the child’s condition:

• Humidify the air in the room where the child is, especially during the heating season.
• Avoid contact with objects and substances that may cause allergies or other respiratory irritation.
• Strengthen your child's immunity to protect against viruses and infections.
• Avoid smoking in the presence of children.

To learn more about the problem of persistent cough in children, watch the video in this article. For effective treatment symptom, it is necessary to find out its exact cause and direct efforts to eliminate it. This is why you need to seek advice from a hospital, as it requires comprehensive examination little patient and providing timely qualified assistance!

A persistent cough in a child or an adult is dangerous pathological symptom. It doesn't appear on its own. This symptom arises only on the basis primary disease. A persistent cough rarely indicates a cold. He appears when serious illnesses. On advanced stages the sign provokes respiratory arrest, so continuous coughing in children and adults must be eliminated. This symptom may persist for several months. If left untreated, the symptom can become chronic. In such a situation, the symptom will bother the patient for more than 3 months. Wet and dry continuous cough causes discomfort to the sick person. To treat this symptom, you will need to resort to drug therapy.

A cough that persists for a long time usually indicates a pathology.

Why does the symptom occur?

When an adult or child coughs, he or she is suspected of having colds. The patient is given standard antitussive medications. However, they are not always effective. For some diseases, such remedies are not able to eliminate the disease. Before starting therapy, it is important to know the root cause of the disorder. Only by acting on the underlying disease can you get rid of all negative symptoms. Without knowing the diagnosis, you will not be able to cope with the cough.

A patient is diagnosed with a prolonged cough when it has been present in the patient for more than two weeks.

As a rule, the sign signals serious illnesses or complications after illness. The symptom can be especially dangerous for a child or a pregnant woman. Incessant coughing in such patients is not easy to treat. The symptom can occur in the presence of a wide variety of ailments. The main ones are described in the table.

The occurrence of incessant coughing may be due to other pathologies. It can also appear with pharyngitis, bronchitis, laryngitis and tuberculosis. Often this sign manifests itself in those people who have in their bodies cancerous tumors. Any disease needs special treatment. It can be started only after a diagnosis has been established.

Night cough

Often, a person with continuous coughing feels worse at night. Such a sign needs special attention. The symptom is not particularly dangerous if the patient has a cold. The deterioration of the condition at night is due to the fact that the person is in horizontal position. At this moment, the accumulation of mucus in the respiratory tract increases. It collects in excessive quantities and is released slowly.

Night cough may be a manifestation of an allergy to linen

A cough that bothers you at night often indicates an allergic reaction. In this case, the symptom is not associated with damage to the respiratory system. If it is present, standard antitussive drugs are ineffective. Individual intolerance can be caused by various extraneous factors. Night coughing is associated with the presence of an allergen near the bed. Individual intolerance of the body can provoke:

• underwear or bedding made from low-grade fabric;
• the filling contained in a pillow or blanket;
• dust that may be in the carpet or other interior items, etc.

The patient will cough until the allergen is eliminated. Often allergic reaction, which worsens the condition at night, occurs specifically in children. For treatment I use antihistamines.

If vomiting is observed against the background of a night cough, this may indicate the presence of gastrointestinal problems.

Worsening of the condition at night may also be due to the presence of sinusitis, rhinitis or some other viral infections. These diseases also cause a persistent cough.

Continuous coughing at night may be accompanied by a gag reflex, redness of the face, lacrimation and painful breathing. Such symptoms indicate the presence of disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract or bronchitis. You can find out the cause of the disease only by going through various studies. To do this, you need to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. During the initial examination, the specialist will examine the patient and establish complete clinical picture. Based on this, the patient will need to undergo certain tests. Their results will allow us to establish accurate diagnosis and prescribe individual treatment. Medicines You can’t choose it yourself. This approach is not recommended for both children and adults.

Risks and prevention

Any disease is dangerous. A person with a continuous cough without timely treatment may notice a significant deterioration in the condition. This unpleasant symptom is especially dangerous for children. The child should not be given the first available medicine immediately. A persistent cough at night and during the day may indicate the presence of whooping cough. This diagnosis requires specific treatment.

Lack of treatment leads to the development of bronchial pathologies

A patient who is constantly coughing may have an incompletely cured cold. In this case, the disease can provoke complications. The presence of a dry, continuous cough is also dangerous. The symptom often occurs with allergies. This disease can cause the development of:

• bronchial type asthma;
• asthmatic bronchitis.

Complications usually appear if treatment was started late or was not started at all. Urgent treatment is recommended if negative sign has been present in the patient for more than several weeks.

Continuous cough in adults and children - serious reason consult a doctor. The symptom is especially dangerous if it occurs spontaneously. This sign may indicate serious deviations.

Wet cleaning will help avoid coughing, which can be caused by a dust allergy.

To reduce the risk of developing a disease that accompanies continuous coughing, you need to follow preventive measures. They are also recommended to speed up recovery. If the patient has been coughing for a long time, you should:

• To refuse from bad habits. It is also undesirable to smoke in front of children. Tobacco smoke has a detrimental effect not only on adults who have bad habit, but also for a passive smoker.
• Patient to use special means protection if he works in hazardous production.
• Try not to overcool your lower extremities.
• Carefully monitor the cleanliness of the house and ventilate it daily.
• Start treatment of various diseases in a timely manner.

Smoking is often the cause of cough, so it is recommended to quit the bad habit

Undoubtedly, it is much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it later. Experts recommend carefully monitoring your health and well-being. Thanks to this, you can protect yourself from the occurrence of many diseases.

Treatment

Continuous coughing– stress for the body. To easily cough up and get rid of the disease, you will need to resort to treatment. The patient will need to take medications prescribed by the doctor. Can also be used traditional medicine. Before use natural remedies you need to consult a doctor.

To prepare a product based on cranberries, you will need to take:

• 500 grams of dry cranberries;
• 500 grams of honey;
• 3 liters of water.

Cranberry remedies help relieve a cough.

Dry cranberries are mixed with a beekeeping product and poured warm water. Accept ready-made remedy 2 tablespoons at the time of coughing. This composition makes coughing easy.

When treating, you can also resort to herbal decoctions. For cooking medicinal drink you will need to take:

• chamomile;
• calendula;
• sage;
• pine buds.

The listed components are mixed in proportions 1:1. They are poured with boiling water and left for 24 hours. They consume natural medicine twice a day.

Herbal decoctions are effective for coughs

If you have a persistent cough, drink a large number of liquids. It will promote accelerated production and discharge of sputum. Cedar oil is considered effective in treatment. It is drunk in the morning on an empty stomach. This component contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements. Cedar oil increases protective functions body.

If an unpleasant symptom occurs, you need to visit the hospital. The doctor will tell you why a child or adult has a continuous dry cough and what to do in this case. Take action curative measures you can't do it on your own.

Approaches to treating cough will be discussed in the video:

You are a fairly active person who cares and thinks about your respiratory system and health in general, continue to exercise, lead healthy image life and your body will delight you throughout your life. But do not forget to undergo examinations on time, maintain your immunity, this is very important, do not overcool, avoid severe physical and strong emotional overload. Try to minimize contact with sick people; if forced contact, do not forget about protective equipment (mask, washing your hands and face, clearing your respiratory tract).