Causes of rare cough and methods of treating it. How to help the body cope with the problem. Symptoms and complications

In the minds of many of us, a cough cannot be observed without it and vice versa. Therefore, we do not consider these concepts as independent, which is completely wrong. Meanwhile, the reasons for a cough without a cold in an adult can be very different, and a cold is not in first place among them. This is a symptom that occurs involuntarily, and it is caused by some kind of irritant to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Anything can trigger a coughing attack - a serious illness or foreign object in the throat.

What does a cough without a cold mean?

A cough without a cold is just as dangerous as a cold without a cough. In any case, this phenomenon makes you wary, especially in a chronic form. And this process has its own explanation and reasons for its occurrence, which the doctor relies on when prescribing treatment. A healthy person coughs no more than 20 times a day; everything else is considered a sign of problems in the body.

For common colds and conditions constructive treatment The cough lasts a maximum of two weeks. At first it is dry and unbearable, then it becomes wet and easier to bear. The causes of a cough without a cold in an adult are respiratory diseases or lung disease. A similar symptom occurs when stomach acids enter the esophagus. In this case, the attack occurs mainly at night, accompanied by heartburn and sour taste in the mouth.

In experienced smokers, the lungs are damaged and the esophagus is irritated. It is very difficult for the body to get rid of a cough in such a situation. They are mainly worried about a lingering morning cough with phlegm immediately after waking up. This is a classic condition for both passive and active smokers. The way to get rid of discomfort is obvious - you need to give up the bad habit.

Nonproductive cough

Cause of dry cough without cold:

• bronchospasm;
• bronchial asthma;
• allergy;
• effects of dust on the respiratory system;
• ACE inhibitors, used to reduce blood pressure.

Factors that provoke a cough may be more serious, for example, lung cancer, heart failure, tuberculosis, pleurisy, mediastinal tumors.

If Koch's bacillus (the causative agent of tuberculosis) is present for a month. In this case, fluorography and a thorough examination are prescribed.

Asthma and allergies

A dry cough without a cold is often the only symptom of asthma. The patient's condition worsens when inhaling strong odors, cold air, pollen or smoke. In addition to colds, it accompanies allergic rhinitis. This disease causes a rash, watery eyes, nasal congestion, sneezing, and often a headache.

The most dangerous allergens:

• Food;
• plant pollen;
• animal hair;
• book dust.

It is quite easy to distinguish allergies. Attacks occur exclusively at the moment of close proximity to the allergen. Getting rid of symptoms involves consulting a doctor and taking antihistamines.

The causes of a cough without a cold in an adult may be the following: heart failure, which is accompanied by tingling in the chest, swelling of the limbs. In this case, a visit to a cardiologist cannot be postponed. One of the symptoms of sinusitis or chronic rhinitis in addition to headaches and high temperature, is a persistent cough.

Diagnosis of causeless cough

The first doctor you should visit will be a general practitioner, and then he will refer you to another specialist. When making a diagnosis, the following points are taken into account:

• when did the attacks begin?
• cough, wet or dry;
• additional changes in well-being.

Depending on the duration of the time period, the cough can be:

• acute - up to 2 weeks;
• prolonged - up to 4 weeks;
• subacute - up to 2 months;
• chronic - more than 2 months in a row.

Often accompanying symptoms go unattended, for example, loss of appetite, drowsiness, weakness. A dry cough without a cold in an adult is easier to associate with lack of sleep or stress. As effective methods use hardware diagnostics (X-ray, CT, electrocardiography), lab tests blood/urine.

State nervous system can also cause this syndrome. At mental disorders Cough medications don't help, even if they block the reflex. This requires consultation with a neurologist or psychotherapist.

Cough without fever

An adult may constantly cough due to viral tracheitis. The attacks torment me day and night, my throat is constantly sore. You can alleviate the symptom with hot milk and medications; antibiotics, as a rule, do not help. But with such a dangerous bacterial complication For pneumonia, antibiotics are used.

Such a cough without signs of a cold can occur with whooping cough; the precursors of the onset of the disease are sore throat and weakness. Over time, the condition only gets worse; a person is simply covered by a wave, mainly at night. Treatment is carried out exclusively in a hospital setting and under the supervision of the attending physician. Otherwise serious consequences can't be avoided.

There is no fever, but the cough is quite long-lasting; only a blood test and a nasopharyngeal swab can probably refute or confirm the diagnosis.

Today it is very difficult to find a person who has never coughed once during the day. The reason for everything is the environmental situation, the mass various infections- Living in a metropolis, one can only dream of clean air. When infectious agents enter the lungs or bronchi, the respiratory tract receptors are irritated and a cough occurs, which warns of mechanical obstacles and the clearing of the respiratory tract from sputum, mucus and other substances.

Other causes of cough without cold

During colds clinical picture is understandable: the temperature rises, a runny nose, weakness and other symptoms of intoxication appear. In such a situation, the cause of a dry cough is clear. Why does it occur without fever or signs of ARVI? What are the causes of cough without cold in an adult?

With absence typical signs colds, dry cough indicates hidden inflammation or individual hypersensitivity reactions. On the list side effects some medicines have counterproductive chronic cough. Such drugs include:

• ACE inhibitors;
• antihypertensive drugs;
• nitrofurans;
• aspirin;
• inhalation medications.

Will have to reconsider drug therapy, if it lies The stomach reacts differently for everyone, so treatment is selected individually.

Such discomfort may occur after suffering an infectious or viral inflammatory process of the respiratory system. At the same time, you feel a soreness or tickling in the throat. The duration of this cough can be up to 3 weeks.

Throat and lung cancer

In addition to the main symptom, there is difficulty breathing, discharge from the throat and nose. No or low temperature - 37-37.5 °C. With lung cancer, the symptoms are typical, chest pain is also disturbing, sputum is released with pus or blood.

Important! If left unattended, a prolonged dry cough in pregnant women poses a direct threat to the health of the fetus. The abdominal muscles of the expectant mother constantly contract and are in good shape, which can lead to bleeding.

Accompanying symptoms

Even in the absence of signs of a cold, a cough rarely appears alone; as a rule, it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• hoarse voice;
• shortness of breath even with light exertion;
• nausea, vomiting;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• drowsiness, sweating.

Symptoms systemic diseases accompanied by cough:

• rapid weight loss;
• bowel dysfunction;
• bad breath;
• periodontal disease.

When is medical attention required?

Any acute or persistent cough without a cold in an adult requires medical attention. If you have the following symptoms, you should contact a specialist immediately:

• heat;
• clouding of consciousness;
• change in speech;
• cardiopalmus;
• swelling of the limbs;
• pain when swallowing and breathing.

Treatment and first aid

Pulmonologists do not recommend self-medication, especially when using folk remedies. Home medicine may alleviate some symptoms, but eliminate them, much less cure the cause of their appearance, no. It is important to understand that everything medicines Each type of cough is different. For dry cough, antitussives are prescribed; for wet cough, mucolytic and expectorant medications are prescribed.

For Get well soon the patient needs to restore his work and rest schedule, quit smoking and adjust his diet. In addition to traditional drugs, antiviral drugs are prescribed, antihistamines and antibiotics.

A cough without signs of a cold can take an adult by surprise; it often begins at night; the condition can be alleviated by taking the following measures:

• When the source is tobacco smoke, you need to ventilate the room, drink warm tea or a glass of water.
• At allergic cough you need to exclude any contact with the allergen: ventilate the room, on the contrary, close the window so that it does not fly in pollen, gargle saline solution and wash their hands.
• If attacks occur frequently, you should always have a mint candy with you.
• Helps with throat diseases drinking plenty of fluids warm water, moisturized, Fresh air in the room.

Invisible enemies

Even the healthy person may begin to suffer from a debilitating cough without cold symptoms and poison his life. It's about about the allergens that we encounter every day in our apartment. Household dust, affecting the lungs, irritates them, so it is important to do wet cleaning at least 2 times a week. One of the most powerful irritants is paper dust. All books and folders with papers must be kept under glass or in drawers.

Pets need to be brushed regularly to reduce the amount of hair in the air. Combustion products are dangerous; the kitchen must have a hood. It is also important to take special care when handling household chemicals. Replace powders with liquid products, and generally exclude chlorine-containing products.

Indoor plants will help clean and humidify the air, so if you have a regular cough, it’s time to add some greenery to your apartment.

The listed measures are preventive; consultation with a specialist doctor is required.

WITH physiological point From a perspective, cough is a protective reaction of the body to the occurrence of any irritants in the respiratory tract. Causes this phenomenon can be completely different: from infections and inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract until a foreign object enters the lungs or bronchi. In addition, attacks of barking or wet cough can cause strong allergens or toxins.

Most often, a cough appears as a symptom accompanying a cold. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor who will prescribe comprehensive treatment for the disease. However, it also happens that a rare cough appears for no apparent reason and causes a lot of inconvenience to a person. This symptom is also a reason to visit a doctor, since a dry cough in a child or adult can be a symptom of a serious illness.

Causes

Very often, rare coughing is observed after treatment colds or the flu. This is due to the fact that not all sputum was removed from the respiratory organs, which gradually comes out on its own. But there are other reasons that can cause rare dry or even moist cough:

• The air in the room is too dry (or vice versa – humid).
• If you have other symptoms such as elevated temperature body, irritated throat, runny nose or general malaise, you should consult a doctor, since in this case, rare coughing may indicate the presence of an infectious or viral disease in a mild form.
• A rare cough may persist as a residual phenomenon after treatment of serious illnesses such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Doctors consider this phenomenon normal, since rare coughing removes mucus from the lungs, and in this case, take some medications no need. Often this type of cough occurs in the morning, and in children it can persist for up to two weeks.
• Attacks of a rare dry cough also appear if there is a lot of fungus and mold in the room where a person is constantly present. You need to carefully inspect your home or workplace and immediately remove microorganisms from walls, ceilings or furniture to stop coughing attacks.
• A child has a dry or even barking cough that appears only from time to time, which may indicate that toxins and allergens have appeared in the baby’s environment. Very often this phenomenon is observed if the child’s parents smoke and cigarette smoke enters the room.

Treatments for rare coughs

Even if the attacks mild cough do not bother the patient too much, it is still worth seeing a doctor, since such a phenomenon may indicate serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. So, it is imperative to be examined for tuberculosis, especially if a person has a barking but rare cough. In a child, this process can occur even when nervous soil or after suffering stress.

Only a qualified doctor can determine the real reason rare cough in a child or adult and prescribe the correct treatment. You should not self-medicate, since there can be a huge number of causes for such a cough and they all require separate medication.

1. Under no circumstances should you start taking medications that suppress the cough reflex. IN otherwise, sputum will continue to accumulate in the respiratory tract and the initial stage of the disease that caused the cough may develop into chronic form.
2. Often, expectorants (mucolics) are used to treat a barking or wet cough in a child. They speed up the process of removing mucus from the bronchi and speed up the healing process. You can use not only syrups and other medicines that are sold in pharmacies, but also use folk expectorants prepared on the basis medicinal plants (for example, breastfeeding).
3. To gradually minimize and then completely eliminate attacks of rare wet or dry cough, you need to drink as much warm liquid as possible. By good means are honey, raspberry and currant jam, as well as propolis.

Even very rare attacks of wet cough should not be ignored, especially if this process is not accompanied by symptoms common cold. Smokers develop a rare barking cough several years after they start smoking, and to get rid of it, you simply need to quit bad habit. However, for non-smokers, occasional coughing should cause some concern. IN in this case It is better to consult a doctor and first undergo a fluorographic examination to exclude serious illnesses lungs (bronchitis and tuberculosis), the development of which may not be accompanied by symptoms other than cough.

Cough in a child is a defensive reaction child's body in the form of an explosive sharp breath aimed at eliminating from the respiratory tract foreign bodies, sputum, harmful microorganisms and dust. Cough receptors can be irritated by fluctuations in humidity and temperature in the air inhaled by the child, as well as papillomas, tumors, allergens, and foreign bodies in the respiratory tract. A rare cough in a child throughout the day is physiological. Coughing pushes clear the accumulation of saliva and mucus in front of the entrance to the larynx. Children between the ages of eight and twelve can normally cough three to ten times a day.

Types of cough in a child

Cough is necessary. Without it, even minor inflammation of the airways would lead to pneumonia. But it cleanses Airways only that type of cough that is accompanied by the release of mucus and sputum. This is the so-called wet or productive cough.

Other types of cough (paroxysmal, dry, barking cough) are not beneficial. They prevent the child from sleeping, tire him and can even cause vomiting.

A nonproductive (dry) cough in a child is considered the most intrusive. A dry cough does not help to expel mucus, as it occurs in initial stage inflammation of the mucous membranes, when there is still practically no sputum.

A barking cough in a child usually occurs with tracheitis and laryngitis. It is associated with changes in the vocal cords. A child’s barking cough must be “softened” with anti-inflammatory sprays, lozenges and alkaline drinks.

A wet cough occurs as sputum accumulates. Most often, a wet cough is observed with bronchitis.

With whooping cough, its attacks follow one after another, bringing the body to exhaustion.

A staccato cough develops when respiratory chlamydia in newborns. Cough staccato - ringing, jerky, dry. It goes away quickly when the underlying disease is treated.

Spasmodic cough is obsessive and unproductive. It usually has a whistling sound at the end. If you have a spasmodic cough, it is useless to take antitussives.

Bitonal cough (low and then high pitch) can occur when large foreign bodies enter the bronchi.

Cough when deep breath occurs during an attack of bronchial asthma. Most often, this type of cough is accompanied by pain.

Cough when eating occurs due to diseases of the esophagus and stomach.

Psychogenic cough in a child can occur when stressful situations at school and family. Psychogenic cough appears only during the day and disappears at night. The features of this type of cough include regularity, high frequency and a metallic echo.

How to treat a child's cough?

With a dry cough, the child is unable to get rid of the mucus that has accumulated in the bronchi. To thin sputum, calm cough syndrome and suppress cough various syrups cough medicine for children. Children are usually happy to take cough medicines in the form of syrups, since most of these syrups have pleasant taste. Cough syrup should only be given after consulting a doctor.

Cough syrups for children with plantain and ivy extract are effective antitussive medicines. Ambrobene cough syrup for children can be used to treat newborns. This syrup not only relieves inflammation, but also enhances local immunity. To treat dry cough, pediatricians often prescribe Lazolvan syrup. The principle of action of this syrup is similar to Ambrobene syrup. Doctor MOM cough syrup based on extracts of licorice roots, basil, extracts of aloe, ginger, nightshade and other plants has also proven itself to be excellent. Any cough medications should not be used long time, since in this case they can only worsen the cough.

Dry cough is greatly relieved by steam inhalation. For inhalation, you can prepare a solution of drinking soda or alkaline mineral waters. Massage helps with coughs reflex zones and chest.

When a child has a dry cough, it is very important to humidify the air in the room. To do this it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning. You can also place a pan of boiling water on the radiator or put wet towel. The air temperature in the room where the child is located should not exceed 20-22 C. With a dry cough, the child must drink a lot.

When coughing, it is also useful to feed the child mashed potatoes with milk and ghee. A warm compress on the chest area will help relieve a coughing attack.

The child should be shown to a doctor if the cough does not go away after all other signs of the disease disappear, if the cough is sudden and convulsive. Consultation with a pediatrician is necessary if the cough prevents the baby from sleeping normally, if during coughing attacks the child turns blue or becomes very pale, and his breathing is difficult, if in addition to the cough the child has an increase in body temperature.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Many parents do not perceive their child’s illness as a serious illness. Especially if the temperature does not rise. In most cases, coughing can be treated at home without resorting to the help of doctors. But coughing does not occur for no reason. This reflex reaction body for respiratory congestion, sputum production or other irritating factors. Therefore, you cannot start treatment without finding out real reasons coughing in a child.

All small children are characterized by occasional coughing, especially in the morning, after waking up. Coughing up to 10 times a day is considered normal. All people, regardless of age, develop a small amount of. But in babies it is thicker and more viscous, so it is much more difficult to get rid of it. This is what causes rare coughing attacks.

But if a child’s coughing is more frequent and repeats throughout the day, then most likely it is a symptom of some disease.

Most often it is bronchitis or another infection. respiratory system(ARI, pneumonia and others).At the same time, mucus in significant quantities is constantly formed in the child’s bronchi. And the fact that children under 3 years old do not yet know how to cough properly and do not do it on time aggravates the situation. The discharge of sputum becomes difficult and lasts for a long time.

Other causes of prolonged coughing may include illnesses such as:

• allergic rhinitis
• chronic
• inflammation

During them, viscous mucus forms in the nasal sinuses, which, flowing down, has a irritant effect on cough receptors, provoking.

A more serious disease, one of the symptoms of which is cough, is whooping cough.

Moreover, the attacks are very painful, repeated up to 50 times a day and do not go away for 1-2 months. In particular severe cases Possible signs of suffocation.

Video. Causes of cough in a child.

In addition, the causes of coughing in children may be:

• development of bronchial asthma
• obstructive bronchitis
• pathology of the heart or lungs
• physical exercise
• change in ambient temperature
• foreign body in the respiratory tract
• stress

Protracted coughing in children is most often observed in the chronic form of one of the diseases. Acute period The illness usually lasts no more than 3 weeks. Accordingly, the cough goes away in a similar period.

Without appropriate or if it was incorrect, the disease can develop into a chronic form. In this case, the child coughs for more than 4 weeks and this repeats 3 times during the year.

Most often the fault prolonged cough V childhood is a respiratory infection.

But there are other possible causes that need to be excluded before prescribing treatment:

Prolonged coughing requires serious consideration and a thorough examination of the patient. Due to the fact that it is usually a symptom of chronic disease, identifying the cause can be problematic. To do this, a detailed anamnesis is collected, the circumstances under which the attacks occur are clarified, and an x-ray is taken.

Often, making a diagnosis in such a situation is possible only by consistently excluding the most probable causes. Sometimes a trial treatment is carried out even in the absence of direct evidence of a particular disease.

Sore throat and dry cough

There are also many reasons. With such coughing, there is no secretion or discharge of sputum; its second name is unproductive.

It is characteristic of the initial stage of many respiratory diseases And viral infections, such as:

• tracheitis

Several days after the child becomes ill, sputum production usually begins.

A severe, painful dry cough may be a symptom of one of the following: bacterial infections: whooping cough, diphtheria or tuberculosis. With whooping cough, it is paroxysmal, debilitating, and at the end of the attack a whistling sound is heard. With diphtheria it is rough, but with tuberculosis it can have absolutely any character.

Various allergens can provoke attacks of dry coughing: dust, pollen, feather pillows, pet hair, etc. At allergic reaction accompanying symptoms are lacrimation and runny nose.Cause of dry children's cough can serve insufficient humidity indoor air or excessive dust. As well as various chemical irritants: detergents and cleaners, paints, perfumes, tobacco smoke.

Gastroesophageal reflux can also cause tickling.

This is a phenomenon in which food from the stomach along with gastric juice enters the esophagus, irritating it. In this case, the child may complain of abdominal pain and heartburn. More often this happens when the baby takes a horizontal position.

A sudden dry cough may indicate that food or a foreign object has entered the respiratory tract.

Coughing at night

The appearance of coughing in a child at night is easily explained. When he is in a supine position, the resulting mucus flows freely through the nasopharynx to the respiratory tract. There it interferes with normal air circulation, making it difficult for the baby to breathe, as a result of which the cough reflex is triggered.

The reasons at night may be the same as in other cases. These are colds or viral in nature. As a rule, in the first stages, the symptoms of such diseases appear mainly at night.

Bronchial asthma on early stages can also manifest itself in this way. Coughing in a child at night can be a residual effect of bronchitis.A nighttime cough may be a symptom of an allergic reaction. Its exacerbation during sleep is explained by the fact that the allergen is in the child’s crib or next to it.

It could be:

• laundry detergent with a strong smell that was used to wash children's clothes
• poor quality bed dress, pajamas
• allergenic materials inside pillows, blankets, mattresses
• toys made of synthetics, rubber or plastic
• items that have recently been painted

In addition to a night cough, an allergic reaction is indicated by accompanying signs such as the appearance, slight swelling, sweating and tearfulness in the child.

To identify the allergen, it is necessary to remove suspicious things and objects from the children's room one by one, try to replace the bedding, and change the washing powder to hypoallergenic. After the child is protected from the cause of the allergy, night coughing will stop.

Coughing without fever

Most viral or respiratory diseases, as a rule, are accompanied not only by sharp increase. But it happens that a child begins to cough for no apparent reason, and besides, his body temperature is within normal limits. In any case, a cough does not occur for no reason, and if it does appear, then this should alert the baby’s parents.

The first thing that can lead to such a cough is foreign object in the respiratory tract. You urgently need to remove it yourself or call an ambulance, otherwise the child will begin to choke.

Improper treatment of bronchitis, tracheitis, and some other diseases leads to their transition to a chronic form. It is characterized by sluggish flow inflammatory process in the bronchi and lungs, as well as cough without fever. Another cause may be tuberculosis.

At bronchial asthma Coughing is not always accompanied by fever.

At the same time, the child experiences attacks of suffocation. A paroxysmal cough without any other symptoms may be a sign of inflammation. Coughing at normal temperatures is possible as a manifestation of a reaction to some allergen or irritant, as well as dry air.

Coughing in an infant

This is a phenomenon in infant, as in older children, in 9 out of 10 cases it is a symptom of an acute respiratory or viral infection.

But if a baby coughs no more than 20 times during the day, then it is probably physiological in nature. That is, it does not indicate the development of a certain disease, but is necessary for the baby to clear the airways of accumulated mucus. In this case, there is no need to treat the baby.

Insufficiently humid and overheated air in the children's room leads to drying of the mucous membranes and soreness in the baby. A mild cough is possible during teething.

But in addition to relatively harmless coughing in an infant, it can also be caused by more serious reasons.

Sometimes it is accompanying symptom enough serious illnesses requiring immediate treatment.Therefore, if such a phenomenon is detected in a baby, you should definitely contact a pediatrician or call an ambulance. Only experienced specialist will be able to objectively assess the child’s condition and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Treatment

Treatment methods for children's cough directly depend on the causes of this phenomenon.

• If coughing is caused by dry, overheated air, then you need to regularly ventilate the room. A special humidifier will help prevent the air from drying out too much.
• Cough allergic nature It is treated by identifying the allergen and eliminating it.
• Coughing as a symptom of a cold or viral disease, requires complex treatment. For a dry child, medications that suppress the cough reflex are indicated (Bronchicum, Codelac, and others). At productive cough– expectorants, mucolytics (, and others). The action of the former is aimed at stopping the debilitating, frequently recurring cough. The latter reduce the viscosity of sputum and promote its better discharge. Worked well for coughs various ointments and rubbing, for example Vicks Active in combination with massage.
• Drinking plenty of fluids helps thin and remove mucus. The child can be given all kinds of fruit drinks, compotes, milk with honey, tea with black currants, decoctions of medicinal plants: plantain, chamomile, linden.
• With more serious illnesses treatment must be prescribed by a doctor.

Coughing in a child is not an independent condition. Therefore, before doing anything, you must definitely find out the reason. To do this, you should contact your local pediatrician. After all, trying to get rid of coughing on your own can only make the situation worse.