The cough itself is the body's defense response to stimuli from the external environment. These can be allergens, sputum in the respiratory tract, microorganisms, pus, or a foreign body. To answer the question of what a cough is, you need to understand the mechanism of its occurrence. Immediately, we note that it is not a cough that needs to be treated (it is just a symptom), but the disease that accompanies it.
Mechanism of occurrence
If one of the irritants (fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.) enters the upper respiratory tract, the mucous membrane begins to actively produce secretions in the form of sputum. This secret envelops the irritant and thus prevents it from penetrating into our body. Muscles along all the airways begin to contract. As a result, a coughing fit occurs, and the mucus is removed from the body, taking with it all the harmful bacteria and microbes.
It is with the help of bronchospasms that the airways are cleared. Therefore, doctors recommend treating not the cough itself, but the one that causes it. At the same time, eliminating a spastic cough or any other, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the mucous membrane. Do not allow it to dry out excessively. During the rehabilitation process, it is recommended:
- drink plenty of warm liquid;
- carry out inhalations;
- monitor the humidity in the room;
- carry out wet cleaning regularly.
All of the above can help alleviate attacks and reduce their frequency. Cough, although it is a protective reaction of our body and promotes the removal of foreign bodies from the respiratory system, can still be dangerous. What is it?
Danger
Cough is dangerous, first of all, because it can transform into a chronic form. According to doctors, this type of cough is extremely difficult to treat - it takes a lot of time and effort to recover. That is why treatment in the first place should be aimed at eliminating the key factor - the disease, and not a symptom in the form of a cough. If you notice that bronchospasm does not go away for a very long time and you can safely talk about a protracted form of cough, immediately consult a doctor. This will protect you from a number of negative consequences.
The danger also lies in the possibility of rupture of the eye vessels in severe attacks. Of course, this does not carry any serious consequences for the body, but it can still cause some discomfort. By the way, a strong convulsive cough harms not only the eye, but also many other vessels in the body.
Separately, it is worth touching on the topic of pregnancy, with it, a spasmodic type of cough poses a threat to both the mother and the unborn child. Spasms interfere with the normal blood supply to the fetus, the supply of nutrients and oxygen. They can also provoke detachment of the placenta, which will be extremely negative during pregnancy. Typically, a persistent, persistent cough is viral.
What diseases cause bronchospasm in children and adults
Diseases - causes of seizures:
With bronchitis, a painful acute cough is observed, which gives the patient many problems. At the initial stage of the disease, it is dry and unproductive, but over time it transforms into a productive wet one. The mucus itself is at first quite watery, but then thickens.- Obstructive bronchitis. With such an ailment, a dull sound and duration of bronchospasms are characteristic. Cold air increases the intensity of the attacks. Pus can be seen in the sputum after expectoration.
- With bronchial asthma, the patient is diagnosed with a dry, unproductive cough without mucus, which is accompanied by a feeling of tension in the chest. However, all asthmatics should not be afraid of it, but asthma attacks. In this case, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
- With pneumonia, a strong, tearful cough appears and does not go away for a long time. From the side of the affected lung, piercing pain is clearly felt. Coughing up with dark brown phlegm. In addition, the following symptoms are diagnosed: rapid breathing, fever, chest (abdominal) pains, active perspiration, and so on.
Tracheitis is invariably accompanied by a dry, unproductive cough that is worse at night. At the same time, coughing attacks are very easy to provoke by crying, excessively deep breaths and sudden temperature changes in the environment. The phlegm is highly viscous and is very difficult to remove from the respiratory tract.- Whooping cough - preschoolers often suffer from this disease, but then, fortunately, they acquire lifelong immunity. Whooping cough is convulsive in nature. Bronchospasm attacks occur so often and actively that even vomiting is possible.
- Such a formidable disease as pulmonary tuberculosis is, at first, accompanied only by coughing attacks. There are no other symptoms. Over time, a dry cough becomes moist, and blood clots are clearly visible in the sputum. With tuberculosis, we can talk about a chronic form of cough, which does not go away over time.
With bronchitis, a painful acute cough is observed, which gives the patient many problems. At the initial stage of the disease, it is dry and unproductive, but over time it transforms into a productive wet one. The mucus itself is at first quite watery, but then thickens.
Tracheitis is invariably accompanied by a dry, unproductive cough that is worse at night. At the same time, coughing attacks are very easy to provoke by crying, excessively deep breaths and sudden temperature changes in the environment. The phlegm is highly viscous and is very difficult to remove from the respiratory tract.Types of cough
The classification of a cough is usually based on many factors:
- According to the strength of bronchospasm, cough is divided into hysterical and in the form of periodic coughing.
- In terms of duration, it can be protracted (up to 4 weeks), subacute (up to 8 weeks) and chronic (attacks disturb the patient for more than two months). The main causes of chronic cough are: frequent inhalation of chemical vapors, smoking and a high level of dust in the room. As a rule, the chronic form is especially active at night during sleep (due to lying
position of a person). - Productive and unproductive - these types of coughs are classified based on the nature of the bronchospasm. A productive cough is accompanied by an active secretion of sputum. Together with it, the body is cleansed of harmful microbes and viruses. As for dry bronchospasm, it is unproductive, since sputum separation is not accompanied. In this case, the attacks may be accompanied by acute pain in the chest.
- The types of cough in children and adults can also be classified by the type of mucus that comes off. Bronchospasm may be accompanied by purulent, mucous, bloody and serous sputum.
- In terms of timbre, the cough is soundless, hoarse, chesty, ringing, barking, deaf, short.
- If we take into account the time of activation of bronchospasm, then we can distinguish a night, morning, evening and seasonal cough (in the autumn-winter period it is caused by ARVI, and in the spring - by allergy).
position of a person).Treatment
If we talk about rehabilitation measures, then they should be carried out taking into account the characteristic features of the attacks and the type of cough itself. For example, if bronchospasm is caused by ARVI, then it is not difficult to cope with it at home. With a dry, unproductive cough, you should regularly replenish the loss of fluid from the body with plenty of warm drinks.
For severe periodic attacks, it is recommended to take antitussive drugs such as Ephedrine, Codeine, Glaucine, and so on. After the formation of sputum, they should be discontinued. They are being replaced by mucolytic drugs that thin and accelerate the production of phlegm. We are talking about the following drugs: "Bromhexine", "Ambroxol", "Acetylcysteine".
Even a strong viral cough in a child is rarely treated with antibacterial agents. Moreover, only the attending physician should select the drug and its dose, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.
Remember that viral cough cannot be treated with antibiotics. They do not fight viruses, but disease-causing bacteria. Otherwise, you can achieve the opposite results and significantly disrupt the clinical picture. In addition, the thoughtless use of such drugs leads to a weakening of the immune system, which can cause the appearance of other diseases.
Popular recipes and time-tested procedures help to calm strong cough attacks. We are talking about compresses, inhalations, rubbing and so on.
In addition, it is extremely important to create optimal conditions for reducing the intensity of seizures. The humidity in the room should not fall below 60 percent. The optimum temperature is plus 21-22 degrees Celsius.
We recommend that you urgently see a doctor if:
- the cough lasts more than 3 weeks;
- it is complemented by other symptoms (fever, asthma attacks, and others);
- blood clots or pus are clearly visible in the sputum;
- the child suffers from barking cough attacks;
- bronchospasm is accompanied by severe pain in the chest;
- vomiting is observed.
Separately, it should be said about the cough that occurs due to the ingress of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. Cough attacks pass against the background of blue skin of the face, loss of consciousness, inability to inhale / exhale.
In this case, immediately call an ambulance. The person must be gently turned over with the chest down and perform several moderate thrusts in the back (for the most part, this technique helps to remove a foreign body).
If the object does not come out, you need to tilt the person face down and then press on the xiphoid process (it is located in the lower part of the sternum). In this case, you should be behind the patient's back and hug him strongly with your hands (fold your palms in the form of a lock). This technique is effective because the foreign body is removed by air from the lungs.
