Residual cough: how to identify and treat

Even official medicine believes that such a phenomenon as residual cough is a variant of the norm. With its help, the body gets rid of accumulations of mucus in the nasopharynx and bronchi. But quite often people confuse with residual cough chronic broncho-pulmonary or other diseases in which cough is one of the symptoms. How to treat a residual cough and how not to confuse it with a chronic one? Let's try to figure it out.

Signs and symptoms

The first sign that the cough is residual is a previous respiratory disease. Most often it is a cold, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, pharyngitis, laryngitis, etc. In some cases, the cough continues for some time after sinusitis, since the mucus constantly flowing into the throat during illness provoked severe irritation of the mucous membranes of the larynx and nasopharynx and her it takes time to recover.

Has a residual cough other obvious signs:

• it lasts no longer than 2-3 weeks, maximum (after complicated bronchitis - a month);
• sputum production is minimal, it is thick, has no color, unpleasant odor and traces of blood;
• coughing attacks are becoming less frequent, and the cough itself is weaker, turns into a rare coughing and gradually disappears completely;
• general health is good, there is no weakness, shortness of breath, fever;
• mucous membranes are gradually restored, become less sensitive, pain and redness in the throat disappear;
• the usual symptoms of respiratory diseases are completely absent: runny nose, muscle pain, dizziness, weakness.

If the cough after the illness lasts longer than 4 weeks, most likely, there are untreated foci of inflammation or the cough has other reasons that have not yet been identified. This means that you need to see a doctor and undergo a diagnostic examination.

Complementary treatment

The sick leave for residual cough is no longer extended and the person returns to work. Many are concerned about the question of whether a person who continues to cough after an illness is contagious. If the cough is infectious in nature, and the disease has not been cured, then this is quite possible, since infected saliva can scatter several meters. It is impossible to get infected from the usual residual cough, since the causative agent of the disease has already been eliminated.

But even if you go to work again, this is not a reason to abandon traditional methods of treatment, which help to quickly restore mucous membranes and remove residual cough. Moreover, many of them are very simple and can be used even in the workplace or after returning home:

• Inhalation. At work, you can use portable inhalers, which are filled with a mixture of essential oils. At home - an ordinary saucepan filled with hot water. For steam inhalation, a soda solution, decoctions of herbs (chamomile, sage, eucalyptus), “Zvezdochka” balm dissolved in water are suitable.
• Plentiful warm drink. Moisturizes mucous membranes, accelerates their recovery, washes away the remnants of mucus, has an anti-inflammatory effect, warms up and expands the bronchi. The most useful drink during the recovery period is chamomile broth, lime, ginger or raspberry tea, green hour with lemon and honey. You can drink it up to 5-6 cups a day.
• Breathing exercises. Helps to activate the immune system, increase the vital capacity of the lungs, restore the activity of the cilia lining the mucous membrane of the bronchi. You can do it 2-3 times a day, but it only takes 5-7 minutes. Coughing may worsen after exercise. This means that everything was done correctly, but there is still phlegm in the lungs or bronchi, which begins to cough up.
• Mucolytic agents. Their use is advisable if the phlegm after the illness still remains, but the cough is dry and it does not go away. It is best to buy pharmaceutical plant-based syrups "Mukaltin", "Alteyka", "Plantain syrup", "Doctor Mom", etc. But you can prepare them at home. Onion or ginger syrup, fig milk, burnt sugar with essential oils and lemon juice give a good expectorant effect.
• Oil solutions. Oil-based nasal drops, for example, "Pinosol", moisturize well the mucous throats and nasopharynx. You can drip your nose with olive, sea buckthorn, grape seed oil. This will help to quickly soothe the still dry cough and prevent its return.
• Improving immunity. Not to be confused with hardening procedures, which can be started only after complete recovery. Increased doses of vitamin C help to activate the immune system, citrus fruits, sour berries, and kiwi can provide it. You can drink multivitamins. Sunbathing and walking in the fresh air are useful.

These simple techniques, performed on a regular basis, can completely clear up residual coughs in just a couple of weeks. Evening warming up procedures will help to do this even faster.

Warming up and massage

Warming up and massage are great ways to treat residual coughs. Warming up the throat and bronchi dilates the blood vessels, providing the respiratory organs with an additional flow of oxygen. Recovery processes begin to take place in them more actively, breathing is facilitated and recovery occurs faster. It is necessary to do the procedures before going to bed, so that later you can stay in a warm bed. Most useful:

• vodka compress - for dry, superficial cough that remains after pharyngitis or laryngitis;
• mustard plasters - after bronchitis and pneumonia;
• oil wrap - after pneumonia;
• paraffin therapy - after any broncho-pulmonary diseases.

It is better to perform procedures every other day. Apply compresses and mustard plasters so that they do not fall on the heart area. The course of treatment is 5-7 procedures. During all this time, it is necessary to avoid active physical activity and sudden changes in temperature.

Massage of the chest or the whole body significantly speeds up recovery. If it is performed by a good specialist, it uses biologically active points. It enhances immunity, activates blood circulation, and improves general condition. When the mucus is stagnant and the patient cannot clear his throat, drainage massage helps, with the help of which the phlegm is "knocked out" of the bronchi and lungs.

How to speed up your recovery

The cough remaining after respiratory diseases will go away much faster if simple preventive measures are added to the treatment with folk remedies:

• quit smoking, at least until the residual cough subsides;
• keep away from drafts, stay away from operating air conditioners;
• exclude from the menu too hot, spicy, salty and sour foods - everything that can irritate the mucous membrane of the throat;
• monitor the temperature and humidity of the air in the working and living quarters, especially in the bedroom, regularly ventilate them, do wet cleaning;
• remove all irritants from the room: strongly smelling flowers and perfumes, household chemicals, pet hair, etc.;
• include in the diet as many vitamin-rich foods as possible: fresh vegetables and fruits, seafood, sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, etc.;
• try to gradually increase physical activity, walk more in the fresh air, do breathing exercises.

If folk methods on how to get rid of residual cough did not help, it continues to remain even after all the measures you have taken for more than four weeks - you will have to contact a specialist. The attending physician will prescribe additional tests and if they show the presence of an infection or a chronic disease, he will select an effective treatment, and possibly send you back to sick leave.

This will have to be done immediately if the body temperature has risen (even slightly!), The color or consistency of sputum has changed or its amount has increased, blood appears in the mucus, and the cough has become paroxysmal. This may indicate that there is an infection in the body.

Please note that in this case, others can be infected from you. So, by taking timely measures to identify and eliminate the disease, you will take care not only of yourself, but also of your family members.