Compress from dry and wet cough: how to do it correctly?

Cough is a rather unpleasant symptom that accompanies most respiratory diseases. Despite the fact that today pharmacies have many medications designed to relieve coughing fits, many people seek help from folk recipes - proven methods to eliminate or reduce painful symptoms. A cough compress is just such an "old", but very effective method that can be used at almost any age. Simplicity, availability and effectiveness - these are the main advantages of treating cough with compresses.

Does a cough compress cure a cough in the evening?

Cough compresses are quite versatile, so they are appreciated by both folk healers and traditional medicine. Such simple treatment helps to eliminate cough during tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, colds, whooping cough and other respiratory and cold diseases, and recovery occurs quickly - sometimes you can get rid of the cough even in one evening. The main thing is to carry out the procedure correctly, taking into account all the recommendations. For example, if the compress is installed in the wrong sequence, or not bandaged enough, the patient will feel not warming, but cooling. This will not only not lead to a cure, but also provoke the development of complications.

Cough compresses are a distracting and warming treatment. The thermal effect is usually soft and soothing: the blood vessels expand, blood flow to the inflamed area improves, and phlegm is liquefied and removed. This treatment is considered an excellent addition to all kinds of medications and traditional medicine.

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Indications for the procedure

A cough compress is most often a multi-layer bandage consisting of different components. It is these components, as well as correctly laid layers, that together provide a distracting, warming and resolving effect. During the procedure, there is a prolonged expansion of small and large blood vessels, due to which the blood flow to the affected area increases. As a result, the area of inflammation is absorbed, sputum is liquefied, irritated tissues are calmed, and the cough gradually disappears.

Compresses for severe dry coughs most often have a vodka, honey, mustard base. You can also use medications - for example, dimexide.

Wet coughs are well eliminated by cabbage or paraffin treatments.

A cough compress is not used for fever, no matter how medicinal it is. This should be remembered if you need to treat a cough that accompanies various viral diseases that are accompanied by an increase in body temperature. First, you need to wait for the temperature to normalize, and only then begin warming procedures.

Cough compresses for bronchitis have always been considered basic treatment procedures. In addition to bronchitis, such treatment is indicated:

• for pharyngitis;
• for acute respiratory diseases, ARVI;
• for laryngitis;
• in case of pneumonia;
• for uncomplicated tonsillitis;
• for colds.

A compress for colds and coughs is applied in the evening, closer to bedtime. It should be placed in the chest area, in the area that needs to be warmed up: this can be done from the back or chest, avoiding the area of the heart projection (it should be left free). We will provide general rules for such treatment below.

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Preparation

The preparatory stage that precedes the application of a cough compress may vary, depending on the components included in the remedy. A standard warming compress involves the following preparation:

• In advance, you should prepare wax paper, cotton wool, bandage or gauze, alcohol or vodka, scissors, or other necessary tools and devices, depending on the type of compress.
• If necessary, the patient is explained the purpose and course of the upcoming manipulations (this is especially important if the procedure is performed on children).
• The person who will apply the cough compress should wash their hands first.
• To avoid irritation, the skin surface in the area where the compress is supposed to be applied is lubricated with baby cream, petroleum jelly or vegetable oil.

It is better to carry out the procedures in the evening, before going to bed. It has been proven that a compress at night helps better against cough, since the body has all the conditions for recovery. In addition, a patient with a warm compress calms down and falls asleep faster.

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Technique cough compresses

Respiratory diseases are often accompanied by coughing fits. In such a situation, the doctor may recommend applying compresses, which can quickly alleviate the condition and speed up the healing process.

Warming compresses for coughs have many advantages:

• practically do not cause side effects;
• do not cause the body to become addicted;
• suitable for the treatment of adults and children;
• are inexpensive;
• are available in a domestic environment at almost any time.

There are many options for making a cough compress at home, recipes are offered for every "taste and color". However, it is necessary to take into account the type of cough in order to act on it correctly:

• Dry cough is an indication for the use of compresses with mustard, honey, alcohol or dimexide.
• A wet cough is a reason to include paraffin, cabbage, and other plant components in the compress.
• Compresses based on oil, cottage cheese or potatoes are universal and can be used to treat any type of cough.

The best compresses for cough

Below we will present a number of the most common recipes that are particularly popular with doctors, folk healers, and the patients themselves.

• A honey cough compress is considered particularly effective, but only if done correctly. A honey cough compress acts easily and gently: vodka acts as a warming agent, and honey, absorbed into the tissues, gives them all the useful substances it has, acting as a kind of biostimulant. How to make such a compress? Take natural honey, smear it on the chest, avoiding the heart projection area. Next, take a small cloth napkin, moisten it with vodka and apply it to the chest over the honey. Then fix the structure with oilcloth, then a scarf or shawl (preferably woolen). Leave it until the morning, then remove it, and wipe the skin with a towel soaked in warm water or herbal infusion.
• A compress with dimexide for cough has long been used in official medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic agent. Dimexide for a compress is diluted with water (approximately 50/50). The resulting liquid is heated in a water bath (you can use a microwave oven) to body temperature. A cloth napkin is moistened in warm liquid, squeezed out and applied to the chest area. A polyethylene film and a warm scarf are fixed on top of the fabric. The bandage is kept on the body for no more than an hour.
• A potato compress for cough is considered one of the most popular recipes, and exists in two interpretations. For treatment, you can use both boiled and raw potatoes. For example, a raw potato is grated, distributed over a piece of gauze (in one layer). The patient's skin is wiped with vinegar, a bandage with warm and raw potato mass is applied, fixed with a warm scarf. The effect of the compress can be enhanced if grated black radish is added to the potatoes. Another potato compress for cough is known: boil several potatoes with the peel, mash them into a puree, and the resulting mass is distributed over two layers of fabric. The compress is applied to the chest area, fixed and insulated. Remove the bandage after the mass has cooled.
• A mustard compress for cough is used only for adult practice, since mustard powder can cause a fairly severe burn when in contact with delicate baby skin. Take one tablespoon of dry mustard, the same amount of vegetable oil and flour. Form a flat cake from the entire mass, distribute it over the surface of the chest, cover with plastic wrap on top and fix with a scarf or kerchief. Keep the compress for 10-20 minutes, if the patient does not experience severe discomfort in the form of burning and pain. If pronounced unpleasant symptoms appear, stop the procedure: remove the bandage, and wash the skin with warm water. The treatment can be repeated no more often than every other day.
• A cough compress with honey and mustard warms up perfectly, promoting a speedy recovery. It is prepared as follows: melt honey in a water bath, add mustard powder (1 teaspoon of powder per 100 ml of honey). A piece of cloth or gauze folded 3-4 times is placed on the patient's chest, and the warm medicinal honey-mustard mass is spread over it. Cover with film and a warm scarf or blanket on top. If a strong burning sensation appears, stop the procedure, remove the bandage, and wipe the skin of the chest with warm water.
• A cough compress with honey, flour and mustard is allowed to be applied only to adult patients. Take fresh honey, apply it in a thin layer to the chest or back area. Next, mix mustard powder and flour in equal parts, brew with boiling water and make a dough, which is applied to the bandage in the form of a flat cake of any shape. The compress is placed on top of the honey and secured to the chest. If possible, hold for several hours, but if a strong burning sensation or redness of the skin appears, remove the compress.
• A cabbage leaf cough compress is especially often used in pediatric practice. For the procedure, you will need large leaves of ordinary white cabbage: they are placed in boiling water for literally one minute, then allowed to cool slightly and applied to the chest on clean skin, wrapped in film and a warm scarf. If you first coat the skin of the chest with real honey, and only then apply warm cabbage leaves, you will get another, more effective cough compress with honey and cabbage. This procedure can be repeated twice a day for a week. The first results will be visible already during the first day of using this type of treatment. A cabbage compress for cough is best suited for enhancing the removal of phlegm from the bronchi or trachea, as well as for stopping the main signs of inflammation. Patients say that for the procedure it is better to choose not the very top leaves, but those that are located in the next layer. Cabbage compress for cough is allowed to be used to improve the condition of women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• An alcohol compress for cough is popular due to its availability and effectiveness. Its essence is as follows: a cloth napkin or gauze towel is soaked in alcohol and distributed evenly in the chest area, avoiding the heart projection area. Polyethylene or oilcloth is placed on top, fixed with a bandage, then a warm towel or blanket. It is preferable to carry out the procedure before bedtime.
• A vodka compress for coughs acts more gently than an alcohol compress and can stay on the skin longer. A vodka compress for coughs is prepared as follows: a piece of natural fabric is generously moistened with vodka, squeezed out, placed on the skin of the chest from the back, covered with a polyethylene film larger than the fabric. The bandage is fixed, covered warmly.
• A cough compress with vodka and honey is prepared in this way. Take a bowl, pour three tablespoons of vodka and two tablespoons of real honey into it. Soak gauze or cloth in the resulting solution, apply to the chest and fix for at least 4-5 hours. If the patient complains of a burning sensation, then remove the bandage earlier.
• A salt compress for cough is considered one of the simplest and no less effective ways to alleviate the patient's well-being. This is more of a lotion than a compress, for the preparation of which it is allowed to use rock or sea salt. First, prepare a salt solution: take 100 g of salt per liter of hot water. Soak a piece of gauze or a cloth napkin in the resulting solution, apply it to the chest, and wrap it up warmly. Keep the bandage on the body until it cools completely.
• A compress of cottage cheese for cough, at first glance, seems absurd. However, experts claim that cottage cheese perfectly relieves pain, eliminates tissue swelling and, as it were, “pulls” the disease out of the body. Prepare about half a kilogram of fresh cottage cheese, distribute it over a cloth napkin in one layer, equal to about ½ centimeter. Place the compress on the skin with the napkin down, and cover it with another piece of cloth on top. The entire bandage should have body temperature before laying it down, so it can be warmed up a little (for example, on a radiator). Fix the bandage with a scarf and hold it on the chest until the curd mass dries.
• Oil compresses for coughs have become popular not so long ago. Previously, they were used mainly for sore throats or laryngitis, applied to the front of the neck. An oil compress for coughs turned out to be no less useful for pneumonia, chronic or acute inflammation of the bronchi - however, in this case, it should be applied to the chest. The preparation method is simple: warm up a little olive oil (olive, corn, or even sunflower) in a water bath, soak a cloth napkin in warm oil, and apply it to the patient's chest. Put wax paper on top of the cloth and insulate with a scarf or towel. Keep it on the body for several hours (for example, until the morning).
• A compress with dioxidine for cough involves using a 1% solution of the drug. This treatment cannot be used to treat pregnant or lactating women or children. A cloth napkin is moistened in 1% dioxidine, applied to the chest, a piece of cellophane or waxed paper is placed on top, fixed with a bandage and covered with a warm blanket. Keep the product on the skin for 45-50 minutes, once a day.
• A cough compress with propolis is an excellent warming and soothing remedy recommended for various respiratory diseases. It is enough to buy propolis tincture at the pharmacy, dilute it in half with warm water. Moisten a cloth napkin with the solution, apply it to the chest, cover with polyethylene and a warm scarf (towel). Keep the compress for 30-60 minutes, provided that there are no unpleasant sensations in the form of burning and pain.
• A cough compress with dimexide and euphyllin can only be prescribed by a doctor: self-administration of this combination of medications can be dangerous. To prepare the solution, mix one part of dimexide with 4 parts of water, then add ½ ampoule of euphyllin. Moisten a piece of gauze with a warm solution, apply to the chest, cover with film and woolen cloth. The procedure is carried out at night, and its duration should not exceed 30 minutes. The course of treatment is no more than five days.
• A fat compress for cough is often used to treat children. To get rid of a paroxysmal cough, the patient is rubbed with such an ointment: take 50 g of fat (pork, ram, goat, badger), melt in a water bath, cool and mix with 2 tbsp. vodka. To enhance the effect, you can add a few drops of pine, fir, eucalyptus essential oil. Rub the mass into the chest area, then apply a warm scarf or shawl, cover with a blanket. Leave overnight, and in the morning - remove and dress the patient warmly.
• A cough compress with Vishnevsky ointment eliminates coughing fits, relieves wheezing in the chest, but only if the treatment was carried out at the initial stage of the inflammatory process. Take a fairly wide piece of gauze, apply Vishnevsky ointment to it, apply to the chest area. Place a layer of polyethylene film on top, cover with a warm scarf, fix. Keep the bandage for at least 1-2 hours. Treatment can last 5-6 days in a row.

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Cough compress for adults

For adults, folk treatment, in particular, the use of compresses, often becomes a substitute for visiting a doctor. This is fundamentally wrong, because it is important to first determine the cause and nature of the cough, and only then consider the possibility of using thermal procedures. It should not be forgotten that compresses are contraindicated in tuberculosis, tumor processes, and serious heart diseases. To exclude the listed pathologies, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis with a doctor.

You should also keep the following precautions in mind:

• if the compress contains dimexide, then such treatment cannot be carried out in case of heart problems or insufficient kidney function;
• Before starting the procedures, it is necessary to take into account all possible allergic reactions in order to avoid the development of complications;
• any compresses on the chest for coughing are applied without touching the area of the heart projection (warming up the heart area can negatively affect the functioning of the vital organ).

The choice of the area for applying the compress depends on the characteristics of the cough and on which part of the respiratory tract is affected by the inflammatory process. In case of damage to the bronchi, trachea, lungs, warming is carried out over the entire chest (front and back, with the exception of the heart projection area). A cough compress on the throat can be used for a superficial cough associated with laryngitis, pharyngitis, uncomplicated tonsillitis. In such a situation, the cough (mainly a coughing fit) is only a reflex, as it occurs as a result of inflammatory irritation of the upper respiratory tract. After stopping the inflammatory process, such a cough goes away on its own after a while.

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Cough compresses during pregnancy

Any illness, including a mild cold cough, against the background of reduced immunity can result in various complications. This is exactly what often happens during pregnancy. Therefore, it is very important to take measures at the first painful signs and fight any ailment. However, the difficulty is that pregnant women are given a "taboo" on most medications. How can you influence a cough? Compresses come to the rescue. Although you should not forget that only a doctor has the right to prescribe them.

With the doctor's permission, compresses based on potatoes and paraffin are allowed. It is believed that procedures based on the action of vodka, alcohol or vinegar should not be used by pregnant patients. Therefore, preference should be given to dry heat.

In the absence of hypersensitivity to bee products, it is possible to use honey compresses for coughs, but not often and with great caution.

The general rules for applying compresses during pregnancy are no different. Avoid getting the compress components on the abdominal area and do not self-medicate. It is also unacceptable to let the cough "take its course": severe coughing attacks can cause placental abruption, increased uterine tone and other serious complications.

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Cough compress for a child

Eliminating cough in children is not an easy task, especially when it comes to infants. However, according to experts, cough compresses are acceptable for use in treating patients of any age. Of course, provided that all contraindications are taken into account and the nuances of the procedure are observed.

A cough compress for children under one year of age should be applied with extreme caution: its base should not be alcohol or vodka, and it should not be hot. Dry heat can be applied for a short time, as well as oil compresses (for example, camphor oil).

The procedures are not performed in case of high body temperature, skin rash, prickly heat, allergic rashes, heart pathologies, or during treatment with strong antibiotics.

For older children, compresses are applied in the evening and kept for several hours (or all night). For children under 3-4 years old, this approach is unacceptable: the procedure is carried out in the evening, but after 30-120 minutes the product is removed and the skin is wiped with a warm, damp cloth. Then the baby is well wrapped up and sent to bed.

When preparing for this type of treatment for children, you need to remember: the child should never complain of any discomfort. If the baby cries, indicates a burning sensation, tingling, or simply shows obvious signs of anxiety, then the treatment should be stopped, switching to other gentle procedures.

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Contraindications to the procedure

Cough compresses will only bring a positive effect if the procedures are carried out correctly and combined with other folk and traditional methods of therapy. In general, compresses are considered the most gentle therapeutic effects that are not capable of negatively affecting the patient's body: they can be used to eliminate cough, including in the elderly, children, and women expecting a child. However, one should not forget about the contraindications for this type of treatment:

• high body temperature, fever;
• visible injuries and damage to the integrity of the skin in the area where the compress is supposed to be applied (this includes scratches, ulcers, abrasions, insect bites, cracks, rashes, wounds, burns);
• heart disease (if the compress is supposed to be applied to the chest);
• high blood pressure, hypertension;
• tumor processes;
• allergic reactions, hypersensitivity to any of the components used to prepare the cough compress;
• tuberculosis.

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Consequences after the procedure

If a cough compress is applied incorrectly, with errors and violations, then complications may well arise after the procedure in the form of skin irritation and even burns.

To avoid negative manifestations, you need to follow these rules:

• the skin must first be treated with Vaseline or baby cream;
• Do not apply the product if there are any damages or dermatological problems on the skin;
• the manipulation is carried out only on dry, clean skin;
• The product must not be applied if iodine is applied to the skin.

A properly applied compress does not cause burning, itching, tightness, or pain. The patient should feel comfortable, warm, and calm. If there are unpleasant sensations in the form of tingling, burning, deterioration in health, or difficulty breathing, the bandage should be removed as soon as possible. When the compress is applied correctly, the skin should have an even pink tint, but not a red spot (this indicates a possible burn).

The appearance of obvious redness, swelling and rash indicates the development of an allergic reaction to the ingredients used to prepare the cough compress.

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Care after the procedure

Warming compresses for cough are usually applied at night, as their effect should last for six or eight hours. If the allotted time has already passed (for example, in the morning), then the product is removed, the skin is wiped dry and well insulated (with a scarf, blanket, shawl). It is better if after the procedure the patient lies under the blanket for another hour or more.

After removing the compress, it is not recommended to:

• engage in active physical activity;
• shout, talk loudly;
• run, jump, go outside;
• take a shower.

Also, you should not immediately apply a new compress: the skin and the body as a whole must fully recover after the treatment. It is optimal to apply the remedy once a day at night, unless the doctor has prescribed otherwise. It is preferable to maintain an interval of 4-6 hours between procedures.

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Reviews

Medical practice indicates that cough compresses can be effective in treating many respiratory diseases: warming up improves the condition of patients in a short time, copes with the inflammatory process, and therefore becomes an excellent addition to the prescribed drug treatment.

The procedures must be done with caution, or not done at all, if the patient has complaints about the heart, or there are suspicions of oncology. Doctors are quick to remind that a compress cannot become a panacea for all diseases associated with cough, even despite its effectiveness.

The patients themselves overwhelmingly leave only good reviews about such procedures to combat cough. Basic recipes for compresses are affordable, do not require large financial costs, and against this background are no less effective. Often, patients manage to significantly alleviate their condition and even get rid of cough when there are problems with obtaining a doctor's consultation (for example, during vacation or travel).

In general, a cough compress can be safely called a universal remedy for most respiratory diseases: if you strictly adhere to the rules of the procedure, the risk of side effects is reduced to zero, and the effect can be felt within the first day.