Coughing up phlegm without fever

Cough is a reflex act, expressed by a strong exhalation, the cause of which is a spasmodic contraction of the muscular tissues of the respiratory tract, which occurs as a result of irritation of certain receptors. Often, you can observe a cough with sputum without fever.

This clinical picture is not a disease, but only its defining symptoms.

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Causes of cough with phlegm without fever

Cough can also be called an assistant to the body, because during coughing, excess phlegm and foreign bodies that “clog” the human respiratory tract are removed from the respiratory tract, which invariably helps in the fight against the disease.

Sputum is a secretory discharge that begins to be actively produced against the background of an inflammatory process affecting the respiratory organs, as well as during the invasion of the respiratory tract by an infection of various etiologies.

The secretion of secretory fluid may well be a normal factor, since the human respiratory system constantly produces mucus (for example, a smoker's morning cough), but it is quite possible that this is a symptom of pathological changes in the human body. The causes of coughing with phlegm without fever can be different, but only a specialist can identify the source of the pathology. After all, such symptoms can be caused by: •

• An allergic reaction of the human body to some external allergen.
• A malfunction in the cardiovascular system, namely heart failure, can also provoke a cough with phlegm without fever.
• The presence of foreign bodies in the hollow organs that conduct air to the pulmonary alveoli.
• The effect on the walls that limit the respiratory tract of toxic substances that penetrate from the environment during inhalation.
• Sexually transmitted diseases can also lead to similar symptoms.
• Bad habits such as smoking can cause a cough with phlegm without fever. In this way, the lungs try to clear themselves of nicotine resins that settle on the walls of the respiratory organs.

Acute and chronic forms of respiratory diseases of various etiologies. These may be:

• Bronchiectatic pathologies.
• Pulmonary edema.
• Tracheitis.
• Pneumonia.
• Bronchitis.
• Cystic fibrosis.
• Sinusitis.
• Lung abscess.
• Tuberculosis.
• Bronchial asthma.
• Anthrax spores.
• Such symptoms, manifested during sleep and in the morning, immediately after a person wakes up from sleep, can be caused by bed mites, which live, for the most part, in feather pillows.
• Malignant tumor in the lungs.
• Pulmonary infarction.

In children and adolescents, other sources may be added to the above list that can provoke the occurrence of the symptoms in question:

A cough with phlegm without fever may be a sign of dryness in the room where the child spends a lot of time.

• As a symptom of parasitic invasion, such as helminths, roundworms, pinworms and others. Although to a lesser extent, this lesion can also affect an adult.
• Diseases affecting the digestive tract can also provoke such a cough.
• Whooping cough can cause such a reaction in the body.
• Oddly enough, such symptoms can also manifest as deviations of a psychological nature.
• As a reaction of the body to any chemical product, including household chemicals.
• The cause of the symptoms in question may be a foreign object that has entered the baby’s respiratory system.

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Symptoms of cough with phlegm without fever

Sputum is a secretory product that is excreted from the human body together with a cough. Depending on the color and texture of the secretion coming out, the symptoms of a cough with sputum without fever “tell” the specialist what kind of disease has affected the patient’s body. Another possible answer may be a statement that there is no pathology, since the secretions of the respiratory organs constantly produce mucus. After all, it protects the human respiratory organs from the ingress of foreign substances (for example, toxic chemical compounds, dust, foreign objects), and the immune defense cells contained in it are among the first to enter the fight against pathogenic microorganisms trying to invade the human body.

The inner walls of the bronchi are lined with an epithelial layer equipped with cilia. It is their movement that allows mucus to be removed, cleaning the organs. A healthy organism secretes about 100 ml of exudate per day, which is a small volume. It is mainly swallowed reflexively by a person, without even noticing it.

If there is a pathologically developing process in the human body, the volume of mucus produced increases rapidly and can reach 1.5 liters per day. Swallowing such an amount is problematic, and unnecessary, and even dangerous.

The shade of the mucus coming out, its composition and texture are also important. Exudate can be structured as follows:

• With blood streaks.
• Glassy mucus.
• Serous discharge similar to blood serum.
• Purulent-mucous discharge.
• Just slime.

Diagnosis of cough with sputum without fever

There are a number of pathological diseases, the progression of which is accompanied by a large amount of mucus discharge. At the same time, an experienced specialist is able to make a completely correct assumption about the disease present in the patient's body based on the structure and even the color of the exudate.

Therefore, the diagnosis of cough with sputum without fever begins with an assessment of the structure of the secretions and their color. It may, of course, be that the shade of sputum is obtained by coloring it with food products. For example, after eating dishes that include beets or carrots. Red wine, coffee and many other products can color mucus. Therefore, it is primarily this factor that should be excluded. But, in most cases, the shade of the exudate is given by the disease and the processes occurring with it that are negative for the health of the patient.

• For example, in the case of asthma, coughing produces transparent mucus of increased density.
• If pneumonia is diagnosed, the exudate will be greenish-yellow or yellow in color.
• In case of lobar pneumonia, the color of sputum has a rusty tint.
• In case of bronchitis or various strains of flu, purulent mucus comes out together with the cough, which is colored greenish-yellow. Blood streaks may well appear.
• In case of pulmonary infarction, one of the symptoms of this pathology is exudate of a bright red hue.
• If pulmonary edema progresses, the discharge will be foamy in nature, with blood streaks.
• Yellowish-brown exudate is present in the symptoms of lung abscess.
• Bronchogenic form of cancer in the lungs, marked by the combined release of cough and mucus in red (bloody) colored fibers.
• If a specialist observes the discharge of sputum in white flakes, he may assume that the lungs are affected by fungal forms.
• Pulmonary abscess, bronchiectatic diseases and necrotic processes (for example, gangrene) cause the release of greenish sputum. Mucus of this color always indicates diseases in which the characteristic feature is the suspension of the outflow. Green exudate indicates that the body is affected by an infection that has already begun to multiply, and, therefore, the disease continues to progress. For example, tracheobronchitis trivially begins with a common trivial runny nose. Some of the mucus is blown out, but some of it flows down the back of the throat. This sputum leaves the patient's body along with a cough. At the same time, such secretions have a very unpleasant "aroma".

After a visual examination of the patient, the doctor prescribes additional examination, which may include:

• Analysis of sputum for the presence of infection, bacterial and fungal lesions, as well as determination of the causative agent of the disease.
• An X-ray may be ordered.
• Other clarifying diagnostic methods.

In any case, when palpable sputum appears, it would not be superfluous to seek advice from a specialist. And the sooner a person decides to take such a step, the sooner doubts about the cause of the cough with sputum without fever will be dispelled, and, accordingly, appropriate adequate therapeutic measures will be taken. Sometimes, not only his health, but also his life depends on how quickly the patient consults a specialist. After all, even pneumonia can pass without an increase in body temperature.

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Treatment of cough with phlegm without fever

It should be remembered that if a person is bothered by a cough, there is phlegm, and the temperature remains normal, it is necessary to increase the volume of liquid that a person drinks throughout the day. This approach will allow to liquefy the viscosity of mucus, which will make it easier to remove it with a cough, clearing the respiratory tract. You should not prescribe antibiotics to yourself, this step can only worsen the situation.

Before starting to relieve the problem, it is necessary to correctly establish the cause; only from this approach can one expect effective treatment and a favorable outcome of the disease.

After the correct diagnosis, treatment of cough with phlegm without fever begins with a schedule of treatment protocol corresponding to the established pathology. It is also necessary to determine the quality of the cough: wet or dry.

The treatment protocol is prescribed to the patient strictly individually. The attending physician should not only start from a specific disease, but also take into account the severity of the pathology and the changes that have already occurred in the patient's body, the patient's medical history and his individual characteristics. When prescribing medications, the doctor should also take into account the pharmacodynamics of the drugs, their characteristics of interaction with other drugs, as well as contraindications, side effects that the prescribed drug may cause and the age of the patient.

The patient is diagnosed with a wet cough, then it is advisable for him to drink a lot of fluids, which may include various herbal infusions and decoctions. For their preparation, medicinal natural material is used, which has enveloping, expectorant, bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory properties, and such medicines should effectively relieve excitation of the bronchial mucosa. There are many such plants, but the most used in therapy are oregano, calamus, coltsfoot, sweet clover (yellow), licorice (smooth licorice, licorice), chamomile, lanceolate thermopsis, marshmallow, elecampane, plantain, sage and others.

In the absence of contraindications, such a patient is prescribed inhalations and irrigation of the nasopharynx with sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, soda solutions, sodium benzoate, as well as using plant extracts that have the above-mentioned properties.

After such procedures, irritation of the respiratory tract mucosa decreases, which helps reduce spasmodic reflexes that provoke coughing fits, and the smooth muscle tissues of the lungs relax. Against the background of the action of these drugs, the viscosity of the exudate decreases, which facilitates its removal. Parents of infants should only know that steam inhalations are strictly contraindicated for babies under one year old. For older children (under six years old), such a procedure is carried out only as prescribed by a doctor and under the watchful eye of a health worker or parents.

If a patient of any age has a history of central nervous system damage, such patients are strictly contraindicated to take such drugs as Thermopsis and Ipecac. The combination of pathology and these drugs, on the contrary, increases the spasm of the smooth muscles of the bronchi, activating coughing, which can even cause vomiting. The combination of the gag reflex and coughing can lead to asphyxia (a state of increasing suffocation associated with a sharp lack of oxygen in the body) and aspiration (penetration of vomit into the respiratory tract).

Of the medications prescribed for cough with phlegm without fever are:

• Expectorant drugs: bronchopam, amtersol, helicidine, Doctor Mom, mucaltin, pulmotin, sinupret, travisil, eucalyptus Doctor Theiss and many others.

Travisil is released to the pharmaceutical market in the form of absorbable tablets, syrup and lozenges. The drug is taken orally.

If prescribed as a syrup, Travisil is taken by adult patients and adolescents over 12 years of age at 5-10 ml three times a day. The syrup is taken undiluted. The medicine should be shaken well before the procedure. The duration of the course of treatment is determined by the attending physician, based on the clinical picture of the disease and the characteristics of the patient's body. The daily dosage should not exceed 30 ml.

For small patients, whose age falls between three and twelve, the dosage is prescribed individually at 2.5 - 5 ml three times a day. The daily dosage should not exceed 15 ml.

Travisil in the form of lozenges is prescribed for oral administration. The procedure consists of placing the medicine in the oral cavity, where it is kept until completely dissolved. Adult patients and adolescents over 12 years of age are prescribed two to three lozenges, dissolved three times a day. For children between the ages of three and twelve, the dosage is prescribed individually, one to two lozenges three times a day.

Similar dosages are prescribed for the tablet form of administration.

The drug is well accepted by the patient's body, its only contraindication is individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

The expectorant Sinupret is administered orally. If the medicine is prescribed in the form of pills, it should be taken without chewing, together with a sufficient amount of liquid. If Sinupret is in the form of drops, it should be diluted with a small amount of water.

Adult patients are prescribed a dosage of two pills three times a day. School-age children are prescribed one pill three times a day.

Adult patients take 50 drops three times a day. School-age children take 25 drops three times a day. If taking Sinupret in the form of dragees is not recommended for children under twelve years of age, then small patients who are already two years old can be given the drug in question in the form of drops - 15 drops three times a day.

The duration of the drug course largely depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body, as well as the clinical picture of the disease. Mostly, this period is from one to two weeks. If after this period the pathological symptoms do not go away, a specialist consultation is necessary, who will prescribe another drug or take a break with a repeated course of treatment.

It is not recommended to take the medicine for children under two years of age, as well as in case of hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

• Mucoregulating drugs. These include ambroxol, lindoxil, ambrolitin, lasolvan, mucosan, bromhexine, lazolvan, mucovent, acetylcysteine, fluixol, mucosolvan, bronchopront, secretil, ambronol, mucofar, ambrolytic, carbocysteine, viscomcil and some others. These drugs help restore the characteristics of sputum, which helps its effective removal. Mucoregulating drugs well normalize the amount of exudate produced by bronchial secretions.

Ambroxol is administered to the patient at a daily dose of 10 mg per kilogram of the patient's weight, divided into three to four doses. To achieve therapeutic effectiveness, it is better to take the medicine immediately after meals, washing it down with the required amount of liquid.

The dosage for adult patients is one tablet, which is equivalent to 30 mg, two to three times a day. The same dosage is maintained in case of long-term treatment.

Doctors recommend giving this medicine to children and teenagers in the form of syrup. The concentration of the active substance ambroxol in 5 ml of the drug is 15 mg.

The dosage directly depends on the age of the little patient:

• for children under two years old - 2.5 ml twice during the day;
• for small patients between the ages of two and five - 2.5 ml three times a day.
• for children over five years old - 5 ml two to three times a day.

If necessary, the medicinal dose can be doubled.

Adult patients are prescribed 10 ml of syrup for the first two to three days, then this amount can be doubled.

If the clinical picture of the disease “requires”, ambroxol can be prescribed to the patient in the form of intravenous or intramuscular infusions.

• in this case, adults are given two to three ampoules, which corresponds to 30 to 45 mg of ambroxol two to three times during the day;
• for children under two years old - half an ampoule twice a day;
• for small patients between the ages of two and five - half an ampoule three times a day.
• for children over five years old - one ampoule two to three times a day.

A contraindication to the use of the drug in question is hypersensitivity to ambroxol hydrochloride or other components of the drug.

The drugs in this group allow antibiotics to penetrate the bronchial tree secretion more easily. It should only be remembered that some drugs in this group are not recommended for use in patients with a history of bronchial asthma. Such a combination can only worsen a person's already serious condition.

The group of drugs under consideration has analgesic properties and is also a mild anesthetic.

• Mucolytic drugs normalize the production of bronchial secretions and also activate the process of removing excess mucus from the bronchi. The drugs of this pharmacological group include solutan, hexapnevmin, opsonin, stoptussin, transferrin, lysozyme, lorain and others.

A medicinal product containing essential oils - hexapnevmin - is taken orally in tablet form. Adults - one tablet three times a day, children under 15 years of age - one tablet twice a day.

In syrup form:

• for adult patients – three to six tablespoons of liquid, divided into three doses;
• for children under two years of age - one to two teaspoons of hexapneumin, divided into several daily doses;
• for small patients between the ages of two and eight years – two to three teaspoons (or one to one and a half tablespoons), taken throughout the day;
• For children between the ages of eight and 15 years old – four to six teaspoons (or two to three tablespoons) per day.

Hexapnevmin is contraindicated if the patient has glaucoma, asthmatic cough, liver and lung failure, urinary retention, as well as increased individual intolerance to the components of the drug.

• If a cough with phlegm without fever is a consequence of an allergic reaction of the body to some external irritant, antihistamines are prescribed, such as loratadine, allerpriv, lotharen, clarisens, fexofenadine and others.

The antihistamine drug loratadine is prescribed to adults and adolescents over 12 years of age, one tablet, which corresponds to 10 mg of the active ingredient, once a day. For children who have reached the age of two, but who are under 12 years old, the dosage is distributed according to body weight: if the weight is less than 30 kg - half a tablet; if the weight is more than 30 kg - one tablet once a day.

The duration of therapy is generally from 10 to 15 days, in rare cases the attending physician can adjust the period of taking the drug for a specific patient, and schedule from one day to one month. It is not recommended to prescribe the drug in question if the patient's body experiences increased sensitivity to the components of the drug, as well as during lactation in women and children under two years of age.

For small children who still have difficulty swallowing a “big” pill, the attending physician prescribes antihistamines in the form of syrup.

• Mast cell membrane stabilizers are also prescribed. Such drugs include: Vividrin, Kuzikrom, Sodium Cromoglycate, Cromogen, Intal, Cromoglyn, Lecrolin, Stadaglycine, Nalcrom and others.

Sodium cromoglycate, the active ingredient of which is cromoglycic acid, is used in the form of inhalations. In this case, the dosage of the drug is prescribed depending on the diagnosed pathology and the age of the patient.

In the case of bronchial asthma, for adult patients and children who are already five years old, the starting dosage is prescribed as one to two doses (special metered aerosols are measured out), four to six inhalations throughout the day.

Oral administration is also possible: adults and teenagers who have already turned 12 - two capsules of the drug (0.2 g), taken four times a day 30 minutes before the expected meal. Children from two to twelve years old - one capsule (0.1 g), taken four times a day half an hour before the expected meal.

Through the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx (intranasally), one aerosol dose can be taken three to four times a day (in each nasal passage).

The drug in question should not be taken in case of hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, including benzalkonium hydrochloride, in case of pregnancy, during lactation, or by children under two years of age.

If the result of drug treatment has not brought a therapeutic effect, and the cough with phlegm without fever does not go away, you should inform your attending physician about this, who will prescribe several additional examinations that can “shed light” on the situation, identifying the cause.

Additional examination may include:

• Complete blood count.
• Conducting the Mantoux test.
• Blood biochemistry (or detailed study).
• Chest X-ray.
• If necessary, testing for chlamydia and mycoplasma is prescribed.
• A bioanalysis of the bacteriological culture of the exudate flora is carried out.

A very important point of the examination is to clarify the question: was the cough the primary cause of the disease or its consequence. But it should be remembered that in any situation only a specialist should make a diagnosis and prescribe therapeutic treatment.

Prevention of cough with phlegm without fever

No one argues that it is much better to prevent any pathological change in the human body than to undergo painful procedures and a long course of treatment. It is much more desirable for the body itself. Therefore, prevention of cough with phlegm without fever, as well as any disease, takes a significant place in the life of every person.

• The first point of these recommendations should be hardening of the body, which should begin from the first minutes of the child's life, but if this period is missed, it is never too late to start at any time.
• Air baths.
• Contrast shower. For a baby, it is recommended to start with dousing the legs.
• You should not wrap up a child, as well as an adult, in a lot of warm clothes. Many mothers, trying to protect their child, protect them from drafts, and 15-20 degrees of frost is considered an indicator of cancellation of walks. But we can give a small example: our face. After all, wrapping up the body, we do not think that the face is quite comfortable even in such frost, so how is our body different from it. We do not call to exclude clothes from our wardrobe, not at all, but you should not wrap yourself up if you do not want to constantly get sick. Both an adult and a child should be dressed according to the weather.
• In summer, it is not only pleasant, but also very useful to walk barefoot on grass, pebbles and other soil structures. Such procedures are not only an element of hardening, but also a massage of the human sole, on which, as the great ancient Chinese healers determined, there are a great many acupuncture points. By acting on them, you can stimulate the work of the entire body, including internal organs, hardening will be more effective, since the foot zones activate the immune system.
• At any time of the year, you should spend a lot of time outdoors, communicating with nature. Such relaxation is also beneficial for the nervous system, which is a possible source that can provoke the appearance of a cough with phlegm without fever.
• Get rid of bad habits. And if you haven't smoked before, you shouldn't start.
• Avoid smoky, dusty and smoke-filled places.
• Work with flammable and toxic materials very carefully, following all safety regulations.

During the off-season, when the risk of contracting infectious diseases increases:

• If an infected person appears in the family, it is advisable to isolate the sick person as much as possible from the rest of the family, allocating his own set of dishes and bath accessories.
• It is necessary to minimize visits to public places and mass events.
• The family's diet should be complete and varied, with plenty of vegetables and fruits, which are rich in minerals, microelements and vitamins, so necessary for the proper functioning of the human body.
• General hygiene also plays an important role in prevention. By following all the rules of self-care: for the oral cavity and your body, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of infectious and helminthic infection.
• In the winter-spring period, it would not be a bad idea to take a preventive course of multivitamins.

Such measures will help protect your body from many pathologies. But a cough with phlegm without fever can be a sign of quite serious diseases, so one of the points of preventive measures can also be called the fact that if such symptoms occur, you should definitely see a qualified specialist. It is better if this is a false alarm, and the source of the pathology is banal, than to miss the development of a dangerous disease, which, the earlier it is recognized, the less effort will have to be made to stop it.

Prognosis for cough with phlegm without fever

The prognosis for cough with sputum without fever is generally favorable, but only if the cause of the disease causing such symptoms was established at an early stage of its development and did not have serious complications or dangerous etiology.

For example, if the cause of a cough with such characteristics is a malignant tumor, then any prognosis can only be given by analyzing the specific clinical picture.

If the source of pathological symptoms are diseases of a different genesis, then everything depends on the disease itself, the severity of its course, as well as the timeliness of establishing the cause of the pathology and the effectiveness of the therapy. Neglected diseases, as a rule, lead to serious complications and transformation into more dangerous diseases, which may well lead to a fatal outcome.

It would seem that a banal cough, which every person has encountered more than once. But ignoring it, especially if the attacks are aggravated by other symptoms, can become a threat not only to health, but also to life. Cough with sputum without fever - this combination can be a consequence of a minor cold, but it can also be a signal indicating the development of a deeper and more serious pathology in the patient's body. Therefore, you should not ignore the discomfort that has appeared. If such symptoms appear, it would be right to make an appointment with a specialist. Only he can dispel your suspicions, or, conversely, after conducting the necessary examination, identify the true cause of pathological manifestations. Only after making the correct diagnosis can we talk about adequate therapeutic treatment. Therefore, do not ignore the signals of your body, because timely treatment is the preserved health of your body!

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