High fever and cough

Most of the diseases that occur in a person at one time or another in life are accompanied by the appearance of a symptom complex of one or more signs that make it possible to make a preliminary diagnosis. When symptoms such as high fever and cough appear, the thought immediately comes to mind about colds, which doctors often combine with one concept - acute respiratory disease (ARI). These are symptoms that signal the development of an inflammatory process in the upper or lower respiratory tract. But a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis only taking into account the causes and localization of inflammation, the age of the patient, and the individual characteristics of the body.

Epidemiology

According to statistics, about 90% of people suffer from colds at least once a year. They can occur with or without a cough, with hyperthermia or against a background of normal temperature. The combination of both symptoms is most typical for ARVI (flu) and pneumonia (pneumonia), which often affect children with their fully developed immune systems. In this category of the population, the diseases are more severe, in addition, there are purely childhood diseases that begin with cough and fever, for example, whooping cough, croup, scarlet fever and chicken pox (affect children more often than adults).

Causes of the high fever and cough

The appearance of a cough without fever can be caused by many reasons that may seem unrelated to an inexperienced reader. At first glance, what can be common between infectious and inflammatory processes in the respiratory system and an allergic reaction, the influence of dry air and cigarette smoke, the inhalation of aggressive chemicals and stressful situations? The appearance of a cough may be common, but an increase in temperature is not at all necessary.

With allergies and stress, hyperthermia is unlikely. If the temperature rises, then only slightly. Smoker's cough, the same symptom when taking certain antihypertensive drugs and inhaling polluted air, is usually not accompanied by changes in temperature, with the exception of drug intoxication. The same can be said about small and large particles entering the respiratory tract, exposure to dry air, cough that accompanies diseases of the heart, digestive and nervous system.

A noticeable increase in temperature in combination with a cough is observed mainly with colds that affect the upper and lower respiratory tract. More often, high fever and cough occur with infectious diseases of the respiratory system, called SARS, including influenza. Although a protective reaction in the form of a noticeable increase in temperature can also be observed with rarer bacterial infections of the same localization.

Risk factors

Risk factors for these symptoms include:

• hypothermia, which reduces the protective properties of the body,
• the use of cold drinks that undermine local immunity,
• draft impact,
• contact with an infected person (respiratory infections are transmitted mainly by airborne droplets),
• caring for the sick without following the methods of preventing infection,
• weakened immunity,
• the presence of chronic diseases that increase the risk of infectious diseases due to a decrease in immunity,
• immunodeficiency, beriberi, etc.
• childhood.

The cause of a cough that occurs with an increase in temperature can be both inflammation of the respiratory tract, and infections of the nose or throat, proliferation of adenoids. With an increase in temperature, angina, influenza, bronchitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis and other respiratory diseases can occur. Sometimes these symptoms also appear with inflammation of the middle ear.

Pathogenesis

Cough and fever are non-specific symptoms that can appear with various diseases. Their appearance is not associated with a specific diagnosis, but can be of great help in making a preliminary medical opinion.

Individually, these symptoms may be evidence of unrelated pathologies. For example, a cough can be a manifestation of both respiratory diseases and disorders of the cardiovascular or digestive systems. It is also evidence of an inadequate response of the immune system (allergy) or a manifestation of increased bronchial reactivity (bronchial asthma).

Cough can also occur in the absence of diseases, for example, when foreign objects enter the respiratory tract, which irritate the mucous membrane and prevent the passage of air. The same symptom occurs when the inner lining of the pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi are irritated as a result of exposure to chemical or thermal stimuli.

In any case, coughing is considered as a protective reaction aimed at freeing the airways from a source of irritation or an obstacle to the passage of the air flow. With a slight irritation, a dry cough occurs, and with the development of an inflammatory process or stagnation in the lungs, a wet cough occurs.

Temperature is also evidence of inflammation. Many noted that the focus of inflammation is always warmer than the surrounding tissues, which is the result of a change in the nature of metabolic processes and blood circulation in it.

The general increase in temperature is a response to the generalization of the pathological process. Body temperature rises more strongly during infectious inflammations, especially of viral origin. Thus, our body fights pathogens and signals us about their presence and increased activity.

The combination of high fever and cough indicates a generalization of the inflammatory process and the involvement of the respiratory system in it. Inflammation increases the sensitivity of the mucosa to various irritants, stimulates the secretion of the bronchial glands, which is designed to moisten the inner surface of the respiratory organs and promote the removal of foreign elements from the respiratory organs.

Both cough and temperature are considered in this regard as a protective reaction of the body. Cough helps, together with the accumulated sputum, to remove pathogenic bacteria, and elevated temperature creates unsuitable conditions for the reproduction of pathogens. This is all very useful until it begins to act on the body debilitatingly and becomes dangerous in terms of violation of the rheological properties of the blood.

Violation of thermoregulation during illness leads to the fact that the body temperature continues to rise, which becomes dangerous, since we are talking about thickening of the blood, which increases the load on the cardiovascular system, contributes to the formation of blood clots.

Cough, although not considered a life-threatening symptom, can also be a significant problem, especially with a tendency to bronchospasm. An exhausting dry cough wastes the patient's strength in vain, and a wet one with increased sputum production is a risk factor for bronchial obstruction.

Symptoms of the high fever and cough

Cough and fever in this combination cannot be indicators of human health. This symptom complex in itself indicates certain disorders in the body that affect the state of the nervous and respiratory systems. But it rarely appears alone, usually it is a more extensive and varied clinical picture, which makes it possible to differentiate one disease from another.

In addition, the very word "cough" can say little to a specialist. Indeed, in the diagnosis of diseases, an important role is played not so much by the presence of this symptom as by its nature: wet or dry, constant or episodic, as well as its combination with other manifestations of a disease state.

Cough, runny nose and high fever are considered the first signs of SARS and influenza. In this case, a cough may not appear on the first day of the disease, but much later, manifesting itself more strongly in the morning due to the need to expectorate sputum that has accumulated overnight in the bronchi with attached discharge from the nose.

But the temperature in viral diseases in the acute period rises quite quickly and can last for several days.

Symptoms such as headache, pain and pain in the eyes, which increase when looking at bright light, tearing, pain or sore throat, unusual lethargy and apathy, will help to suspect SARS. By the way, headache and weakness throughout the body, up to muscle pain when trying to make a movement, are more characteristic of a viral infection.

The rate at which symptoms worsen depends on the type of infection. So, with the flu, the reaction of the body is almost instantaneous, and a high temperature along with a headache is noted among the first symptoms of an acute period, but a dry and wet cough, a runny nose can appear much later.

Dry (unproductive) cough is the result of irritation of the respiratory mucosa. It appears even before a serious inflammatory reaction develops. But a wet cough can be considered as a consequence of inflammation or the result of an increase in the productivity of the production of bronchial secretions and the addition of inflammatory exudate to it.

When microbes have already become active in the throat and upper respiratory tract and tissue swelling has begun, a change in voice is noted. From voiced, it turns into a deaf, hoarse, hoarse. Before edema appears, the cough may be unproductive, but without features. With the appearance of edema and disturbances in the timbre of the voice, the audible signs of coughing also change. It is more and more reminiscent of intermittent deaf dog barking, which is why it is called barking.

The combination of paroxysmal barking cough and high fever indicates the localization of inflammation in the throat, larynx or trachea. Usually, this is accompanied by heavy breathing, sore throat, aggravated by swallowing, swelling of the larynx, with a bacterial infection, lymph nodes may increase. Such symptoms are more typical for SARS, influenza, laryngitis and pharyngitis, less for tracheitis and bronchitis.

We have already mentioned the symptoms of SARS and influenza. But what are laryngitis and pharyngitis? Laryngitis is an inflammatory process in the larynx, which is most often the result of a cold or infectious disease. An elevated temperature will indicate this nature of the disease. Other symptoms of laryngitis are: red, swollen throat at the entrance to the larynx, painful when swallowing, frequent dry cough, which later becomes productive, burning sensation and dry throat. With an infection, plaque may appear on the mucous membranes of the pharynx.

Laryngitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi of the genus Candida. In the first case, it is classified as an ARVI with a certain localization, so all the symptoms of a viral infection (pain in the head, muscles and eyes, severe weakness) can occur.

The same applies to pharyngitis - inflammatory with localization in the pharynx. Inflammation covers the mucous membrane of the throat and the lymphoid tissue of the adenoids. The temperature in this case rises to subfebrile, and the patient complains of sore throat and sore throat, dry painful cough and other symptoms characteristic of infectious respiratory diseases. A person begins to cough to reduce the tickling and tingling in the throat, but once he starts coughing, he can no longer stop. Examination of the throat shows that it is saturated red, as with a sore throat, individual sores may also appear.

Red throat, discomfort, perspiration, sore throat, markedly worse when swallowing, and high fever are symptoms that are also characteristic of angina, but coughing with this disease usually does not appear or occurs later (this is a productive symptom). In addition, the diffuse nature of inflammation in the pharynx does not speak in favor of the diagnosis of "tonsillitis".

Red throat with viral and bacterial respiratory diseases is observed in 90% of cases, but usually redness is not localized only in the tonsils, but spreads further to the pharynx, upper and lower palate, tongue. If hyperemia is noted mainly in the tonsils, angina is diagnosed.

High fever, cough and vomiting are a symptom complex characteristic of the influenza virus, especially when it comes to a sick child. Vomiting is a consequence of intoxication and irritation of the throat. But in children, with their lower weight compared to adults and the central regulation of many processes not fully formed, intoxication grows faster, and the gag reflex is triggered more often. Moreover, the occurrence of vomiting against the background of the clinical picture of a respiratory infection is noted not only with influenza, but also with many other diseases (for example, with bronchitis or pneumonia).

True, this combination of symptoms cannot be called specific, characterizing only respiratory diseases. Such a clinical picture may be evidence of poisoning. Vomiting can be considered as a consequence of intoxication. But what about cough and fever?

The temperature during poisoning can both rise and fall. With infectious intoxication, it usually rises, which is explained by the development of an acute inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract. The action of toxins on the central nervous system is such that the functionality of various brain structures can be disrupted, including the thermoregulation center in the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. This causes the temperature to continue to rise more than is necessary to protect against microorganisms.

Cough in case of poisoning usually occurs after vomiting. Vomit begins to irritate the mucous membrane of the throat, causing a dry cough. Coughing fits can also be triggered by the ingress of elements of emetic masses into the respiratory tract.

We examined mainly the causes that can cause cough and a temperature of 37-39, or even higher, in an adult. When it comes to children, there can be many more such reasons.

Complications and consequences

Cough and fever are symptoms that the body has begun to fight the infection, and this process is accompanied by the development of an inflammatory reaction. In itself, inflammation can be considered both as a physiological and as a pathological process. Yes, a local increase in temperature reduces the activity of pathogens in this area, and the general one in the whole body, but if the inflammation is not treated, there is a possibility of destructive changes in tissues, impaired functionality of the bronchial mucosal epithelium, and the transition of the disease to a chronic form.

Another danger is the result of incorrect self-diagnosis or unprofessional diagnosis in a medical institution. The combination of cough and fever is usually associated with colds, i.e. Inflammation of the throat and respiratory tract, and they are waiting for other symptoms of a cold to appear: a runny nose, redness of the throat, headache, although they may not be there if we are talking about an inflammatory process of a different plan.

So, an increase in temperature to 38 degrees and the appearance of a dry cough may be a symptom of an infectious inflammation of the heart membranes. These symptoms often appear in patients with myocarditis and endocarditis.

An unproductive cough can also be a symptom of coronary heart disease. This is worth thinking about if there are no other symptoms of a cold, but there is shortness of breath, heavy breathing, discomfort in the heart area. An increase in temperature in this case will be a poor prognostic sign, most often indicating myocardial infarction.

It is equally dangerous to underestimate the severity of the disease. You might think that this is just a cold and treat it with warm tea and gargling, but in fact it turns out that he has pneumonia, which requires qualified treatment in a pulmonology department.

Even worse, when parents diagnose their child, limiting themselves to their meager knowledge of the field of medicine. But many childhood diseases, given the unformed immunity of the baby, are potentially life-threatening. Yes, medicine has gone far ahead and today is armed with such serious weapons as vaccines against pathogens of childhood and adult diseases, but many parents are wary of vaccinating children, given the possible complications, and they themselves rarely agree to such prevention. And when a child gets sick, it's too late to beat the drums, every minute that can save a child's life is already precious here.

Diagnostics of the high fever and cough

Doctors, with their professional training, take symptoms such as cough and fever more seriously. And although in most cases we are really talking about a common cold, they consider all possible scenarios for the development of an event, from SARS to myocardial infarction, which can have a latent course.

Studying the patient's history is the first thing an experienced doctor does. At the same time, he is not interested in the very fact of the presence of a cough, but in its nature: constant or paroxysmal, painful dry or wet, the amount of sputum secreted and its characteristics. The same applies to temperature, both specific numbers and the time of temperature rise are important here. The presence of any other symptoms helps shed light on the diagnosis of the disease.

Information from the patient's medical record helps to suggest a chronic course or relapse of the disease, if there have already been mentions. If a person has a core, it makes sense to pay attention to the state of the cardiovascular system at the moment.

Appeal to the therapist or pediatrician with complaints of cough and fever initially involves a physical examination. The doctor assesses the condition of the mucous membranes of the throat and oral cavity, listens to the patient's breathing for wheezing, and at the same time evaluates the work of the heart. Wheezing and whistling in the chest indicate severe inflammation in the bronchi and lungs, which requires additional research.

Such studies can be blood and sputum tests of the patient. A blood test will show an increase in white blood cells, as an indicator of inflammation, and often the presence of antibodies (after all, the immune system is fighting the infectious agent, and it can be calculated by the type of antibodies). Sputum analysis provides more information about the severity of the inflammation and its cause. At the same time, not only the presence of pus and blood in the sputum is determined, but also the infection that caused the disease is identified. Urinalysis in such a situation is rarely prescribed in order to assess the work of the kidneys, which are responsible for the excretion of most drugs.

Instrumental diagnostics is carried out mainly in cases of suspected serious diseases. With SARS and influenza, there is usually no need for it, except that we are talking about possible complications in the form of bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy. Methods of instrumental diagnosis of cough and temperature can be considered a chest x-ray, bronchoscopy, spirography (assessment of the functional activity of the respiratory organs), ultrasound of the pleural cavity, etc.

If heart disease is suspected, blood pressure, pulse are additionally measured, an electrocardiogram, a Holter monitoring of the heart, an echocardiogram, an MRI or ultrasound of the heart, and some other special studies are prescribed.

The doctor prescribes all basic and additional studies based on the preliminary diagnosis, which he makes during the study of the anamnesis and physical examination. In disputable situations, the patient can be sent for a consultation with an otolaryngologist or cardiologist. A slight increase in temperature and coughing are also possible with reflux disease. If it is suspected, an endoscopic examination of the esophagus and stomach is performed.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis in this situation helps to systematize the information received and determine the final diagnosis. Despite the fact that cough and fever in most cases turn out to be symptoms of viral diseases, one cannot exclude their occurrence with bacterial infections of the respiratory system and heart, with myocardial infarction, refluxisophagitis, and sometimes with exacerbation of stomach ulcers or severe allergies with laryngeal edema.

The treatment regimen largely depends on the causative agent of the disease, so it is very important to name it by name in order to subsequently select the most effective drugs to combat the pathogen.

Treatment of the high fever and cough

Let's start with the fact that it is illogical and dangerous to treat cough and fever without determining the causes of such symptoms, because there is a high risk that the disease will hide and become chronic, or even worse, give severe complications. For example, the flu gladly gives complications to the heart and lungs, provokes the development of chronic diseases of the ear, throat, nose, and can cause inflammation of the brain and its membranes. By the way, pneumonia, bronchitis, endo-, myo- and pericarditis, meningitis and encephalitis, sciatica, otitis media and even neuralgia in most cases are the consequences of a cold.

Since cough and fever are usually symptoms of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, we will pay more attention to the treatment of these diseases. As for the infectious inflammation of the membranes of the heart, its treatment is not much different from that in severe pneumonia: the causative agent of the disease is eradicated (depending on the type of infection, antibiotics, antimycotics, antiviral agents are prescribed) and the inflammation is stopped with corticosteroids with medical support for immunity (immune stimulants, vitamins).

Treatment of any infectious diseases is the competence of a medical specialist. Even if we take into account the fact that many people know the basic rule: we treat a bacterial infection with antibiotics, a fungal infection with antifungal agents or antimycotics, a viral infection with antiviral drugs and immunostimulants, not everyone is able to choose the right drug. After all, here it is necessary to take into account not only the nature of the infection, but also its type. Drugs for the treatment of staphylococcus and the causative agent of tuberculosis can be completely different, and the influenza virus cannot be destroyed by anti-herpes drugs, although both are a viral infection. Antiviral drugs, antimycotics and antibiotics for high fever and cough should be prescribed by a doctor after the nature of the causative agent of the disease (ideally, its type) has been established.

The biggest mistake many patients make is treating the symptoms while treating the disease and its cause. Yes, the transition of a cough from non-productive to productive certainly plays a big role in the case of a respiratory tract infection. But this measure is usually not enough to remove all units of the pathogen from the body. It is even worse when they try to stifle the cough, i.e. Weaken the cough reflex at the level of the central nervous system. Such an approach to treatment cannot be called scientific; rather, on the contrary, it will be an anti-treatment.

As for the temperature, its treatment is generally doubtful until it reaches critical levels. Up to 38 degrees, the temperature cannot be brought down, no matter what infection they are caused by. By doing this, you only prevent the body from fighting. Knocking down the temperature before the arrival of the doctor and forgetting to mention its increase, you can only confuse the specialist, because coughing with fever is a symptom of some diseases, and without fever, there may be signs of completely different pathologies.

In any case, the treatment of infection should not be limited to taking antipyretics and cough medicines (expectorants and mucolytics). If the causative agent of the disease is bacteria or fungi, then the use of means to increase immunity, effective in the viral etiology of the disease, is likely to be insufficient. Antifungal and antibiotic therapy is currently considered the best option for combating the relevant pathogens, despite all the shortcomings of these methods. But without them, the risk of developing dangerous complications is high.

In the treatment of infectious diseases, not only prescribed medications play an important role, but also the use of non-drug methods of treatment. First of all, it is rest and bed rest, which are mandatory in the acute period of the disease. Drink plenty of fluids to keep your temperature within a safe range without medication. It also makes coughing easier. Diet helps reduce the burden on organs during illness and save energy to fight infection.

Prevention

Both cough and fever are not inherently a disease. This is just a reaction of the body, trying to fight pathogens in all possible ways. Yes, the symptoms affect our well-being, and there is a great desire to get rid of them, but this is wrong. If there were no cough, which helps to remove microbes from the respiratory tract, and a temperature that kills pathogens, the disease would be much more severe and with serious complications.

Speaking about prevention, we must understand that we must prevent not a defensive reaction, but a possible cause of the disease, i.e. Infection and its activity due to weakened immunity. Often, the causative agent of the disease sits in the body for years, and we don’t even suspect about it until our immunity gives up. And in order to avoid this, you need to take care of a balanced diet with a sufficient amount of vitamins, regular physical activity, and in the autumn-winter and spring period about the prophylactic intake of multivitamin complexes and plant-derived immunostimulants (echinacea, Rhodiola rosea, magnolia vine, eleutherococcus).

Our immunity and susceptibility to infectious diseases are affected by: hypothermia, chronic and autoimmune diseases, bad habits. For the purposes of prevention, you can remove something from your life: beware of hypothermia and drafts, give up alcohol and smoking, and prevent the transition of acute pathologies into chronic ones. And the prevention of autoimmune diseases is the timely treatment of infections, because they are often responsible for the disruption of the immune system, which begins to respond inadequately to its own cells, but ignores foreign ones.

Forecast

The prognosis of diseases that occur with cough and fever depends on the timeliness and relevance of the treatment. He is the worst. If a person ignores symptoms for a long time and ends up in a hospital in serious condition.

High fever and cough cannot be regarded as a variant of the norm. This means that these symptoms must be paid attention to, and the sooner this is done, the lower the risk of complications.