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Why does not it cough and what to do?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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If the cough does not pass more than three weeks, then experts call it protracted or chronic. Most often, this condition is caused by chronic bronchitis, which is often observed in smokers and people working in harmful industries (paint and varnish, pharmaceutical and other industries). If a prolonged coughing disturbs a child or a non-smoker and when the effect of possible irritants is ruled out, an early examination and consultation of a specialist is recommended.
When chronic coughing is primarily examined for getting secretions from the nose into the nasopharynx, ejection of the contents of the stomach into the esophagus or pharynx, asthma. Also, the cause of long-term coughing can be more serious diseases - tumors, heart disease or connective tissue of the lungs.
Why does not it cough?
The reasons for not being cough for a long time can be many. In some cases, this condition is caused by benign lesions in the lungs, smoker's bronchitis, impaired functions or vessels.
In addition to constant coughing, other symptoms may also be present (wheezing in the lungs, a runny nose, impurities of blood in the sputum, a feeling of heaviness in the chest, etc.).
The most common cause of prolonged coughing is asthma. With this disease, coughing can disturb constantly or periodically (in case of exposure to allergens).
Also, an untreated cold can provoke a protracted cough, as a rule, this condition is caused by an increased susceptibility of the lungs due to which coughing can appear at the reflex level.
Why does not cough after angina?
If after a transited sore throat cough does not pass for a while, then there may be several reasons for this. First of all, this state is promoted by an immune system weakened against the backdrop of disease and treatment, which is unable to resist both new viruses attacking the body and the "old", untreated. Sometimes it happens that the diagnosis is incorrect or the sore throat is on the background of another disease.
For example, in viral rhinitis, mucus from the nasal cavity enters the throat, which causes reflex coughing, thus the body releases the throat from pathological contents.
By external signs, angina is often confused with viral pharyngitis. To establish the exact diagnosis it is possible by means of a smear and crop. The causative agents of angina are bacteria, and pharyngitis is provoked by viruses. With angina, antibiotics are invariably prescribed, but such drugs are fatal only for bacteria, and viruses continue to attack the body. As a result, the immune system weakened by antibiotics can not withstand viruses, which leads to disease progression and prolonged coughing. Viral pharyngitis against a background of inflammatory processes in the throat can cause a dry cough with spasms in the larynx.
Also, coughing can be a sign of rheumatic fever, usually, in addition to coughing, pain in the chest, fast fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat.
If the cough does not go away for a long time, you need to go to the therapist and have a check-up, take an X-ray, and the doctor will prescribe the treatment.
Often it happens that after a cold cough still continues to torment. If cough treatment does not show proper results and this condition lasts more than two weeks, then do not delay the visit to the doctor. In most cases, coughing is caused by a new infection or virus that the weakened immune system is not able to cope with.
Why does the cough last a week?
If the cough does not last a week, and other symptoms (cold, low fever) are observed, the common cold most likely is the body. With timely and proper treatment, and with a cold, and with a cough it is fairly easy to cope. With improper treatment, non-compliance with the regime or complete absence of treatment, a severe inflammatory process in the trachea or bronchial tubes can develop.
To treat cough in the early stages it is recommended to do inhalations. For a long time it is known that when inhaled by warm vapors a moist environment is formed, which improves the formation and excretion of sputum. For inhalations use decoctions and infusions of herbs, essential oils.
To prepare a solution for inhalation, 1-2 tablespoons are needed. Medicinal plants (chamomile, sage, mint, thyme) pour 400ml of boiling water (you can also dissolve a few drops of essential oil in hot water). You can administer inhalation in several ways: to breathe over a bowl with infusion of herbs, covered with a towel, roll a tube out of the paper and inhale with it the therapeutic couples or use a special inhaler.
Do not inhale over boiling water, as well as with high blood pressure.
Why does the cough last 2 weeks?
Sometimes there are situations when, against the background of the prescribed treatment, the cough does not go away and continues to torture for more than a week. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor, undergo an additional examination and, if necessary, undergo a new course of treatment.
The long-lasting cough in most cases is caused by a new infection, with which the weakened organism has not coped. The most common causes of prolonged coughing are mycoplasmosis, pneumocystis, in more rare cases, cough causes fungal lesions (candidias, chlamydia) or mycobacterium tuberculosis.
It is worth noting that improper diagnosis and treatment can give severe complications even with a common cold.
Why does the cough last a month?
Cough can appear as a reaction of the body to pollen, wool or drugs. In this case we are talking about an allergic cough.
If cough does not pass under the influence of allergens for several weeks, in most cases it passes into bronchial asthma, so it is important to identify and eliminate the stimulus in a timely manner.
Also, the cause of a prolonged coughing can be a respiratory infection, against which there is an inflammatory process in the tonsils, pharynx, nasal mucosa, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs.
The cause of prolonged cough in children can be the presence of a foreign body in the upper respiratory tract. With paroxysmal coughing with deep breaths, it is possible to suggest the development of whooping cough.
Less often if the cough does not go away for several weeks, the cause is fibrous cystosis, bacterial pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung tumors.
Why does not coughing go Phlegm?
Sputum is a discharge from the bronchi and trachea, it can be normal (in a healthy person) and pathological (with the development of certain diseases).
In the human respiratory tract, mucus is constantly produced, which protects the body from pollutants (dust, small debris, etc.), and also resists pathogenic microorganisms.
The color of the sputum can vary from transparent to green against the background of the development of various respiratory diseases, and it can also contain various impurities (blood, pus, etc.).
Sputum production on cough is a good sign, because in this way the body gets rid of microbes. To help the body prescribed medications that facilitate expectoration, promote the production of sputum (ambroxol, bromhexine) and restore the bronchial secret (ATSTS).
With an allergic cough, antihistamines are prescribed (loratadine, fexofenadine).
If the cough does not go away, sputum is secreted, and there is no temperature, then the cause of this condition may be allergy, heart failure, toxic substances in the air, smoking, as well as mites that live in feather pillows.
To relieve the condition with a damp cough, you need to drink more liquid, it will help reduce the viscosity of phlegm and improve its excretion from the bronchi.
If the cough with phlegm does not pass through the background of treatment, you need to inform the attending physician and undergo an additional examination (blood test, sputum, X-ray).
Why can not I dry a cough for a long time?
Cough without spitting is called dry, usually it occurs against a background of various diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
If dry cough does not go away for a long time, it is advisable to begin medical treatment. There are several types of medications, codeine and ethylmorphine (codeine, glaucine) drugs have a central effect and suppress the cough reflex, affecting the medulla oblongata, drugs based on acetylaminonitropropoxybenzene (Kodelak bronchus, Omnitus, Falimint, etc.) affect cough receptors.
As an auxiliary treatment, you can use proven alternative means that alleviate the condition with a debilitating dry cough. The most effective method for treating this kind of cough is warm milk with drinking soda, such a drink helps to reduce the cough reflex and improve your well-being.
Also 2-3 times a day you can drink a broth of black currant, peppermint, radish juice with honey, anise fruit extract.
With dry cough, inhalations with drinking soda are good.
Why does not cough go after pharyngitis?
With pharyngitis, the pharyngeal mucosa becomes inflamed, it can flow in both acute and chronic forms. On the background of the disease there is a dry cough, which usually intensifies at night and leads to spasms of the larynx.
If even after treatment does not cough, then most likely the disease has not been cured or an ineffective therapy has been prescribed.
There are situations when the treatment stops on its own, even after a slight improvement in the condition. Usually in such cases a person does not want to "poison" himself with chemistry and stops taking medication, in the hope that herbal decoctions or strong immunity will help cope with the disease. However, this attitude to treatment is unacceptable, since after the withdrawal of drugs, the remaining viruses and bacteria can attack the weakened organism more strongly, which will lead to the development of severe complications.
Why does not cough after laryngitis?
When laryngitis worries about a dry cough, without sputum, voice hoarseness, Usually the disease is a complication of the common cold, but it can develop on its own, after cold drinks, hypothermia, vocal cord strains, inhalation of icy or polluted air.
At the initial stages are shown inhalation, rinsing, warm drink, medicamentous means for improving expectoration. Usually after a few days, sputum production begins, and the disease gradually passes. In the event that the cough does not pass for a long time after recovery, then an additional examination is required. Cough can occur with inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx (adenoids, tonsillitis), and a prolonged wet cough can indicate an infection in the lower respiratory tract.
Why does not a cough go after pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infectious inflammation of the lungs. In the beginning, the cough is dry, but with time, as the inflammation in the lungs increases, it becomes wet, mucus appears. In pneumonia, coughing does not last quite a long time, on average pneumonia lasts about a month, but after recovery, coughing is a necessity for the body, as it helps to remove mucus residues from the lungs, usually it is also called post-infection cough. The duration of the post-infection cough may range from two weeks to several months, depending on the condition of the body.
To improve well-being after pneumonia, it is recommended to do respiratory gymnastics, as well as undergo a course of physical procedures.
After treatment, the sensitivity of cough receptors decreases, which can cause coughing due to the inhalation of cold air, dust, etc., this condition is the result of the transferred infection, but not the manifestation of the disease.
Why does not it cough after a cold?
Cough almost always accompanies catarrhal or viral diseases. As a rule, the symptoms of colds disappear after a few days, and after a week the body is completely healthy, but the coughing can disturb for a few more weeks.
It is believed that cough after a cold (residual) is the norm, but if it lasts more than three weeks, in most cases it is associated with the development of complications (pneumonia, whooping cough, bronchitis, etc.).
The acute phase of the disease lasts several days, but during this period, pathogenic microorganisms destroy the respiratory mucosa, which leads to an increased sensitivity of the bronchi. After a cold a person is often disturbed by perspiration in the throat, a slight cough, the departure of a small amount of sputum. After the disease, the weakened body takes some time to recover and restore the mucous membranes. During this period, it is necessary to avoid hypothermia, it is desirable to drink a course of vitamins.
If the cough does not go away after the illness, it becomes stronger, other symptoms appear (chest pain, temperature, sputum with purulent or bloody impurities, etc.), you need to see a doctor to establish the cause and exclude the development of serious diseases.
Why does not cough after bronchitis?
After bronchitis, coughing occurs in about half of the patients. Most often, children suffer from residual cough, because they have more bronchial flaws than adults, and the recovery period lasts longer.
If the cough does not pass after bronchitis, the reasons can be as follows:
- slow recovery process;
- severe damage to the mucosa of the respiratory tract;
- complications;
- mistaken or incomplete treatment;
- allergic reactions (in particular to drugs).
Acute bronchitis occurs on average from 7 to 10 days, but even after visible improvements, bronchos take time to recover.
The average cough completely passes two weeks after bronchitis, provided that the treatment process was normal, and there are no complications. If the coughing intensifies and lasts more than three weeks, specialist consultation is needed, since such a condition can be associated with the development of other diseases (asthma, pneumonia, bronchial obstruction, allergy).
Why does not pass cough during pregnancy?
If a pregnant woman does not get a cough for a long time, this can lead to serious consequences. During the cough, the tension of the abdominal wall and uterus occurs, as a result, the tone of the internal organs rises. The tone of the uterus in the early stages of pregnancy threatens spontaneous abortion, in later terms - premature birth.
Coughing is usually a symptom of a viral or infectious disease, and it can also appear when exposed to irritants (allergic cough). A severe debilitating cough requires immediate treatment, which should be prescribed by a specialist taking into account the period of pregnancy, the condition of the woman and the cause of the cough.
What if the child does not get a cough?
If the child does not go through a cough for a long time, the first thing to do is to identify the cause of such a condition. If coughing worries after a previous illness (SARS, influenza, bronchitis, etc.), then in this case, coughing can be associated with the recovery period. Harmful microorganisms weaken the body, provoke inflammation and irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and the body needs time to completely release the bronchi from the remains of mucus and restore the epithelium.
In this case, coughing does not pose a danger, usually the child occasionally coughs, there may be a slight discharge of sputum.
It is worth noting that each organism is individual, and the process of recovery in each individual case proceeds in its own way and can sometimes drag on for months.
If the cough lasts more than three weeks, while the amount of sputum increases, coughing becomes stronger, it is necessary to show the child to the doctor, since in this case there may be a secondary infection, the development of complications or a severe allergic reaction.
Alternative means for coughing
If you do not get a cough for a long time, you can use alternative medications that will help calm irritated mucous membranes, improve sputum excretion and speed up the recovery process:
- Infusion of dill seeds - take 1ch. Fennel seeds, crush, pour 250ml boiling water, insist 20-25 minutes. This infusion is recommended to drink instead of water during the day until complete recovery.
- Serum with garlic - 2 tbsp. Garlic pour 250ml of whey of cow's milk and put on fire, immediately after boiling remove from heat and cool. This broth should be drunk during the day.
- Honey - has unique anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, with a protracted cough, you can dissolve in the mouth 1hour. Honey several times a day.
- Drug broth - mix in equal parts licorice, althea root and elecampane, take 1 tbsp. Mix and pour 200ml of cold water, leave for two hours. Then put on fire, bring to a boil. Cooled and strained broth to drink in three divided doses during the day, treatment course 10 days (every day it is recommended to prepare a new portion). If the cough continues, after a week, you can repeat the course of treatment.
As already noted, coughing is a protective reaction of the body, helping to release the respiratory tract from small particles of dust, various contaminants, viruses, etc. If a cough does not pass a long time, you need to determine the cause of its appearance. It is worth remembering the residual effects that occur during the recovery of the body and helps cleanse the bronchi from the remains of mucus. Also, coughing may occur because of the increased sensitivity of the receptors, in which case the coughing worries after inhalation of cold air, dust or the action of allergens.
Prolonged coughing, which becomes stronger with time, is accompanied by abundant sputum or other symptoms (chest pains, fever, runny nose, weakness, etc.) requires urgent consultation of a specialist, since this condition can be associated with a serious illness (asthma, tuberculosis) .