What is chronic cough and what to do about it
Miscellaneous / / August 04, 2022
Most often, it is a protracted cold, constant heartburn, or taking pills for pressure. But sometimes a cough indicates a serious health problem.
What kind of cough is considered chronic
Chronic calledChronic Cough/Cleveland Clinic cough that does not go away for more than 8 weeks, and if we are talking about a child - more than 4 weeks.
Why Chronic Cough Occurs
Cough is not a single disease, but always a symptom of another disease or a side effect of certain medications. In 90% of cases, chronic cough calledPatient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics) / UpToDate postnasal drip, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, but there are other causes as well.
1. Postnasal drip
So calledPatient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics) / UpToDate a condition where the mucus from the nose runs down the throat and irritates it. This usually happens when a person with a cold or allergic rhinitis or sinusitis lies for a long time, for example, sleeps. A person does not always feel tickling, sometimes he just starts to cough.
What to do
The treatment of the disease that caused the runny nose will help here. To relieve symptoms, supportTreatments for post‑nasal drip / Harvard Health Publishing high humidity in the room, then the mucus will not be so thick, which means that the irritation will be less. You can also try sleeping on raised pillows so that it does not stagnate.
2. Asthma
it leadingPatient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics) / UpToDate cause of chronic cough in children. There may also be shortness of breath or wheezing, but sometimes coughing is the only symptom.
It can be seasonal, especially during the cold season, it can be aggravated after physical exertion or inhalation of some vapors or odors.
What to do
Asthma - a chronic disease that will progress and significantly reduce the quality of life if it is not controlled. Therefore, you need to contact a therapist or pediatrician if the child has symptoms.
3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
If heartburn occurs frequently, it may be due to gastroesophageal reflux disease, when the contents of the stomach returnsGastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) / Harvard Health Publishing into the esophagus. During sleep acid it is easier to get to the throat and ligaments, so hoarseness and cough appear in the morning.
What to do
From episodic heartburn You can protect yourself if you remove fatty foods, coffee, chocolate, mint and some other foods from the diet, and also do not go to bed immediately after eating. With constant heartburn and cough, you need to contact a gastroenterologist to prescribe treatment.
4. Taking certain medicines for high blood pressure
Cough is a common side effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. To this group relateChronic Cough/Cleveland Clinic:
- enalapril;
- fosinopril;
- peridopril;
- captopril and others.
What to do
If a cough appears after the start of taking them, you need to consult your doctor. You may need to change therapy.
5. Respiratory tract infection
A cold can passPatient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics) / UpToDate long, up to several months. Sometimes the next ARVI is simply superimposed on one, and sometimes a bacterial infection joins a viral infection.
Coughing can cause not only post-nasal drip, but also irritation of the respiratory tract due to infection.
What to do
If the cold gradually disappears, just a cough remains, then it's okay. It is much worse if the temperature rises again and yellow-green sputum appears - these are signs of a bacterial infection. This may require antibiotics. So see a doctor.
6. Chronical bronchitis
With it, the airways become inflamed, their lumen narrows, and there is more mucus. A cough is needed to clear them.
Chronic bronchitis is the most common meetsCOPD / Mayo Clinic in smokers and leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasewhen they lose their elasticity.
What to do
If you suspect that you have chronic bronchitis, see a physician. Well don't smoke or drop it right now.
7. Bronchiectasis of the lungs
Bronchiectasis is an expansion of the walls of the bronchi in the form of sacs. They are remainBronchiectasis/NHS after severe infections such as pneumonia or whooping cough, after a fungal disease of aspergillosis, and sometimes form for no apparent reason.
Sputum stagnates in them, so infections in such patients occur much more often than others.
What to do
To detect bronchiectasis, you need to take an x-ray of the lungs. So, if you have a chronic cough, make an appointment with a therapist to schedule an examination.
8. Tumor in the lungs
She can callPatient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics) / UpToDate cough, but very few people with cough have swelling. The sharply changed nature of the smoker's cough, blood or lack of improvement a month after quitting cigarettes should alert.
What to do
The mass can be seen even on a radiograph, but a more thorough examination is often needed. The therapist can refer to an oncologist who will prescribe studies.
9. Eosinophilic bronchitis
This is a very rare disease. It recallsT. YIldIz, S. Dulger. Non‑astmatic Eosinophilic Bronchitis / Turkish Thoracic Journal asthma and chronic bronchitis, but there are differences: there are no changes in the radiograph of the lungs, the functional parameters of breathing do not change.
Usually it is put after the exclusion of all other causes.
What to do
If eosinophilic bronchitis is left untreated, permanent damage and even asthma can occur. Therefore, with a chronic cough, it is better to be examined by a doctor.
What tests may be needed if you have a chronic cough
To find out the cause, the doctor will ask about the symptoms and conduct an examination. Often after examination neededPatient education: Chronic cough in adults (Beyond the Basics) / UpToDate and other research.
- Fluorogram, radiograph or tomography of the lungs. They will allow you to see what the lungs look like, recognize signs of bronchitis, bronchiectasis and tumors.
- Functional Tests. They are needed if you suspect asthma. The patient exhales into a special device - a spirometer, which determines the volume of the lungs, the rate of exhalation and other parameters.
- Acid reflux test or gastroscopy. These studies are prescribed by a gastroenterologist. They can measure the acidity in the esophagus and assess whether there are reasons for the reflux of stomach contents, such as weakness of the sphincter, a circular muscle that separates these organs.
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