Have you ever had a persistent dry cough
What could such a symptom mean
What are the most common causes
What should be done in these cases
What should be done when the coughing cough affects children
What are the drugs and / or any natural remedies that we have available
Today we will go to answer all your questions about dry cough , we will see together what are the risks related to the angry cough, especially for children. Persistent dry cough: what it is
Persistent dry cough ,
in the medical field, it is also known as a peevish cough. This is the variant of cough in which sputum does not appear, i.e. the formation of mucus and has lasted for at least a couple of weeks.
There are many causes behind the angry cough . This cough, in fact, can be caused by various pathological conditions which we will discuss better later.
It is very easy to notice that you are suffering from a persistent dry cough . In fact, to recognize this condition it is sufficient to present a strong dry cough that lasts over time and does not produce phlegm (sputum).
However, thetussigenous reflex , that is the act of coughing, is one of the mechanisms our body uses to defend itself in certain situations, so it should never be underestimated as, most of the time, it is a real bell alarm for pathological conditions.
What are the causes of persistent dry cough
As we have said, therefore, persistent dry cough , or irritating cough , is, generally, a symptom of some pathology. It follows that, in order to make a precise diagnosis, the doctor will have to make an accurate assessment of any other symptoms.
First of all it must be said that dry and persistent coughit can appear in two different ways, namely:
- Allergic cough , which occurs as a result of an allergic reaction to a triggering factor;
- The nocturnal cough , which, intuitively, appears during the night;
- Persistent cough, is what we will talk about in this article. This is the cough that has lasted for two weeks and can become chronic if it has lasted for four weeks.
Since, as we have said, the irritating cough is often associated with pathologies, it is of fundamental importance that, at the time of the visit, you report to your doctor all the other possible symptoms that have occurred, so as to reach a definitive diagnosis.
Generally, the symptoms that most frequently accompany a coughing cough are those mentioned below:
- Nasal congestion;
- Nausea;
- Joint pain
- Respiratory difficulties;
- Difficulty swallowing
- He retched;
- General feeling of being unwell
- Tachycardia;
- Chest pain
- Weight loss;
- Diarrhea;
- Sore throat;
- Fever;
- Difficulty speaking
- Swelling;
- Heartbreaking;
- Raucedine;
- Headache.
These and many others are the symptoms that can help your doctor reach a definitive diagnosis, especially with regard to the following pathological conditions that are often connected with the presence of an irritating cough:
- Tuberculosis: the presence of Micobacterium tuberculosis will trigger a bad lung infection from which this disease derives;
- The simple common cold : Everyone knows about this condition. It is an infection of the nasopharyngeal district, usually triggered by the presence of a virus known as Rhinovirus;
- Pertussis : in this case, a bacterium known as Bordetella pertussis is found in the body and triggers an infection of the respiratory tract;
- BCPO : the bronchi and lungs are subject to chronic inflammation, hence an obstruction of the whole bronchial tree;
- Influenza : in the respiratory tract there is a virus that belongs to the Ortomyxoviridae family and causes an infection of the same;
- Legionellosis : in this case it is an infection that affects the lungs and lower airways, due to a bacterium called Legionella pneunophila;
- Pleural empyema : as the name implies, it is an inflammation of the pleural space;
- The croup: This is an acute viral and bacterial infection of the larynx, bronchi and trachea. This condition is widespread especially in the little ones;
- Asthma: known by all as obstruction and inflammation of the airways.
Let’s say that these are the diseases generally connected to the presence of a bad cough , among other causes we also find the following:
- Congestive heart failure;
- Nervousness problems;
- Anxiety Problems
- Taking medications;
- Lung cancer
- Laryngeal cancer
- THE;
- smoking;
- Collapsed lung
- Aneurisma all’aorta;
- Inhalation of irritants.
Now that we have seen what all the possible causes of persistent dry cough are , we should go and focus on how we should behave in these cases, and that is what we will talk about in the next paragraph.
How to behave in the case of persistent cough
Obviously, when you notice that something is wrong, and the cough has persisted for at least two weeks, it is advisable that you go to the doctor as you may be suffering from one of the diseases we have talked about above.
Based on the diagnosisof the doctor, you can opt for different remedies, pharmacological or not. In these cases, the most common drugs are antibiotics and cortisone drugs, but also aerosols and other natural remedies which we will discuss later, have proved particularly effective.
What happens if the cough does not go away in children
What to do
As with any other pathological condition, if the persistent dry cough occurs in children , the concern is certainly greater. First of all it must be remembered that in children cough and / or phlegm are physiological because the bronchial tree is not yet fully developed.
This system ends its normal development process around eight or ten years of age, and, until then, it is normal for the body to try to clear the bronchi of any obstruction by coughing.
This is why often the irritating cough in children is not a pathological condition , but a physiological condition that serves above all to clean the bronchi and free the respiratory tracts that are not yet fully formed.
In any case, if your child has a persistent cough, be it dryor oily, we recommend that you take it to the pediatrician as soon as possible because, among other things, it could also be acute bronchitis, that is a viral pathology that can also disappear spontaneously.
The risk of acute bronchitis, however, relates to the fact that the infection spreads to such an extent that the right measures must be taken, for example taking some antibiotic drugs that only the pediatrician can prescribe, following the visit of the child.
Despite this, many pediatricians, instead of waiting and hoping that bronchitis will regress spontaneously , prescribe antibiotics to children, purely as a precaution, in addition to drugs to be inhaled by aerosol. Among these antibioticswe especially remember the following:
- Clavulin;
- Zitromax;
- Pancef;
- Klacid;
- Zimox;
- Augmentin;
- Macladin;
- Oraxis
- Neoduplamox.
We are talking about antibiotics that require a medical prescription to be purchased as well as an accurate pediatric visit to establish the most effective one for the cause that triggered the persistent dry cough .
Other drugs are generally prescribed in these cases
. As we have already said before, antibiotics, together with aerosol, often constitute the first line of fight against a dry and persistent cough, especially in the case of children.
It is useless to remember that antibiotics should not be taken spontaneously, they are very important drugs and you must always and in any case follow all the doctor’s instructions to ensure that any bacteriaare eradicated.
In addition to antibiotics, however, cortisone -based drugs have also proved particularly useful in these cases, obviously, always and only with the due prescription of the doctor .
Remember never to self-diagnose or try to find the solution among the medications you have at home. In fact, only the doctor will be able to provide you with the solution that’s right for you.
We can resort to natural remedies
As we have already mentioned a few paragraphs above, you can also resort to natural remedies to solve the problem of dry cough that does not go away. Among these we mention above all the following:
- Thyme: the thymol contained in this plant has fabulous antibacterial properties. For this you can make an infusion with thyme and take it to reduce the irritating cough. Furthermore, this plant also has expectorant properties and is therefore perfect for stimulating the release of mucus in the case of persistent oily cough;
- Rosehip: making an infusion with rosehip berries you will get the calming effect of the plant and the symptoms of persistent cough will diminish over time;
- Linden: also with this plant you can prepare infusions with various beneficial properties. Among these we remember above all the emollient, calming and antispasmodic properties, all perfect for an irritating cough;
- Mallow: the active ingredients found within this plant can act as anti-inflammatories for the respiratory tract, reducing persistent cough. For this we advise you to prepare mallow infusions;
- Honey: it is the natural antibiotic par excellence. By taking a cup of honey and lemon juice we assure you that the irritating cough will go away within a few days;
- Try to always drink hot drinks that have an emollient effect.
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