How to cure residual cough after illness

Treatment of residual cough in adults

Co-author, editor and medical expert – Maksimov Alexander Alekseevich.
Last updated: 10/22/2019

Despite the fact that a residual cough in an adult is usually the last symptom of a cold, it causes a lot of inconvenience. It turns out that a person, having already recovered and returned to his usual rhythm, still cannot lead a full active life - he continues to be bothered by a wet (in other words, “wet”) or dry residual cough, and, as often happens, in the most inappropriate situation : in the morning at work, on public transport, at important negotiations, at the cinema or at night in a dream. In this case, it would be much better to immediately begin to treat the residual cough than to leave things to chance.

Causes of residual cough

Residual cough is not uncommon. Many people who have had ARVI, tracheitis, laryngitis, whooping cough, pneumonia or bronchitis suffer from it. The fact is that the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract cannot recover from an illness in an instant, and a certain amount of sputum still remains in the bronchi and trachea, which the body reflexively tries to get rid of. After an acute respiratory viral infection, a residual cough can be provoked by physical exertion, inhalation of cold or polluted air; sometimes it even appears for no apparent reason.

Increasing immunity and humidifying the room as important factors in the treatment of residual cough

One should not lose sight of the fact that elementary remedies such as:

• Maintaining sufficient humidity in the room.
• Stimulation of the immune system.

To fulfill the first condition, it is enough to use various air humidifiers, prevent it from drying out, and do not turn on the heaters. You can increase your immunity by eating well, taking vitamin C, and giving your body adequate physical activity.

If treatment does not help and the residual cough continues for more than 10 days after getting rid of the main disease, then there is a high probability that the main disease has become chronic or other pathologies have arisen that cause the symptom. It does not matter whether there are additional signs and ailments or not. Having a normal temperature also does not guarantee the absence of various diseases (chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, tuberculosis). In case of prolonged manifestation of convulsive reflex exhalations, it is necessary to visit a doctor, make sure that there are no illnesses as the cause of the symptom, and ask a specialist how to treat the residual cough.

How to treat residual cough

To completely cope with such a cough, an adult body will need from one to four weeks, and in some cases more, depending on the severity of the disease and the state of the person’s immune system. Therefore, when selecting medications for the treatment of residual cough after bronchitis or ARVI, it is important to pay attention to how long they are allowed to be used.

Smoking and alcoholic drinks can interfere with full recovery, but it is better to avoid them at least for a while, because during the recovery period the thinned mucous membrane of the respiratory tract becomes very susceptible to irritants.

Despite the inconvenience that a residual dry cough causes, there is no need to sound the alarm. If there are no other symptoms, then you need to be patient and calmly begin treatment, since a cough on its own, without help from the body, can go away for a very long time. In addition, if nothing is done, the recovery process may be delayed, and in addition there is a risk of complications. Irritated bronchi and trachea are a favorable environment for the development of a new infection that can be picked up anywhere. Therefore, the faster you cure a cough, the less chance the underlying disease will have.

To help the body cope with a dry or wet residual cough, you need to:

• treat the disease that caused the residual cough;
• drink plenty of fluids, especially water;
• to walk outside;
• humidify the room by any available means: from wet cleaning and frequent ventilation to the use of humidifiers (especially at night);
• drink warm milk with honey;
• avoid hypothermia;
• eat well;
• thin mucus and get rid of it using expectorants.

Modern cough syrups with strong chemicals can be used for up to 5–10 days, while residual cough usually lasts longer. Doctor MOM ® cough syrup, which contains extracts of 10 medicinal plants, unlike chemical syrups, can be safely taken for two to three weeks. It does not contain alcohol and has a complex effect: mucolytic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, and also bronchodilator (the drug expands the airways, facilitating the flow of air into the lungs during bronchospasm). It is the "ideal ally" that helps you cure residual cough.

Why does the cough not end after bronchitis?

Residual cough is a consequence of weakened immunity and the body as a whole. It will take a lot of time to completely remove the infection from the body.

Firstly, the vulnerability of the bronchial receptors is very increased, and coughing is a reaction to cold air, dusty rooms or smoke. Secondly, the body tries to independently get rid of the waste products of the bacteria that caused the disease. In addition, the airways are undergoing the process of recovery from the consequences of the disease.

If the intensity of coughing does not change, and the attacks are accompanied by an increase in body temperature, then these are alarming symptoms indicating the need for additional examination. The following diseases can cause complications:

• whooping cough;
• pneumonia;
• chronic form of tuberculosis.

Until a person’s immune system is able to fight the infection, doctors must prescribe medications. As soon as the exacerbation passes, the medications are discontinued so that the body itself can resist inflammation. This is why such a phenomenon as a residual cough occurs.

What is residual cough, its signs and symptoms

Residual cough is a symptom that continues after the acute infection has subsided and the patient’s condition has normalized. It can last up to 8 weeks.

To understand whether a residual cough is contagious, you need to understand the mechanisms of its development. A symptom is considered residual when the body temperature normalizes, there is no intoxication, purulent sputum ceases to be coughed up, that is, the stage of recovery from illness begins when there is no infectious agent in the body. Therefore, residual cough is not contagious to others.

Drug treatment

For residual cough, it is not advisable to treat with expectorants and mucolytics, because this will only provoke the continuation of the disease.

Distraction aids that help many people include menthol and eucalyptus lozenges. When lollipops are absorbed, substances are gradually absorbed through the mucous membrane of the cheeks and sublingual area. After taking the medicine, people stop coughing for several hours. This control of residual cough is important for working and student patients.

The compress is prepared from alcohol mixed with water in a ratio of 1:2, or you can take vodka. A towel or napkin is wetted and placed on the chest. You need to put cellophane or cling film on top, and then dress the person and cover him. This compress can be kept until it dries or left overnight.

Back massage is effective after suffering from bronchitis or pneumonia. At the beginning of the session, the skin is warmed up by rubbing with massage oil. The procedure itself consists of vibration created by the fingers, which helps to cough up any remaining mucus. The session lasts up to 10 minutes, a total of 5-10 procedures should be performed.

Drug therapy

Many people are interested in how to treat residual cough? There are many effective medications and other effective methods. The main thing is not to use expectorants or mucolytics. Such remedies will only provoke the continuation of the disease.

Experts recommend using mainly mint candies for residual cough. They will allow you to get rid of the symptom for several hours. To effectively treat residual cough, lozenges containing menthol or eucalyptus are suitable:

∙ “Halls” with menthol;

∙ “Strepsils” with menthol;

∙ “Doctor MOM”;

∙ "Doctor Theiss".

You can also use various cough medicines. They suppress the residual symptom at the level of the central nervous system. These drugs are effective for dry or too strong cough. It is not recommended to use them if there is phlegm.

The following may help in the fight against cough:

∙ "Sinecode". This drug can expand the bronchi and relieve inflammation. Can be used by pregnant women (in the 2nd and 3rd trimester) and children with whooping cough. Similar products: “Omnitus”, “ CodelacHeo”;

∙ "Tusuprex". Recommended for the treatment of adults. It is prescribed extremely rarely for children;

∙ " Erespal " . The product has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects. Prescribed for children over 2 years of age. Pregnant women are prohibited from using it.

Inhalations for residual cough

Inhalations are carried out with herbal decoctions, essential oils, and medications. It is more effective to use a special device - a nebulizer, but if you don’t have one, a large pan over which you can breathe will do.

Herbs for inhalation:

If a residual cough bothers you for more than a week, you need to start treating it. Methods should be selected in order of strength of impact on the body. First try warming up, inhalations, compresses, lozenges. If the cough continues, but without worsening, you should start taking antitussives. It is best to consult a doctor for advice.

How to cure residual cough and why it does not go away after illness

Cough in general is a natural reflex reaction of the body to foreign objects entering the respiratory tract, including sputum, waste products of microorganisms and other structures.

What distinguishes a natural cough from its pathological form? Firstly, this is the duration of the reflex, and secondly, its severity and intensity. The natural form, as a rule, goes away quickly and is easily stopped even with improvised means.

Residual cough is a subject for another discussion. It develops after an infectious viral disease and is characterized by low intensity.

However, due to obsession, it does not allow the patient to live fully: there are problems with sleep, etc. Thus, residual dry cough itself may require correction. What do you need to know about such a post-symptom of respiratory diseases?

Why does a cough remain after an illness?

Everything is quite simple. The fact is that the disease has not yet completely passed. For example, a residual cough after an acute respiratory viral infection in an adult develops as a result of the persistence of a certain amount of pathogenic agents in the lower respiratory tract. As a rule, these are herpes viruses, adenoviruses, and rotaviruses.

We can also talk about flora: pyogenic (staphylococci, streptococci) and others. These viruses and microorganisms contribute to the spread of toxins along the walls of the bronchi, trachea and lungs, which provoke hypersensitization of the body and are themselves perceived as foreign microelements that need to be eliminated.

Sensitization of the body (hypersensitivity) often leads to the development of a secondary allergic process.

It happens like this.

Toxins that fill the lungs and lower respiratory tract are generally perceived by the immune system as dangerous invaders. To combat them, special immunoglobulins are produced, which in the context of an allergic reaction can be called antibodies (and the toxins themselves are antigens).

Antibodies combine with antigens to form special complexes. They settle on the tissues of the trachea, bronchi, and lungs, provoking the destruction of special basophil cells (fat cytological structures).

The result is the release of huge amounts of histamine, which itself is a mediator of inflammation. Histamine damages delicate tissues and cells of the mucous membranes at the local level, which leads to intense coughing. This continues until the toxins are removed from the body.

Treatment options

Medical experts say that residual cough should not always be treated. In some cases, a few days are enough for the unpleasant symptom to go away on its own. Therapeutic measures are necessary if the patient experiences discomfort, and a persistent cough does not go away even after taking antibiotics.

Use of drugs

To combat residual cough, medications are mandatory. They are divided into groups, depending on the nature of the effect and therapeutic focus:

Cough medications are selected by the doctor depending on the nature of the symptoms present.

1. Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs. Prescribed if the cause of the residual symptom is inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. In this case, the cause of the cough is removed at the local level and the infection is eliminated.
2. Corticosteroids. Rarely used due to strong effects. Admission is necessary when patients suffer from hormone-dependent bronchial asthma, which occurs in severe form. Treatment with such drugs should be under the supervision of specialists.
3. Antihistamines. They help stop the process of histamine release and reduce sensitivity to the substance at the cellular level.
4. Mucolytics. They make it possible to remove the residual part of sputum from the area of ​​the lungs and bronchi from the body, especially if the natural process of coughing is difficult. This measure will lead to complete relief from the existing contagious symptom.

If there is a residual cough, drinking plenty of fluids is recommended.

If the cough does not go away after illness, then the patient is not recommended to limit himself to drug therapy. There are additional measures to combat viral pathology. It is necessary to drink more fluid - this will reduce the activity of the cough. Light breathing exercises are considered effective. The technique helps to remove the residual effect quite quickly (about a week). The attending physician will tell the patient how to get rid of the obsessive symptom. During the period of cough activity, the immune system weakens. For this reason, measures must be taken to restore it. These include the use of immunomodulators or the use of vitamin complexes.

The duration of therapy, dosage and type of drugs used are established by the attending physician based on the data obtained as a result of an examination of the body. In some cases, it is possible to treat the disease independently at home.

Benefits of Physiotherapy

Physiotherapeutic measures are necessary when the respiratory nature of the cough is confirmed. Course therapy is prescribed in the following cases:

What diseases are accompanied by residual cough?

The list of diseases that are accompanied by residual cough is quite wide.

• Bronchitis. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial tree. A residual cough after bronchitis is something of a classic. Formed as a result of insufficient therapy.
• Bronchial asthma. It is an infectious-inflammatory or allergic lesion of the respiratory system. During the pathological process, a narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi occurs, as a result of which the patient cannot breathe normally. There is intense exudation (production of a large amount of mucus). The residual cough in the infectious form of the disease is identical in origin to that in bronchitis. With the allergic type of disease, it lasts much less.
• Acute respiratory viral infections. This is the collective name for a whole group of diseases. First of all, we are talking about infectious lesions of the nasopharynx and oropharynx. Somewhat less frequently, bronchitis of various etiologies and influenza infections are also included here. In this case, the duration of the cough is maximum: it continues until the disease completely subsides.
• Sinusitis, sinusitis, rhinitis. The causes of the cough reflex in this case are the flow of mucous exudate into the lower respiratory tract. Usually during sleep or when lying down. The cough continues until the exudation completely stops.
• Residual cough is also possible with reflux esophagitis. The pathological process is characterized by the entry of aspiration contents (acid from the stomach, food particles) into the lower respiratory tract. The result is intense coughing, suffocation, shortness of breath. Possible asphyxia. Immediately after the attack, the cough continues, but lasts no more than 2-3 hours. This is the time for self-resolution of the condition.
• Pneumonia. Pneumonia. With it, the residual reflex lasts the longest.
• Laryngitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis and other lesions of the lower and upper respiratory tract.

Pregnancy and residual cough

What should those women do who are unlucky enough to get sick while pregnant? How can they cure residual cough after bronchitis? They should be very careful when taking medications, since half of the medications are strictly prohibited for them. A prolonged cough leads to negative consequences, including miscarriage.

Grandmother's treatment methods are absolutely indispensable for pregnant women. But in any case, you should first consult with your supervising doctor.

1. Mix part of honey, part of chopped apple and 2 parts of ground or grated onion until mushy. Eat 1 tbsp 6 times a day. l. medications.
2. Inhalations with an infusion of St. John's wort and chamomile or the old and favorite method - “breathe over the potatoes” - help well with residual cough.

Characteristics of the symptom and its duration

The symptom is characterized by the following specific indicators:

• Absence of accompanying manifestations, such as muscle weakness, headaches, weakness, drowsiness. Although, with an intense course of the pathological manifestation, the formation of insomnia and, as a result, drowsiness is possible. But this is more of a consequence. The point is that there are no other signs of infection. In the case of sinusitis or sinusitis, a slight runny nose may persist.
• There is no sputum production. Or it is observed in minimal quantities. The exudate itself is transparent, not thick, and lacks any odor. Just clear mucus in a small amount.
• The patient's general condition is satisfactory or good. There is no weakness or rise in body temperature.
• Redness in the throat when coughing is minimal or completely absent.
• The attacks of the reflex become less and less noticeable, gradually disappearing. Coughing is noted.

The duration of manifestation varies. Residual cough may go away within a few hours (with reflux esophagitis and allergies), but it usually lasts for 2 weeks, to a maximum of a month.

If the reflex does not go away for more than a month, this indicates that the disease has not been fully treated and has become chronic, which requires separate treatment. Only a doctor can confirm or refute this through objective diagnosis.

Methods for eliminating residual cough

It is not always necessary to treat residual cough. Sometimes it is enough to wait a few hours or days and the symptom will resolve on its own. But, if the patient experiences visible discomfort, therapeutic intervention cannot be avoided.

What methods are used to treat the residual reflex? First of all, medications are prescribed.

Which groups exactly:

• Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal origin. Often a cough can be provoked by residual inflammatory irritation of the walls of the respiratory tract. It is necessary to eliminate the cause at the local level. NSAIDs will help with this.
• Corticosteroids. They are prescribed much less frequently, since in medical practice they are considered “heavy artillery” drugs. However, in some cases you cannot do without them. For example, with severe hormone-dependent bronchial asthma and other similar conditions.
• Antihistamines. Prescribed frequently. They allow you to eliminate the release of histamine and reduce the sensitivity of cells to this substance.
• Mucolytics. They allow you to remove the remaining mucus toxins from the bronchi and pulmonary structures, thereby completely eliminating the cough reflex.

In addition, specialized measures to get rid of residual cough are mandatory:

• Drink plenty of warm liquids. This approach allows you to quickly remove the remaining mucus and reduce the reflex cough.
• Conducting light breathing exercises (according to Strelnikova, it is not recommended to exercise without prior preparation, it can be dangerous).
• Carrying out thermal inhalations. As a rule, you can breathe over potatoes, onions, horseradish. You can perform hot water inhalations using a small amount of essential oils (only if there are no allergies). These procedures are aimed at moisturizing the mucous membranes, relaxing the smooth muscles of the bronchi and getting rid of soreness.
• It is mandatory to prescribe measures to increase local and general immunity: instillation of specialized immunomodulators into the nose, in extreme cases, taking them in tablet form.

The choice of specific names of drugs remains with the doctor and will depend on what microorganisms caused the previous disease. Warm drinks and steam inhalations can be done independently. This will have a good effect regardless of the root cause of the cough.

Residual cough can cause a lot of inconvenience to the patient and significantly reduce the quality of life. To prevent this from happening, you need to treat the underlying disease in a timely manner and not give up therapy halfway. The residual reflex is treated quite simply. If there is no effect, you just need to wait a while and the symptom will disappear by itself.

Fighting methods

If the doctor has not identified complications or relapse of the disease, and the cough is residual, targeted treatment is not required. It is enough to follow the doctor’s basic recommendations, which are aimed at alleviating the symptom and speedy restoration of the mucous membrane of the bronchi, trachea and larynx.

Use of inhalations

Inhalations are considered a good cough remedy. It is recommended to use a pharmacy nebulizer, which will prevent the possibility of burns to the mucous membrane. For inhalation you can use:

• soda and saline solutions;
• essential oils (fir, mint, eucalyptus, cedar, lavender);
• alkaline mineral water;
• herbal infusions (sage, chamomile, calendula).

Drug treatment

To treat such a cough, mucolytic agents of plant origin are most often used, which have a minimal number of side effects. They reduce swelling and restore normal functioning of the mucosa. Among these drugs are:

• syrups (“Lazolvan”, “Gerbion”);
• medicines (“Prospan”, “Bronholitin”);
• tablets (“Bromhexine”, “Ambroxol”, “Mukaltin”, “Gedelix”).

People's Pharmacy

One of the best home remedies for residual cough is black radish with honey. To prepare it, you need to cut off the top of the radish, remove part of the pulp, pour a small amount of liquid honey into the resulting cavity, and then place the cut top in place. After 2-3 days, thanks to the sugar contained in honey, the radish begins to produce juice.

This quite tasty remedy should be consumed three times a day, in most cases it gives excellent results within 1 week.

Banana puree with sugar syrup can be used as an expectorant; it is also recommended to consume it 3 times a day to improve sputum separation.

You can treat such a cough with the help of herbs, which are brewed with water and consumed instead of the usual tea. To prepare the decoction you need to take 1 tbsp. l. collection and pour 1 liter of boiling water, and then leave for 15-20 minutes in a water bath. Medicinal plants have good antitussive properties:

• liquorice root;
• coltsfoot;
• marshmallow;
• eucalyptus;
• thyme.

If the cough manifests itself in the form of an attack, you can relieve it with the help of a remedy made from fresh honey and apple cider vinegar. A glass of warm milk with the addition of a small amount of honey will help soften irritated bronchi.

It should be borne in mind that many components of folk remedies can cause allergies in young children. Therefore, when selecting such therapy, it is important to rely on the individual characteristics of the child’s body and follow the doctor’s recommendations.

Anti-cough exercises

A special complex of breathing exercises was developed by pulmonologists. It helps restore immunity as quickly as possible and clear the airways. Before proceeding with such procedures, you should ventilate the room and carry out wet cleaning.

For residual cough, the following exercises are recommended:

1. With your legs apart, raise your arms above your head and clasp your hands. Stand on your toes, arching back, then sharply lean forward, performing a movement similar to lowering an ax when chopping wood. Inhale when raising your arms, exhale when lowering them.
2. Walk in one place, raising your knees high, for 2-3 minutes. When raising your legs, alternately raise your arms up with an inhalation and lower with an exhalation.
3. Lie on your back and take a deep breath, while simultaneously tensing your abdominal muscles. As you exhale, stick your stomach out.
4. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Spread your arms to the sides and grab yourself, trying to reach your shoulder blades with your fingers as you exhale.
5. While standing, perform circular movements with your hands in opposite directions, briefly inhaling and exhaling through your nose.

It is enough to devote about 10-15 minutes a day to such gymnastics to get rid of a cough in a short time.

Cause of residual cough

In order to track down the root cause of this unpleasant symptom, we will consider all stages of bronchitis. It is this disease that in 99 cases out of 100 ends with a residual cough.

Before illness . While a person is healthy, his bronchi cope well with their drainage function. Some cells of the bronchial tissue produce a secretion - a viscous liquid of complex composition (proteins, cells of the immune system), in which dust and other small particles “get stuck”. The surface of others, ciliated epithelial cells, is covered with cilia, which vibrate up to 17 times per second. With its tips, the ciliated border picks up mucus and moves it to the exit, towards the pharynx.

How to get rid of residual cough

If more than a month has passed after the main symptoms of acute respiratory viral infection or bronchitis have disappeared, and the post-infectious cough has not stopped, then you have cause for concern. The fact is that the cause of such a lingering cough can be not only the destroyed mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, but also mycoplasmosis, roundworm infection, allergies, and otitis media.

What can I say, even heart failure can provoke irritation of cough receptors. Cough is a symptom of hundreds of serious diseases, so in order to make a correct diagnosis and begin treatment, a visit to the clinic is necessary.

Doctor's help

If the examination results confirm the respiratory nature of the cough, the attending physician (otolaryngologist) prescribes a course of therapy. There are three possible scenarios for the development of events:

• An infectious process is diagnosed against the background of a previous illness (secondary infection). Treatment is prescribed in accordance with the identified disease.
• Moist cough. Characterized by the discharge of a small amount of clear sputum. Mucolytic drugs containing carbocysteine ​​are prescribed.
• Continuous coughing. A symptom remaining after an illness. The cause of a prolonged cough is weak immunity. Recommended: immunomodulators, vitamins, traditional medicine recipes, physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy for residual cough.

UHF therapy . During the interaction of a high-frequency electric field and body tissues, a magnetic field with a noticeable thermal effect is formed. Contact occurs through capacitor plates, which are placed opposite each other, at some distance from the patient’s skin. The procedure has an anti-inflammatory effect, relieves spasms, activates blood circulation, and stimulates the immune system.

Electrophoresis is one of the most effective physiotherapeutic methods of electrotherapy. Special pads are applied to the patient's body, moistened with a medicinal substance - iodine solution, herbal extract, antihistamine, etc. Electrodes are placed on top of them. Under the influence of an electromagnetic field, the drug is broken down into ions that are so small that they can penetrate not only the skin, but also muscle tissue. The active substance accumulates in the basal cells of the bronchi, responsible for the regeneration of the mucosa.

Vibration massage . Prescribed for both children and adults. Improves general condition, facilitates the removal of residual mucus, strengthens the chest muscles. Session duration - 10..15 minutes, number of sessions - at least 10.

Inhalations . If you have a nebulizer at home, then daily inhalations with mineral water, saline, and herbal decoctions will significantly speed up recovery. The nebulizer breaks down medicinal infusions (solutions, emulsions, mixtures) into fine dust that easily penetrates the bronchi. There are steam, ultrasonic and compressor nebulizer inhalers. The latter are ideal for everyday use.

You can make a steam inhaler yourself. Herbs are placed in a saucepan with boiling water. Ledum, coltsfoot, string, eucalyptus. You can add a couple of drops of essential oil of sage, pine, rosemary. Boil the medicinal raw materials for 5-10 minutes, then cover the pan with a cotton cloth. A small incision is made in it, into which a rolled-up paper tube is inserted. The homemade inhaler for treatment is ready.

Folk recipes

• Black radish with honey. Cut out the core of the vegetable, put a tablespoon of honey inside (no more). Leave overnight so that the radish releases its juice. In the morning, stir and drink a tablespoon 3 times a day (adults). Children take a “half” dose. One radish can be used several times, just remember to add honey at night. Radish juice has a strong expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect.
• Gogol-mogol. An excellent remedy to soften the inflamed mucous membrane of the pharynx. Grind 2 yolks with sugar, add a tablespoon of melted butter. If the medicinal treat is intended for a child, then you can add a little cocoa. Beat with a mixer and drink after meals.
• Medicinal fees. They should include plants with a high content of saponins and tannins. These biologically active substances, accumulating in the tissues of the bronchial tree, facilitate sputum production and reduce the inflammatory process. An example of such a collection: marshmallow and licorice roots, cinquefoil, chamomile, sweet clover, flax.

We wrote how to get rid of residual cough, talked about the reasons that cause it, and the risk of catching a secondary infection against its background. But all this does not change the fact that 95% of people will quit treatment immediately after the most severe symptoms pass and will not continue treatment. We understand that not everyone has the time or desire to brew decoctions or go to physical therapy. But everyone can buy a humidifier for the room and ventilate the room more often. This is the minimum, but it's better than nothing at all. Take care of your health - you will not have another.

Residual cough in a child - how to treat it. Quick relief from residual cough in a child

If it is accurately determined that a child’s morning cough is residual, then in most cases treatment will not be required. Gradually, the body will recover and cope with the problem on its own. You can help the process of eliminating coughing using the following rules:

• Frequently carry out the procedure for ventilating rooms where the small patient is most often located.
• Protect the patient from passive smoking, prevent the penetration of allergens or other strong aromas into the nasal sinuses that can irritate the mucous membrane.
• In the room where the patient lives, it is necessary to adhere to the optimal temperature regime.
• Periodically carry out wet cleaning and control the air humidity in the room.
• Give your baby warm water to drink more often, and do not refuse the request.

Due to their composition, they have virtually no side effects. The phytoncides included in the list of active components help eliminate swelling of the mucous membrane, and also help to completely eliminate pathogenic bacteria and viruses.

The following effective drugs for the treatment of dry residual cough are distinguished:

• Tablets: Bromhexine, Mucaltin, Gedelix or Ambroxol;
• Medicines: Prospan, Bronholitin;
• Syrup – Lazolvan, Herbion, primrose root and licorice.

Additionally, doctors advise using mucolytics for therapeutic effects, such as Bronchicum, Doctor Mom, Alteyka, Pertusin syrups. It is important to monitor the treatment process in very young patients. For children under 3 years of age, medications should only be prescribed by a pediatrician.

In addition to drugs, you can resort to traditional medicine. Medicinal herbs are used to make compresses, decoctions and teas. The following effective recipes stand out:

• Warm milk with honey, butter, soda or figs. You can also dilute it with mineral water or dissolve goat fat in it. To prepare the consistency you need to take 1 tbsp. milk and add 1 tsp. any of the listed ingredients. If you dilute the consistency with the addition of mineral water, then the components should be taken 1 to 1. This treatment can quickly eliminate a barking cough in a baby, improve the quality of sleep and rest of the child.
• Chicken or quail yolks are ground with sugar, or in other words, eggnog. If a small patient has a strong dry cough that provokes vomiting, then traditional treatment will be powerless. In this case, you just need to soften the sputum discharge.
• An infusion of chamomile, green cones, linden blossom, sage or St. John's wort. The remedy is made in the evening. For 0.2 liters of boiling water, dilute 2 tsp. any medicinal herb. The consistency is poured into a thermos and kept for 12 hours. The next day, the strained infusion is consumed before meals 30 minutes, ¼ cup.
• Rubbing - instead of medications, mustard plasters, you can rub the child with fat (goat, bear, pork, badger). The procedure is used for wet cough.
• Compress – recommended for residual cough in a child after an acute respiratory viral infection. Use boiled potatoes, mashed into a puree, as well as a cabbage leaf with honey applied to it or bread pulp.

Thus, residual cough is a standard phenomenon. Various medications are used to thin sputum. To eliminate dry cough, it is recommended to use inhalation and compresses. As well as products based on medicinal herbs.

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Treatment for a cold is behind you, but you still can’t get rid of your cough? The mucous membrane of the respiratory tract in a child recovers slowly after an acute respiratory viral infection and, along with a weakened immune system, an unpleasant residual cough appears. How dangerous is this to health and how to cure a child’s cough?

Curing a viral infection, bronchitis, pneumonia is only the first step on the path to recovery. A child’s body, weakened by illness, especially after taking antibiotics, needs time to recover. And all this time, the sensitive bronchi use the most common protective mechanism - coughing, which prevents the airways from becoming clogged with phlegm, mucus or pus. Therefore, parents need to know the causes, symptoms and how to properly treat residual cough in a child.

Causes

A persistent cough in a child after suffering from a respiratory tract disease is more likely to be normal rather than a rare occurrence. It takes the baby’s body some time to recover and develop immunity. The viruses remaining after the illness are no longer so strong, but still continue to irritate the bronchi and trachea, causing a residual cough, which with proper therapy should go away in two to three weeks. Among other reasons when a child has a severe cough without fever:

• relapse of an inflammatory or infectious disease;
• reaction of the respiratory tract to contact with cold air, excessive physical activity;
• allergies to dust, pet hair, cigarette smoke;
• foreign body;
• stress, nervousness;
• A rare stomach disease is gastroesophageal reflux.

Symptoms

A situation when there is a feeling that the cold is not going to go away and the child does not stop coughing for a long time should alert parents. At this moment, using some signs, you need to be able to determine where the new disease began, and where the baby has stopped getting sick and is only susceptible to residual effects. The most common symptoms of a persistent cough:

• periodic manifestation of a residual phenomenon, when the cough itself is shallow, there is no sputum, more often appears in the morning;
• there is no fever, snot, intoxication or other signs of a cold;
• within three weeks after completing the course of therapy, the cough becomes less intense and rare;
• The baby’s immune system, recovering, weakens the cough and copes with it, even without treatment.

A situation that should cause concern is when a child has a loud cough that does not go away for a month, a fever develops, or the child complains of pain. You must be able to distinguish any of these symptoms from residual effects and, if you suspect it, contact your pediatrician so that your baby can undergo additional examination. What is the danger of a prolonged or incessant cough in children?

If you are sure that these are residual effects after suffering from an acute respiratory viral infection or some other viral infection, then drug treatment may not be needed. After a few weeks, the functioning of the respiratory system will normalize, the mucous membranes will clear and the residual cough will go away if you frequently ventilate the room, do wet cleaning, and use an ultrasonic humidifier.

In order for the baby's airways to quickly clear the phlegm or mucus that accumulates during a cold, a therapy program to eliminate residual effects may include taking medications. Based on the nature of the cough and the general assessment of the child’s body condition, the pediatrician will prescribe thinning (dry cough) or expectorant (wet cough) agents or drugs with spasmodic or enveloping properties. The following help reduce irritation of the mucous membrane and cope with residual effects:

• Tusuprex is an effective drug against dry cough, which is often used for laryngitis and bronchitis. Available in the form of tablets, drops, syrup; helps inhibit the cough reflex, cure infectious, allergic, irritating or psychogenic cough and is not addictive. For children under 7 years of age, the daily dose cannot exceed 40 mg, and it is recommended to take the medicine at least 3 times a day.
• "Libexin" is an antispasmodic with a local anesthetic effect. The drug helps reduce the sensitivity of the mucous membrane without affecting respiratory activity; knowing how to properly treat residual cough in a child, it is recommended not to chew, but to swallow. The medicine is highly effective in treating a prolonged or irritating cough when it begins to debilitate the baby, and the maximum dose for children is 200 mg per day.
• “Lazolvan” is an antitussive that has an excellent expectorant effect and helps remove sticky mucus. For children, it is better to choose syrup, and other forms of the drug are tablets, inhalation solution, lozenges. The drug contains ambroxol hydrochloride, which helps to successfully treat diseases of the lower and upper respiratory tract. If you give Lazolvan to a baby for a dry cough, you need to monitor the dosage, which depends on the amount of active substance per 5 ml of syrup. Children are prescribed half or one teaspoon up to three times per day.

Folk remedies

If a child coughs a lot, then the conspiracy is unlikely to help influence the process. Among folk remedies, there are other useful recipes that help relieve a child’s dry, frequent cough using decoctions, foods prepared in a special way, and compresses. How to cure residual cough in a child using traditional methods:

• A warm drink made with milk, and this product is combined with honey, soda, butter, figs, goat fat, and mineral water. For one glass of heated liquid, take a tablespoon of another ingredient, and dilute the milk with mineral water in a 1:1 ratio. This treatment of cough in children using folk remedies is considered the most popular, and if you give a warm drink to your baby at night, it helps improve sleep, remove a barking cough, and cure a throat.
• Yolks (chicken, quail) ground with sugar are the well-known eggnog. If a child coughs to the point of vomiting and a whistle is heard, then this folk remedy will not help, but such a sweet treatment can soften a hard cough. To make the taste even more pleasant, honey, cocoa, and citrus juice are added to the mashed yolks, but provided that the baby is not allergic to these products. To prepare a serving, you need to take one yolk and a tablespoon of granulated sugar, thoroughly grind it to a fluffy white mass, and then add any of the additional ingredients up to a teaspoon.
• Herbal infusions are prepared in the evening; a thermos is used for this, and the proportions are simple: take 1 tbsp per glass of boiling water. l. vegetable raw materials. To make the treatment of cough in children faster, chamomile, linden blossom, St. John's wort, sage, and green cones are taken for infusion.
• Instead of mustard plasters and ready-made pharmaceutical ointments, it is better to rub at night, if the child has a wet cough, with pork, goat, badger, and bear fat, and then wrap the baby well.
• Compresses are another good folk remedy if a child’s dry cough persists for a long time, and boiled and mashed potatoes, bread crumbs, cabbage leaves with honey are suitable for the procedure.