How to quickly and effectively soften a cough?

Pathologies of the upper respiratory tract belong to that category of diseases, the unpleasant symptoms of which almost always cause discomfort - both physical and psychological. One of these symptoms is a cough, the culprit of constant dryness and sore throat. The condition only gets worse over time, so it is important not to let the disease take its course. There are many ways to make a patient's life easier. But first you need to familiarize yourself with all the methods in order to more fully answer the question of how to soften the throat with a dry cough quickly and effectively.

How to soften the throat with a dry cough using pharmaceutical remedies

There are many options for remedies that can relieve irritation of the throat mucosa. Self-medication in this case is taboo. To soothe the throat with a dry cough, only a doctor prescribes medications that are more suitable for the type of disease, the patient’s age, and his well-being. Any other way to solve the problem is unacceptable and even dangerous. Pharmacy drugs are designed to solve several problems at once:

• relieve inflammation in the throat;
• eliminate the root cause of the disease - its causative agent;
• restore the mucous membrane.

The effects of medicines vary. To combat the cough reflex:

1. Mucolytic drugs. Prescribed if the cause of a dry cough is thick and viscous sputum, unable to come out. They dilute the mucus, after which it leaves the body quite easily. An unproductive cough turns into a productive one, no longer irritating the throat. The removal of sputum indicates the beginning of recovery.
2. Expectorants. These medications do not affect the consistency of mucus; they only contribute to its successful removal, since they speed up coughing.
3. Antitussives. The drugs suppress dry cough, which is not caused by colds or inflammatory processes associated with sputum production.

Ignorance of the nuances of choice can lead to serious consequences.

Antitussive drugs should not be taken in parallel with other categories of drugs - mucolytics and expectorants. There is an exception: these are combined drugs that promote expectoration, but have a weak antitussive effect.

Tablets and lozenges

For children, cough lozenges or lozenges containing antiseptics and anti-inflammatory components are usually recommended. Such delicious things:

• eliminate the disease itself;
• relieve pain;
• help to easily cope with discomfort;
• relieve throat inflammation.

These dosage forms usually consist of natural ingredients that do not harm the growing body, but have a soothing effect on the throat when coughing. These remedies will not be able to defeat the disease alone, but they can eliminate the unpleasant symptoms. Sore throat is relieved by:

1. Doctor MOM is a combination preparation that contains ginger, menthol and licorice. It has an antiseptic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect, and is an antispasmodic.
2. Mucoplant. The lollipops contain plantain extract and honey. It has a soothing effect on the throat, relieves coughs, and thins mucus.
3. Strepsils - lozenges with peppermint and essential oils. The drug contains no sugar, so Strepsils is recommended even for patients with diabetes. Contraindication: under 12 years of age.
4. Travisil. The drug has an antitussive effect. The composition may include lemon, mint, black currant or eucalyptus. There are also no contraindications for diabetics.
5. Falimint is an antitussive that relieves throat irritation and relieves annoying cough.

To eliminate the dry type of cough in an adult or teenager, lozenges are most preferable; they are convenient to carry with you and do not need to be washed down. Depending on the disease that caused the dry cough, the following are prescribed:

1. Grammidin. The effectiveness of the tablets is due to their antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral effects. They are prescribed even to children over six years of age and women during lactation. Strict adherence to the instructions guarantees the complete absence of side effects.
2. Lysobacter. These tablets are among the most gentle, harmless drugs. In addition to soothing the throat with a dry, irritating cough, they note their beneficial effect on the immune system. The product tends to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics.
3. Faringosept. The antibacterial drug softens the throat and relieves pain. It is a potent drug, so it is forbidden to change the dose yourself. The tablets have the greatest effect if taken strictly after meals.

How to gargle for a dry cough

All components of complex therapy help equally well to get rid of an obsessive problem. Gargling when coughing is no exception. The procedure helps especially well in the early stages of the disease, as it quickly removes harmful microorganisms.

You can use rinses for a severe cough at any age, as soon as the child learns not to swallow liquid.

However, before gargling for cough with one or another remedy, you need to ask your doctor about the advisability of such treatment for the throat. This is especially necessary if the patient has not reached the age of two, there are injuries to the mucous membrane, or there is a possibility of an allergy to the components. For rinsing, they usually use:

1. Tinctures or extracts of medicinal herbs: calendula, raspberry, chamomile, yarrow, sage. For rinsing, it is better to buy paper bags, which are poured with boiling water (2 pieces per 500 ml), left for 20 minutes.
2. Rotocan, Chlorophyllipt. The product is diluted with water (1 teaspoon per glass). You can add propolis tincture to this list; prepare the solution in the same way.
3. Antiseptic solutions - Lugol, Furacilin.

Syrups

This dosage form is the most pleasant-tasting medicine that eliminates dry cough in a child. However, syrups are often prescribed to adult patients when they have a sore throat. There is a strict age division for these drugs. But sometimes it is enough to reduce the dose by 2-3 times for the drug to be approved for treating children.

“Adult” medications include:

1. Mucolytics. They have a softening effect while simultaneously thinning mucus. This category includes marshmallow syrup, Ambrobene, Ambroxol, Ascoril, Herbion (for dry coughs - with plantain).
2. Medicines that suppress the reflex activity of the bronchi (antitussive Glycodin, Sinekod).
3. Combined drugs - Bronholitin, Codelac Neo.

Baby syrups:

1. If the child is 1-2 years old, then use Ambrobene, Doctor Theiss (plantain, mint), Gedelix (ivy), Herbion (plantain, mallow), Eucabal (plantain, thyme).
2. Children over 2-3 years old are given Bronholitin, Doctor MOM, Gerbion, Codelac Neo, Pertussin, Sinekod, Halixol (from 5 years old).

What medications should you use for inhalation?

These treatments, which are effective in mitigating coughs, are essential. Nebulizer inhalations are especially helpful. The basis for them is saline solution or mineral water. Every day it is recommended to breathe 6 times, of which half of the inhalations are carried out using Ambroxol, Berodual or Lazolvan.

If a nebulizer is not available, it is recommended to perform inhalations over steam. As an additive to the water, use a tablespoon of herbs: St. John's wort, linden flowers, coltsfoot, thyme (thyme) or sage. You can drop a few drops of essential oils (peppermint, juniper, fir, pine, eucalyptus), choose them depending on the disease that caused the unproductive dry cough.

Sprays

This topical dosage form is most often prescribed to adult patients. For small children under 3 years of age, they are completely contraindicated. The reasons are possible allergic reactions and severe irritation of the throat mucosa. Before buying aerosols, you should definitely ask your doctor about the possible complications in a child, even an older one.

The sprays are easy to use, quickly relieve throat irritation during a hysterical dry cough, and soothe it. Among the simplest but most effective drugs are Ingalipt, Tantum Verde, Faringosept, Chlorophyllipt, Shunam. Spraying the throat with aerosols is limited to 5 days, and daily use - once every 3 hours.

Other medicines

There is another remedy that is invariably used to treat any type of cough. This is “Star”, a Vietnamese balm that has been known for several decades. Cough syndrome is eliminated in two ways:

1. Rubbing the ointment into the wings of the nose, temples, chest, back. Contraindicated for children under 3 years of age, the consequences can be easily avoided if you smear or massage “Star” only on the child’s heels, especially at night.
2. Dry cough can be successfully treated with inhalations: take a “pea” of ointment per liter of water, dissolve it, breathe for 5 minutes, no more. It is recommended to do such procedures a maximum of 3 times daily.

Even the simplest method will help - inhaling vapor from an open jar. Analogues of Zvezdochka are Iricar, Menovazin, Eucabal, which is approved even for infants.

Drug treatment

To alleviate a cough at home, you need to know exactly the causes of the pathology. If you prefer traditional cough treatment, pay attention to the following medications:

1. For dry cough, patients need combination remedies based on medicinal plants. Such medicines are “Herbion with plantain”, “Gedelix”, “Codelac Phyto”. Products of this kind do not cause toxic effects and are therefore well tolerated by both children and adults. In addition, they improve the functions of the mucous part and help change the biological properties of thick mucus. Thus, combined drugs eliminate spasms in the bronchi and stop the inflammatory process.
2. After this, the patient is prescribed drugs that affect the cough center. The best products in this category are “Levopront”, “Libexin”, “Gelicidin”. They suppress receptor activity, which has a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract.
3. In the future, to stop the inflammatory process, the patient needs anti-inflammatory medications - “Sinekod”, “Glauvent”, “Sedotussin”. In addition to their main value, products in this category suppress the cough reflex and significantly soften coughing attacks.
4. To soften the cough, you can use mucolytic and expectorant drugs - “Mukaltin”, “Lazolvan”, “Mukodin”, “Ascoril”. They are able to change the structure of thick and viscous sputum. Already after the first use, mucus thinning and improved outflow are noted. The main advantage of drugs of this kind is the absence of an increase in the volume of secretions in the bronchial tree.

Remember! It is possible to thin the discharge and soften the cough using the traditional method, but the patient must take large amounts of fluid.

Keep in mind that antibiotics cannot thin mucus. Therefore, do not use broad-spectrum products unless necessary.

How to quickly soften a dry cough with folk remedies

There is no such disease for which there would not be a large number of folk recipes. Therefore, alternative medicine can comprehensively answer the question of how to soften a cough at home and relieve a sore throat.

Black radish with honey

A stand-by remedy that invariably helps with any cough at home. A medium-sized vegetable is washed, the “lid” is cut off, and the core is partially removed. Place it in a glass or jar, then pour in a spoonful of honey and cover with the previously cut off part.

It is better to leave the radish overnight, then by the morning a large amount of healing juice will be released. The medicine is stirred well. Children take 5 ml of the composition three times a day, adults - 15 ml four times. Treatment is carried out for a week, drinking juice only after meals.

Video recipe

Milk with honey and aloe juice

A composition that contains aloe will help alleviate a sore throat, but it is better to keep its leaves in the refrigerator for a week or two first, their strength will only increase. Milk (a glass) is heated, the juice is squeezed out of the leaves, and a tablespoon of honey, aloe, and butter is taken. Take 2 tbsp. l. 3-4 times a day, stirring the composition in warm milk or drinking it. For children, the dose is halved.

Badger fat

Colds accompanied by a dry cough are treated with badger fat. It simultaneously softens the throat and initiates the expectoration process. A tablespoon of fat is dissolved in a glass of hot milk and drunk on an empty stomach in small sips. For children, the dose of fat is reduced by 2 times. The throat softens immediately, and mucus may begin to clear within a few hours.

Propolis chewing gum

The easiest way to treat a throat is to chew a piece of bee glue weighing 1-3 grams for 15 minutes. Break - 2 hours. It is recommended to do at least five such chewing exercises per day.

Milk with iodine and Mucaltin

The recipe helps with tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Heat a glass of milk and dissolve 5-6 Mucaltin tablets in it. Add 5 drops of iodine to the liquid and mix. This drink is made and drunk for a whole week before bed.

Honey, figs and milk

Pour 100 ml of mineral water and milk into a glass or cup, add fig juice from 2 fruits, a teaspoon of honey, stir thoroughly. Drink the product twice a day - on an empty stomach and before bedtime. Fig milk will relieve not only cough, but also constipation.

Ginger tea

To soften the throat, take 1 tsp. honey and grated ginger. Pour a glass of boiling water over the ginger and leave for 15 minutes. Add honey and a slice of lemon. A drink prepared for coughs for young children requires the approval of a pediatrician.

Compresses, ointments and wraps

Compresses are an effective method of treating dry cough, available at home. For those who do not want to waste time preparing the compositions themselves, you can use a ready-made pharmaceutical ointment with warming properties:

• Balm Golden Star - should be applied to the chest and back area twice a day, covering the top with a warm soft cloth. Relieves cough, softens and moisturizes the throat, relieves pain and inflammation.
• Doctor Mom - the product must be smeared on the back and chest several times a day. Thanks to plant extracts and menthol, the drug facilitates mucus discharge, relieves runny nose and sore throat.
• Fir, pine, eucalyptus oils, diluted 1:3 with base oil (sunflower, olive). Apply to the lung area (the area should be small), cover the top with a layer of polyethylene and a soft cloth, and leave for 1-2 hours.

It is useful to make wraps with badger fat, bear fat or lard to soothe cough and sore throat. Heated butter with the addition of grated garlic also works effectively. Rub the selected composition onto your chest and back, avoiding the heart area, wrap yourself in plastic and a warm scarf on top. Keep the compress until you feel internal warmth and improve mucus discharge.

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To treat dry cough in adults, both home remedies and medications prescribed by a doctor can be used. This will help speed up recovery and prevent coughing attacks from becoming chronic. These can be various types of inhalations, medicinal teas and decoctions, as well as warm compresses. In this case, timely prevention of the disease is important.

What not to do

Some folk methods of treating coughs and soothing throats can be called extreme in the literal sense. This applies to rinsing with soda and salt, hydrogen peroxide, manganese and vinegar. If you do not take into account the proportions or do not dissolve the crystals thoroughly enough, you may end up with chemical burns rather than relief from cough.

Recipes with hot wine or lemon juice are no less popular. The thermal effect leads to positive results of this treatment, but the already inflamed mucous membrane of the throat receives serious injury, the possible consequences of which are ulcers and erosions. Therefore, always consult your doctor.

Relieving dry cough at home: what can help?

The causes of dry cough can be different.
But whatever the reason, you should know that in this way the human body indicates the presence of a certain ailment in the body. If such a symptom occurs, you should immediately visit a doctor, he will tell you how to soothe your throat with a dry cough. After all, such a concept as a dry cough is not known to everyone, and not all medications can help get rid of it. For a child, the occurrence of a dry cough brings many unpleasant sensations . After all, it is known that it bothers us most during sleep. This frightens the child, the baby becomes more irritable, loss of appetite occurs, many children cry when they begin to cough, which doubly aggravates the situation.

The occurrence of dry cough in the body

If a child develops a cough, they should immediately call a doctor at home. He will be able to examine and listen to the child at home. After all, it happens that such a manifestation of the body signals us about very serious diseases.

In young children, according to the physiological characteristics of the body, the vocal cords undergo restructuring, which can also cause coughing. But it is absolutely not dangerous and immediately after the restructuring of the body it will stop.

With a disease such as swelling of the mucous membrane of the throat (laryngitis), you should no longer hope that the cough will go away on its own; you should consult a doctor. Laryngitis always occurs in combination with severe and sudden attacks of cough syndrome. Very often, such a cough is called “barking.” At night, there is an exacerbation of coughing attacks. Since the exacerbation of the disease lasts the first 3–4 days, attacks of painful coughing can annoy the child during this time. After this time, with proper therapy, the cough begins to subside.

When the infection settles in the bronchi, spasms of the bronchial tubes are observed. These spasms lead to a dry cough.