Cough Does Not Go Away For A Long Time In An Adult: What To Do, How To Treat

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 19:51

Why does an adult's cough not go away for a long time and what to do

The content of the article:

1. Why does an adult's cough take a long time

2. Prolonged cough and accompanying symptoms in various diseases

   1. Pharyngitis
   2. Laryngitis
   3. Tracheitis
   4. Bronchitis
   5. Pneumonia
   6. Bronchial asthma
   7. Tuberculosis and cancer of the respiratory tract
   8. Whooping cough
   9. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
   10. Gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastritis with high acidity
   11. Cervical osteochondrosis
   12. Congestive heart failure
   13. Taking blood pressure medications
   14. Diseases of the thyroid gland

3. What to do if an adult's cough does not go away for a long time

   Treatment with folk remedies

4. Video

If an adult's cough persists, it is most often caused by improper treatment of the underlying condition.

The most common causes are self-medication or no cure for colds. Therapy of patients with diseases accompanied by coughing attacks is often carried out at home, only in severe cases it is carried out in a hospital.

Usually the cause of a lingering cough is an untreated respiratory illness

Why does an adult's cough take a long time

In addition to diseases of the respiratory tract, a lingering cough can appear with pathologies of other organs and systems. Frequent reasons for its development are presented in the table.

Table. Diseases that may be accompanied by prolonged cough

Respiratory tract pathologies	Diseases of other organs and systems
Viral infections	Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system	Acidic gastritis
Bronchial asthma	Heart failure
Respiratory tract neoplasms	Endocrine diseases
Tuberculosis	Cervical osteochondrosis

Otorhinolaryngological pathologies can also cause the development of a cough that does not go away for a long time, its appearance is usually due to the drainage of mucous secretions along the back of the pharynx.

If a person smokes, he may develop smoker's bronchitis, in which cough attacks are observed for a long time, almost constantly. In turn, this can lead to the development of lung cancer, pulmonary emphysema, which is also characterized by this symptom.

The reason may be unfavorable environmental factors, hypothermia of the body, inhalation of too dry and / or dusty air, the use of certain medicines. Cough attacks develop when foreign bodies and substances enter the respiratory tract, in the presence of allergies.

Prolonged cough and accompanying symptoms in various diseases

The cough can be dry or moist depending on the presence of phlegm in the airways. A wet cough is common in the lower respiratory tract. The absence of sputum is often observed at the initial stages of acute respiratory viral infections, inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system. With bronchitis, sputum begins to separate a few days after the onset of the disease.

Pharyngitis

With pharyngitis, there is pain, a feeling of dryness and a sore throat, pain sensations increase when swallowing. There is a slight increase in body temperature, discharge from the nasal cavity, headache. Further spread of the infectious process with the involvement of the respiratory tract (trachea, bronchi) is possible.

Laryngitis

With laryngitis, the patient has a prolonged barking cough. Also, patients may experience dryness and / or sore throat, voice disturbance, difficulty breathing, pain when swallowing, cyanosis of the skin.

Tracheitis

With tracheitis, a patient, in addition to coughing, which is usually aggravated at night and in the morning, may experience an increase in body temperature, sore throat and / or sternum.

Bronchitis

With bronchitis, an intense chest cough occurs (with a chronic form of the disease, this symptom can be observed for several months), chest pain, difficulty breathing may also occur.

Pneumonia

With pneumonia, both scanty sputum and a large amount of mucus can be separated, in which impurities of pus can be found. Also, patients have an increase in body temperature, hard breathing, wheezing, chest pain.

In the atypical form of the disease, sputum may not be separated, patients have:

• headache;
• sore throat;
• muscle pain;
• weakness and fatigue.

Bronchial asthma

With bronchial asthma, the patient often has coughing attacks, which can turn into asthma attacks. After an attack, the patient often has vitreous sputum. Attacks are provoked by contact with an allergen, physical exertion.

Tuberculosis and cancer of the respiratory tract

The patient is worried about a prolonged painful cough, blood is found in the sputum. There is an unmotivated decrease in body weight, constant fatigue, and rapid fatigue.

Whooping cough

Excruciating coughing attacks are observed with whooping cough. Most often, this disease develops in childhood, but in some cases it also occurs in adults. If there is a sick child in the home, the risk of infection in adults in contact with him is approximately 30%.

Cough attacks with whooping cough can be accompanied by rhinitis, cyanosis of the skin, vomiting. After the disappearance of other clinical signs of the disease, a person's cough can be observed for several more weeks.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, patients have:

• prolonged wet cough;
• cyanosis of the skin;
• dyspnea;
• airway obstruction;
• wheezing;
• participation of additional muscles in the breathing process, etc.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastritis with high acidity

In these conditions, the cough reflex is caused by the throwing of gastric contents into the esophagus and into the respiratory tract. Patients also have bloating, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, bad breath, and sour belching.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Unpleasant sensations in the throat and prolonged shallow cough can occur if the patient has an overstrain of the cervical muscles or cervical osteochondrosis. Symptoms are worse in the morning or evening.

Congestive heart failure

The cough is worse when the body is horizontal, often at night.

Also, the patient has:

• dyspnea;
• dryness of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract;
• dizziness;
• acrocyanosis;
• chest pain;
• swelling of the neck veins.

Taking blood pressure medications

While taking antihypertensive drugs, some patients develop dry coughing, which accompanies the entire time of drug use.

Diseases of the thyroid gland

Pain in the throat without signs of inflammation of the mucous membranes is observed with disorders of the thyroid gland. A prolonged dry cough is caused by the pressure of an enlarged thyroid gland on the trachea, larynx. It is accompanied by dry skin, chills, and increased excitability.

What to do if an adult's cough does not go away for a long time

What drugs should be used to treat a cough that does not go away for a long time depends on the cause of its appearance, accompanying symptoms, contraindications and other parameters, and therefore is determined by the doctor.

For respiratory diseases, the following are prescribed:

• antitussives (used in the absence of sputum accumulations in the respiratory tract);
• mucolytic, expectorant drugs (help to thin and remove mucus);
• bronchodilators (relieve bronchospasm);
• antihistamines (used for allergic reactions).

In the presence of infection, anti-infectious drugs (antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal agents) may be prescribed.

Inhalation is one of the most effective treatments for respiratory diseases.

Inhalation, which can be carried out using an inhaler, nebulizer in a medical institution or at home, is effective. To carry out steam inhalation at home, you can simply breathe in steam over a container with a solution.

Physiotherapeutic techniques, warming compresses, mustard plasters, breathing exercises, drainage massage can accelerate the healing process.

When a foreign body enters the respiratory tract, as a rule, they resort to bronchoscopy. Surgical treatment can be indicated for gastroesophageal reflux disease, oncological diseases, and some pathologies of the ENT organs.

To speed up your recovery, you must follow the general rules:

• give up bad habits, especially smoking;
• spend more time outdoors;
• eat properly;
• to strengthen the drinking regime (preferably warm drink: tea with lemon, milk, compotes, fruit drinks, water);
• carry out regular cleaning, ventilate living quarters, control air humidity.

Treatment with folk remedies

In some cases, it is possible to supplement the main therapy with folk remedies (a doctor's consultation is required):

1. Milk. You can take milk with honey (1 teaspoon of honey per 1 glass of milk), soda (1 pinch of soda per glass) or cocoa butter (0.5 teaspoon per 1 glass). These milk-based products are recommended to be drunk before bedtime.
2. A mixture of black radish juice and honey. Squeeze out the juice of black radish and mix with honey in a 1: 1 ratio. Adults should take 1 tablespoon, and children 1 teaspoon of the product 3-4 times a day.
3. Ginger with green tea in milk. Grated ginger root (3-4 cm long) and 2 tablespoons of green tea are poured over 1.5 liters of milk, brought to a boil, removed from heat and insisted for about 25 minutes. The product should be drunk several times a day in a warm form.
4. Fat + honey + butter + cocoa. Mix 200 g of melted pork fat and honey, 100 g of butter, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. The tool is taken 3-4 times a day, melting 1 teaspoon of the mixture in 1 glass of warm milk.

Video

We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.

Anna Aksenova Medical journalist About the author

Education: 2004-2007 "First Kiev Medical College" specialty "Laboratory Diagnostics".

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