Contents
Viral infections of the upper respiratory tract carry a range of symptoms, including coughing. This is one of the most tiring symptoms of colds, so it’s no wonder that we eagerly reach for various types of measures to alleviate it. Then, however, we are faced with a dilemma: what type of cough do we need the drug for and what exactly to take?
The cough itself is not a disease. It is an unconditional reflex in which the airways are cleared and part of the defense mechanism of the respiratory system. Even perfectly healthy people will cough more than once, thus removing the impurities that have entered the respiratory tract with the inhaled air, without paying attention to this fact. The most common cause of coughing, however, is an illness accompanied by coughing. It could be an “ordinary” cold or a more serious condition such as heart disease. The cough itself can also take many forms, from mild to very persistent and tiring. The correct diagnosis of the cause of the cough and its type should be decisive in the treatment of cough.
Dry cough and its possible causes
Dry cough, also known as unproductive cough, is when there is no discharge in the lungs and no expectoration occurs during coughing. It manifests itself as a constant reflex to cough, sounds deaf and often occurs at night, making it difficult to fall asleep. It may be accompanied by a dry throat and a feeling of tickling or even scratching in the airways. Attacks of choking, dry cough can be violent and very tiring. Dry cough often occurs at the beginning of an infection, cold or flu, and after a few days it turns into a wet cough, which causes mucus to be coughing up. Equally often, a dry cough occurs after a respiratory tract infection, until the damaged epithelium has completely regenerated. It also accompanies allergies, bronchial asthma, lung or bronchial cancer, and heart disease. The cause of dry cough may also be gastroesophageal reflux, some medications taken for high blood pressure or heart failure, but also irritation of the throat mucosa caused by cigarette smoke or air conditioning.
Wet cough and its causes
A wet cough, or wet cough, is a desirable phenomenon because it allows the discharge of secretions from the respiratory tract along with pathogenic microorganisms to be removed from the respiratory tract. It is also called a productive cough. A wet cough is the most common symptom of infections, ranging from mild colds to bacterial infections, and occurs in its middle stage as a consequence of a dry cough. With bacterial infections, the expectorant is yellow or green in color, and with viral infections, the discharge is colorless or whitish. White lumps in the discharge may signal cystic fibrosis or a fungal infection. A wet cough also occurs with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A wet cough is most troublesome in the morning after waking up, when the secretion accumulated overnight remains in the respiratory tract, but it is not as violent and tiring as a dry cough.
Why is treating cough important?
Although coughing is a welcome phenomenon and is often harmless, it should never be underestimated, because if left untreated, it may result in serious complications. Such a danger occurs mainly in wet cough, because the sticky discharge remaining in the respiratory tract may be a substrate for the growth of bacteria, and this easily leads to antibiotic therapy. Antibiotics not only destroy pathogenic microorganisms, but also the natural bacterial flora of the body, which leads to a significant weakening of the immune system. After antibiotic therapy, the immune system needs up to six weeks to regenerate. At this time, when the immune system is not fully disposed, the possibility of reinfection increases significantly. Quickly starting an effective treatment of wet cough can not only save us from antibiotics, but also significantly shorten the cough period, which will definitely improve the quality of our life.
Methods of treating cough
In the treatment of wet cough, mucolytic drugs are used to dilute the secretion in the respiratory tract and facilitate its expectoration. In pharmacies, apart from traditional syrups or cough tablets, there are also prolonged-release capsules from which the active substances are released gradually throughout the day. They work by increasing the secretion of mucus in the respiratory tract and reducing its viscosity, as well as improving ciliary movement.
Licorice is recommended for both wet and dry coughs, as it has a soothing effect. Order Pukka Three Licorice – licorice tea today.
Źródła:
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2. Piotr Albrecht, Andrzej Radzikowski – © Borgis – Nowa Medycyna 1/2009, pp. 21-26. Symptomatic treatment of respiratory tract infections. Retrieved from: http://www.czytelniamedyczna.pl/1246,leczenie-objawowe-zakaze-drlg-oddechowych.html
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