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What is a productive cough and how to get rid of it in a child
There are different types of coughs, one of which is productive. It is called so because, unlike dry, it is accompanied by the separation of sputum. It is impossible to suppress such a cough, as it helps clear mucus from the lungs. But how do you deal with a productive cough then?
What is a productive cough
What is a productive cough
Usually, a productive cough does not become immediately, but after some time. At first, it is dry and painful. And at this stage, the most important task is how to make the cough productive. After all, it is much easier to get rid of it than dry.
And when the sputum begins to separate freely, this indicates a speedy recovery. This happens with flu, acute respiratory viral infections or bronchitis in the acute stage. But sometimes a wet cough is a symptom of chronic illness. These include pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchitis, and bronchial asthma.
A productive cough has its own mechanism of development. Sputum accumulates in the bronchi for the following reasons:
- smoking;
- polluted atmosphere;
- colds;
- gastrointestinal diseases in which acid enters the esophagus;
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In most cases, the cause of a productive cough is infections of the upper respiratory tract and lungs – bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis.
How to get rid of a productive cough
When coughing with acute respiratory infections or flu, drugs that have an expectorant effect are usually used. They thin phlegm and help remove it from the bronchi and lungs.
Popular remedies used in traditional medicine are steam inhalation and large quantities of warm drinks. There is no need to rush to eliminate a productive cough in a child with chemicals. Thermal procedures will help alleviate the condition: warming compresses on the chest area and foot baths.
When coughing in children and adults, the following folk remedies are suitable:
- The use of warm herbal decoctions – thyme, oregano and chamomile.
- Taking lingonberry syrup with added sugar.
- Rubbing the chest with badger fat, vodka, cumin oil.
- Drinking a decoction of potatoes, apples and onions.
- Inhalation over decoctions of chamomile, linden, pine buds and potatoes in uniforms.
- Drinking radish juice.
- Mesh painted with iodine on the chest.
Before using the listed methods and generally trying to cure a cough at home, you need to find out its cause.
A visit to the doctor is a must, especially when it comes to a child. Only he will establish the reason, prescribe an effective remedy and tell you whether it is possible to use folk methods in your case and how best to do it.