Dry and Wet Cough Differences (Treatment). How to distinguish a dry cough from a wet one - the main signs of a dry and wet cough, the reasons that cause attacks


There is probably no person who has never encountered a cough in the course of his life. But the prevalence and “familiarity” of this condition in adults and children is not a reason to treat it without the due degree of responsibility and attention. After all, a cough can be, on the one hand, a natural reaction of the body to an irritant, but, on the other hand, a symptom of a serious illness. The main thing is to be able to distinguish what situation you are faced with.

Why do you need a cough?

The most common misconception regarding this symptom is that it is an independent disease, which in any case requires treatment. But in fact, this is a protective reaction of the body, which is designed to release respiratory tract from various sources of threat to health: particles of dust, smoke, pathogens, etc. Harmful substances or microbes, entering the lumen of the bronchi, activate receptors, under the influence of which sputum begins to be produced, enveloping foreign particles and bacteria, and contraction of the walls of the bronchi is activated . Together, these mechanisms make it possible to remove from the respiratory tract what is harmful to health.

Unfortunately, with some diseases, such as bronchitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, etc. protective functions coughs may cease to be so. Inflammation affecting the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract in adults and children disrupts many mechanisms. And then it becomes important to help the body, but first you need to determine which type of cough - dry (unproductive, without phlegm) or wet (productive, or as it is sometimes called “wet”) - you are experiencing.

Difference 1: Symptoms

A dry cough can be defined as an ineffective attempt by the bronchi to expel mucus that is infected or contaminated with foreign particles. This means that even a prolonged and severe dry cough does not bring relief. Too little mucus is secreted to perform its functions. In addition, frequent episodes of such “sterile” cough irritate the walls of the respiratory tract, which can lead to even greater discomfort, and the inability of infected sputum to leave the bronchi is a risk of spreading germs into the lungs.

1 “Formula FITO BRONHO 10” (“Fito Broncho 10”) - a combination of extracts of 10 medicinal plants included in the Doctor MOM ® syrup according to the instructions.

2 “FITO BRONHO Formula” (“Fito Broncho”) is a combination of extracts of 3 medicinal plants included in Doctor MOM ® herbal cough lozenges according to the instructions.

3 The expectorant effect of Doctor MOM ® syrup implies the removal of sputum, including the infectious agent and its waste products.

Answers:

✿⊱╮Alyonufka╭⊰✿

Cough - quite unpleasant symptom. Especially if your child starts coughing. Not many parents know what to do in such a situation, but it is necessary to know. Since 99% of the probability of complications depends on the behavior of the parents. Domsovetov tells how to treat a child’s cough and how to recognize its types.
A cough is not a disease, but a rather unpleasant, but very informative symptom of a certain disease. Nature has created the cough reflex to protect the respiratory system. Essentially, a cough occurs when the lungs produce excess mucus. By coughing, the bronchi cleanse themselves.

Regarding the pathogen, cough can be of two types.
The cause of cough can be infectious diseases and allergens. Cough in viral infectious diseases occurs along with other symptoms - increased body temperature, worsening general condition child, runny nose, etc. The sputum with such a cough is colorless and transparent. 90% of all cases children's cough comes precisely to the share of ARVI. Bacterial infections can also cause coughing. They can be the root cause, or also arise as a result of improper “treatment” of a viral cough. Stagnation of mucus in the lungs contributes to the accumulation of various bacteria, the mucus does not come out profusely and has a purulent, yellowish-green tint.
An allergic cough is somewhat different from a cough caused by an infection. It usually occurs on its own and is not accompanied by an increase in body temperature or a deterioration in the child’s general condition. If the baby starts coughing, but does not have a runny nose, this is a signal to parents about the onset of an allergic cough.
The nature of the cough is divided into:
Dry cough - usually accompanies the onset of a viral or bacterial infection. The sputum does not come out, which is why this cough is also called unproductive. The task of parents is to transform a dry cough into a wet one.
Wet cough or productive cough - characterized by copious or not too copious sputum discharge. "Perfect" cough.
Barking cough is a symptom dangerous disease- laryngitis. This cough is easy to recognize. It is accompanied by hoarseness of the voice - the child speaks the beginning of the sentence and wheezes towards the end. Small children have a hoarse voice when crying. Because laryngitis causes swelling vocal cords, the cough is accompanied by a ringing sound and resembles the barking of a dog, hence the name. At the first sign of such a cough, or even the slightest suspicion, you should immediately consult a doctor. Laryngitis is especially dangerous for children under three years of age.
Whooping cough is a symptom of whooping cough. At the very beginning of the disease, it is difficult to distinguish whooping cough from a normal cough. Only after a few days can you notice that the cough becomes paroxysmal, the child cannot breathe, and attacks often end in vomiting. This cough is especially dangerous for infants and children under one year of age. Contact your doctor immediately!
Spasmodic cough is a cough provoked by a spasm. Often occurs in patients with bronchial asthma. The cough is dry and whistling, there is no sputum. The patient coughs for an excruciatingly long and painful time. This cough is rare in children and requires medical supervision.

How can you tell if a cough is dry or wet? what are the signs?

Answers:

WhiteCat

dry cough is a barking cough without gurgling sounds. his throat hurts and hurts. and wet - this is when the sputum is already beginning to leave. That's when they drink expectorants.

Olga Ptashkova

Well, you either cough up phlegm or not. it's simple.

Butterfly

I define it this way for myself... if your chest is constantly scratching and you can’t clear your throat, then it’s dry, if you clear your throat, then it’s wet.

Masha

wet with phlegm, and dry, it is dry, but wet is better, well, of course it’s better than nothing, but wet is easier to tolerate!

YeLenka

It is very simple: when the macrota is expectorated, it is wet, and when it is not expectorated, it is dry. Get well.

Oksana Kapustina

If there is sputum, then it is a wet cough. Dry sore throat.

Von_Musik_Idee_Besessen

dry cough - without phlegm (+ dry throat), wet - with phlegm (green mucus)

Sveta

wet he hoarse dry beats hard until exhaustion

How to distinguish a dry cough from a wet one? At the pharmacy they always ask what kind of cough to give syrup for. And HZ, how to determine it

Answers:

Sweet Poison

If you cough and your throat is dry, the phlegm does not come out, there is no feeling that there is any mucus in your throat, but it seems that sand or some kind of powder has got into your throat, then this is a dry cough. He's usually at the beginning infectious disease It happens. The attacks take a long time - you start coughing, your throat gets irritated: the longer you try to clear your throat, the worse it gets.
If there is sputum that periodically accumulates, and you cough it up, then this is a wet cough. It is usually towards the end of the disease. It’s easier to earn it if you’re cold (plunging into cold water, sweating in public transport, and walking down the street in an unbuttoned jacket).

Tasha Wang

Wet, meaning expectoration of phlegm.
Dry - no phlegm. phlegm (_mucus)

Anya Volokhina

With a dry cough, the throat feels sore, and with a wet cough, mucus is coughed up.

*Queen*

What for from wet syrups... on the contrary, it’s good when you cough up

latimeria

He spits out something - it's wet. Does not spit - dry.
And you need to see a doctor, not a pharmacy.

Lick, I sprinkle pepper on the eye

Always asking?
It's time to get tested for tuberculosis.
Wet cough with a gurgle inside. They drink an expectorant with it.

Dry cough in a 2 year old child. The doctor prescribed marshmallow root for wet use. Is it possible to give the same syrup when dry? Or

Answers:

Olga Tarasova

You should not experiment with children's health, it is better to show it to a doctor!

Peter Rudnev

Erespal is also garbage. Preservative chloride. But now it is prescribed, or lazolvan, if the disease has already passed into the bronchi. I cut garlic for my child and put it next to the crib, as they did in the old days.

Svetlana Kolnitskaya

If you have a dry cough, you should not give medications for a wet cough and vice versa. Only a doctor can determine the nature of the cough and prescribe adequate treatment accordingly.

valiusik

if there is dry sputum, there is no sputum yet, just give the child more liquid of any kind

Just LANA

The choice of medication depends on the characteristics of the cough (“dry” or “wet”, frequent, sharp or weak and short, barking, hoarse), as well as individual characteristics child. A dry cough in a child usually occurs on the first day of acute respiratory viral infection. The cough is unproductive, but not intrusive and does not disturb the sleep and appetite of children - Expectorants medicines(Doctor Mom, Altey, Mukaltin, Licorice, Pertussin, Suprima-broncho).

Other articles

By coughing, the body tries to protect itself from irritants that affect cough receptors. With the help of this useful reflex, dust, smoke and harmful contents are removed from it, which settles in the respiratory tract. If it is not treated in time, the thickness of the sputum will increase and it will become protracted. Stagnating in the bronchi, sputum provokes the development of an inflammatory process. And this can subsequently lead to complications - bronchitis or pneumonia.

There are 2 types of cough: dry or wet. They differ mainly in that when it is dry, the mucous membrane lining the pharynx and larynx becomes inflamed, and when it is wet, a lot of mucus is formed in the bronchi. Dry ones are treated, as a rule, with antispasmodic and emollients, and wet ones with expectorants. For treatment to be truly effective, it is important to be able to distinguish between dry and wet cold coughs, and not to confuse it with an allergic cough.

TEST: Why do you have a cough?

How long have you been coughing?

Is your cough combined with a runny nose and is most noticeable in the morning (after sleep) and in the evening (already in bed)?

The cough can be described as:

You characterize the cough as:

Can you tell that the cough is deep (to understand this, take more air into your lungs and cough)?

During a coughing attack, do you feel pain in the abdomen and/or chest (pain in the intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles)?

Do you smoke?

Pay attention to the nature of the mucus that is released during a cough (it doesn’t matter how much it is: a little or a lot). She:

Do you feel dull pain in the chest, which does not depend on movements and is of an “internal” nature (as if the center of pain is in the lung itself)?

Do shortness of breath bother you (during physical activity Do you quickly become out of breath and get tired, your breathing becomes faster, followed by a lack of air)?

How to recognize dry

By a dry cough, you can recognize the onset of almost any cold (this could be ARVI, pharyngitis, tracheitis or bronchitis). As a rule, it is debilitating and does not bring relief. It does not produce sputum. The reason for its occurrence is the abundance of thick mucus produced as a result of inflammation of the nasopharynx and larynx. Eliminate this symptom drugs from the antitussive category. They soothe and soften the irritated mucous membrane of the pharynx, and also relieve bronchospasms.

There are a number of distinctive features by which you can recognize:

  • Manifests itself in the form of attacks. Each attack is characterized by abrupt start and the same abrupt ending. It sounds like a dog barking.
  • A cough attack occurs suddenly - sometimes it may even seem as if something foreign has entered the respiratory tract.
  • The duration of one attack can be 3-5 minutes. During this period, a person experiences difficulty breathing and finds it difficult to take a full breath.
  • Interferes with night sleep. Attacks can occur so often at night that a person cannot get enough sleep.
  • It often causes vomiting, because a person’s cough and vomiting reflexes are interconnected.
  • Sputum is not coughed up.
  • Even after the attack is over, relief is not felt. On the contrary, pain may be felt in the chest - the result of intense contraction of muscles and bronchi.

Based on the above features, you can understand how to distinguish a dry cough. Those who have already dealt with different types feel the difference in sputum production. They know that if the cough manifests itself in attacks and sputum is not coughed up, it needs to be treated as quickly as possible. Otherwise it will turn into wet.

Characteristics of wet

A wet (wet) cough in most cases appears after a dry one. The main reason is the accumulation of sputum in the tracheobronchial tree, as well as in the lungs. Doctors call it productive because it helps remove mucus from the lungs, which is an ideal environment for the proliferation of harmful microbes.

If the wet cough does not subside for a long time, and the sputum thickens and coughs up worse, this indicates that the disease has become chronic.

To enhance coughing, sputum must be thinned with special drugs– mucolytics. They have a combined effect: they reduce the thickness of sputum and help speed up its removal from the body. A wet cough, unlike a dry cough, brings tangible relief to a person. In addition, the result is obvious - in the form of expectorated sputum.

There are several distinctive features:

  • After the end of a coughing attack, a person feels a clot of mucus rising from the bronchi in the mouth and the desire to spit it out.
  • Immediately before a coughing attack, a person again feels that mucus has accumulated. This is precisely why the desire to cough appears.
  • At rest or during sleep, wheezing is heard. In some cases, shortness of breath may occur.

If coughing attacks occur frequently enough, they can cause pain in the abdomen and back. If, while coughing, a person cannot expectorate phlegm, there is a risk of it getting into the stomach. In some cases, this can lead to nausea and vomiting.

It is not recommended to suppress cough attacks, because with their help the body is cleansed of harmful contents of the respiratory tract. It should be treated with expectorants. In order to do this as quickly as possible, you need to do inhalations and be sure to increase the volume of fluid consumed.

What are the differences?

Many people do not understand the difference between a wet and a dry cough. But they are dry and have their own distinctive features, which we mentioned above.

Differ different types can literally at the first cough. However, in most cases, a clear line can be drawn from the very beginning of the disease. extremely difficult. Moreover, considering that each person’s body is individual. At first, minor coughing of an incomprehensible type is noted, and only then a full-fledged and quite distinguishable dry or wet cough begins.

How to distinguish a dry cough? Firstly, because of the occurrence. As already mentioned, it appears as a result of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx and nasopharynx. It is not at all difficult to check this. The reason for the appearance of wetness is sputum, which accumulates from the inside of the respiratory tract. If the cough is dry, there is simply nothing to cough it up with. In addition, it is associated with chest pain. His attacks bring a person to exhaustion. It is one of the first symptoms of most colds of an infectious nature.

Serious respiratory diseases are often accompanied by a wet cough. Just like dry skin, it can also be painful and debilitating. However, after expectoration there is always relief.

It is curious that a dry cough without proper treatment turns into a wet one, as harmful microorganisms from the nasopharynx descend downwards. But the reverse transformation (wet to dry) is impossible.

What is the difference between a dry allergic cough and a dry cold cough?

If you start coughing, but are not sure that you have a cold, you should think about the allergic nature of your cough. How can you tell: is this a symptom of a cold or an allergy? An allergic reaction can be recognized by the following signs:

In children, it comes with nasal itching, rhinitis, sneezing and difficulty breathing. Its main difference from a cold is that the body temperature remains within normal limits.

If you constantly cough after contact with any substance, this is a 100% allergy. But if you cannot say for sure what irritant provoked the allergic reaction, you will need to carry out diagnostics and identify it.

After the fact

It is absolutely not difficult to distinguish between dry and wet cough. This must be done at least in order to receive proper treatment. After all, those medications that are effective in combating wet coughs are completely useless for eliminating dry ones. And vice versa.

You should always remember that when you have a cold, a dry cough first appears, and only then does it transform into a wet one. You need to respond to these changes in a timely manner. If you take antitussive drugs inappropriately, there is a fairly high risk of complications.

Thus, you need to know as much as possible about dry and wet cough (meaning their distinctive features and methods of treatment). However, if you still find it difficult to determine the type of cough, it is advisable to consult a doctor. An experienced specialist will immediately identify it, make a diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.

Cough is the main symptom of many diseases. It may indicate a serious problem. But we often treat it superficially.

A dry cough is the first stage of the disease, when an infection or virus severely irritates the throat. During treatment it turns into a wet cough.

If you want to learn how to identify the type of cough, then you need to remember several signs of the dry type:

  1. A sharp sound that sounds like a dog barking.
  2. Appears in the form of attacks that begin abruptly and end abruptly. People may think that the person was simply choking.
  3. It's difficult to breathe normally.
  4. It's hard to go to bed. The cough constantly wakes me up.
  5. There is no mucus, which always separates during wet cough.
  6. Painful sensations in the chest and throat, relief does not come even after coughing.

To understand the situation and determine the type of cough, you just need to analyze the indicated signs. It is important to start treatment at this stage so that you do not have to deal with complications later.

Causes

Without medical education It is very difficult to understand the cause of a dry cough. After all, the matter is not always limited to a common cold.

There are a number of problems and diagnoses that always begin with a dry cough:

  1. . Because of the strong tickling, I want to cough. And since the treatment has not yet begun, there are no departments. Over time it will turn into a wet cough.
  2. . Characterized by a painful cough. His attacks only make things worse. Not only does the throat hurt, but also rib cage.
  3. . The first sign is attacks of dry cough during sleep. With treatment it turns into the wet type.
  4. Hit harmful substances in the nose and mouth. It's enough to inhale dangerous chemical composition to start coughing heavily. It is important to be alert here, as it is difficult for a person to breathe.
  5. . With this disease, a dry cough is not uncommon. But sometimes during an attack the respiratory passages close, which leads to suffocation.
  6. Foreign body in the respiratory tract. Coughing is a reaction of the body. He wants to push the object out.
  7. Oncology. The presence of a tumor in the lungs causes a dry cough.

If you don’t have a cold, but coughing attacks recur, you need to urgently consult a therapist for examination. If the problem is an infection, then it is better to treat it at the first stage. Diagnosis and treatment should be carried out.

How to cure?

There are differences between dry and wet cough in terms of treatment.

To get rid of a dry cough, you need to work in two directions:

  1. First, you need to reduce the number of attacks and remove painful sensations. Doctors recommend Stoptussin and Tusuprek. They can be taken according to instructions when the first symptoms appear. But these drugs do not cure. Therefore, we move on to the second direction.
  2. Codeine and glacine are powerful tools which relieve irritation in the throat. They form sputum, which eases the cough and then eliminates it completely. When you have a cold, you should always start with warm tea with honey and.

If nothing helps, then the reason is more serious. The therapist and ENT must conduct an examination to make a diagnosis.

How to identify a wet cough?

The main difference between a wet cough is “productivity”. This is exactly how doctors characterize it, because it brings relief and removes excess mucus.

The patient actually feels the result and experiences all of the following symptoms:

  1. There is no pain (it is not present both during coughing and after it).
  2. Cough pushes into oral cavity slime. Sometimes there can be a lot of it.
  3. The patient usually decides to cough when he feels the accumulated mucus.
  4. Even without a stethoscope you can hear wheezing.
  5. A fever appears due to accumulated mucus.

It is enough to experience both types of cough at least once to learn to distinguish between them. Most often, a wet cough appears during the treatment of infectious diseases.

Causes

Here, as with dry cough, there are many options. The simplest of them is a sign of recovery. The medications relieved the irritation and fought off the infection, so now the body only has to remove the excess mucus.

But there are other reasons for the appearance of a wet cough:

  1. . Copious amounts of mucus pass from the nose to back wall throat. The throat becomes irritated and a wet cough appears. In this case, the throat is absolutely healthy. But you shouldn’t delay treating your nose, because the infection can go further at any time.
  2. Laryngitis and bronchitis. A wet cough indicates that the treatment is helping. The patient begins to feel better. The attacks stop. Now the patient himself controls the cough.
  3. . This is a complication that usually begins with bronchitis. The sputum will be the color of rust. Need to call urgently ambulance.
  4. Lung abscess. Purulent discharge. It is urgent to call an ambulance.

Pneumonia is especially dangerous. 1-2 days are enough for a common cold or bronchitis to develop into complications.

How to cure?

The essence of treatment is to make the sputum more liquid for successful removal. If everything is left as is, it will go down and lead to pneumonia.

The best drugs are Prospan and.

They very quickly liquefy mucus and remove it from the body. Gerbion and Prospan can be taken by children, as they work in a gentle manner. There is an effect already after the first dose.

We must not forget about inhalations. If there is a child in the house, then you need to take care of your own. In most cases, it will be able to eliminate any cold in a couple of days.

Dry and wet cough in children

Children's cough is a separate issue, since even with modern medicine many babies die because of such a simple symptom.

Parents begin to treat their children at their own discretion and cannot identify the complication in time.

Advice: If the child starts coughing or if coughing attacks disturb him during sleep, you should urgently call an ambulance or go to the hospital. The doctor should listen to the baby. One day is enough for complications to develop.

Determining the type of cough is easy: You need to put your ear to your chest and ask your baby to breathe deeply through his mouth. With a dry cough you won’t hear anything, but with a wet cough there will be wheezing and gurgling.

When coughing occurs, try to follow the following pattern:

  1. Set a date for your doctor's visit. If a symptom appears today, then tomorrow you need to go to the pediatrician.
  2. For a dry cough, give your baby warm tea with honey or raspberries. A Loratadine tablet will not be superfluous. This is one that can be taken by children.
  3. For a wet cough, use Gerbion, Prospan or Ambraxol. The last option is very effective and economical. The syrup will force the body to cough up mucus to prevent it from accumulating.
  4. Use your inhaler. Once a day is enough.

Conclusion

Remember that you need to pay attention to your cough, quickly determine its type (dry or wet) and consult a doctor in a timely manner. You can't leave things to chance here. After all, a normal cough can cause serious consequences and complications.

This question especially concerns parents. You must watch your children and leave everything to go to the doctor.

As practice shows, if you apply for professional help at the first symptoms, you can achieve complete recovery in 3 days.

In addition to this topic, we suggest reading.

Coughing is a natural reaction of the body that occurs during a reflex contraction of the respiratory muscles. These contractions occur when pathogenic microorganisms penetrate the respiratory tract and lymphoid tissue or foreign inclusions—dust or grains of sand—that saturate the air come into contact with the mucous membrane.

A dry cough appears at the first signs of an acute respiratory viral infection or bacterial infection. Subsequently, it transforms into wet, accompanied by secretion bronchial secretion– mucus.

It can occur due to allergies, measles, tuberculosis, if you suddenly choked, due to the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus, if you suddenly swallowed something.

Wet attacks appear during the inflammatory process of the respiratory system, if the disease has affected the bronchi or lungs, or due to stagnation of phlegm in the lungs.

The entire mucous membrane of the respiratory tract - bronchial tree and bronchial branches - covered with sensitive receptors. Respiratory organs lined with small cilia (vibrating epithelium), activated with every irritation - regardless of its etiology. Impulses are sent to the brain, which, when reflected back, cause the muscles responsible for breathing to contract.

When irritated, the secretion of a protective secretion increases - bronchial mucus, which “takes” the blow - those that penetrate into it pathogenic microorganisms and dust. To remove it, the body turns on natural reaction, contracts the respiratory muscles.

Before making a diagnosis, you need to find out the nature of the cough, its intensity and even its sound. All these signs help make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.

What kind of cough is there?

Dry non-productive attacks do not bring relief - during them the airways are not cleared, breathing does not become easier. They can appear suddenly, almost out of the blue, or arise after a sore throat. The sounds that are heard may sound like a dog barking or squeaking - from the outside it seems that there is something in the throat foreign body and they are trying to get rid of it. It's very difficult to stop

impossible to take a breath. This may cause nausea and vomiting, since the esophagus is affected when the larynx is irritated. The chest may also hurt, there may be a feeling of a “lump” in the throat, and spastic headaches may appear.

The main symptom of a wet cough is the release of mucus from the respiratory tract when coughing. In a normal state, sputum is also released - it creates a protective barrier, and the excess is reflexively swallowed. If secretion production increases due to inflammation or irritation, it accumulates in the respiratory tract. To clean them, central nervous system causes the muscles responsible for breathing to contract, causing mucus to be rejected.

If the mucus is too viscous or there is a lot of it, after an attack there is a urge to vomit. In most cases, reflex contractions cause relief, sometimes short-term.

The patient cannot always distinguish a cough by symptoms - during dry attacks, nasal mucus or a small amount of stomach contents may be coughed up if prolonged reflex contractions cause vomiting; or reflex attacks with the release of viscous, thick sputum do not bring relief.

Dry cough and wet cough - causes

The main cause of dry cough is respiratory diseases associated with the introduction of infection. These diseases include: ARVI, influenza, pharyngitis, laryngitis, measles, tracheitis, sinusitis, sinusitis, tuberculosis, oncological processes in the larynx and respiratory organs, bronchial asthma and pleurisy.
Dry attacks or soreness are not always explained by inflammatory processes in the respiratory system; their causes may be: allergic reactions, occupational diseases, increased load on the vocal cords, gastroesophageal reflux, helminth infections, by-effect from taking medications.

Children can inhale small parts of toys, causing them severe attacks without sputum production, a similar symptom appears during infection with “childhood” infections - scarlet fever, measles, rubella.

Especially dangerous reason, in which dry painful attacks occur with intense contraction of the diaphragm - pharyngitis, a complication of which is often false croup. In young children, the glottis is narrow, and with swelling of the larynx, it can completely close, causing respiratory failure. Dry cough attacks in children, during which a hoarse sound is heard, can appear against the background of absolute health.

The rapid increase in edema is influenced by the following factors– hypothermia, inhalation of cold air, allergies, cold drinks. If parents hear that the child has begun to make “barking” sounds and his voice has become hoarse, it is better to take preventive measures - give antihistamines and give him something warm to drink. If it is not possible to stop the swelling, it is necessary to call an ambulance so that the child does not suffocate.

Causes of wet cough:

  • allergies - especially seasonal ones, hay fever;
  • respiratory tract diseases - bronchitis, pneumonia, smoker's cough;
  • ecogenic factors;
  • bronchial asthma - sputum accumulates in the lungs overnight and leaves in the morning;
  • smoker's bronchitis - symptoms similar to bronchial asthma, sputum accumulates during prolonged periods of immobility;
  • cardiovascular diseases - pleural fluid stagnates in the lungs.

As you can see, the attacks different types- wet or dry - can be caused by the same reasons, but this does not mean that these symptoms can be eliminated in the same ways. Treatment begins only after the cause has been established and the type of reflex contractions has been determined.

Dry and wet cough - treatment

What is the difference between different types of cough treatment?

Therapeutic measures to eliminate dry non-productive attacks can be carried out according to two completely different algorithms. In the first case, they try to stop them, in the second, they transform them into productive ones by stimulating sputum production.

To block the cough center, in most cases, complex drugs are prescribed that stimulate sputum production, dilute it and facilitate elimination.

These include:

  • "Stoptussin";
  • “Sinekod” – no mucolytic effect;
  • "Fludetek" - increased mucolytic effect;
  • Gerbion syrup with plantain;
  • "Erespal" - has an antihistamine effect;
  • "Ascoril" - the drug contains salbutanol, which eliminates spasms of the respiratory tract.

Products containing codeine have a blocking effect on the cough center; they should not be prescribed to weakened people and children - it will be difficult for them to cough in the future.

Adviсe traditional medicine for non-productive attacks:

Productive attacks are treated with the help of mucolytic and expectorant agents, which - in most cases - contain natural raw materials - extracts and extracts of licorice root, plantain, violet, sage and plants with similar effects.

Therapeutic measures to eliminate wet cough are aimed at removing sputum from the bronchial tree.

Whatever the cough, it must be treated. If you take a sore throat and dry unproductive attacks lightly that appear on initial stage respiratory tract diseases, inflammatory process descends and affects the respiratory system.


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