Penzants warned of dangerous signs of cough

A city dweller experiences a cough much more often than someone who grew up in the village. The reason is not only colds – the respiratory system is pressured by the atmosphere of the metropolis. This was told to journalists by Professor of Sechenov University Pavel Berezhansky.

According to him, the air we breathe, allergens, food and a downed daily routine hit the respiratory system no weaker than viruses. At the same time, the lion’s share of acute respiratory diseases is viral in nature. The pathogens attack the upper respiratory tract, inflammation begins, mucus becomes more, and its natural output is disturbed. That's how the cough comes about.

Seeing him as an enemy is a mistake. It is, on the contrary, a protective mechanism that helps the body get rid of mucus, irritants and foreign particles. Treatment depends on what the cough is and what caused it. Parents often look only at the strength of the symptom, overlooking its nature, the presence of sputum and the time of exacerbation. And it is these details that determine how to treat.

The respiratory system also suffers from external influences: passive smoking, vaping, dirty air, downed regime. Take into account dust, irritants and pollutants.

Urban children catch SARS and allergies more often and longer than rural ones. Smog corrodes the mucous membranes, destroys the epithelium and inhibits the cleansing of the bronchi. Green plantations partially help - they trap dust and reduce the concentration of harmful substances.

Downed mode - lack of sleep, late relief, little walks - weakens the protection: mucous membranes dry up, recovery is slower. A lack of protein, vitamins and trace elements undermines local immunity, and an excess of fast carbohydrates inflates inflammation.

When the barrier is weakened, the cough is dry, wet, unproductive or productive. In one patient, several types are often mixed.

According to the professor, a protracted cough can be explained by postnasal edema syndrome or be post-infectious in nature - to last three to seven weeks after recovery. To judge only by the duration of the cough is wrong. It is much more important to understand how the disease began, how the cough changed, whether there is sputum, nasal congestion, allergies, temperature. It is the answers to these questions that allow you to choose an effective treatment.

Treatment is based on the nature of the cough. If it is dry and intrusive, without sputum, expectorant drugs are prohibited. If wet, with viscous sputum, herbal remedies are permissible - but naturalness does not cancel the accounting of the diagnosis, age, contraindications and instructions.

Simple steps help to enhance the effect: warm, abundant drink, humidity in the room 40-60%, airing twice a day for 10-15 minutes, washing the nose with saline solution, daily walks at least half an hour away from the roads.

What can not be done: independently muffle a wet cough with antitussives, mix expectorants with antitussives, drink antibiotics with the virus without a doctor's prescription.

It is necessary to go to the doctor if there is shortness of breath, whistling during breathing, blood in sputum, the temperature above 38.5 ° C lasts more than three days, the cough does not pass for 2-3 weeks, chest hurts, the voice sets or faints occur.