A cough is a specific reflex of the body, the purpose of which is to clean the respiratory tract from small foreign particles, from accumulated mucus, from bacteria and other irritants. The usual periodic coughing is familiar to every person – this is not a pathology. But a persistent cough that can wear out for a very long time is not the norm. In order to get rid of a constant cough, it is necessary first of all to establish its reliable cause, since it is on this that competent treatment should be based.
A persistent cough is considered chronic if it does not subside for two or more months. According to statistics, almost a third of the world’s population suffers from a constant cough of one or another origin. Of course, it is easy to assume that the first category of people at risk of constant coughing is smokers. In addition, doctors confirm that the most often weaker women from the age of thirty-five to forty-five suffer from constant coughing . The reasons for this dependence have not yet been established. The risk group also includes people taking medications to increase blood pressure.
Persistent cough – causes of development
Persistent cough can develop due to severe environmental pollution, certain conditions, the presence of allergic reactions or diseases of the upper respiratory tract. In some situations, it happens that a constant cough is one of the first signs of cancer of the lung tissue, but panic is not worth it anyway. It is necessary to undergo a diagnosis, after which the exact causes of its occurrence will become clear.
Very often, a persistent cough accompanies diseases such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, inflammation, and wounds. Very rarely, a cough develops due to heart failure, tuberculosis, lung cancer, a decrease in immunity, and sometimes it can be caused by a person’s nervous state. About ten percent of cases are not susceptible to differential diagnosis, and it becomes impossible to determine the cause of cough in such patients, as a result of which they are forced to drink various expectorants.
Persistent cough – diagnostic methods
In the diagnosis, X-ray examination is mainly used, since it is the x-ray that gives the most reliable result in identifying pathological processes. Then spirometry is used, that is, the volume of the lungs and the percentage of their filling are determined. It is necessary to conduct a full examination of the cardiovascular system in order to exclude the causes of cough on its part.
Persistent cough – therapy
It takes a lot of time and effort to treat persistent cough. The basis of constant cough therapy is the competent treatment of the underlying disease, on the basis of which a constant cough has developed. If it is impossible to find out the cause of a persistent cough, then they mainly use various centrally acting antitussive drugs, expectorant medicines. Inhalers are widely used for the treatment of persistent cough, which can be used at home. Especially if a persistent cough has developed due to a viral infection, or some kind of inflammatory process localized in the airways.
One way or another, a persistent cough must be treated, and this must be done as quickly as possible, since in some cases a persistent cough can indicate the development of a serious illness in the body.