Most often, a hoarse cough is a symptom of a cold. It may be wheezing, dry or wet.
By the nature of the cough, the doctor can understand what he is dealing with, because different pathogens cause their reaction in the body, which means that the cough will change.
It is not this symptom that needs to be treated, but the disease itself as a whole. If there are no other symptoms besides wheezing when coughing, this should alert the patient.
The reasons
If, with a hoarse cough in the throat or chest, the patient hears a whistling, wheezing, this indicates problems with the bronchi, in which there is a large amount of pulmonary secretion.
Often these sounds accompany pneumonia. With a strong hoarse cough that comes from the chest, you should quickly consult a doctor, because this can be a sign of dangerous diseases.
- With laryngitis, the voice may grow hoarse or even disappear for a while.
- Pharyngitis always gives a red throat, hoarseness, slight cough, sore throat, often with fever.
- With pneumonia, there may also be a hoarse voice, dry cough, phlegm comes out with difficulty. The lungs swell, so shortness of breath develops, the entire sternum hurts, except for wheezing, the doctor hears a whistle.
- With tracheitis, the voice often becomes hoarse, the cough is strong, but dry, comes in attacks.
- If the cough is dry, whistling in the chest, then this may be a symptom of heart disease.
- Allergy often gives a hoarse cough, this suggests that irritating substances get on the mucous membrane.
- If you cough with wheezing, but there are no other signs of a cold, this may indicate neoplasms or tuberculosis.
- Dry cough attacks occur with bronchial asthma, this condition requires a doctor’s call.
The diagnosis can only be clarified by a doctor after a complete diagnosis. If a hoarse cough persists and interferes with life, you need to seek help so as not to wait for complications.
Symptoms
Just like that, a hoarse cough is unlikely to go away, especially if you have a serious illness. To suggest a diagnosis, the doctor needs to know about other symptoms that the patient has.
Usually, with such a cough, there is a high fever, nasal congestion, a hoarse voice, chills, sore throat, signs of poisoning, voice weakness, coughing fits at night, shortness of breath, wheezing in the chest.
Treatment should be started as soon as possible in order to prevent complications of any disease from appearing.
Diagnostics
It is impossible to try to get rid of a hoarse cough on your own, because the wrong tactics will only aggravate the situation. The doctor will prescribe funds that will be directed to the root cause of the cough, and not to suppress this symptom.
You must be especially careful when treating children, pregnant women. To find out the condition of the lungs, you need to take a picture of them or undergo fluorography. A nasopharyngeal swab may also be taken.
With a strong hoarse cough with sputum discharge, its analysis can be taken to clarify the diagnosis and condition of the lungs.
Treatment
A hoarse cough may be a sign of laryngitis, but then, in addition to it, there may be hoarseness and even a complete absence of voice. Your doctor will prescribe medications that will relieve swelling in your throat so that air can flow into your lungs more easily.
Often for this they use drugs for allergies, warm drinks: tea, herbal preparations, mineral water without gas, compotes.
Medications that help relieve hoarse coughs help mucus flow and lung function. Usually, doctors use two groups of drugs for this:
- means for influencing the brain, which gives the body signals to cough up;
- means for directly calming the nerves in the lung area, they not only envelop the lungs, but also help to quickly get rid of mucus in them.
The last group includes:
- Sprays that directly deliver active ingredients to the respiratory tract. There are often salt vapors, iodine and other substances. They are considered safe for use in children of all ages.
- Tablets, teas and syrups based on herbal ingredients are designed to soften the mucous throats and lungs, and help cough up.
- Expectorants contain synthetic substances and natural ingredients, help to quickly remove phlegm with pathogens. There are different release options.
- Mucolytics thin the phlegm, making it easier for it to leave the body.
Treatment can only be complex, so often all these funds must be taken together or in turn, so that the effect occurs in a short time.
If the disease progresses, antibiotics or antiviral drugs are prescribed. You cannot take them on your own so as not to cause the development of side effects.
There are also other ways to improve the patient’s condition:
- humidifying the air in the room;
- daily cleaning with a damp cloth;
- to give up smoking;
- do not eat salty, spicy, cold or hot food;
- ventilate more often;
- do exercises to develop breathing.
If a child is sick, it is necessary to remind of the need to breathe through the nose, if it is blocked, you can use vasoconstrictor drugs, as well as sprays for washing mucous membranes.
If the hoarse cough is severe, the doctor will suggest hospitalization, especially if you have a fever. Adults are admitted to hospital for severe bronchitis and pneumonia.
Inhalation can be done only after consulting a specialist, self-medication is contraindicated, because some conditions can be aggravated by this remedy. The same applies to traditional medicine – all methods must be discussed with a doctor.