Why does a person cough all the time? Causes of cough: why a person coughs

A reflexive state with which our body tries to cleanse its respiratory tract. In most cases, cough is accompanied by so-called colds, but sometimes it can indicate the presence of much more dangerous problems in the body.

In any case, the presence of a long-lasting cough means that not the most pleasant processes are occurring in the body, which can bring threatening consequences for health. In such a situation, consulting a doctor is mandatory.

Of course, this is the most common and widespread reason, but persistent cough may have other causes. It can be caused by both diseases and external conditions, for example, too dry and hot air, which provokes severe drying of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which entails a reflexive desire of the body to produce more phlegm in order to “lubricate” the dry mucous membranes. In this situation, coughing is not a harm, but a benefit. As soon as the situation with humidity and air temperature changes in better side, the cough will go away on its own, without any additional influence.

The same reaction of the body is caused by staying in a dusty or gas-filled room, or in the open air if there is strong wind, which raised particles of dust and sand into the air. The entry of such particles into the respiratory tract can cause mechanical irritation, and the desire to get rid of foreign bodies- cough, sometimes very strong, and in other cases reminiscent of simple coughing. The same effect is provoked by staying in a smoky room, as well as smoking itself - experienced smokers typically cough in the morning, when the body tries to get rid of accumulated tar and other products of cigarette combustion.

It’s a completely different matter if the cause seems to have been eliminated, but the coughing does not stop.

In this case, you can suspect the presence of an allergic reaction - to dust, mists, dust mites, odors, animal hair and much more. This disease does not go away on its own; it must be treated so that it does not become much worse. serious illness- bronchial asthma. Sometimes the cause of cough can even be medicines, for example, aerosol throat treatments. If you are prone to allergies, inhaling such drugs can cause a cough.

Finding a variety of things in the air chemical compounds, gases, even simple household and cosmetic aerosols, including perfumes, can also cause coughing. U healthy people Such a cough goes away quite quickly on its own once they leave the gas-filled room.

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Sometimes the cause of unpleasant symptoms can be diseases that have nothing to do with the respiratory system. These are diseases of the digestive system, such as reflux esophagitis, regular heartburn, gastritis, stomach ulcers or hiatal hernia. The reflux of acidic stomach contents can cause irritation of the throat and the desire to constantly cough up.

Frequent, superficial cough is characteristic of some heart diseases. In most cases, such cough and shortness of breath accompanies heart failure, but it can also appear with much more dangerous conditions, for example, with cardiomyopathies and cardiosclerosis, dysfunction mitral valve and so on.

But the main causes of cough are, of course, associated with inflammatory and infectious diseases. Most of it is provoked by lesions of the nasopharynx (,), infectious diseases - measles, croup, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Danger signs

A cough should raise alarm and prompt you to seek medical advice. medical care if it continues long time, and a coughing person feels constantly unwell.

The appearance of shortness of breath, severe weakness, increased sweating, especially at night, unmotivated weight loss with normal, usual diet, peak increases in temperature or constant low-grade fever, severe pallor, as well as the appearance of a characteristic feverish blush on the cheeks indicate the presence of dangerous diseases.

Constant coughing over a long period of time, during which a person’s condition worsens, may be a sign of the presence of the following dangerous and sometimes fatal diseases:

Chronic pneumonia.
Chronic bronchitis.
Bronchial asthma.
Pulmonary tuberculosis.
Neoplasms in the lungs and other respiratory organs, including malignant ones.
Lung dysfunctions directly related to functioning problems.

Any of these diseases poses a threat to the health and life of the patient, so timely treatment medical assistance can stop the disease at the earliest stages.

Untreated persistent coughing can lead to chronic diseases, which are much more difficult to deal with than “fresh” spicy ones. In addition, if coughing turns out to be a manifestation of dangerous diseases, for example, inflammation and pulmonary tuberculosis, heart failure or malignant tumor respiratory organs, then any delay in treatment can not only cause serious harm to a person’s health, but also cause his untimely death.

That is why an apparently harmless cough should alarm and force the patient to visit a doctor for diagnosis. accurate diagnosis And early start treatment. This simple action can save you from many health problems and even save your life.

Drug treatment

If the patient has a constant cough, then treatment directly depends on what exactly provoked this condition.

If the cause is an allergy, the doctor will prescribe tests aimed at identifying the allergen.Treatment will consist of isolating the patient from the allergen by excluding products containing it from the patient’s menu, refusing to wear woolen and fur products, removing carpets and down, feather pillows and so on from the house. To treat allergies, your doctor will prescribe special antihistamines.

If the cause is an infectious disease, the patient will also have to undergo a series of tests to identify the pathogen and its belonging to different groups: viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoan microorganisms.

Depending on the result obtained, the correct treatment will be chosen.

In the event that a persistent cough is associated with heart and circulatory diseases, treatment will be aimed not only at maintaining cardiac activity, but also at treating the underlying cause, sometimes surgically, for example, replacing a valve.

If coughing is caused by disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, treatment will be aimed at eliminating defects in the affected digestive organs.In any situation, drug treatment always depends on what exactly caused the cough, therefore it is profile and symptomatic.

Folk recipes

Traditional medicine offers many recipes to soften and eliminate dry, irritating cough. This is the reception various decoctions and drinks orally, and rinsing with inhalations:

The simplest, most effective and accessible remedy at severe attacks painful cough with suffocation - this. Regular baking soda found in any home, it costs a penny, and the effect of inhalation is excellent and almost instantaneous - hot steam dilates blood vessels, relieves spasms, and soda effectively softens dry and irritated mucous membranes. This remedy can help with for various reasons cough, including bronchospasm, affects both adults and children. Even crumbs can use alkaline for inhalation. mineral water like Borjomi.
Another old proven remedy is tea with honey and lemon. Drinking plenty of warm vitamins helps you fight faster, especially colds.
To treat it, you can use any herbal preparations softening and relieving irritation effect. This could be a decoction of rose hips, tea with raspberries, viburnum or other berries, linden decoction with honey, milk with butter and honey, or goat milk with honey and goat fat. Last resort Excellent for long-term obstructive cough.

When using methods traditional medicine it must be taken into account that plant raw materials and the use of bee products, citrus fruits themselves can cause allergic reactions, therefore they should be used with caution, after preliminary testing for the body’s reaction.

The cough itself is like physical phenomenon can cause harm to the fetus only if it is paroxysmal, strong, suffocating, often seizure-inducing vomiting. In this case, the pressure in abdominal cavity increases, which can cause placental abruption, bleeding and even pregnancy loss.

Coughing as a manifestation requires treatment, but not amateur, but only according to medical advice. Only a very limited amount can be used for pregnant women medications, as medications may harm the fetus.

Only experienced specialist can correctly choose the drug itself, its dosage and duration of administration, safe for the baby and mother, but effective against the existing problem.

Whatever the reasons for the occurrence constant coughing, it is imperative to identify them so that treatment is quick and correct.

Cough is a nonspecific protective reaction of the body. Its function is to clear the respiratory tract of phlegm, dust or foreign objects. If there is a cough, a person will first of all think about organ diseases respiratory system. In fact, this symptom can also occur when other organs are affected.

Why do people cough?

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On the surface of the mucous membrane of the airways are located cough receptors. Under the influence of a provoking factor, these cells are activated. Information received from receptors in ascending nerve fibers reaches the cough center located in medulla oblongata. This is where the received information is analyzed. Then the descending nerve fibers send a signal to the intercostal, diaphragmatic, and abdominal muscles. Muscle contraction causes the foreign substance to be expelled from the airways.

A cough may occur as a result of a cold and disappear after a week. And sometimes coughing bothers a person for a long time and the cause of this symptom is not at all obvious. The duration of the cough is a very important characteristic. Depending on the duration, I classify three types of cough:

Spicy- duration up to three weeks;
Subacute- lasts four to eight weeks;
Chronic- lasts more than eight weeks.

Acute cough in most cases is caused by ARVI. The symptom disappears after the person recovers. It is worth noting that children often experience a post-infectious cough that is practically untreatable. This syndrome may occur for one to two months. In such cases, doctors talk about subacute cough.
Prolonged coughing can be caused not only inflammatory diseases respiratory organs, but also cardiovascular failure, neoplasms in the lungs and mediastinum. Moreover, the reasons chronic cough There may be gastroesophageal disease, as well as nasal drip syndrome.

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It is customary to divide cough into non-productive and productive. A non-productive (dry) cough is characteristic of initial stage ARVI. Gradually, the properties of sputum change and the patient notices that the cough becomes wet. So, with the help of bronchial secretions, the body tries to displace the virus from the respiratory tract.
Productive cough characteristic of acute and chronic forms, bronchiectasis, bronchial asthma, as well as congestive left ventricular failure.
To determine the cause of a cough, it is important to study not only its duration and type, but also the nature of the sputum. Sputum happens:

Serous (liquid, easily foaming);
Mucous (colorless or whitish, thick);
Purulent (yellow-green or brown, creamy consistency);
Mixed (combines the characteristics of mucous and purulent sputum);
Bloody (sputum mixed with blood).

Causes leading to cough

Determining the cause of the cough is very important. This will help formulate a diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. Often a cough is a symptom of a dangerous disease, which is important to identify in a timely manner.

Infectious diseases of the respiratory system

Cough due to ARVI occurs literally in one or two days. Patients with this diagnosis experience general weakness, increased body temperature, runny nose, headache. A viral infection can infect various departments respiratory tract. Characterized by soreness and...

These symptoms make a person feel uncomfortable. By coughing, a person seems to be trying to get rid of mucus accumulated in the throat. accompanied by painful, dry, barking cough. When the larynx becomes inflamed, the voice becomes hoarse. Children may develop against the background of ARVI false croup. This is a condition that is characterized by stenosis of the larynx, caused by swelling and spasm of its walls. Characteristics of croup:

Loud barking cough;
Hoarseness of voice;
Noisy, bubbling breathing (stridor);
Inspiratory dyspnea (occurs during inspiration);
Excitement and anxiety of a sick child.

False croup with the fourth degree of narrowing of the lumen of the larynx can lead to death due to asphyxia.

Please note: true croup is observed when the larynx is affected. The disease develops gradually. Intoxication is mild, the temperature may rise slightly. With true croup, there is a loss of voice. During the examination, the presence of fibrinous whitish films covering the larynx, pharynx, and tonsils is determined. Danger true croup The fact is that the narrowing of the lumen of the larynx increases regardless of intensive therapy. Children who have not been vaccinated against diphtheria are at risk.
ARVI also often manifests itself. Inflammation of the trachea is characterized by loud, deep cough, which is accompanied by pain behind the sternum. And for soreness in chest not typical. When the bronchi are affected, the cough is loud and chesty. Sometimes even at a distance, without using a phonendoscope, wheezing can be heard.

Treatment of cough with folk remedies

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Exists large number folk recipes that can help fight cough. You should consult your doctor before using them.

One of the most famous recipes is the radish remedy. To prepare, you need to take a black radish, wash it, cut off the top, and then cut out the flesh. Pour honey into the resulting bowl. Then the radish must be covered with a sheet of paper, with the cut off top of the root vegetable on top. Place the radish in a glass of water. After five hours, the contents can be poured into a glass. You should drink a tablespoon of liquid before meals.

How to treat a child's cough with? Pour milk into a saucepan, add three or four chopped figs, and put on fire. It is necessary to bring the milk to a boil. Then cover the broth with a lid and let it brew. Once the liquid has cooled, you can take it. You should drink a glass of milk a day, always warm.

A decoction of calamus root helps to cope with cough. To prepare it, add a tablespoon of herb to two hundred milliliters of boiling water. Stir, after ten minutes turn off and cover with a lid. When the broth has cooled, strain it. You should drink a glass of decoction about half an hour before meals. You need to drink five hundred milliliters of decoction per day.

Grigorova Valeria, medical observer

The causes of cough, which is familiar to each of us, can be different - from a common cold to lung cancer. It is extremely important to know why a person coughs, as this helps to understand its origin, and therefore to act on the cause as early as possible.

A cough is a sudden reflex movement during which the airways are cleared. Coughing can be intentional or involuntary. Why does a person cough? Because for some reason irritation occurs nerve endings located in the respiratory tract.

Depending on how long the cough lasts, there are:

Acute cough that lasts up to three weeks.
Subacute cough usually lasts from 3 to 8 weeks.
Chronic cough lasting more than 8 weeks.

Why does a person cough?

The main causes of cough are as follows:

A respiratory tract infection that causes a cold or flu. As a rule, a cough appears on the second or third day after the onset of the illness and can continue for a long time, even after complete recovery. Cough can also be the cause of infectious diseases such as: bronchitis, pneumonia (caused by pneumococcal infection), whooping cough (caused by the whooping cough bacillus).
Allergies to dust, mold, animal hair, plant pollen. Allergy cough is accompanied by allergy symptoms such as: runny nose, conjunctivitis, skin rashes, Quincke's edema, headache, insomnia.
Asthma can also be a cause of cough. Asthma is chronic disease bronchi, which is manifested by periodically recurring attacks of suffocation and wheezing. According to WHO estimates, about 235 million people currently suffer from asthma, the causes of this disease are still unclear.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is an incurable lung disease, the main cause of which is smoking, including passive smoking. COPD is characterized by persistent disruption of air flow from the lungs.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, during which spontaneous, regularly repeated reflux of acidic stomach contents (reflux) occurs into the esophagus. Most common symptom of this disease - heartburn, chest pain, cough.
Heart failure can also be one of the causes of cough. In heart failure, the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. In heart failure, fluid may accumulate in some organs. If fluid accumulates in the lungs, a cough occurs.
Postnasal drip or postnasal drip syndrome occurs when mucus, formed for some reason in the nose, flows into the underlying parts of the respiratory tract. This causes a cough, which is especially worse when lying down.
Taking medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors ( ACE inhibitors), used to treat high blood pressure, and beta blockers, used to treat high pressure, headaches, glaucoma.

If you notice blood clots that appear when you cough, contact your doctor immediately. This may indicate such dangerous diseases like lung cancer and tuberculosis.

Only a doctor can determine exactly why a person coughs. Therefore, if you have a cough that does not go away within several weeks, be sure to consult a doctor.

All people sooner or later encounter the phenomenon of coughing. It happens that this phenomenon begins with colds or foreign particles getting into the throat. Heart patients and allergy sufferers cough. Bronchospasms often begin in patients with stomach and intestinal ailments.

Many people have experienced this symptom on themselves more than once. However, not everyone understands why a cough appears and why it occurs. But knowing the nature of the occurrence of sharp spastic exhalations, it is easier to determine why they begin and remove the provoking factor in time.

Why and how does a person cough?

Reflex spasms of the respiratory tract are a protective reaction of the body. They are aimed:

To get rid of foreign particles and factors that irritate mucous membranes.
To remove pathological sputum containing harmful microorganisms.

Why and how does a cough start? The answer to this question is simple. Sharp spastic exhalations always occur as a reflex response of the body to the influence of various provocateurs.

Cough receptors located in the different parts body, what causes coughing different character. Most often, reflex spasms of the respiratory tract begin because they are exposed to provoking factors:

These organs are susceptible to the influence of various provocateurs - temperature, mechanical, chemical, infectious, inflammatory - which is why and what causes coughing. The reasons for its occurrence can be of two types:

External.
Internal.

When exposed to each group, a cough of a different nature begins.

In order to get rid of unpleasant symptom of any etiology, you should definitely visit a doctor and determine why and why the cough occurs. After this, you should not only do symptomatic treatment unpleasant phenomenon, but also to remove the underlying disease that causes it. For successful and quick recovery it is necessary to begin taking measures as soon as the disease begins.

Why and why you want to cough: external factors

Reflex spasms of the respiratory tract can be caused by various provocateurs entering the body from environment. These include:

Foreign particles.
Allergens.
Harmful substances.
Wet, dry or cold air.

If there are such external factors negative impact It affects the respiratory system quite quickly, which is why the cough is very strong and it begins instantly.

To get rid of an unpleasant symptom in these cases, the first thing the patient must do is remove the irritant, and then begin treatment.

Why and how a cough appears: internal factors

Another type of cause that triggers reflex spasms of the respiratory tract are irritants located in the body itself. These include:

Lesions of the mucous membrane.
Various inflammatory processes, occurring in the respiratory organs and nasopharynx.
Diseases cardiovascular system(bronchospasms most often begin due to pressure on the airways).
Dysfunctions of the digestive tract.
Intestinal and nervous ailments.

The list of why and what you can cough from is quite long. Only a doctor can correctly determine internal factor, due to which an unpleasant symptom begins.

If for some reason your cough does not go away for a long time even after thorough treatment recommended by your doctor, you should definitely visit a specialist again. The doctor will conduct a re-examination.

There are often cases of parallel occurrence of additional provoking factors, why and what causes a cough of a completely different nature. In this case, due to the emergence of previously absent provocateurs, the doctor will adjust the treatment to a more adequate one.

Cough is a symptom that can be a manifestation of many diseases. Taking this into account, if you have a prolonged cough, you should never use self-medication. The doctor must determine the cause of the disease and only after that can one act directly on those factors that contribute to coughing.

Why does a person cough

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Why does a cough appear?

Cough usually appears with the following diseases:

Allergic reaction; bronchial asthma; respiratory tract infections of bacterial or viral origin such as bronchitis, pneumonia, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis, laryngitis and other diseases; lung irritation chemical; for lung irritation mechanically fine suspension in the air; heart failure; others serious illnesses hearts in which a person can be tormented severe cough; tumors.

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Any children's cough for a parent it is big problem and a cause for serious concern. When a child has been coughing for more than a month, nothing helps, examinations do not bring results, and the next package of pills and mixtures only intensifies the symptoms, the parents’ heads are spinning.

What is a cough

Cough is a kind of defensive reaction body. It is necessary for every person who breathes not the cleanest city air in order to cleanse the lungs of accumulated “dirt.”

When a person gets sick, in the nasopharynx, bronchi and even in upper sections the lungs produce sputum. It is necessary to neutralize bacteria and viruses. The body needs to remove this mucus, which is why coughing exists.

Types of cough

According to duration, doctors divide the following types of cough:

Spicy. This type of dry cough usually stops after a few days. Instead, it appears moist, productive, with sputum discharge. Persistent cough lasts from two...

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Unusual causes of cough in people are not always a sign of lung disease; we can cough for reasons unrelated to the lungs and this happens very often. This long and painful cough torments, even when people take expectorants and other drugs for a long time to relieve the cough, but they do not help at all.

Why might a cough not associated with pulmonary diseases, And unusual reasons coughs in people can be caused by a stomach disease, and here's why.

So, the cough problem may be concentrated in your stomach, and this process is due to the fact that the acidity is normal gastric juice has certain boundaries, and the sphincter, which prevents the contents of the stomach from entering the esophagus. It must work well so as not to leak contents closer to the esophagus oral cavity, which may result in heartburn.

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Often, if the voice disappears, this is not a sign of anything dangerous. Why does my voice disappear? Most often this happens with a cold, when sore throat, during a sore throat. However, in any case, it is better not to risk your health, and if a person has a sore throat or lost his voice, it is better to consult a doctor.

Laryngitis

The reasons why a person loses his voice can be very diverse, one of them is laryngitis. At timely treatment This disease is not dangerous, although quite unpleasant. In this case, the voice disappears either partially or completely and is called aphonia. At the same time, the person does not have any pain, including his throat, he feels completely healthy. This disease can develop in children and adults.

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