How to understand that a cough is dry. Dry and wet cough: differences

This article will discuss how to distinguish a dry cough from a wet one, what pathologies each of them is characteristic of, and what to do in these cases.

Coughing is a reflex process that occurs in response to irritation of the airways and is aimed at releasing them. We will tell you later in this article how to distinguish one cough from another.

Now let’s figure out what a dry and wet cough is. There are two main types of it - wet with sputum production and non-productive. This division is extremely important, since the approach to their treatment is radically different. If we talk about colds, then both types of cough are stages of the disease, and our goal is to ensure the fastest transition from one to the other.

It brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient, since with each cough impulse the walls of the respiratory tract are increasingly irritated, which stimulate the patient to cough even more, creating a vicious circle. Often, a strong and persistent paroxysmal cough leads to damage to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and the release of drops of blood, since the submucosal layer, located deeper, is densely supplied with blood.

Such a cough, which continues for a long time, leads to tension in the intercostal muscles, abdominal muscles and diaphragm, which causes additional pain. These additional patient complaints will help you understand how to determine whether a cough is dry or wet.

On the contrary, it is accompanied by the release of sputum containing microorganisms that must be removed for a speedy recovery. This is facilitated by the structure of the walls of the respiratory tract, the cells of the mucous (inner) layer, which have cilia, which push out the collected mucus in the lumen of the bronchus or trachea and push it into the overlying sections.
The video in this article will help you better understand the difference between these types of cough.

What are the causes of a nonproductive cough?

Undoubtedly, respiratory viral infections top the list of root causes of this symptom, but besides them, other nosologies are also distinguished:

Inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract (laryngitis, tracheitis);
Bronchitis and the initial stage of pneumonia;

Attention! You definitely need to know how to identify a dry or wet cough, since taking cough medications during the productive phase, for example, with bronchitis, can only aggravate its course.

Sinusitis– inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Cough occurs due to irritation of receptors due to mucus flowing down the back wall of the throat;
The presence of any foreign body in the lumen of the bronchi;
Bronchial asthma- accompanied by wheezing, audible both auscultation and at a distance, which depends on the severity of the attack, shortness of breath;
Side effects of antihypertensive drugs– ACE inhibitors (eg, enalapril) – occurs due to the accumulation of bradykinin (in this case, only a doctor can decide whether it is necessary to stop taking these drugs and replace them with others);

Important! The instructions included with each drug are recommended for reading by every patient taking this drug in order to be aware of its possible side effects.

Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (eng.)– one of the symptoms of chronic failure of the left heart. Occurs due to increased pressure in the bronchial arteries, which leads to compression of the respiratory tract, and, accordingly, unproductive cough and shortness of breath;
GERD/gastroesophageal reflux disease– the reflux of acidic contents from the stomach into the esophagus leads to irritation of the cough receptors. The symptom occurs when changing body position and is also associated with food intake. Accompanied by other complaints - heartburn, unpleasant taste in the mouth;
Consequences of smoking– cigarette tars lead to the loss of cilia by the epithelium of the respiratory tract (see). Their settling on the surface of the mucous layer leads to irritation of the walls of the trachea and bronchi and an attempt to get rid of them, which causes a cough.

Some systemic connective tissue diseases can cause damage to the lung tissue, which will be symptomatically manifested by attacks of dry cough, for example, with systemic lupus erythematosus, which is the difference between a dry cough and a wet one. A productive cough is not typical for such diseases. The above symptoms of a nonproductive cough will tell you how a dry cough differs from a wet cough.

What causes a wet cough?

It could be:

Flu and ARVI– also often begin with a dry cough, and then become productive due to the formation of a large amount of sputum;
Lung abscess- local purulent fusion of lung tissue, enclosed in a fibrous capsule. With this disease, the sputum has a greenish tint with an unpleasant odor and is discharged in large quantities;

Bronchiectasis– symptoms are similar to those of the previously described pathology, but differ in the amount of purulent sputum released at one time;
Acute bronchitis or exacerbation of a chronic course;
Tuberculosis of the lungs- accompanied by the release of sputum mixed with pus or blood due to tissue breakdown (see).

Important! In the case of a prolonged course of the disease with a productive cough, it is very important to exclude the pathology described above, which will be helped by a chest x-ray (an example is shown in the photo).

Undoubtedly, it is necessary to understand how to distinguish a wet cough from a dry one in order to know subsequent treatment tactics.

What to do if you have a cough

The first step is to decide on the type of cough. If you don’t know how to understand whether a cough is dry or wet, use the table below.

The main difference between a dry cough and a wet cough is the absence of discharge:

Unproductive	Productive
Cough without respiratory secretions	Cough accompanied by sputum or mucus (see)
Cough impulses are accompanied by pain (burning) behind the sternum, in the neck, abdomen	Pain is usually not accompanied (except for concomitant pathology)
The cough is preceded by a tickle	Cough occurs due to the need to cough up accumulated phlegm
The nature of the cough is hacking, paroxysmal, hacking (sometimes provokes the appearance of vomiting)	Occurs occasionally in response to irritation of the respiratory tract by mucus
Coughing does not bring relief	Coughing up phlegm brings relief to the patient
Auscultatory picture of the lungs - vesicular or hard breathing (wheezing in bronchial asthma)	A lot of small, medium or large bubbling rales are heard over the pulmonary fields (the caliber depends on the diameter of the affected bronchus in which mucus has accumulated)

If, after reading the table, you cannot understand how to distinguish a wet cough from a dry one and which one is bothering you, be sure to consult your doctor.

Attention! When the first symptoms of an acute respiratory viral infection appear, especially with a high temperature, it is necessary to rest at home for the first three days to prevent the severe impact of the virus on the human body.

If you decide to treat a cough at home without first consulting a doctor, remember that treatment differs for productive and non-productive types, so it is very important to know how to distinguish a dry cough from a wet one. If the cough lasts more than seven days, be sure to contact your doctor, because normally, with the correct course of the disease and appropriate therapy, the cough should go away within one week.

How to treat a cough

Cough is a symptom that accompanies various syndromes or diseases. For a complete cure, only symptomatic treatment (aimed at treating only the manifestations of the pathology) is contraindicated, but should be aimed at the entire disease as a whole.

Etiotropic therapy (directly aimed at arousing oneself):

Antiviral drugs (interferon preparations and inducers of endogenous interferon release);
Antibacterial therapy (has special indications for use and can only be prescribed by a doctor).

Important! Specific therapy should be prescribed only by a doctor after becoming familiar with all the person’s concomitant diseases, his medical history and the course of the disease, since the price of your health is extremely high.

Pathogenetic therapy

It affects the mechanism of action of a foreign agent in relation to all organs and tissues of the human body, aimed at maintaining homeostasis. Plays an important role in curing the patient, for example, expectorants.

Symptomatic therapy

This treatment is of great benefit only when combined with other stages of therapy, and not used as monotherapy. The goal is to improve the quality of life and improve the patient’s condition during illness.

Antitussives (contraindicated for wet cough);
Antipyretic drugs (you should refrain from using Aspirin due to the possibility of serious complications after its use).

In conclusion, it is worth clarifying that consultation with a doctor is not a requirement, but a necessary condition for a speedy recovery. Undoubtedly, even without being a doctor, you can know the difference between a dry cough and a wet one, but you can accurately diagnose and select a treatment that will not harm the body, but will help cope with the disease - only if you have a medical education.

A prolonged dry cough is sometimes so painful that it forces the patient to clutch at any straw, which, as a rule, brings him only short-term relief.

You need to understand that coughing is a symptom that indicates that there is something wrong with your respiratory system and you should pay close attention to it. A cough can appear when there is an accumulation of sputum, pus in the respiratory tract, as well as from dust and foreign bodies.

Therefore, if you want to eliminate a cough, you need to know the cause of this symptom. By suppressing a cough (dry, wet) with tablets and mixtures, you can trigger the underlying disease and cause a number of complications.

What is a cough like?

Cough comes in different forms. Dry, wet. People who rarely get sick and have good immunity generally have little idea of the difference between one cough and another. So some clarification is needed here.

A dry cough most often occurs at the beginning of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections. With inadequate treatment, it quickly turns into a wet cough. Proceeds without sputum discharge and does not bring a feeling of relief
A wet cough occurs in many diseases: bronchiectasis, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia and bronchitis. This is a debilitating cough with copious sputum production.

What causes a cough (dry, wet)

Smoker's cough. Long-time smokers know firsthand how much coughing hurts in the morning. Over time, the cilia of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract in a smoker cease to perform a cleansing function, and phlegm, clogging the respiratory tract, leads to a strong wet cough
A runny nose (rhinitis) is manifested by nasal congestion and the flow of large amounts of mucus down the wall of the throat
Inflammatory respiratory tract diseases (for example, bronchitis). At the beginning of the disease, a dry cough appears, which after some time turns into a wet cough. Not only the amount of sputum changes, but also its color and smell. It can turn from mucous to purulent, which indicates the addition of a bacterial infection, which can only be treated with antibiotics
Allergic cough. It occurs in response to the introduction of allergens into the human body: plant pollen, house dust, tobacco smoke, particles of the epidermis of animal and human skin, and vehicle exhaust gases. It is often accompanied by nasal congestion (rhinitis) and frequent sneezing. Allergic cough occurs in allergy sufferers (hay fever) and in people suffering from bronchial asthma
Diseases of the nervous system and as a response to stress (psychogenic cough). During a psychogenic cough, children develop frequent tics
Cardiovascular diseases. In chronic heart failure, shortness of breath and dry cough are observed, caused by congestive processes in the lungs. Sometimes, after taking beta blockers to treat hypertension, a dry cough may also occur.
Problems with the digestive system. Due to the weakness of the valve that separates the esophagus, acidic gastric juice can enter the throat and cause not only coughing, but also an obsessive cough.

It should be understood that it is impossible to cure a dry cough (or a wet one), so the word “cure a cough” is not appropriate here. It is worth paying attention, first of all, to the painful condition that caused the cough.

When to see a doctor

Dry cough lasts about 1-2 weeks or more
When you cough, you produce green, yellow, or bloody sputum.
stays at 38-38.5 and above and is difficult to relieve with antipyretic tablets (Analgin, paracetamol)

Before a doctor makes a diagnosis, you should not resort to drugs that suppress cough (Broncholitin, Tusuprex, Libexin). Before consulting a doctor, to alleviate your condition, you can try to treat your cough with folk remedies.

We often hear the expression “bad cough.” It can refer not only to dry cough, but also to other types that indicate certain problems in the body. We'll tell you how to distinguish the type of cough and when you need to be wary and urgently visit a doctor.

Most often, cough accompanies viral diseases: flu, colds, ARVI. With proper home treatment and the absence of other painful symptoms, it goes away on its own within a week or two. The most common and common types are dry and wet coughs, followed by those caused by completely different problems.

Dry cough

How to determine. It mainly occurs at the very beginning of the disease and, if left untreated, can develop into a more serious stage because the infection goes deeper into the respiratory tract. This cough is paroxysmal in nature. It starts abruptly and ends abruptly, reminiscent of barking. There is a burning sensation, irritation, and the presence of a foreign body in the throat. Often appears at night.

How to treat. With a dry cough, the main thing is to reduce the cough reflex and thin the sputum. In addition to special medications, inhalations are very useful, which will soften the mucous membrane and cause phlegm to come out. It is also recommended to drink more warm liquids, tea or milk with honey are especially good.

Wet cough

How to determine. A dry cough develops into this type if treated correctly. A wet cough is also called productive because it brings relief and the result of the cough reflex is visible.

This cough is accompanied by a runny nose and a feeling as if something is stuck in the throat. It may appear on its own, without a dry cough stage. In this case, it lasts a very long time and often leads to severe inflammation of the nasopharynx.

How to treat. If the irritation is caused by sinusitis, a disease associated with acute inflammation of the nasopharynx, antibiotics may help. In cases of colds, expectorants.
You can also relieve the condition with a salt solution. Drip it into your nose 3-4 times a day, remembering to turn your head. This way the solution will reach its destination - into the nasal sinuses, and if you tilt your head back - it will flow straight into the stomach.

"Acid" cough

How to determine. A loud, hoarse cough accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth. Basically, it appears after late or night meals: if you eat and go to bed, acid from the stomach penetrates the esophagus, rises to the throat and irritates the mucous membrane. This cough may be a sign that something is wrong with your stomach.

The reflux of acid into the esophagus is called acid (or gastroesophageal) reflux. According to statistics, about 10% of people of different ages encounter it. Reflux is associated with relaxation of the muscle ring that closes the esophagus at the junction with the stomach. During normal operation, it opens only “for entry” - that is, when you eat. In case of acid reflux, it does not work and releases the contents of the stomach back.

How to treat. It is necessary to reduce the acidity of the stomach. This can be achieved by taking special medications or diet. People suffering from heartburn should avoid large portions, fatty foods and late dinners, and be careful with coffee. Particularly severe cases of reflux may require surgery.

Smoker's cough

How to determine. This is a frequent, causeless cough, accompanied by shortness of breath and sometimes blood. It may also be accompanied by chest pain when breathing, shoulder pain and weight loss. This type of cough usually indicates to doctors that there is an infection in the lungs. Often found in long-term smokers.

Townspeople cough

How to determine. Persistent but infrequent cough. Accompanied by a small amount of sputum. Typically more intense in the morning. Other signs include whistling and a feeling of tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing (especially when sitting). It intensifies during the cold seasons - winter and autumn.

It may be a type of bronchitis or emphysema. The common name for these diseases is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. They usually affect people over 40 who live in large cities with poor ecology. Some cases of COPD are also associated with smoking, and up to 10% of patients inherit COPD.

How to treat. It is impossible to completely get rid of this type of cough. But you can slow it down: don’t smoke and protect yourself from passive smoking. Exercise as much as possible or learn to play wind instruments to increase your lung capacity. Certain medications, physiotherapy, heating, saunas and steam baths also help to expand the airways.

Asthmatic cough

How to determine. Loud cough with wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Worsens at night when you are lying down - phlegm accumulates faster in the respiratory tract. May be caused by asthma.

About 10% of those suffering from this disease do not even suspect that they are sick. It seems to us that an asthmatic is constantly suffocating and immediately uses a special balloon. This is not always the case. Symptoms may include coughing and difficulty breathing, which can be caused by any, even minor irritant - dust, strong odor, pollen, and so on. Contact with irritants causes the muscles lining the airways to contract, restricting air flow, causing inflammation and sometimes swelling.

How to treat. Treatment of asthma is usually symptomatic. That is, when you have difficulty breathing, a special steroid spray can help you, which relaxes the walls of the airways and makes breathing easier.

Chronic cough

How to determine. Dry, very strong, but painless. Occurs rarely, but can last up to 10 minutes. Its duration can be measured not only in months, but also in years. Up to 15% of cases of chronic cough do not even have any obvious cause. They are not caused by any disease, but by increased sensitivity of the respiratory organs themselves. Any speck of dust that gets into the throat can cause a prolonged cough.

How to treat. It is impossible to completely get rid of increased sensitivity. Regular throat tablets with menthol will help you forget about your cough for a while. Only a doctor can prescribe specialized medications for you.

When a cough indicates a serious and dangerous illness

Britain's Public Health Service has warned that up to 80,000 Britons could have lung cancer without knowing it. Doctors have announced four symptoms that you should not ignore and immediately go to a specialist.

The cough lasts more than three weeks.
Blood or mucus is released along with sputum.
When coughing, the shoulder or area under the shoulder blade hurts.
You feel short of breath.

Prepared using materials: tvojlor.com, aif.ru, segodnya.ua

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:

A sharp sound that sounds like a dog barking.
Appears in the form of attacks that begin abruptly and end abruptly. People may think that the person was simply choking.
It's difficult to breathe normally.
It's hard to go to bed. The cough constantly wakes me up.
There is no mucus, which is always released during a wet cough.
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 don’t 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:

. 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.
. Characterized by a painful cough. His attacks only make things worse. Not only the throat hurts, but also the chest.
. The first sign is attacks of dry cough during sleep. With treatment it turns into the wet type.
Getting harmful substances into the nose and mouth. It is enough to inhale a dangerous chemical composition to start coughing violently. It is important to be alert here, as it is difficult for a person to breathe.
. With this disease, a dry cough is not uncommon. But sometimes during an attack the respiratory passages close, which leads to suffocation.
Foreign body in the respiratory tract. Coughing is a reaction of the body. He wants to push the object out.
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:

First, you need to reduce the number of attacks and eliminate pain. 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.
Codeine and Glacine are powerful remedies that 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:

There is no pain (it is not present both during coughing and after it).
Coughing pushes mucus into the mouth. Sometimes there can be a lot of it.
The patient usually decides to cough when he feels the accumulated mucus.
Even without a stethoscope you can hear wheezing.
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:

. Copious amounts of mucus move from the nose to the back of the throat. The throat becomes irritated and a wet cough appears. In this case, the throat is absolutely healthy. But you can’t delay treating your nose, because the infection can go further at any time.
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.
. This is a complication that usually begins with bronchitis. The sputum will be the color of rust. It is urgent to call an ambulance.
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 due to 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:

Set a date for your doctor's visit. If a symptom appears today, then tomorrow you need to go to the pediatrician.
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.
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.
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 common 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 seek professional help at the first symptoms, you can achieve a complete recovery in 3 days.

In addition to this topic, we suggest reading.

Almost every person has experienced a cough for various reasons. The nature of its occurrence is the basis of the drug regimen, so it is important to know and be able to differentiate a non-productive cough from a wet one.

In addition, reflex acts under the influence of existing factors can change the nature of the dynamics, which requires adjustment of the treatment regimen. Each type has its own specifics, by which a dry or wet cough can be determined.

When sensitive receptors in the respiratory tract are irritated, a reflex reaction occurs, accompanied by jerky exhalations with a sharp contraction of the diaphragm. This protective-adaptive response is called a cough. Its main purpose is cleansing the respiratory tract from foreign matter and accumulated sputum.

With the help of coughing, the body gets rid of irritating elements: fine dust, pathogenic strains, foreign objects, mucus residues

Depending on the reasons that provoked the attacks, cough is classified into physiological and pathological. In the first option, an unconditional protection mechanism for unfavorable conditions is activated.

This is normal, and even necessary, to cleanse the tracheobronchial tree of foreign substances. The reflex process is periodic and short-term, stops as soon as the pathogen is eliminated.

When the patient's condition worsens fever, runny nose, sore throat, then we are talking about a pathological cough. There is a wide range of prerequisites for its development associated with dysfunction of the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular systems, psychological factors, and unfavorable microclimate. An unpleasant symptom requires medical attention and conservative treatment.

The cough reflex is differentiated by duration of flow into several types:

spicy– lasts no more than 15 days;
protracted– does not stop for 3-4 weeks;
subacute– lasts from 3 weeks to 2 months;
chronic– lasts longer than 8 weeks with periodically recurring episodes.

For reference! When assessing the reflex act, attention is paid to the timbre, rhythm, frequency and nature of exhalations.

Coughs are classified based on the presence of sputum. into dry (unproductive) and wet (productive).

How to distinguish a wet cough from a dry one

Its characteristic feature is absence of sputum or minimal production. Nonproductive cough is more common in the early stages of infectious and colds (,), asthma, benign and malignant neoplasms.

The root causes of spasmodic exhalations are unfavorable household, industrial and environmental conditions: high concentrations of chemical elements in the atmosphere, dust, plant spores, contact with aggressive household products, sudden temperature changes.

What is the difference between a wet cough and a dry cough? When coughing, pathological secretion is released from the bronchial tract. It accompanies serious pathological abnormalities in the respiratory system: laryngitis, bronchitis, lung abscess, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer.

For reference! The nature of the sputum determines the cause of the appearance of the cough reflex: with a cold, a mucous, colorless liquid is coughed up; a change in the color of the secreted fluid from light green to brown with possible blood and purulent masses indicates serious disorders that can be fatal.

Specifics of nonproductive cough

A dry cough is often accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the abdominal and chest cavity, pain and sore throat, and decreased quality of breathing. How to understand what kind of cough is troubling a patient?

There are a number of features by which coughing without sputum production can be recognized:

During intense attacks of dry cough, the muscles of the chest cavity tense, which provokes pain in the chest.

Obsessive paroxysmal character. It both begins suddenly and ends abruptly; in its form of manifestation it is compared to the barking of a dog.
The duration of the crisis is measured in 3-5 minutes when a person experiences difficulty breathing, lack of oxygen.
Intense long-term attacks provoke vomiting, which is explained by the close location and relationship of the cough and vomiting centers.
During forced exhalations, only air is coughed up. A minimal amount of sputum is allowed.
After the coughing attacks are over, the patient does not experience relief.
There is an increase in lymph nodes, stenotic breathing, cessation of functioning of the vocal cords.
Intensifies at night and for the first time minutes after waking up.

Nuance! A non-productive cough is common with experience and in older people (senile cough).

The difference lies in the treatment regimen. Antitussives are used to neutralize the unpleasant symptom. peripheral and central action to reduce the frequency and intensity of the cough reflex.

Secretolytics stimulate motor function of the respiratory tract, change the biological properties of sputum, which facilitates its outflow.

Features of a wet cough

Dry coughs are usually treated with antispasmodic and emollient drugs, and wet coughs are treated with expectorants and mucolytic drugs.

With a productive cough, the result of reflex acts is visible. This suggests that the body cleanses itself naturally. More often, its appearance is compared with the stage of recovery.

The difference between a wet cough and a dry cough is the following:

Cough reflexes are not painful in the abdominal and thoracic cavity.
A reflex act provokes a lump of phlegm in the throat, the patient has a desire to remove the accumulation through forced exhalations.
Upon completion of the attack, the patient’s condition returns to normal., the quality of breathing improves.
The forms of manifestation are characterized by a short-term nature.
Extraneous hoarse sounds are heard during coughing occurring at rest or as a result of excessive activity.
Not tied to time of day, bothers me throughout the day.

Interesting! A dry cough can turn into a wet cough, because... pathogenic agents from the projection of the nasopharynx descend downwards, but reverse transformation is impossible.

The therapeutic goal for a wet cough is to liquefy and stimulate the discharge of sputum.. Treatment should be comprehensive, aimed at eliminating the main cause provoking the deviation.

Expectorants change the viscousness of mucus, prevent its accumulation in the projection of the bronchial tract, mucolytics promote the active removal of secretions from the lungs.

Conclusion

The doctor will help you understand whether your cough is dry or wet at the first cough. Without medical education, it is difficult to carry out independent separation in the initial stages of the disease. An otolaryngologist identifies coughing symptoms based on the cause of their occurrence and the results of differential diagnostics.

Regardless of the type of reflex acts, it is necessary to take timely effective measures to eliminate the clinical forms, otherwise the recovery process may be delayed for a long time.