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

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

Cough is a reflex process that occurs in response to irritation of the respiratory tract and is aimed at releasing them. How to distinguish one cough from another - we will tell later in this article.

Now we will understand what is a dry and wet cough. There are two main types of it - wet with sputum and unproductive. This division is extremely important, since the approach to their treatment differs dramatically. If we talk about colds, then both types of cough are stages in the course 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 coughing impulse, the walls of the respiratory tract are more and more irritated, which stimulate the patient to cough even more, creating a vicious circle. Often, a strong and hacking paroxysmal cough leads to damage to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and the release of blood drops, since the submucosal layer, located deeper, is densely supplied with blood.

Such a cough, which lasts for a long time, leads to tension of the intercostal muscles, abdominal muscles and diaphragm, which causes additional pain. These additional patient complaints will help you understand how to identify a dry cough or a wet one.

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 that push 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 an unproductive cough?

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

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

Attention! It is imperative to know how to determine a dry or wet cough, since taking cough medicines in the productive phase, for example, with bronchitis, can only aggravate its course.

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

Important! The leaflet enclosed with each drug is recommended to be read by every patient taking this drug in order to be aware of its possible side effects.

Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea- one of the symptoms of chronic insufficiency of the left heart. It occurs due to an increase in pressure in the bronchial arteries, which leads to compression of the airways, 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 with a change in body position, and is also associated with food intake. It is accompanied by other complaints - heartburn, an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth;
Consequence of smoking- cigarette tar leads 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 symptomatic of dry cough attacks, 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 an unproductive cough will tell you how a dry cough differs from a wet one.

What Causes a Wet Cough

It could be:

Flu and SARS- also often begin with a dry cough, and then turn into a productive one 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, sputum has a greenish tint with an unpleasant odor and leaves in large quantities;

Bronchiectasis- symptoms are similar as with the previously described pathology, but differ in the amount of purulent sputum secreted at a time;
Bronchitis acute or exacerbation of a chronic course;
Tuberculosis of the lungs- accompanied by sputum with an admixture of pus or blood due to tissue breakdown (see).

Important! With a protracted course of the disease with a productive cough, it is very important to exclude the above pathology, which will help 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 the subsequent treatment tactics.

What to do when you have a cough

The first step is to determine the type of cough. In case you do not know how to understand which cough is dry or wet, use the table below.

The main difference between dry and 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 (with the exception of concomitant pathology)
Cough is preceded by perspiration	Cough occurs due to the need to cough up accumulated sputum
The nature of the cough is hoarse, paroxysmal, hysterical (sometimes provokes the appearance of vomiting)	Occasionally occurs in response to irritation of the respiratory tract with mucus
Coughing brings no relief	Coughing up sputum brings relief to the patient
Auscultatory picture of the lungs - vesicular or hard breathing (wheezing with bronchial asthma)	Above the lung fields, a lot of small, medium or large bubbling rales are heard (the caliber depends on the diameter of the affected bronchus in which mucus has accumulated)

In the event that after reading the table, you could not understand how to distinguish a wet cough from a dry one and which one worries 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 lie down at home in the first three to prevent a severe effect of the virus on the human body.

If you decide to treat a cough at home without first consulting a doctor, remember that the treatment differs between 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 pass in one week.

How to treat a cough

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

Etiotropic therapy (aimed directly at excitation itself):

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

Important! Specific therapy should be prescribed only by a doctor after getting acquainted with all the associated diseases of a person, his history and 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, is aimed at maintaining homeostasis. It plays an important role in the cure of 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 (it is worth refraining 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, without being a doctor, you can know the difference between a dry cough and a wet one, but you can accurately diagnose and choose a treatment that does not harm the body, but helps to cope with the disease - you can only have a medical education.

Protracted dry cough is sometimes so painful that it makes the patient grasp at any straw, which brings him, as a rule, only short-term relief.

You need to understand that coughing is a symptom indicating that something is wrong with your respiratory system, and you should pay close attention to this. Cough may appear with the accumulation of sputum, pus in the respiratory tract, as well as with the ingress of dust and foreign bodies.

Therefore, if you want to eliminate a cough, then you need to know the cause of this symptom. Silencing a cough (dry, wet) with pills and potions, you can start the underlying disease and cause a number of complications.

What is a cough

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

Dry cough is most often found at the beginning of ARVI and acute respiratory infections. With inadequate treatment, it quickly turns into a wet cough. It proceeds without sputum discharge and does not bring a feeling of relief
Wet cough occurs in many diseases: bronchiectasis, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia and bronchitis. It is a debilitating cough with copious expectoration.

What causes cough (dry, wet)

Smoker's cough. Long-term smokers know firsthand how much coughing in the morning torments. Over time, the cilia of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract in the smoker cease to perform a cleansing function, and sputum, clogging the airways, leads to a strong wet cough.
A runny nose (rhinitis) is manifested by nasal congestion and a large amount of mucus running down the pharyngeal wall.
Inflammatory respiratory diseases (for example, bronchitis). At the beginning of the disease, a dry cough appears, which after a while turns into a wet cough. Not only the amount of sputum changes, but also its color and smell. It can turn from a mucous membrane into a purulent one, which indicates the addition of a bacterial infection, which is treated only 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 the skin of animals and humans, 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 have 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 in the treatment of hypertension, a dry cough may also occur.
Problems from 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, but also an obsessive cough.

It should be understood that it is impossible to cure a dry cough (or wet), so the word "cure 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
Coughing up green, yellow or bloody sputum
keeps 38-38.5 and above and is poorly removed with antipyretic tablets (Analgin, paracetamol)

Before making a diagnosis by a doctor, you should not resort to drugs that suppress cough (Bronholitin, Tusuprex, Libeksin). Before going to the doctor, in order to alleviate your condition, you can try to treat a 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 of the body. We will tell you how to distinguish between the type of cough and when you need to be alert and urgently visit a doctor.

Most often, cough accompanies viral diseases: influenza, colds, SARS. With proper home treatment and the absence of other painful symptoms, it goes away by itself in a week or two. The most familiar and common types are dry and wet coughs, followed by those that are caused by completely different problems.

Dry cough

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

How to treat. With a dry cough, the main thing is to reduce the cough reflex and achieve liquefaction of sputum. In addition to special preparations, inhalations are very useful, which will soften the mucous membrane and make sputum 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 turns into this type if it is properly treated. A wet cough is also called a productive cough because it brings relief and the result of the cough reflex is visible.

This cough is accompanied by a runny nose and a sensation as if something were stuck in the throat. It can appear on its own, without the stage of dry cough. 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 condition 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. So the solution will get to its intended purpose - into the sinuses, and if you tilt your head back - it will flow straight into the stomach.

Acid cough

How to determine. Loud, hoarse cough accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth. Basically, it appears after late or night meals: if you ate and went to bed, the acid from the stomach enters the esophagus, rises to the throat and irritates the mucous membrane. Such a 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 face it. Reflux is associated with relaxation of the muscular ring that closes the esophagus at the junction with the stomach. During normal operation, it only opens "to the entrance" - that is, when you eat. With acid reflux, it does not work and releases the contents of the stomach back.

How to treat. It is necessary to lower the acidity of the stomach. This can be achieved by taking special drugs or diet. People suffering from heartburn should give up large portions, fatty foods and late dinners, 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 impurities. It may also be accompanied by chest pain during breathing, shoulder pain, and weight loss. Such a cough usually indicates to doctors that there is an infection in the lungs. Often found in long-term smokers.

Cough of the townspeople

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

May be one of the varieties of bronchitis or emphysema. The common name for these diseases is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. They usually affect people over 40 living in large cities with poor ecology. Some cases of COPD are also associated with smoking, up to 10% of patients get COPD by inheritance.

How to treat. It is impossible to get rid of this type of cough completely. But it can be slowed down: do not smoke and protect yourself from passive smoking. Exercise as much as possible or learn to play wind instruments to increase lung capacity. Some medicines, physiotherapy, warming up, saunas and baths also help to expand the airways.

asthmatic cough

How to determine. Loud cough with wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty in breathing. It worsens at night when you are lying down - sputum 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 the asthmatic constantly suffocates and immediately uses a special spray can. This is far from always the case. Symptoms can be coughing and difficulty breathing, which is caused by any, even a minor irritant - dust, pungent odors, pollen, and so on. Contact with irritants causes the muscles that frame the walls of the airways to contract, making it difficult for air to 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 some disease, but by the 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 hypersensitivity. Ordinary throat lozenges with menthol will help to forget about coughing for a while. Specialized drugs can only be prescribed by a doctor.

When a cough indicates a serious and dangerous disease

The UK Public Health Service has warned that as many as 80,000 people in the UK could have lung cancer without knowing it. Doctors have voiced four symptoms that you should not ignore, but immediately go to a specialist.

The cough lasts more than three weeks.
Together with sputum, blood or mucus is excreted.
During a cough, the shoulder or the area under the shoulder blade hurts.
You are 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.

Dry cough is the first stage of the disease, when the infection or virus strongly irritates the throat. In the course of treatment, he turns into a wet cough.

If you want to learn how to identify the type of cough, then you need to remember a few signs of a dry type:

A sharp sound that is similar to the barking of a dog.
Appears in the form of seizures that begin abruptly and end abruptly. People might think that the person just choked.
Difficulty breathing normally.
Difficulty going to bed. Cough constantly wakes up.
There is no mucus, which is always separated 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 these signs. It is important to start treatment at this stage, so that later you do not have to deal with complications.

Causes

Without a medical education, it is very difficult to understand the cause of a dry cough. After all, it is not always the case with the common cold.

There are a number of problems and diagnoses that always begin with a dry cough:

. Because of the strong perspiration, you want to clear your throat. And since the treatment has not yet begun, there are no departments. Over time, it will turn into a wet cough.
. Has a painful cough. His attacks only exacerbate the situation. It hurts not only the throat, but also the chest.
. The first symptom is bouts of dry cough during sleep. When treated, it goes into the wet type.
Ingestion of 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, dry cough is not uncommon. But sometimes during an attack, the respiratory passages close, which leads to suffocation.
Foreign body in the airways. Cough is a reaction of the body. He wants to push the object.
Oncology. The presence of a tumor in the lungs causes a dry cough.

If there is no cold, but coughing attacks are repeated, you need to urgently contact a therapist for an examination. If it is an infection, then it is better to treat it at the first stage. Diagnosis and treatment should be dealt with.

How to cure?

There are differences between dry and wet cough in terms of treatment.

To get rid of dry cough, you need to work in two directions:

First, you need to reduce the number of seizures and remove pain. Doctors recommend Stoptussin and Tusuprek. They can be taken as directed when the first symptoms appear. But these drugs do not treat. Therefore, we turn to the second direction.
Codeine and Glacine are powerful agents that relieve irritation in the throat. They form phlegm, which eases the cough, and then removes it completely. During 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 how doctors characterize it, because it brings relief, removes excess mucus.

The patient really feels the result and experiences all of the following symptoms:

There is no pain (it is not there during the cough, and after it).
Cough pushes mucus into the mouth. Sometimes it can be very much.
The patient usually decides to cough when he feels the accumulated mucus.
Even without a stethoscope, wheezing can be heard.
The temperature appears due to the accumulated mucus.

It is enough to feel both types of cough at least once to learn to distinguish between them. Most often, a wet cough appears already during the treatment of infectious diseases.

Causes

Here, as with a dry cough, there are many options. The simplest of them is a sign of recovery. The drugs have removed the irritation, overcame the infection, so now the body has to remove excess mucus.

But there are other reasons for the appearance of a wet cough:

. Copious amount of mucus passes from the nose to the back of the throat. The throat is irritated, a wet cough appears. In this case, the throat is absolutely healthy. But you can not delay the treatment of the 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 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. Discharges of a purulent nature. It is urgent to call an ambulance.

Pneumonia is of particular concern. 1-2 days are enough for a common cold or bronchitis to become a complication.

How to cure?

The essence of the treatment is to make the sputum more liquid for successful excretion. If everything is left as it is, then it will sink down and lead to pneumonia.

The best drugs are Prospan and.

They very quickly dilute sputum and remove it from the body. Gerbion and Prospan can be taken by children, as they work in a gentle mode. The effect is already after the first dose.

We must not forget about inhalation. If there is a child in the house, then you need to take care of your own. In most cases, he 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 because of such a simple symptom.

Parents begin to treat children at their own discretion and cannot determine the complication in time.

Advice: if the child begins to cough or if coughing attacks disturb him during sleep, you need to urgently call an ambulance or go to the hospital. The doctor must listen to the baby. One day is enough for complications to develop.

Determining the type of cough is simple: you need to put your ear to the chest and ask the baby to breathe deeply through the mouth. With a dry cough, nothing is heard, but with a wet one there will be wheezing, gurgling.

When coughing, try to follow the following pattern:

Set a date for a visit to the doctor. If the symptom appeared today, then tomorrow you need to go to the pediatrician.
For a dry cough, give your baby warm tea with honey or raspberries. There will be no extra tablet of Loratadine. This is one that can be taken by children.
For a wet cough, use Gerbion, Prospan or Ambraxol. The latter option is very efficient and economical. The syrup will cause the body to cough up mucus so it doesn't accumulate.
Use an inhaler. Once a day is enough.

Conclusion

Remember that you need to be attentive to the cough, quickly determine its type (dry or wet) and consult a doctor in a timely manner. Here you can not let everything take its course. After all, a simple cough can cause serious consequences and complications.

This is especially true for parents. You must watch your children and leave everything for the sake of a visit to the doctor.

As practice shows, if you seek professional help at the first symptoms, you can come to a complete recovery in 3 days.

In addition to this topic, we suggest reading.

Almost every person for various reasons faced with a cough. The nature of its occurrence underlies the drug regimen, so it is important to know and be able to differentiate an unproductive 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 it is possible to determine a dry or wet cough.

When the sensitive receptors of 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 filling, 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 causes that provoked attacks, cough is classified to physiological and pathological. In the first variant, an unconditional protection mechanism for unfavorable conditions is activated.

This is a normal, and even necessary, phenomenon for cleansing the tracheobronchial tree from 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, it's a pathological cough. There are 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 according to the duration of the 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 recurring episodes.

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

Cough is classified by the presence of sputum dry (unproductive) and wet (productive).

How to distinguish a wet cough from a dry one

Its characteristic feature is absence of sputum or formation in a minimal amount. Unproductive 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 domestic, industrial and environmental conditions: a high concentration of chemical elements in the atmosphere, dust, plant spores, contact with aggressive household products, sudden changes in temperature.

What is the difference between wet cough and dry cough? When coughing, a pathological secret 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! By the nature of sputum, the cause of the appearance of a cough reflex is determined: with a cold, a mucous colorless liquid is coughed up, a change in the color of the secreted from light green to brown with possible blood and purulent masses indicates serious disorders that are fatal.

Specificity of non-productive cough

Dry cough is often accompanied by discomfort in the abdominal and chest cavity, pain and sore throat, and a decrease in the quality of breathing. How to understand what kind of cough bothers the patient?

There are a number of features by which you can recognize coughing acts without sputum separation:

With intense bouts of dry cough, the muscles of the chest cavity tighten, which provokes pain in the chest.

Obsessive paroxysmal character. It both starts suddenly and ends abruptly, in the form of manifestation it is compared with 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 center.
During forced expiration, only air is coughed up.. A minimum amount of sputum is allowed.
At the end of the cough attacks, the patient does not experience relief.
There is an increase in lymph nodes, stenotic breathing, cessation of the functioning of the vocal cords.
Intensifies at night and for the first time minutes after waking up.

Nuance! Unproductive cough characteristic of the elderly and people of advanced age (senile cough).

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

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

Features of wet cough

Dry coughs are usually treated with anti-spasmodic and emollients, while wet coughs are usually treated with expectorants and mucolytic drugs.

With a productive cough, the result of reflex acts is visible. This suggests that the body is self-cleansing in a natural way. More often, its appearance is compared with the stage of recovery..

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

Cough reflexes are not painful in the abdominal and thoracic cavities.
The reflex act provokes a lump of sputum in the throat, the patient has a desire to remove the congestion through forced expiration.
At the end of the attack, the patient's condition returns to normal. improves the quality of breathing.
Forms of manifestation are characterized by a short character.
In the process of coughing, extraneous hoarse sounds are heard occurring at rest or as a result of excessive activity.
Not tied to time of day, worries throughout the day.

Interesting! Dry cough can turn into a wet cough, because. pathogenic agents from the projection of the nasopharynx descend, but the reverse reincarnation is impossible.

The therapeutic task for a wet cough is to thin and stimulate sputum discharge.. Treatment should be comprehensive, aimed at eliminating the underlying cause that provokes deviations.

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

Conclusion

The doctor will help you understand which cough is dry or wet at the first cough. Without a medical education, it is difficult to carry out an independent separation in the initial stages of the disease. The otolaryngologist identifies cough acts by the cause of occurrence, the results of differential diagnosis data.

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