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Cough with flu: effective ways to treat the disorder

Influenza is the most severe type of acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI). This disease is accompanied by fever, cough, rhinitis and other symptoms.

Depending on the individual characteristics of the body of an adult or child, as well as on the strain of influenza, one of the symptoms of the disease may cause more concern than the others.

However, it must be remembered that it is not the flu cough that should be treated, but the disease itself. All symptoms will go away along with the disease being defeated.

If an irritated throat and cough cause you severe anxiety, symptomatic treatment should be used. In other words, take the necessary actions that will help eliminate or mitigate painful symptoms.

Should I use medications?

Currently, the pharmacological industry produces a huge number of medications that can treat coughs due to ARVI and influenza. All these drugs can be divided into two large groups:

  • mucolytics;
  • antitussive drugs.

Mucolytic agents

This group of drugs is also called expectorants or sputum thinners. Their function is to make a dry cough moist. Mucolytics dilute mucous sputum and help remove it out.

Examples of such medications include:

  • Ambroxol;
  • Mukaltin;
  • Carbocysteine.

It is necessary to understand that taking mucolytic drugs will cause a person to cough even more with the flu. After all, taking them stimulates the production of sputum, which the body will remove from the body through coughing. This is the meaning of this group of medications.

It is important for parents to know that self-prescribing mucolytics to children with the flu is not at all safe. When a person coughs, his respiratory muscles work. The peculiarity of children is that these muscles are much less developed in them than in adults. This means that the child may not be able to cough up all the mucus from the lungs.

Antitussives

Treatment with these medications affects the cough center. This causes the cough to actually stop. Such medicines include:

  • Codeine;
  • Oxeladin;
  • Butamirat and others.

However, cough suppressants have a different problem. Coughing during influenza is a protective reaction of the body aimed at coughing up mucus. If you treat a patient with antitussives, this mucus will accumulate in the body. This will significantly increase the likelihood of pneumonia (pneumonia).

Remember, only a qualified doctor should prescribe mucolytic and antitussive medications.

Alternative solution

If you still really want independent medication treatment, then turn your attention to cough lozenges and lozenges. These pharmacological agents have virtually no contraindications and can be used even without a doctor’s prescription. Examples of these medications include:

  • Travisil;
  • Doctor Mom;
  • Immunvit and others.

Before using any cough drops, you should carefully read the instructions for use. For example, almost all of them have contraindications for children under 5-6 years of age.

What can you do on your own?

The human body has powerful reserves and in most cases is able to protect itself.

If we leave aside the most dangerous diseases, then in other cases he is able to cope with the pathology on his own without any specific drug treatment.

He just needs a little help. The best treatment for coughs due to influenza and acute respiratory viral infections is the correct regimen. The recommendations are simple.

  1. The patient needs bed rest.
  2. You should drink plenty of warm liquids. In the case of flu cough, the point is to constantly moisturize the mucous membranes of the throat. This will prevent it from drying out and forming crusts. This means it will improve its natural discharge. Additionally, read “What to drink when you have the flu?”
  3. Food should be light. You should not eat without appetite.
  4. Gargle with warm water several times a day. You can also use a soda solution. A teaspoon of baking soda per glass of water.
  5. Ventilate the room several times a day.
  6. Smoking while coughing is unacceptable.
  • Remember, only a doctor should prescribe medication.
  • Additionally, we recommend that you read the article “Chest cough mixture”.

Source: https://OrviStop.ru/kashel/pri-grippe-lechenie.html

Cough with flu

When the body is infected with the influenza virus, protective reactions are activated and the fight for recovery begins. Symptoms of the disease are signs of resistance to the disease: for example, elevated temperature destroys the causative agent of the disease, cough clears the throat.

Thus, the body itself fights the disease. But when infected with the influenza virus, cough does not have any useful functions. Coughing with the flu is a symptom that significantly worsens the patient’s condition.

Herbal teas, warm drinks, chamomile decoctions with honey can relieve it.

How does a cough occur with the flu?

The mechanism of its appearance differs from a regular, clearing cough. A normal cough occurs when sensitive receptors are irritated by mucus or other agents. A person coughs and the airways are cleared for incoming air. When infected with a virus, the mucous membranes of the throat become inflamed and when coughing they become even more irritated and microtraumas appear. They can become infected with a bacterial infection, and coughing can help spread the virus. This condition must be treated urgently to avoid complications and pneumonia.

How to deal with a cough

If you have a dry cough due to the flu, your doctor will tell you how to treat this condition. Medicines whose main effect is to suppress the cough center are contraindicated.

These are any drugs containing codeine. Traditional recipes are effectively used as an aid to treatment.

Medicines that improve phlegm removal will be very useful, they help cleanse the respiratory tract.

At the first sign of cough, it is necessary to begin its treatment, otherwise complications are possible - pneumonia, bronchitis. The first days of the disease are manifested by a dry cough, only after 3 or 4 days it becomes wet. Therefore, drugs that thin the sputum - mucolytics - are prescribed. Among them are the following:

  • ACC;
  • Ambroxol;
  • Bromhexine;
  • Liquorice root.

When the cough turns from dry to wet, expectorants are needed. Inhalations help well: several procedures with alkaline solutions soften the throat and improve sputum separation.

To do this, you can use the old method with a saucepan and boiling water, but it is more convenient to purchase an inhaler. You can use nebulizers - devices that deliver a medicinal solution, spraying it to a fine state, into the respiratory system.

Thus, the aerosol penetrates deep into the lungs.

The role of microclimate

The air humidity in the room where a flu patient is located plays an important role.

Dry air worsens the patient’s well-being: the mucous membrane of the throat becomes thinner, dries out, and becomes a favorable place for the development of infection.

Therefore, it is very important to use air humidifiers, frequently wash the floor and do wet cleaning. Also make sure that air circulates in the room and ventilate the room.

Increasing fluid intake is an important step in treating influenza. Indeed, during a period of illness, moisture leaves the body at an accelerated pace, and in order to replenish its supply, you need to drink more. In addition, the liquid thins the mucus and promotes its removal. It is best to drink mineral water, still, compotes, teas based on medicinal herbs, fruit drinks.

Selection of medications

For a dry cough, which is accompanied by symptoms such as hoarseness, pain when swallowing, complete loss of voice, inhalations, cough syrups, and rinses help.

It is strictly forbidden to take centrally acting cough suppressants in the first days of the disease without a doctor’s prescription.

This can cause consequences - accumulation of mucus in the nose and throat, which contains many pathogens. This will slow down your recovery and worsen your condition, leading to possible complications.

And drugs whose action is based on a local effect on the affected areas - relieving inflammation, enveloping the mucous membrane, moisturizing it, on the contrary, are recommended.

It is necessary to use such means that will prevent the infection from penetrating deep into the respiratory tract, anti-cold remedies with complex action.

After a while, when the dry cough takes on a productive form, expectorants are taken.

ethnoscience

Traditional medicine is justified in the treatment of influenza and the symptoms that accompany it. As additional remedies, herbal inhalations, syrups, compresses, mustard plasters, decoctions of medicinal herbs, and gargling with saline solutions are good for improving health.

One of the simplest treatment methods is rinsing with soda. Baking soda disinfects the respiratory tract, improves mucus discharge, and softens the mucous membrane.

Inhalations are made with the help of soda; they help when the inflammation has descended into the trachea or into the upper part of the bronchi. An ordinary soda solution is supplemented with a decoction of chamomile and oregano.

If you have a sore throat, do inhalations with eucalyptus oil. You can add herbal infusions: St. John's wort, oregano, bogulnik, coltsfoot.

If the cough doesn't go away

It happens that the disease is already behind you, but a cough remains after the flu; experts know how to treat such a condition.

Since a common complication of influenza is pneumonia, if you have a prolonged cough, you need to undergo a re-examination and a chest x-ray.

If additional examination has ruled out pneumonia, and the cough is simply a residual phenomenon after a long illness, the doctor may recommend drugs such as Erespal, Sinecode. For a severe, debilitating cough, Libexin is prescribed.

Breathing exercises help treat cough. As you exhale, hold your breath for half a minute and clasp your shoulders with your hands. Inhale and spread your arms out to the sides.

Try to restore the water balance in the body that was disturbed during the illness. To do this, you need to drink alkaline mineral water and juices.

During the day, your limbs should be kept warm, and in the evening, you should dress warmly to increase sweating during sleep. Pepper patch is very effective in combating the effects of influenza.

Inhalations in this case will also be appropriate. Just don't overdo it: this procedure can irritate the airways and provoke a cough.

Always make sure that the air in your room is not too dry. Dry air can prolong your treatment and cause coughing.

If after two weeks of such treatment the cough does not go away, you need to consult a doctor so that he can amend the treatment regimen.

Source: https://grippe.su/kashel-pri-grippe.html

Cough with the flu, how to treat it correctly and what to do if the cough does not go away after the flu

One of the nonspecific symptoms of influenza is a dry cough. The appearance of sputum or other changes in the respiratory system indicates the development of complications of a viral infection. Few people know that pneumonia that occurs after the flu can be fatal if treatment is not started in time. Therefore, it is very important to properly treat flu cough and identify symptoms of complications.

Recognizing and diagnosing influenza

Since influenza is a viral infection, it takes up to a week for the pathogen to cause symptoms from the moment it enters the body.

The typical clinical picture is represented by the following manifestations:

  1. A sharp rise in temperature above 38 °C.
  2. Intoxication manifestations: chills, weakness, aches and muscle pain.
  3. Respiratory symptoms: dry mucous membranes of the nose and mouth, soreness, tickling in the throat, pain and discomfort in the upper chest, cough without sputum and increased respiratory movements.

The influenza is also favored by its seasonality, since an increased incidence is observed in the winter. The cough is usually dry and hacking, debilitating the patient. If sputum or other changes appear, this may indicate complications, which are presented below:

  1. Bacterial tracheitis or bronchitis, which develops due to a weakened immune system due to influenza.
  2. Laryngitis with the formation of false croup occurs with a pronounced barking cough, turning into stenosis of the larynx with attacks of suffocation.
  3. Viral pneumonia will be characterized by coughing up sputum, shortness of breath, and respiratory failure.
  4. Pulmonary edema is detected by the presence of blood in the mucus and worsening shortness of breath.

A mild course of infection is characterized by a decrease in temperature on days 3-5 of illness, but cough and other respiratory symptoms may persist for some time. If the temperature lasts longer and the patient’s condition worsens, then you need to consult a doctor.

Important! The flu never begins with a runny nose or wet cough; these symptoms indicate the development of viral or bacterial complications and are connected during the development of infection.

Read also:  Treatment of hemophthalmia and prevention of the development of eye disease

Let's figure out how to treat a cough if you have the flu

Cough therapy consists of prescribing antivirals, expectorants, and mucolytics. If bacterial complications develop, antibiotics are prescribed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUaRfTmh8I

You can treat a cough with the flu using traditional recipes, but only as a concomitant treatment, since alternative medicine alone cannot effectively cope with viruses and bacteria.

How a cough should be treated after the flu depends on what causes it. If these are residual effects, then the recommendations are aimed at restoring the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.

It should be noted that cough caused by laryngitis, tracheitis or bronchitis can be treated at home. Pneumonia and pulmonary edema are very serious complications of influenza that require hospitalization in a hospital or intensive care unit. It is impossible to cure them at home and attempts can be deadly.

With or without fever

It is believed that the temperature does not drop to 38 °C, but such indicators with the flu are very rare. Therefore, treatment of dry cough with influenza in an adult against a background of high fever will consist of taking the following medications:

  1. Antiviral drugs: Remantadine, Tamiflu, Arbidol.
  2. Antipyretics are represented by various trade names containing the following active ingredients: Paracetamol, Acetylsalicylic acid, Ibuprofen, Mefenamic acid. In the pharmacy you can find combined powder preparations for dilution with warm water.
  3. Cough syrups. Herbion is a medicinal drug based on plantain. It leads to the production of mucus, causing a dry cough to become wet. This eliminates stagnation of sputum and the formation of complications. Take the product 2 tablespoons three times a day.

A cough without fever speaks more likely of residual symptoms after suffering inflammation of the respiratory mucosa. In order to stop attacks, you should adhere to the following treatment tactics:

  • Syrups Doctor Mom, Gedelix, Gerbion, Doctor Theiss.
  • Folk recipes with plantain, marshmallow root, coltsfoot, ivy, chamomile.
  • Applying warming compresses with potatoes, warming with a bag of salt.
  • Inhalation with a nebulizer with 2-4 ml of mineral water.
  • Humidifying indoor air using a special device.
  • Physiotherapy: UHF, electrophoresis, vibration massage.

Since such a cough is no longer contagious, taking antibiotics or antivirals is not required.

Careful treatment of children and expectant mothers

Children and pregnant women are included in the special control group if they develop influenza. Babies - because their thermoregulation and immune system are not yet sufficiently developed to adequately respond to infection. Pregnant women are in a state of physiologically suppressed immunity, so infection with the influenza virus can lead to very rapid development of complications.

Treatment of a particularly vulnerable population takes place under the close attention of a doctor. The doctor selects antiviral agents, antibiotics and prescribes optimal dosages.

At home, you can fight cough in the following ways:

  • Observe drinking regime, as at elevated temperatures a lot of liquid evaporates. Frequent warm drinking washes away pathogens from the oropharynx and prevents them from multiplying and causing inflammation.
  • Ventilation of the room should be carried out twice a day.
  • The temperature of children and pregnant women is reduced with the help of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen.
  • Cough is treated with Alteyka, Bronhikum, Gedelix syrups.
  • If there is no elevated temperature, warming up the chest with potatoes and salt is prescribed.
  • Inhalations are carried out with mineral water, herbal infusions, and essential oils.
  • A barking cough in children that threatens to turn into laryngospasm is treated with cool, clean air, antispasmodics (No-shpa), and antihistamines.

Important! Pregnant women and children must be vaccinated 2-3 weeks before the expected influenza epidemic.

Pharmacy treatment

  • The pharmacy offers a wide range of drugs to treat cough and flu.
  • Dry cough after the flu and during infection is treated with syrups based on plant extracts.
  • The drugs are presented by the following names:
  1. Gedelix is ​​an ivy syrup that does not contain ethanol.

    The drug is taken by adults 1 small spoon three times a day. The drug is prohibited for children under 2 years of age, but from 2 to 10 years of age the drug can be given half a small spoon three times a day.

  2. Doctor Mom refers to combined syrups with basil, licorice, ginger, elecampane, and menthol. Children can be given the medicine from 3 to 2 years of age.

    5 ml three times a day. Adults are treated with a dosage of 5 ml with the same frequency.

  3. Dr. Theiss refers to syrups with plantain. You need to take the mixture up to 5 times a day. Children aged 2 to 6 years old: half a small spoon, up to 12 years old: 1 small spoon, and adults: 1 large spoon.

Coughing up sputum requires taking mucolytics:

  1. Ambroxol is sold in tablets and is prescribed for adults 1 twice a day, for children half a tablet with the same frequency.
  2. Bromhexine in syrup is drunk by adults 3 scoops three times a day, by children 2 scoops with the same frequency.
  3. Acetylcysteine ​​is taken by adults 500 mg 2-3 times a day, by children 400 mg 2-3 times a day.

Antibiotics are prescribed only by a doctor. Depending on the severity of the patient's condition and the cause of the cough, the doctor decides how much medicine is needed.

Inhalations with and without nebulizer

Steam breathing is indicated outside the period of exacerbation. Inhalations will help get rid of dryness and sore throat.

You can fill the nebulizer with mineral water. Essentuki and Borjomi are used. Depending on age, 2-4 ml of liquid is needed per session. It is better to breathe before going to bed every day until the symptom disappears.

The drugs are used in diluted form or in special forms for the nebulizer. Mucolytics (Ambroxol, Acetylcysteine), antispasmodics (No-spa), and antibiotics are used.

You can build an inhaler yourself from a basin or kettle filled with boiling water. You can add herbs (chamomile, mint, thyme, coltsfoot), essential oils (tea tree, sandalwood, pine) there. You should breathe, covered with a towel, every day at night.

Cough during influenza, which is treated by inhalation, should not be accompanied by the release of purulent mucus or fever.

Grandma's recipes

If you are interested in how to recover from the flu with weakness and cough, then you should pay attention to alternative medicine.

Warming up with potatoes has a good effect. The procedure takes place in the form of placing a compress on the upper chest.

To do this, you need to boil several potatoes in their jackets, mash them and place them on the chest, previously covered with a towel.

Next, everything is covered with cling film, insulated and tied to the body. Warming can be done for children, pregnant and lactating women.

In addition to potatoes, you can warm them with table salt. It should be placed in a fabric bag or a clean sock, pre-heated in the microwave or in a frying pan.

You can reduce cough with the help of medicinal plants: coltsfoot, plantain, thyme, marshmallow root, licorice. The dried herb or roots can be infused individually or as a collection.

In order to prepare a daily dosage of the product, you should take 2 tablespoons of the raw material and pour a glass of boiling water. Everything is infused under the lid for 30-40 minutes.

The infusion should be taken ¼ cup 4 times a day.

What is not recommended to do when you have a flu cough?

Doctors strictly prohibit the use of antitussive drugs for any inflammatory cough. The drugs inhibit the reflex, which leads to stagnation of mucus in the respiratory tract and the rapid formation of complications. Examples of prohibited drugs: Codeine, Sinekod, Stoptussin.

If you have the flu, you cannot immediately start treatment with antibiotics, even if the patient is bothered by a cough. This limitation is due to the fact that influenza is a viral infection that can be treated with antiviral drugs.

Antibiotics are prescribed only for strict indications:

  1. The appearance of pus in the sputum.
  2. A sharp increase in temperature after a period of improvement.
  3. High temperature that is not controlled by injectable antipyretics.

It is not recommended to treat cough on your own, especially for a child or pregnant woman.

What to do if the cough after the flu does not go away?

There may be several reasons for the condition. If the cough is dry, the patient’s condition is normal, there is no fever or other signs of infection, then the cough is most likely residual. His treatment has been described above.

If the cough does not go away after the flu and you are bothered by fever, fatigue, headache, and purulent mucus is coughed up, then the treatment is apparently not effective and the causative agent of the infection has not been eliminated. Similar symptoms that continue for a long time may indicate a reduced immune response. In any case, if infections persist, you should consult a doctor.

Conclusion

The appearance of a cough with the flu does not always indicate the development of complications. You should carefully monitor the readings of the thermometer, the type of mucus coughed up and the general condition of the patient. If any suspicious symptoms are detected or the patient’s condition worsens, you should consult a doctor or call an ambulance.

Source: https://MyKashel.ru/lechenie/kashel-pri-grippe.html

How to treat a cough with the flu?

When the human body becomes infected with influenza, the immune system turns on various mechanisms aimed at fighting the foreign agent. The resulting clinical manifestations are nothing more than signs that the body is fighting an infection. These include fever, sore throat, and cough.

One of the most unpleasant symptoms is a dry cough with the flu, which does not help the body cope with the disease. But it significantly worsens the quality of life indicators and the general condition of the patient. Therefore, a cough that has started must always be treated so that the patient feels a little better.

It should be noted that children are more susceptible to the flu, and in children the disease is usually milder.

Fighting cough

If the symptoms described above develop, you should consult a doctor who can tell you how to treat such a condition and what medications should be taken for the flu. It must be borne in mind that taking medications that inhibit the cough center is strictly prohibited. These include those that contain codeine.

Traditional medicine recipes are often used as adjuvant therapy. They can improve sputum discharge and speed up the healing of damage to the mucous membrane.

Typically, the flu is characterized by the fact that on the third day the cough can become wet. This makes the treatment task somewhat easier, since a wet cough is easier to treat. The most effective drugs are those that thin the mucus and promote its release. These include:

  • Preparations based on ambroxol;
  • Enzymatic agents;
  • Medicinal plants;

Also necessary are procedures that can improve the rheological properties of sputum, that is, its fluidity.

Here inhalations with the addition of alkaline solutions come to the rescue, which not only dilute sputum, but also soften the cough.

They are best performed using special devices - nebulizers, which spray medicinal solutions onto the smallest particles, facilitating their penetration very deeply.

Microclimate

Microclimate plays a very important role in the treatment of pathology. Dry air in the room of a child or an adult can worsen the patient’s condition, as it contributes to the thinning of the mucous membrane of the respiratory organs, causing the progression of the disease.

To eliminate this problem, regular wet cleaning is necessary. It would not be superfluous to use special air humidifiers. Ventilation also plays an important role.

Drinking plenty of fluids can reduce the symptoms of a dry cough with the flu; treatment in this case may be shortened by several days. It also eliminates intoxication and thins sputum. The best drink in this case is alkaline mineral waters; they have the best effect on mucus accumulated in the respiratory tract.

Drug therapy

A dry cough with hoarseness and pain when swallowing can be treated with inhalations and cough syrups. You should not take pills on your own, because some of them can depress the cough center, which will lead to complications of the disease and prolong the duration of treatment.

Recommended medications include those that act locally on areas affected by the virus. They eliminate inflammation and accelerate the healing of damage to the mucous membrane.

You should also use those drugs that do not allow infectious agents to spread. After the cough has become wet, the doctor prescribes expectorants and mucolytic drugs.

Traditional medicine methods

Traditional medicine is quite effective, especially if used in combination with pharmaceutical drugs.

Inhalations based on medicinal plants - mint, eucalyptus - help well. You can also use vinegar compresses - they quickly reduce high fever.

For a wet cough, mustard plasters can be placed, but it is important to be careful not to place them on the spine or heart.

One of the most common methods is gargling with a solution of salt and soda.

These substances eliminate bacteria from the throat and upper respiratory tract, soften the mucous membrane, and soda thins phlegm. You can also do inhalations with them.

You can add a little decoction of oregano, oak bark or chamomile to this solution. A sore throat can be relieved by adding eucalyptus oil.

For prolonged cough

Quite often a situation arises when a cough remains after suffering from the flu. It is caused by the development of complications of a viral infection - bronchitis or pneumonia. In this case, patients are recommended to undergo an X-ray of the respiratory organs to confirm or exclude the diagnosis.

Taking any medication must be agreed with your doctor.

Breathing exercises help well, especially the Strelnikova technique.

The stoporvi website has instructions for using this method, which allows you not only to eliminate cough, but also to effectively combat various chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic bronchitis or bronchial asthma.

Doctors recommend drinking at least two liters of water per day so that the body does not need fluid. This allows you to replenish losses after colds and normalize metabolic processes.

Also, residual effects of influenza can be combated with the help of a pepper patch placed on the projection of the lungs. It increases blood flow to internal organs, increasing local metabolism.

It is also possible to use inhalations, but if you do them very often, the cough can worsen.

If such a symptom torments you for more than two weeks, you should consult a doctor, since this situation is not normal.

Source: stoporvi.ru

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Source: https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5af62b90dd2484e783e3e6a9/5b3ae0e059a87e00a95d4173

Treatment of dry cough with influenza with and without fever

The disease called “flu” is familiar to everyone; it sounds frightening and alarming at the same time. A vaccine has been created to defeat the disease, but it does not always work.

Often, provided that the introduction occurred late, it intensifies symptoms. Cough with the flu is symptom #1. But its appearance occurs after infection, about 2-3 days later.

The first sign is the temperature, which is not just high, but reaches the highest levels. The virus differs from most infectious colds in the difficulty of treatment.

The appearance of a cough indicates that the body’s increased resistance to infection has stopped. With the help of the cough reflex, the respiratory organs try to free themselves from the problem. In this case, the person feels much worse than in the first days of the disease.

Flu infection

To cure a flu cough and raise the defense system to the required level, you will have to make a lot of effort. The course of the disease is characterized as acute.

The complexity of therapy, exacerbations, and consequences largely depend on the age category of the patient and the condition at the time of infection.

Also, influenza is not just an infection that affects the upper and lower respiratory tract. This is a disease that provokes the emergence of even old, healed forms of chronic pathologies and seriously disrupts the functioning of the immune system.

People know firsthand how dangerous the flu is. Every year, according to official data, the flu condition is recorded in one and a half million people. According to unofficial data, this number doubles.

Many people try to get rid of the flu at home without going to the hospital. Exacerbation, an increase in patients, adults and children, of all categories, occurs during the winter thaw, in early spring.

The fatal outcome due to untimely treatment at the hospital or the use of folk remedies without the consent of a doctor is 2-3 people out of a hundred cases.

This occurs due to the appearance of swelling in the respiratory organs (most often the lungs) or the brain. The initial stage has the following characteristics:

  • intoxication of the body;
  • general weakness;
  • high body temperature (reaches 39-40);
  • severe pain in joints, muscle tissue and chest;
  • dryness of the mucous membranes of the larynx and eyes appears;
  • dry cough (possible gag reflex).

As you know, coughing is a self-cleansing reflex of the body. But when you have the flu, your normal cough reflex is altered.

If during a cough that appears due to ARVI, the bronchi and respiratory tract clear the way for the release of sputum and necessary air, then an influenza cough occurs due to inflammation and irritation. The greater the shock, the more significant the microtrauma to the throat mucosa.

They get additional infection along with food and air. In the case of a child with toys, hands, bottle (babies). The immune system is further damaged and stops working.

The viral infection spreads quickly, damaging not only the respiratory system, but also the weak points of the body.

Delaying the treatment process, using medications intended for colds or bronchitis - destroying the immune system, allowing pneumonia, pneumonia and other equally serious inflammatory pathological processes.

  Is it possible for children and adults to go to the bathhouse with a cough?

Flu symptoms

The influenza virus develops gradually. The time of appearance from the moment of infection to cough can reach a week with a weakened immune system (children, pregnant women, elderly people), the process will take 3-5 days.

Symptoms also do not appear all at once, but gradually. First the temperature, then other signs of the disease. In order to more clearly understand which symptom follows which, in medicine there is a kind of symptomatic ladder for recognizing influenza:

  • a sharp rise in temperature. Within half an hour, the mark on the thermometer rapidly increases. Antipyretics reduce fever minimally (to a maximum of 38 degrees). Colds are characterized by the appearance of fever in the evening and at night. Flu causes fever in the morning more often than in the evening. Usually the patient wakes up and feels unwell;
  • the appearance of pain in the joints and muscle tissues, aches, chills - signs of the onset of intoxication of the body due to a sharp jump in temperature;
  • dryness and soreness in the mouth, pain when swallowing;
  • chest pain.

On the third to fifth day, you can observe obvious signs of respiratory diseases: runny nose, cough. The strength of the cough reflex varies. In children it is accompanied by vomiting and discomfort in the abdominal area.

It is characterized as exhausting, hysterical, unproductive. As soon as you notice the transition to a productive form (wet), you can start sounding the alarm. This is how complications begin:

  • if during coughing there are drops of blood, purulent sputum, shortness of breath appears - pulmonary edema, pneumonia;
  • the cough is similar to barking, there are attacks of suffocation, laryngeal stenosis - false croup or laryngitis;
  • A dry cough or a cough productive of the flu in adults and children can provoke bronchitis and bacterial tracheitis.

Another alarming sign is prolonged fever (more than five days). It is necessary to notify the doctor about this, begin an additional examination, and change the treatment regimen.

Treatment of influenza cough

Coughing during an illness, flu, or cold is an unpleasant process; it exhausts and exhausts a person completely. It is not entirely correct to call a cough during the flu an inconvenience, since the symptom greatly affects the person’s condition. Especially if the patient is small.

The correct approach to therapeutic therapy is the key to recovery without consequences. But only a qualified specialist can select the necessary medications, tablets or syrups.

It is necessary to know not only the names of the drugs, but also the possibility of combination, the body’s reaction to prescribed antibiotics, whether they are suitable or not according to the age category. The regimen is selected especially carefully during pregnancy. In their condition, any medication can harm the baby under the heart.

With and without fever

At the first sign of illness, flu or cold, you must ensure:

  1. Humidification and ventilation of the room where the patient is. The air should be no more than 22-24 degrees. Dry air has a detrimental effect on the bronchi and increases coughing.
  2. In addition to the cleanliness of the room, the patient should be dressed in everything clean, made of natural cotton. Wrapping yourself in a blanket is not recommended, since if there is a fever, a person can simply be “fryed” (increasing the already high body temperature).
  3. Drinking regime. Drinking plenty of fluids will help reduce coughing attacks during the flu, lower the temperature, and remove toxins. Drink warm milk regularly, in small sips, herbal teas, fruit drinks, juices, still mineral water.

  Causes of cough in the morning with phlegm in an adult

There should be a minimum amount of sweetness in drinks, as it increases soreness. Honey is recommended instead of sugar. If you have a dry cough, it is advisable to add butter and animal fats.

Treatment of children and pregnant women

This group of patients requires an individual approach to treatment. You will have to treat only with approved drugs. Based not only on symptoms, but also on harmlessness. For children, syrups are selected, not tablets.

In order for a child’s flu cough to go away quickly, it is recommended to take: Lazolvan, Dr. IOM or Tais syrups. Libexin, Bronholitin and Gerbion are also allowed for pregnant women and children.

All dosage forms should be taken only with the permission of a specialist, after diagnostic measures have been carried out . For pregnant women, in addition to the therapist, the gynecologist must allow the use of tablets and syrups.

Drug therapy

Additional symptoms of a dry cough that occurs due to the flu are hoarseness, soreness, and complete or partial loss of voice. There is a pain in the throat during the period of swallowing saliva, and even mild coughing.

Not only syrup, but also inhalation will help reduce symptoms. But such activities can only be carried out in the absence of fever. The first priority for a flu patient is to reduce the temperature and kill the infection.

Convert the cough from non-productive to wet. To do this correctly, you will need to consult a doctor.

Not all dosage forms are approved to eliminate cough due to influenza. Permitted ones include:

  • syrups based on plantain or licorice;
  • Bromhexine and ACC;
  • Ambroxol or Ambrol.

Need to know! If you suspect infection with the flu virus, then it is strictly forbidden to take syrups or other forms of treatment that contain codeine. Preparations with it are effective only when a person begins to cough due to colds. Flu is not like that.

Inhalations

Dry cough and flu always accompany each other. If we take into account that hoarseness and tickling occurs immediately, then the cough reflex occurs 3-5 days after the onset of the flu. By this time, the temperature has dropped to normal levels, which means that additional techniques can be included in the therapy regimen.

Inhalations are rightfully such. For the procedures, you can purchase a special tool - a nebulizer or use the old method - a pan with steam.

Such procedures are prohibited for pregnant women . Children can start at 3 years old, and for nursing mothers it is good to cover the chest. Not only medicines are suitable as vaping liquids, but also folk recipes: chamomile and eucalyptus, potatoes and soda solution.

Of the drugs for all age groups for the treatment of flu and cough, Lazolvan, mineral water with alkali without gas, is suitable. It is definitely recommended to review the recipe, methods of use and contraindications for use.

In any case, a check for an allergic reaction is carried out, since eucalyptus can have undesirable effects. All other recipes do not pose a threat, as they are hypoallergenic.

Inhalations will help not only with coughs, they eliminate the virus, but also actively remove mucus from the bronchi and remove snot. Breathing is restored after the first dose.

  Features of cough treatment during and after sore throat

Traditional methods

The process of therapeutic alternative therapy takes a long time if you do not use medications. According to doctors, the recipe can be used as an additional technique, but not the main one.

Wasting time when you have the flu means allowing the infection to develop, albeit slowly. The consequences will be inevitable. The main characteristic of this method of therapy is that it is cheap and cheerful.

Since herbal ingredients are cheaper than all drugs. They enhance the activity of drugs. And at the same time they help restore the immune system.

To combat cough and flu, it is recommended to use:

  • for pregnant women - gargling;
  • rubs, infusions and tinctures based on plants;
  • animal fats;
  • mustard plasters and warming compresses, cakes.

To get quick results, use a cheap antibiotic - onion or garlic. Not only gruels are created based on vegetables, but also drinks and syrups.

This fast-acting and easy-to-make syrup was called: a combination of equal proportions of grated onion with honey (sugar) - 500 g, salt (1-2 tbsp.). Boil the mixture over low heat for three hours with the lid closed. Then mix with half a liter of water and drink up to 5 times a day.

Contraindications for influenza cough

During the treatment of cough due to influenza, it is prohibited to take drugs with antitussive properties. If there is a virus, they will not help, but will worsen the patient’s condition. With the flu, a cough is not a provocateur, but an irritant.

Inhibition of the reflex is not required, but only the elimination of the inflammatory process in the mucous membranes. Naturally, mucus will appear as the infection settles in the organs of the respiratory system. The taboo categories included: Stoptussin, Sinekod.

Antibacterial therapy should begin after a few days and only if necessary. When there are all signs of bacteria connecting to the virus. After all, the flu is a viral infection.

Only an antiviral drug will help. The intake should be accompanied by yoghurts or other types of dosage forms that can replenish the necessary microflora in the body.

Antibacterial therapy can be prescribed if a cough appears after influenza infection if the sputum comes out green (purulent) or the temperature lasts more than five days without subsiding.

If your cough doesn't go away after the flu

The flu is always very difficult to bear. To fight the virus, you need to prescribe the right regimen. Since in case of non-compliance. There are consequences of choosing the wrong medication.

The most harmless is a residual cough - the mucus is clear, odorless, and not abundant. There is no fever or vomiting. Residual cough can be treated with traditional recipes or light syrups. Serious medications are not used in this case.

If the cough lasts more than three weeks, it is necessary to undergo additional examination to identify the cause.

It is possible that the virus remained and gave impetus to the appearance of bronchitis or another inflammatory process in the pulmonary system.

In any case, it is worth visiting a doctor, ensuring regular walks in the fresh air, and remembering home hygiene. Drinking plenty of fluids is a must. It is not recommended to prescribe medications on your own to increase the chances of a quick recovery.

Source: https://kasheloff.ru/u-vzroslyh/pri-grippe

Cough with the flu: how and how to treat a cold, how long it lasts

Influenza is an acute viral infection that manifests itself as hyperthermia, intoxication, sore throat and cough. A prolonged cough with the flu may be a symptom of the disease itself or the first sign of its complications. The choice of therapy depends on the type of cough, its duration and the presence of concomitant pathologies.

Features of cough during colds and flu

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) provoke a dry, unproductive cough that is not accompanied by sputum production.

When infected with the influenza virus, the epithelial lining of the respiratory tract (nasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx, bronchi) is affected. Inflammation of the respiratory system causes pain and dryness of the throat, cough and runny nose. The cause of the cough reflex is also irritation of the posterior wall of the larynx, on which the so-called cough zones are located.

Viral infections are characterized by an acute cough that lasts no more than 3 weeks. If the symptom persists in the future, this may indicate a post-infectious cough (its duration is up to 8 weeks) or complications of the disease (bronchitis, pneumonia, damage to the cardiovascular system).

Symptoms

Flu symptoms develop spontaneously. The main signs of infection include:

  • fever (body temperature reaches +38… +40 °C);
  • severe dry cough, difficulty breathing, a sore feeling in the chest after a coughing attack;
  • aches in muscles and joints;
  • headache, dizziness;
  • soreness and dryness in the throat;
  • redness of the eyes;
  • runny nose;
  • weakness, lack of appetite;
  • other symptoms (tachycardia, hemorrhages, diarrhea).

Based on the severity of the flu, it is divided into three forms:

  1. Easy. It occurs with inflammation of the nasopharynx, but does not provoke copious mucus secretion from the nasal passages and an intense dry cough. The patient's body temperature does not exceed 38 °C.
  2. Moderate weight. Moderate flu occurs with profuse nasal discharge, headaches and abdominal pain, and frequent dry cough that irritates the sore throat and larynx. Unlike the mild form of the disease, it is accompanied by characteristic signs of influenza infection - aching joints, severe weakness in the body and fever (+38 ... +39 ° C).
  3. Heavy. In severe cases of influenza, signs of a viral infection include nausea, vomiting, nosebleeds, confusion, and convulsions.

Treatment methods

Treatment of influenza is predominantly symptomatic. To relieve the symptoms of the disease, medication, folk and physiotherapeutic methods are used.

If the cough is not treated in a timely manner, it will irritate the mucous membrane of the hypopharynx and provoke pain in the sternum, and over time it may be complicated by bronchitis or tracheobronchitis.

Drug treatment

To eliminate influenza cough, medications are used that stop the cough reflex and facilitate the release of bronchial contents. The most popular drugs in therapy are the following:

  • "Codelac";
  • "Kofanol";
  • "Neo-Kodion";
  • "Sinecode";
  • "Stoptussin";
  • "Paracodamol";
  • "Terkodin";
  • "Hexapneumin";
  • "Broncholine Sage."

Drugs intended to soften and relieve inflammation of the pharynx and larynx (Ingalipt, Strepsils, Faringosept) can help reduce the intensity of cough. Antihistamines (Loratadine, Suprastin, Zyrtec, Zodak) are used to relieve swelling of the mucous membranes.

For influenza with a temperature above 38 °C, the patient is prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Paracetamol, Nurofen, mefenamic acid). Please note that some medications are intended only for adults. If the disease occurs without fever, then there is no need to prescribe NSAIDs.

Traditional treatment

In the treatment of influenza, it is allowed to use not only medications, but also folk remedies: herbal decoctions and infusions, drinks based on milk, honey and dried fruits.

For dry cough, the following remedies are most effective:

  1. Milk with honey. In the absence of allergies to bee products and hypolactasia, warm milk is the fastest and safest way to stop a cough. To enhance the effect, add a quarter spoon of soda and 1 tsp to the drink. butter. In order not to increase irritation of the mucous membrane and not to deprive honey of its beneficial properties, you should not heat milk above +55... +60 °C.
  2. Infusion with licorice and sage (Breast collection No. 3). Take 15-20 g of the collection, pour 300-400 ml of boiling water, heat in a water bath for a quarter of an hour and leave to infuse for 45-60 minutes. The resulting product is filtered and diluted with hot water to the original volume. You need to drink the infusion in 3-4 doses during the day.
  3. Decoction of anise seeds. Mix 2 tbsp. l. anise seeds, 1 tsp. honey and 4 g of salt, and then pour in 200 ml of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and leave to cool. You need to take the prepared decoction 0.5 tbsp. l. up to 3 times a day.
  4. Drink with milk and figs. Place 2 ripe figs in a container with 1 liter of milk, bring to a boil and boil. When the milk acquires a dark brown-cream hue, remove the broth from the heat and cool until warm. Drink the entire drink in small portions throughout the day.

Inhalation via nebulizer

You can also get rid of a strong cough using inhalation through a special device - a nebulizer. A nebulizer turns the medicine placed into it into an aerosol with microscopic liquid particles. Inhalations with this form of drugs moisturize the inflamed mucous membrane and reduce inflammation.

To liquefy bronchodilator secretions, solutions of mucolytics (Lazolvana, ACC) are used. Dilution of the medicine with physiological solution must be carried out in accordance with the instructions for the device.

For respiratory infections, including influenza, the nebulizer can be used without mucolytic drugs, pouring only saline solution or mineral water into the medicine container.

With a strong non-productive cough, it is necessary to use bronchodilators that expand the lumen of the bronchi, or drugs that block the cough reflex and prevent bronchospasms. These include:

  • "Atrovent";
  • "Berotek";
  • "Sinecode";
  • lidocaine solution (1%).

Before using solutions containing codeine or lidocaine, you should consult your doctor. For influenza, immunomodulatory drugs (Derinat, Interferon) can be used for inhalation.

Features of treatment of children and pregnant women

Attacks of severe non-productive cough in pregnant women and young children can cause serious complications: oxygen starvation, increased intracranial pressure, increased uterine tone and threats of miscarriage. However, the list of medications that can be prescribed in early childhood and during pregnancy is limited.

During pregnancy, the following drugs are used to treat influenza cough:

  1. 1st trimester. Recommended products include “Mukaltin”, “Eucabal”, “Bronchicum”, syrup with marshmallow extract, “Mamavit”, “Gerbion”, “Gedelix”. Libexin is prescribed with caution.
  2. 2nd and 3rd trimester. In addition to the drugs listed above, Bronchipret and Falimint are safe. Akodin, Libexin, Stoptussin and Bromhexin should be used with caution.

Children are not recommended to be prescribed medications containing codeine. Other drugs that block the cough reflex are prescribed only for strict indications.

If after recovery the baby often coughs, it is recommended to use folk remedies. If you have a severe post-infectious cough, you should consult your doctor.

What not to do

Wanting to avoid a visit to the clinic, patients often make mistakes that aggravate the severity of the disease and worsen their well-being.

What not to do when you have a flu cough:

  1. Ignore the symptoms of the disease. Influenza is a viral disease, so in most cases, specific antimicrobial agents are not prescribed to patients. However, the lack of symptomatic therapy and non-compliance with bed rest sharply increases the risk of complications.
  2. Take antibiotics. Preventive antibiotic therapy is only used when there is a high risk of bacterial complications of influenza (eg, immunodeficiency).
  3. Actively apply warming. Warming up is recommended only if the flu occurs without fever. This procedure is prohibited for pregnant patients, regardless of the symptoms of the disease.
  4. Uncontrolled use of antitussives. Antitussives should be prescribed by a doctor depending on the type and severity of cough. The most dangerous mistake in therapy is mixing drugs to eliminate dry and wet cough, which leads to stagnation of sputum in the bronchi.

If the cough doesn't go away

In some cases, the cough does not go away even after the patient has fully recovered. The causes of this symptom may be:

  • infectious complications of influenza (tracheobronchitis, pneumonia, pharyngitis, sinusitis);
  • exposure to factors that irritate the respiratory tract (dust, dry air, tobacco smoke);
  • post-infectious phenomena;
  • inadequate therapy of primary pathology;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • cardiac asthma, blood congestion in the lungs;
  • increased acidity of gastric juice.

If the cough lasts more than 4-5 weeks, you need to consult a therapist. To diagnose the causes of the pathology, you may need to consult an otolaryngologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, allergist and other specialized specialists.

Conclusion

The choice of drugs to relieve dry cough depends on its intensity, as well as the age and condition of the patient. To quickly achieve results, you should combine oral and inhalation administration of drugs. Timely diagnosis and compliance with doctor's recommendations can reduce the risk of secondary respiratory tract infections.

Author of the article: Yulia Kalashnik

Source: https://VipLor.ru/gorlo/kashel-pri-grippe

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