Which doctor should I contact for a cough, depending on the cause?

Any disturbances in the body make themselves felt through reflexes, changes in metabolism and a deterioration in overall well-being. Many doctors treat coughs in children; therapy directly depends on the type of pathology. Before enrolling, parents should pay attention to the accompanying clinical picture and only after that choose who to go to for help.

Which doctor treats a child's cough?

A visit to a particular doctor depends on the nature of the symptom and its duration. Below are several types of specialists who deal with a specific group of diseases, including those accompanied by coughing attacks.

When is a pediatrician needed?

In order not to guess which doctor you should go to with your problem, the easiest way is to take your child to your local pediatrician.

He will listen carefully to complaints, collect anamnesis, perform palpation, auscultation and prescribe a series of tests, from which he will decide whether consultation with a specialist is needed or not.

It is especially necessary to visit a pediatrician in cases where there are no other symptoms, and only a cough indicates the presence of pathology.

Allergy

This disease is an inflammatory process caused by the formation of hypersensitivity in response to the penetration of a certain antigen. It is accompanied not only by a cough, but the child may often sneeze, scratch his eyes, complain of itchy skin, watery eyes, and difficulty breathing.

Diagnosis and treatment of inflammation of this kind of any etiology is carried out by an allergist-immunologist. The doctor writes out a referral for blood testing to determine the concentration of specific antibodies, skin tests to identify allergens and draw up a treatment regimen taking into account the child’s age.

Heart diseases

A cardiac cough is formed in response to decreased myocardial function, stagnation of fluid in the lungs and overflow of the pulmonary circulation. The reasons for its development are:

• valve apparatus disorders;
• acute heart failure;
• IHD;
• myocardial infarction.

The last two conditions are extremely rare in childhood, however, even they cannot be excluded. The clinical picture also includes pain behind the sternum, radiating to the scapula, shoulder, lower jaw, shortness of breath, weakness, malaise, and dizziness. This condition requires immediate consultation with a cardiologist and hospitalization.

ENT pathologies

Diseases of the ear and nasopharynx are often accompanied by a cough. Symptoms may be supplemented by sore throat, sore throat, change in voice, decreased hearing or sense of smell. Inflammation of the listed organs or the release of a foreign small object is dealt with by an otolaryngologist.

Using instruments and a beam of light, the doctor examines the structure of tissues, evaluates their color, shine, and notes the presence or absence of films, pus and other changes. Next, to confirm the diagnosis, he is sent for x-rays, a throat smear, and a general and biochemical blood test.

Respiratory system diseases

A common cause of cough in childhood is infectious inflammation of the lungs, bronchi, and trachea. Some forms of pathology that are not accompanied by a sharp deterioration in health and severe complications can be dealt with by a pediatrician. But sometimes during therapy a consultation with a pulmonologist is required.

After a general examination and based on the nature of the cough, the doctor is able to make an accurate diagnosis with a 90% probability. Thus, with pneumonia, purulent sputum is discharged, and sometimes streaks or blood clots are visible. On auscultation, fine bubbling rales and local bronchial breathing are heard.

Whooping cough is characterized by a dry, obsessive and indomitable cough, which literally exhausts the child and does not allow him to rest either day or night. Dry or moist medium-bubbly wheezing can be heard through the phonendoscope, and harsh breathing may appear.

Cough accompanies absolutely all types of pleurisy and in this disease increases pain in the chest on the affected side. A distinctive feature of tracheitis is a paroxysmal, rough and painful cough. In the first days, practically no mucus is formed; as treatment progresses, the volume of mucus increases.

Nervous system disorder

The development of diseases here is caused not by organic changes, but by instability of the emotional sphere and psyche.

A neurogenic or neurotic cough can be a consequence of multiple stressful situations: an important exam, a new team, an unfavorable environment at home.

Psychotherapists and neurologists argue that a child who does not feel the proper warmth and parental love in everyday life and does not get what he wants during ARVI, influenza and other similar pathologies, unconsciously reinforces the reflex in order to prolong the increased attention of adults to himself.

Characteristic features of this cough:

• increases during stress;
• not treated with traditional drugs;
• does not give an auscultatory and x-ray picture of changes in the chest organs.

The symptom requires long-term work with a psychologist, taking sedatives, moderate physical activity and emotional balance in the child.

Is it possible to treat a cough yourself?

About 70% of the adult population can name three, four or five drugs that eliminate the symptom in a matter of days and are sold at any pharmacy.

The problem here is that not every parent is able to understand the cause of a cough attack or correctly identify the accompanying signs of pathology.

Therefore, consulting a pediatrician for advice is extremely necessary; only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and draw up an adequate treatment regimen.

The benefits of herbal medicine

If it is not possible to quickly get to a specialist, traditional medicine and herbal medicines come to the rescue. The list of herbs that relieve cough and inflammation include:

• licorice;
• sage;
• plantain;
• ginger;
• mint;
• elecampane;
• calendula.

You can use them to brew teas, make decoctions or infusions for children. It is worth noting that, regardless of the effect of herbal remedies, it is necessary to take more serious drugs that affect etiopathogenesis.

Conclusion

Cough is a nonspecific symptom, from which, without proper experience, it is very difficult to understand the type and course of the underlying disease. In this case, a local pediatrician or any other highly specialized doctor comes to the parents’ aid.

Source: https://prikashel.ru/lechenie/kakoj-vrach-lechit-kashel-u-rebenka.html

Chronic cough

Articles

A cough that does not stop for a long time is called chronic. It is not a separate disease, but serves as a symptom or complication of it. Chronic cough causes a lot of inconvenience to the patient and significantly reduces the quality of life. Many patients seek medical help every day with this complaint. Only a qualified doctor can determine the cause of cough and prescribe treatment.

Main symptoms of chronic cough

Each disease that causes chronic cough is characterized by its own manifestations.

So, it may be accompanied by: frequent expectoration; increase in body temperature to 37.2; headache and dizziness; sore throat, sore throat; hoarseness; shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air; heartburn; bloody discharge; pain and burning in the chest.

The cough itself can be either dry or wet. It bothers me all day long. The condition worsens in rooms with insufficient humidity. Patients often experience severe coughing attacks, especially at night.

Causes of chronic cough development

Often this unpleasant symptom occurs against the background of an allergic reaction of the body. Allergens can be plant pollen, animal hair, dust, food, as well as chemicals contained in perfumes and cosmetics.

The main causes of cough are:

Other, less common causes are cancer and congenital and acquired heart defects. In addition, chronic cough can occur due to long-term use of drugs related to ACE inhibitors. Most often they are used to treat hypertension.

To identify the causes of chronic cough, the doctor conducts a detailed physical examination, analyzes the patient’s complaints and medical history. Taking into account these data is necessary to determine which instrumental methods will help in making a diagnosis. To diagnose chronic cough, use:

Basic methods for diagnosing chronic cough

Diagnostic technique Time Accuracy

X-rays of light	10 minutes	50-60%
CT chest	15 minutes	60-80%
Allergy test	20 minutes	85-99%
ECG	30 minutes	50-80%
Fibroscopy	30 minutes	50%

In some cases, blood and urine tests may be necessary. The cost of an initial appointment with one of the specialists will be approximately 1200-1500 rubles, depending on the class of the clinic.

Which specialist should I contact?

Depending on what caused the symptom, you may need to consult a particular doctor. To determine which doctor to see, take an online self-test on our website. It will allow you to first understand the cause of your chronic cough, as well as find out who to make an appointment with. If you have this symptom, you should start the examination by consulting a pulmonologist.

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Source: https://zdorov.online/articles/khronicheskiy-kashel/

Cough doctor

Mechanical or chemical effects irritate the irritant receptors and C-fibers of the reflexogenic zones of the respiratory tract, resulting in a cough reflex. It performs an important role - it cleanses parts of the respiratory tract from foreign substances, endogenously formed products (mucus, sputum, exudate), restores and maintains their patency.

The causes of cough are very diverse. Traditionally, an unpleasant symptom is associated with diseases of the lower respiratory organs (bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, tracheobronchitis, bronchial asthma) and upper respiratory organs (laryngitis, pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis, measles, whooping cough).

The therapist’s activity consists of the initial appointment of patients, prescribing appropriate treatment, and, if necessary, redirecting to a specialist

Possible reasons for its appearance include:

• foreign body aspiration;
• unfavorable environmental conditions (cold/hot air, high concentration of chemical elements in the atmosphere);
• contact with an allergen;
• pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• cancerous tumors;
• gastroesophageal reflux;
• diseases of the ENT organs (sinusitis, adenoiditis, nasopharyngitis, otitis media);
• psychogenic factors;
• smoking, including passive smoking;
• taking certain medications.

The cough reflex has specific manifestations. When assessing it, attention is paid to productivity, intensity, timbre, duration and time of occurrence.

The nature of cough is divided into dry and wet. The patient's condition is altered by unproductive spastic exhalations. Due to the lack of phlegm, they greatly irritate the mucous membrane of the larynx, causing pain and sore throat, while the completion of each act does not bring relief.

Based on the duration, the cough is differentiated into acute (resolved in 1-3 weeks) and chronic (lasts more than a month). Based on etiology, they are divided into infectious and non-infectious.

Diagnosis of the causes of cough begins with collecting an anamnesis, where the key points are the patient’s age, the presence of other diseases, the manifestation of spastic exhalations, and concomitant symptoms of the disease.

The choice of therapeutic regimen should take into account the pathogenesis and etiology of cough. If, for a productive cough with difficult-to-discharge sputum, it is advisable to use mucoregulators and expectorants, then the frequency and intensity of a dry cough is relieved with antitussive medications.

Which doctor treats cough?

Which doctor should you go to if you have a cough in an adult or a child? It is advisable to start a diagnostic search for cough symptoms by contacting a therapist or, in children, a pediatrician. The general practitioner performs a physical examination and external examination. Finally, assesses the functions of external respiration.

Based on the results obtained, a preliminary or verified diagnosis will be made. To fully visualize the clinical picture, diagnostic measures are indicated using laboratory and instrumental research methods. The competence of a therapist (pediatrician) is the treatment of colds, coughs, diseases of the bronchi and lungs.

• The help of an otolaryngologist will be needed for pathologies of the ENT organs, flu and colds complicated by pain in the middle ear.
• Hospitalization of the patient requires severe forms of pulmonary and non-pulmonary diseases, accompanied by a severe cough
• If problems with the gastrointestinal tract are suspected, in particular with damage to the lower esophagus due to spontaneous reflux of gastric contents, the therapist will refer you to a specialist - a gastroenterologist.

Indications for visiting a cardiologist are the presence of a cardiac cough. Disturbances manifest themselves in different ways: at an early stage it is a slight cough, shortness of breath after heavy physical activity.

In an advanced state, the patient complains of the following symptoms:

• respiratory failure;
• suffocation;
• paroxysmal dry cough;
• hemoptysis;
• swelling of the lower extremities;
• cyanosis of the skin.

The intensity and frequency of coughing increases in a horizontal position, after vigorous activity.

Nuance! To confirm vascular pathology and destructive diseases, measures such as chest x-ray, ECG, MRI, myocardial computed tomography, and echocardiography are carried out.

Diagnostic data allows you to analyze the functionality of the heart and prescribe adequate therapy to the patient.

The reason for contacting a pulmonologist is a cough as a symptom of pulmonary diseases. The most common are bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, emphysema, and tracheobronchitis. Also within the competence of this specialist is the treatment of smoker’s cough.

If you have a severe cough, which doctor should you consult if pulmonary forms of pathology are excluded? Spasmodic exhalations are often an inadequate response of the immune system to contact with an irritant; they differ from colds in the absence of fever and prolonged reflex acts.

Allergy symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and redness of the skin. The causes of an allergic reaction are varied, ranging from food products, household products, medications, to inhalation of industrial chemicals and plant pollen.

If you have a cold cough, the course of which is aggravated by weakness, high body temperature, it is advisable to call a therapist home

The help of an allergist is to determine the source of irritation using allergy tests to exclude contact with the allergen. To eliminate unpleasant symptoms and prevent them, the doctor selects an effective antihistamine.

The doctor who treats cough is a general practitioner or otolaryngologist. Depending on the etiological factor, other highly specialized specialists may be involved in the therapeutic process: pulmonologist, allergist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, oncologist. Early medical care in combination with competent diagnosis determines the effectiveness of treatment, prevents complications, and improves the quality of life.

Doctor No. 1 - therapist or pediatrician

The first visit to a doctor regarding breathing problems should be preceded by independent consideration of this symptom. First you need to answer a few questions:

1. At what time does the cough occur - in the morning after waking up, before bed, at night or during the day?
2. What exactly provokes it - hypothermia or being in a stuffy room, dust or certain odors?
3. What character does it have - paroxysmal or mild coughing, wet or dry?
4. During an attack, do you experience a feeling of shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain and other additional symptoms? Or perhaps it occurs after an attack of pain behind the sternum?
5. Does your body temperature rise?

This information will help the doctor determine the nature of the cough and find effective means to combat it.

In addition to the physiological cough, which most people do not pay attention to, there are several varieties of this symptom.

It can be allergic, reactive (occurs in response to foreign objects, acids and alkalis, vapors entering the respiratory tract) or infectious (including those caused by tuberculosis).

An attack can be caused by bronchospasm, heart pathology or secondary lung damage.

Important! The possibility of lung cancer should not be overlooked. This disease often begins with a slight cough.

The first option regarding which doctor is consulted for cough in adults is a general practitioner or a family doctor (general practitioner). It is he who should present the complaints and explain how the cough appears and what symptoms it is accompanied by.

If such a symptom is observed in a child, you should contact a pediatrician. The attending physician will prescribe a comprehensive diagnosis and, based on its results, will decide which doctor the patient should see to eliminate the causes of breathing difficulties.

Who to go to for an allergic cough

Both adults and children suffer equally from allergic lesions of the respiratory tract. In addition to a dry hacking cough, they experience swelling of the nasal mucosa, most patients actively produce tears, and attacks begin in the evening or at night. In this way, the body tries to get rid of irritants. The temperature does not rise with allergies.

An allergist treats such attacks. Before prescribing full-fledged therapy, he selects additional diagnostics to identify allergens to which the patient has a strong reaction.

Children are prescribed predominantly topical medications in the form of drops, while adults are treated with oral medications.

This is interesting! In especially severe cases, allergy sufferers are prescribed high-tech procedures for purifying the blood from irritants - ILBI (intravenous laser blood purification) or UVOC (ultraviolet blood purification).

Special topic - cardiac cough

Particularly difficult for patients is the question of which doctors to contact if they have a cough that occurs due to heart disease. Experts say that only a cardiologist can help cope with this unpleasant problem.

Cardiac cough differs from others in the complete absence of sputum. Only during prolonged attacks may the patient experience scanty discharge mixed with blood. In general, it resembles asthmatic and allergic cough, as it worsens at night.

Important point! The cardiac cough intensifies when the patient tries to lie down. This does not happen with lung diseases.

Treatment of this type of cough is possible only after eliminating the underlying problem. Sometimes patients have to take heart medications for the rest of their lives, and in some cases they are recommended for surgical treatment.

A cough does not always indicate serious health problems. But this is not a reason to ignore it.

Patients who do not immediately seek medical attention regarding breathing problems are at risk of experiencing life-threatening complications. Therefore, you should not be afraid that the doctor will call you a suspicious person or an alarmist.

It is better to play it safe and check the condition of the bronchopulmonary system once again than to treat a complex disease for the rest of your life.

The doctor will talk about traditional methods of treating cough in the video:

Which doctor treats cough in adults and children

Cough is a complex reflex reaction that occurs as a response to the entry of a foreign body or irritating agent into the respiratory tract. Cough is caused by a huge number of diseases and pathological conditions. It can be caused by ordinary allergies or colds, or by such serious illnesses as pneumonia and even cancer.

In most cases, cough is the result of the introduction into the body of pathological microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.), which settle on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and affect its receptors. The most common causes of its occurrence are:

• viruses (influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, etc.);
• bacteria (staphylococci, streptococci, etc.)
• fungi;
• protozoa;
• allergic agents: house dust, animal hair, flowers, chemical fumes, fluff, certain foods, etc.;
• smoking (even passive);
• obstruction with food debris that settles in the throat;
• drinking cold liquids;
• inhaling too hot or cold air;
• taking certain medications;
• prolonged stress, emotional tension or depression;
• some diseases (whooping cough, ARVI, pneumonia, cancer, tuberculosis, etc.);
• abnormalities in the development of the respiratory system;
• gastroesophageal reflux.

Why pain appears in the trachea when coughing and treatment

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

The appearance of a symptom such as cough is not always a sign of a serious illness, but requires careful treatment and a visit to the doctor.

As a rule, a person may be alerted and forced to visit the hospital by the following manifestations:

1. A prolonged, sharply occurring debilitating cough that is not relieved by taking medications.
2. Concomitant increase in blood pressure.
3. Paroxysmal cough, especially at night (suspicion of bronchial asthma).
4. The appearance of wheezing in the lungs, which can be heard even at a distance (a manifestation of pneumonia cannot be ruled out).
5. An accompanying increase in body temperature (indicates the onset of inflammatory processes in the body).
6. The cough is accompanied by pain in the chest area and forces the patient to take a forced position, in which the pain syndrome is relieved (indicates pleurisy - inflammation of the pleura).
7. Discharge of green-yellow sputum during coughing (indicates stagnation of sputum in the lungs and, as a consequence, active proliferation of microorganisms, which leads to additional diseases of the respiratory system).
8. The cough does not subside for more than three weeks (this symptom indicates the transition of the acute process to the chronic stage).

The appearance of at least one of these symptoms requires immediate consultation with a doctor, because their appearance indicates the ineffectiveness of treatment or its absence at all, as well as a deterioration in health.

Which doctor should I contact if I have a cough?

Many people do not visit medical institutions and engage in self-treatment due to simple ignorance of which specialist should be contacted when such a condition appears. It's actually quite simple. First of all, you should contact the therapist who is assigned to the person. He will carefully examine the throat, conduct a detailed examination, listen to the lungs and be able to determine the diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The main questions to which the patient must provide answers:

• How long have you been coughing?
• Does this cause phlegm to come out?
• Is the cough accompanied by pain?
• Is your body temperature or blood pressure elevated?
• Is the person taking any medications?
• Did the patient have contact with sick people the day before the illness?
• Was the cough preceded by drinking cold water, freezing, excessive indulging in ice cream, etc.?

Based on questioning, examination and listening to the lungs, the therapist may prescribe a general or biochemical blood test to confirm the diagnosis.

As a rule, common causes of coughing are commonplace ARVI or influenza.

However, if the therapist identifies suspicious symptoms that indicate the presence of a more serious disease, the patient will most likely be referred to other specialists.

How to properly massage for bronchitis

To exclude or confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia and other lung pathologies, the patient may be referred for a consultation with a pulmonologist and an X-ray examination of the chest organs. To exclude tuberculosis, it makes sense to consult a TB doctor.

If you suspect an allergic etiology of cough, you may need to consult an allergist who will help identify the allergen and prescribe treatment. If you suspect pharyngitis or other inflammatory processes in the throat, you will probably need to visit an otolaryngologist.

A cough may also indicate heart disease (especially heart failure), in which case a visit to a cardiologist will be necessary.

Source: https://babytwins.ru/vrach-po-kashlyu/

Which doctor treats cough?

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• Which doctor should I contact if I have a cough?

Cough is a fairly common symptom of the disease. We usually associate its appearance with a cold.

However, this is not always a sign of an acute infectious disease or exacerbation of a chronic inflammatory disease. It may be a symptom of a much more serious incipient pathological process.

Let's try to answer a rather naive, but at the same time difficult question: which doctor treats cough? To do this, you need to understand the reasons that may cause this symptom.

What is a cough?

This is a reflex contraction of the muscular apparatus of the bronchial tree in response to stimuli. Physiologically aimed at cleansing the lumen of the bronchi from foreign bodies, mucus and sputum. The cough reflex is the body's defense mechanism. More often, the process occurs involuntarily, when an irritating factor appears in the respiratory tract, but it can be caused independently by patients when a feeling of discomfort appears (so-called coughing).

The occurrence of the reflex is due to irritation of receptors that are located both along the bronchial tree, in the alveoli, pleura and lungs, in the upper sections - the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, sinuses, nasopharynx and oropharynx, and outside the respiratory tract - in the heart sac, on the surface of the diaphragm , gastric mucosa, external auditory canal, middle ear cavity. The central organ that regulates the reflex contraction of the bronchi is located in the medulla oblongata. It is he who participates in regulation, responding to incoming impulses from receptors located on the periphery.

Classification

Cough can be productive and unproductive, dry and wet, infectious or not, protracted, acute and chronic. The type of cough and the characteristics of the clinical picture of the disease determine which doctor you should consult.

According to the duration of the flow it happens:

• Acute - caused by the occurrence of an acute infectious disease. This is a frequent companion of seasonal viral and bacterial infections. As a rule, it is accompanied by characteristic symptoms of the disease: fever, runny nose or nasal congestion, headache, etc. Acute deterioration of the condition caused by a cough in a child or adult may be a manifestation of an allergic reaction, the entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract.
• Chronic – often a symptom of a chronic respiratory disease. The intensity and nature may differ during the period of relative remission of the disease and during exacerbation. Chronic cough can be provoked by long-term or constant use of certain medications, for example, adrenergic blockers used in the treatment of arterial hypertension. Smoking, heart disease and stress can also be causes of constant irritation of the bronchial receptor apparatus.
• A prolonged cough is a symptom that lasts for 5–6 weeks. As a rule, it is not associated with the course of an acute respiratory disease, but indicates the presence of a serious process in the lungs: bronchial asthma, cardiac pathology, oncological process, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis or other conditions. Of course, it requires a detailed examination and clarification of the cause.

After suffering mycoplasma, chlamydial infections of the respiratory system, whooping cough, cough can persist for several months.

According to the nature of the flow, it happens:

• Productive, or wet. Caused by the formation of sputum as a result of irritation of nerve endings and the work of the bronchial glands. Coughing usually brings relief. Most often it is a symptom of an inflammatory disease in the resolution stage, but it can also accompany lung diseases such as tuberculosis, lung cancer, and is typical for smokers with a long history of this bad habit.
• Unproductive, or dry. Appears in the early period of acute or during exacerbation of chronic inflammatory process of the respiratory system, sinusitis, rhinitis. Does not bring relief and can be debilitating. The appearance of a dry cough is often accompanied by a typical clinical picture, general reactions such as fever, runny nose, headache, and sore throat.

A severe cough without sputum production may be a sign of an acute allergic reaction or an attack of bronchial asthma.

Due to the occurrence it happens:

• Infectious nature - caused by a viral or bacterial infection. As a rule, prescribed antibacterial therapy helps the cough to subside, and relief occurs within 3–4 days.
• Non-infectious nature - not associated with any viral or bacterial pathogen, due to other reasons: taking antihypertensive drugs, asthma, cardiac pathology, oncological process, etc. It has a long course, cannot be treated with antibacterial agents, or the patient’s condition does not improve during treatment, no productive character changes. Cough may be the only symptom. Another sign: the general reaction of the body is most often absent.

A cough, in the presence of other symptoms or in their absence, which has a protracted course, is a reason for carrying out diagnostic measures in order to determine the cause, the nature of changes in the body, establish a diagnosis and search for treatment methods.

Diagnostic measures

If a cough appears in a child or adult patient, regardless of the reasons that caused it, you should immediately consult a doctor. Which doctor should I contact if I have a cough? First of all, you need to go to your local therapist.

An appeal to a specialized specialist (ENT doctor, phthisiatrician, oncologist, pulmonologist, allergist) should be preceded by diagnostic measures and determination of the cause of the disease.

Those who have at least once consulted a doctor with complaints of cough know that the necessary examination methods are:

• Assessing the patient’s condition, ascertaining the medical history and clinical picture of the disease. Of great diagnostic importance is the study of the characteristics of the cough reflex: wet, dry, duration of the process. Attention should be paid to a detailed study of the allergy history and drug therapy taken.
• General clinical laboratory tests: blood and urine tests.
• In the presence of sputum, the nature of the discharge, color, consistency, and the presence of impurities of pus or blood must be studied. It is possible to culture secretions from the bronchi to identify a pathogenic microorganism, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, determine sensitivity to antibacterial drugs, and the presence of atypical cells if an oncological process is suspected.
• Physical examination and auscultation of the lungs make it possible to establish a diagnosis of acute respiratory process, bronchitis, pneumonia, and pleurisy.
• X-ray examination. The method makes it possible to establish a diagnosis in the presence of an inflammatory substrate in the lungs or bronchi, or a tumor lesion. Emphysema, bronchiectasis, and tuberculosis have a characteristic X-ray picture. The method plays an important role in identifying pathology of the mediastinal organs.
• If indicated, computed tomography may be recommended.

After a diagnostic search, the local therapist will give recommendations for treatment or refer you to a specialized specialist.

Cough in children

The possibilities of using radiation diagnostic methods in a child when a cough appears are sharply limited. The main criteria for establishing a diagnosis: a detailed study of the anamnesis, complaints, physical examination methods, laboratory tests, auscultation. The most common causes of cough in children are:

• Respiratory infections, diphtheria, whooping cough, etc., ENT diseases.
• Allergic reactions.
• An acute cough may be caused by a foreign body entering the respiratory tract.

After excluding acute infectious pathology, the pediatrician will recommend contacting an otolaryngologist, allergist or other specialized specialist if such a need arises.

If a child or adult develops a cough, contact your primary care physician or pediatrician first. After the examinations, the attending physician will tell you which doctor to contact for further treatment. Determining the cause and timely treatment of the disease will help to quickly cope with the disease.

Source: http://elaxsir.ru/simptomy/kashel/kakoj-vrach-lechit-kashel.html

Cough

Cough is a reflex reaction of the body to irritation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.

The body tries to clear the airways with the help of forced (sharp, intensified) exhalation, which has a characteristic sound. Thus, coughing is a protective reaction of the body. And at the same time, it is a symptom of many diseases.

The urge to cough means that free breathing is impaired for some reason, for example, due to the development of inflammation.

Cough comes in different forms. The way we cough can help determine the cause of the cough and diagnose the disease that caused it. It is advisable to pay attention to the main characteristics of a cough in order to tell your doctor about them.

How long does the cough last?

To assess the clinical development of the disease, it is important to determine the nature of the cough. It can be acute, protracted and chronic. A cough is considered acute if it has been present for less than three weeks.

Such a cough, as a rule, accompanies the development of acute respiratory diseases and serves to clear the airways of phlegm. Acute cough is usually persistent; that is, while a person is sick, he coughs, and a decrease in the severity of attacks and the cessation of coughing indicates recovery.

If the cough returns again after some time, then we are talking about a lingering cough. A cough that lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months is considered to be protracted. Such a cough (a month or longer) means that the disease causing it develops slowly and tends to become chronic.

Chronic cough is an alarming symptom because it is usually a sign of serious illness. A constant cough loses its useful function and may itself be the cause of the development of certain pathologies.

Is the cough strong or weak?

A severe cough usually corresponds to acute illnesses. Chronic diseases are characterized by a weaker cough (coughing). Increasing cough means worsening of the disease.

Is the cough wet or dry?

A wet (or wet) cough is accompanied by sputum production, which is why it is also called productive. Microbes and their waste products are removed from the respiratory tract with sputum.

With a viral infection, the disease often begins with a dry cough , which subsequently turns into a wet one. The type of sputum is of great importance. The appearance of pus in the sputum indicates a bacterial infection.

An increase in its quantity may indicate an abscess rupture or worsening of the condition. An unfavorable sign is the appearance of blood in the sputum.

When does the cough appear?

The cough may not depend on the time of day, but in some cases the cough occurs in the morning or at night. If the cough is of an allergic nature, its occurrence is usually triggered by contact with an allergen.

Other characteristics of cough

Sometimes the cough is characterized as loud, chesty (with acute tracheitis), rough, “barking” (with laryngitis), deep, dull (with chronic bronchitis).

Causes of cough. Diseases that cause cough

The cause of cough may be:

• acute respiratory infections (flu, ARVI);
• diseases of the upper respiratory tract (chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, pharyngitis) - in this case, coughed up mucus enters the respiratory tract from the nasopharynx;
• laryngitis;
• acute or chronic tracheitis;
• acute or chronic bronchitis;
• pneumonia (pneumonia);
• pleurisy;
• bronchial asthma;
• tumor processes (including lung cancer);
• tuberculosis;
• heart failure;
• ascaridiosis (infection with roundworms);
• smoking;
• inhalation of polluted air (cough is common in representatives of some professions - miners, joiners, carpenters);
• taking certain medications used to treat heart disease and hypertension.

Child's cough

In children, the cause of cough can also be:

• whooping cough;
• measles;
• mouth breathing. If a child constantly has a stuffy nose and is used to breathing through his mouth, cold and dry air entering the respiratory tract that has not passed through the nasal sinuses can cause irritation of the mucous membrane and cough;
• entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. In this case, the cough begins suddenly, the child turns red and begins to choke. It is necessary to help the child cough up a foreign object, for which you should press his chest and stomach to a hard surface, tap between his shoulder blades, or hold him upside down and shake him, tapping on his back. If help fails, the child should be taken to the hospital immediately.

A cough is a reason to see a doctor

Cough is a very common symptom. Very often it is combined with other symptoms such as a runny nose, fever, sore throat or chest pain. In such cases, we usually resort to medical help in a timely manner.

But in other cases, cough may be the only symptom: other symptoms are completely absent or appear vaguely. And then the illusion arises that there is nothing serious and you don’t need to see a doctor. In this case, the cough is often chronic, since it is the chronic cough that, as a rule, acts as an isolated symptom.

This is a dangerous misconception. Since many serious diseases (tumors, lung cancer) in the initial stages can only manifest themselves as a cough.

In case of heart failure, the patient may complain of cough and not pay attention to other symptoms (shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, hypertension).

Therefore, if the cough does not leave you for several weeks ( a cough for more than a month is already a protracted cough) or if you notice an increase in cough in the morning or at night , be sure to consult a doctor.

If your child coughs, take him to the doctor. Children's immunity is weaker than that of an adult, so more sensitive monitoring is required over the child's health.

Perhaps the child is simply clearing his throat (a healthy child can cough up to 10-15 times a day - this is how his body clears the airways of dust and germs), or maybe he develops an inflammatory process in the nasopharynx or nasal breathing is impaired..

Which doctor should you contact if you have a cough?

If you complain of a cough, you should contact your general practitioner - family doctor or therapist. A prolonged, persistent cough is a reason to consult a pulmonologist. A child with a cough should be shown to a pediatrician.

Source: https://www.fdoctor.ru/simptom/kashel/

Which doctor treats cough in adults and children

Cough is a complex reflex reaction that occurs as a response to the entry of a foreign body or irritating agent into the respiratory tract. Cough is caused by a huge number of diseases and pathological conditions. It can be caused by ordinary allergies or colds, or by such serious illnesses as pneumonia and even cancer.

In most cases, cough is the result of the introduction into the body of pathological microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.), which settle on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and affect its receptors. The most common causes of its occurrence are:

• viruses (influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, etc.);
• bacteria (staphylococci, streptococci, etc.)
• fungi;
• protozoa;
• allergic agents: house dust, animal hair, flowers, chemical fumes, fluff, certain foods, etc.;
• smoking (even passive);
• obstruction with food debris that settles in the throat;
• drinking cold liquids;
• inhaling too hot or cold air;
• taking certain medications;
• prolonged stress, emotional tension or depression;
• some diseases (whooping cough, ARVI, pneumonia, cancer, tuberculosis, etc.);
• abnormalities in the development of the respiratory system;
• gastroesophageal reflux.

Why pain appears in the trachea when coughing and treatment

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

The appearance of a symptom such as cough is not always a sign of a serious illness, but requires careful treatment and a visit to the doctor.

As a rule, a person may be alerted and forced to visit the hospital by the following manifestations:

1. A prolonged, sharply occurring debilitating cough that is not relieved by taking medications.
2. Concomitant increase in blood pressure.
3. Paroxysmal cough, especially at night (suspicion of bronchial asthma).
4. The appearance of wheezing in the lungs, which can be heard even at a distance (a manifestation of pneumonia cannot be ruled out).
5. An accompanying increase in body temperature (indicates the onset of inflammatory processes in the body).
6. The cough is accompanied by pain in the chest area and forces the patient to take a forced position, in which the pain syndrome is relieved (indicates pleurisy - inflammation of the pleura).
7. Discharge of green-yellow sputum during coughing (indicates stagnation of sputum in the lungs and, as a consequence, active proliferation of microorganisms, which leads to additional diseases of the respiratory system).
8. The cough does not subside for more than three weeks (this symptom indicates the transition of the acute process to the chronic stage).

The appearance of at least one of these symptoms requires immediate consultation with a doctor, because their appearance indicates the ineffectiveness of treatment or its absence at all, as well as a deterioration in health.

Which doctor should I contact if I have a cough?

Many people do not visit medical institutions and engage in self-treatment due to simple ignorance of which specialist should be contacted when such a condition appears. It's actually quite simple. First of all, you should contact the therapist who is assigned to the person. He will carefully examine the throat, conduct a detailed examination, listen to the lungs and be able to determine the diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The main questions to which the patient must provide answers:

• How long have you been coughing?
• Does this cause phlegm to come out?
• Is the cough accompanied by pain?
• Is your body temperature or blood pressure elevated?
• Is the person taking any medications?
• Did the patient have contact with sick people the day before the illness?
• Was the cough preceded by drinking cold water, freezing, excessive indulging in ice cream, etc.?

Based on questioning, examination and listening to the lungs, the therapist may prescribe a general or biochemical blood test to confirm the diagnosis.

As a rule, common causes of coughing are commonplace ARVI or influenza.

However, if the therapist identifies suspicious symptoms that indicate the presence of a more serious disease, the patient will most likely be referred to other specialists.

How to properly massage for bronchitis

To exclude or confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia and other lung pathologies, the patient may be referred for a consultation with a pulmonologist and an X-ray examination of the chest organs. To exclude tuberculosis, it makes sense to consult a TB doctor.

If you suspect an allergic etiology of cough, you may need to consult an allergist who will help identify the allergen and prescribe treatment. If you suspect pharyngitis or other inflammatory processes in the throat, you will probably need to visit an otolaryngologist.

A cough may also indicate heart disease (especially heart failure), in which case a visit to a cardiologist will be necessary.

Source: http://ProstudNet.ru/kashel/kakoj-vrach-lechit-kashel-u-vzroslyx-i-detej.html

Cough

Coughing is a reflex reaction of the body that is needed in order to clear the airways of mucus, bacteria, viruses and other irritants such as dust or smoke.

Cough most often accompanies colds and usually goes away within 2-3 weeks. At the very beginning of the disease, for example, with acute respiratory infections, the cough can be dry. The irritation that occurs in the airways when they are inflamed causes a cough reflex, but there is very little mucus in the airways.

Therefore, the cough is not accompanied by mucus discharge, does not cause relief and leads to rawness and soreness in the throat and chest. With the further development of inflammation in the respiratory system, a large amount of liquid mucus begins to form. The cough becomes wet, productive, and is accompanied by the discharge of sputum.

Therefore, it brings relief, as it helps cleanse the respiratory tract.

A short-term cough usually goes away on its own. However, if you feel unwell, consult your doctor.

The doctor will listen to your lungs and prescribe the necessary treatment, which will alleviate the condition and avoid complications, such as pneumonia.

A prolonged cough can be a symptom of various chronic diseases, and it can be difficult to cope with it without treatment. Be sure to see your GP or GP if you have difficulty breathing, chest pain or coughing up blood.

Your doctor will do the necessary testing to determine what is causing your cough. If necessary, you will receive a referral to a pulmonologist or TB specialist.

Additional examination may include:

• chest x-ray;
• sputum analysis, which will help identify the causative agent of the disease and correctly prescribe antibiotics;
• spirometry (breathing through a special tube connected to a device called a spirometer) helps determine chronic diseases of the respiratory system;
• Allergy tests are necessary to diagnose possible allergens, such as house dust mites, which can also cause coughing.

Most often, cough accompanies viral infections of the respiratory system: colds, acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections. In these cases, the cough is often accompanied by fever, runny nose, sore throat and other cold symptoms:

• With tracheitis, laryngotracheitis or laryngitis, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea and larynx occurs. As a result of her irritation, painful attacks of dry barking cough appear. There is practically no phlegm, so it is very difficult to cough up. A dry, barking cough and fever are one of the first symptoms of the flu.
• With a runny nose and sinusitis, cough is associated with nasal discharge running down the back wall of the pharynx and irritation. The cough is usually rare, with scanty sputum. This condition is called postnasal drip syndrome.
• Acute bronchitis and pneumonia cause a cough, the nature of which varies depending on the stage of the disease. The cough can be dry or wet, accompanied by clear to yellow-green sputum. Pneumonia is most often caused by a bacterial infection.
• Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that is accompanied by a cough, especially severe at night, and a slight increase in temperature in the evening. Blood streaks may appear in the sputum.
• Whooping cough can cause a long-lasting cough. This bacterial infection causes severe coughing attacks in children, and in adults it is characterized by a sluggish, asymptomatic course. The only symptom may be a long, rare cough that does not stop for several months.

There are also non-infectious causes of cough:

• an allergic cough can occur in response to inhalation of pollen, house dust, strong odors, household detergents, as well as under the influence of occupational hazards due to allergies;
• cough due to obstruction of the airways by a foreign object (for example, if a person has choked), with pulmonary edema or narrowing of the airways by a tumor (for example, with lung cancer);
• bronchial asthma - accompanied by coughing attacks, after which thick transparent sputum is released, shortness of breath and wheezing when exhaling;
• “Smoker’s cough” in chronic obstructive bronchitis (COPD) often occurs in the morning, after getting out of bed;
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) - a dry, infrequent cough that occurs at any time of the day, can worsen when bending forward or lying down as a result of irritation of the esophageal mucosa with gastric acid (see “Heartburn”);
• taking medications , such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), which are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) or other cardiovascular diseases.

Much less often, a cough can be a signal of serious diseases such as heart failure, pulmonary embolism (PE).

Causes of cough in a child

Cough in children often has the same causes as in adults. However, there are a number of diseases that usually cause cough in a child:

• Bronchiolitis is an inflammation of the small bronchi, often associated with acute respiratory viral infections. The child develops a cough and high temperature. The cough is first dry, then wet with sputum difficult to separate. Cyanosis is observed.
• Croup is a syndrome in which there is a dry barking cough, hoarseness of the voice, and the child inhales air with difficulty and a characteristic whistle. It occurs more often in children under 4 years of age. Develops as a result of severe swelling of the larynx and trachea under the influence of viruses (for example, with influenza), bacteria (for example, with diphtheria) or if a child chokes.
• Whooping cough is especially severe in children. Therefore, all parents need to know its symptoms.
• Cystic fibrosis (cystic fibrosis) is a chronic congenital disease.

If you suffer from any chronic disease that is the cause of your cough, you will need specific treatment for it. For example:

If the disease is associated with a viral infection, then you will feel improvement only when the immune system destroys the pathogenic viruses. It is rarely possible to speed up recovery from a viral infection, but with the help of medications and non-drug measures, you can reduce symptoms and avoid complications.

Antitussives

There are cough medications that block the cough center in the brain or reduce the sensitivity of cough receptors (sensory cells) in the lining of the respiratory tract.

They seem to deceive the body, temporarily stopping the cough, but do not affect its causes: inflammation, infection, etc. These drugs are prescribed in cases of a painful dry cough (without phlegm), which does not give rest and deprives you of sleep at night.

Your doctor may prescribe a cough suppressant to take regularly or just before bed so you can get plenty of rest.

And for various viral infections, for example, acute bronchitis or tracheitis, taking antitussives must be stopped as soon as the cough becomes productive, that is, sputum appears.

As a rule, after this it becomes easier to cough and you feel better.

Some antitussive drugs are sold in pharmacies strictly according to a doctor's prescription. As a rule, these are products containing codeine. However, there are others that you can buy freely without a prescription. Your doctor will help you make your choice.

Cough syrups and other expectorants

This is the second large group of cough medicines, which should never be combined with the previous one. These drugs have the opposite effect: they dilute viscous sputum, increase its quantity and help the lungs get rid of it.

After taking expectorants, the cough becomes moist, soft, and productive. The lungs are well cleansed of phlegm, and with it of germs and viruses.

Drugs from this group, for example, acetylcysteine ​​(ACC), ambroxol, bromhexine, may differ slightly from each other in their mechanism of action, which is important to consider for various diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a doctor before taking them.

However, all expectorants are sold without a prescription, many of them are available in the form of cough syrup, including for the treatment of children. It is important to drink more fluids during treatment with expectorants.

Antibiotics for cough

Antibiotics are not usually prescribed for coughs as they are only effective against bacterial infections. However, if bacterial complications develop, for example, pneumonia, they cannot be avoided.

Sometimes a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic for a cough of viral origin if the sick person is at risk for developing bacterial complications, for example, has asthma, diabetes, suffers from sinusitis or other chronic infections.

How to quit smoking

If you cough, especially if it is a “smoker’s cough,” then by quitting smoking, you will quickly notice improvements in your health. It will take 3 to 9 months for your lungs to clear and for you to stop feeling wheezing in your chest and coughing. In addition, quitting smoking increases your chances of living a long and healthy life.

Benefits of quitting tobacco:

• after a month, your skin will become cleaner, brighter and more hydrated;
• After a year without cigarettes, your risk of heart attack and other heart diseases will be reduced by about 2 times compared to those who continue to smoke.

Read more about how to quit smoking.

If you are concerned about a cough, consult a physician or general practitioner (pediatrician for a child). If, after the examination, the doctor finds any serious disease in you, he will refer you to a specialist.

Source: https://lib.napopravku.ru/symptoms/kashel/