I can’t clear my throat: what should a patient do in such a situation?

Cough is a common companion to all kinds of respiratory diseases. It occurs as a protective reaction of the body and promotes the removal of mucus from the respiratory tract and bronchi. Most often, after some time, the cough goes away without leaving any consequences. But sometimes it persists for a long period, causing the patient many unpleasant minutes.

If you have a dry cough, you don’t cough up phlegm, your chest hurts and there is a feeling of congestion - this indicates insufficient treatment and further development of the disease. The patient feels especially bad at night when he assumes a horizontal position.

Causes of dry cough

Before you begin to fight a nonproductive cough, you should determine its causes. Ideally, an otolaryngologist should make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. But if for some reason visiting a doctor is impossible at the moment, and the cough continues to torment, let’s try to help ourselves and figure out what caused the illness.

Most often, sputum does not come out well in the following cases:

• Inflammation of the pleura. The pathology is accompanied by high fever and shortness of breath.
• Reflux of gastrointestinal contents into the lumen of the esophagus (gastroesophageal reflux). Stomach acid irritates the mucous membrane of the pharynx and provokes a cough.
• Work in hazardous industries. Inhalation of polluted air causes a reflex act without sputum discharge.
• Bronchial asthma, smoker's chronic bronchitis, lung cancer.
• Presence of foreign bodies in the respiratory tract.
• Allergy. This causes a runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing.

Most often, a cough develops as a consequence of inflammatory processes in the upper and middle respiratory tract.

Dry cough is often caused by working in hazardous industries.

Diseases such as influenza, whooping cough, pneumonia or diphtheria, even with adequate treatment, are always accompanied by a dry cough. To accurately determine its cause, you need to visit a doctor and undergo a medical examination.

Treatment

A dry (non-productive) cough, unlike a wet one, is provoked not by the discharge of sputum, but by irritation of the cough receptors. Therefore, to combat it, agents are used that suppress the cough reflex, as well as dilute and remove sputum, while therapy is exclusively symptomatic.

Fighting dry cough

The principles of treating dry cough in adults and children are practically no different. Therapy uses a whole range of measures that alleviate the patient’s condition and lead to a speedy recovery. It is not recommended to start an independent fight against illness. Only a qualified specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

There are several general recommendations that can significantly alleviate the condition of an adult patient:

• humidify the air in the room using a container of water or a special apparatus;
• drink more warm liquids (fruit drinks, compotes);
• eliminate irritating factors (dust, toxic fumes);
• stop smoking or reduce the use of cigarettes to a minimum.

If an adult does not clear their throat, the doctor may prescribe drug therapy. If the respiratory tract is infected, the patient is prescribed antibiotics together with antitussives of central (Butamirat, Glauvent) or peripheral (Levopront, Libexin) action.

If you have a dry cough, it is recommended to drink more

Expectorants

After a few days, when the cough becomes productive and sputum begins to come out, the patient is recommended to take mucolytics and expectorants:

• syrups Lazolvan, Ambroxol, Gerbion;
• Bromhexine in the form of syrup or tablets;
• ACC - acetylcysteine ​​powder for preparing a hot drink;
• Ambrobene - syrup or pills.

It must be remembered that thinning and mucus-removing agents should not be taken together with antitussive medications.

If the sputum does not come out, the doctor may prescribe potassium iodide. The drug is taken 1 tbsp. l. at least 5–6 times a day. It is very good to use inhalations to liquefy the secretions.

Expectorants for dry coughs are good at thinning and removing mucus.

For painful attacks of dry cough up to vomiting, mustard plasters are very effective. They have a bactericidal, local irritant and warming effect, but the product cannot be used at body temperatures above 37.7° C.

If a child develops a dry, barking cough, immediate action should be taken. This type of cough does not bring relief and is often accompanied by hemorrhage in the whites of the eyes, increased intrathoracic pressure and the development of hypertension. The attack may be complicated by suffocation or fainting. Many parents get lost in this situation and don’t know what to do.

At the first sign of a cough reflex, it is recommended to take the following measures:

Dry barking cough in a child

• place the baby in a warm, clean room with sufficient air humidity and the absence of irritating odors;
• put to bed and put mustard plasters or a warm compress on the chest area (if there is no fever);
• you can prepare hot foot baths with irritants, after which you can put on woolen socks;
• Give your child more warm drinks: fruit drinks, compotes, tea, milk with honey.

During treatment, it is advisable to follow a diet that includes a variety of cereals with milk and butter, mashed potatoes, and warm drinks. All irritating dishes should be removed from the diet: marinades, pickles, spices.

Medications

Among the medications for nonproductive cough in children, the following drugs are allowed to be used:

• Paxeladine in syrup. Inhibits the cough center and normalizes breathing.
• Hexapneumin suppositories have an antipyretic and antimicrobial effect and quickly relieve a strong, debilitating cough.
• Biocalyptol. The syrup eliminates the cough reflex. Contraindicated in children under 2 years of age.
• Stoptussin drops for internal use. Shows complex expectorant, mucolytic and antitussive effects.

If these remedies do not help and the child still cannot cough, he is prescribed weak opiates: Codeine and Codelac. Contraindications for them are age under two years, attacks of bronchial asthma, skull injuries, low blood pressure, pathologies of the cardiovascular system, kidneys and liver.

Doctor-approved medications are used to treat dry cough in children.

In the future, when the cough passes into a productive form, expectorant and mucolytic drugs may be recommended: syrups Glycodin, Fluifort, Doctor MOM, Prospan, Bronholitin, Mucodin in the form of 2.5 and 5% syrup, Alex Plus lozenges.

The experience of using these drugs indicates high efficiency and safety in the treatment of dry cough in children.

Inhalations with medications are used only as an additional measure for dry cough. The main method of therapy remains the fight against the pathology that led to the cough reflex.

Inhalations quite effectively help transform a non-productive cough into a wet one, thin the mucus and remove it from the bronchi. To do this, procedures are carried out with medicinal solutions, for example, Ambroxol. The drug has an expectorant and mucolytic effect.

Ambroxol is most often well tolerated by both adults and children. If unpleasant phenomena occur - allergies, dry mouth, nausea or vomiting - the use of the drug must be stopped and replaced with another.

In addition to Ambroxol, other drugs can be used for inhalation: ACC, Sinupret, Ambrobene, Fluimucil, Rotokan, Lazolvan.

For dry coughs, hot steam inhalations are very effective.

For dry cough, procedures with soda solution or mineral water are useful. Such inhalations dilute mucus well and help cough it up.

Inhaling essential oils is equally useful for dry coughs. Aromatherapy has a strong expectorant, antiseptic and moisturizing effect on the nasopharynx. After the procedure, a coughing attack often occurs. There is no need to be afraid of this.

Decoctions of anti-inflammatory and antiseptic herbs - chamomile, calendula, coltsfoot, eucalyptus, sage, ready-made preparations Ingafitol and Evcarom 1 - also promote the discharge of sputum.

Inhalations for dry cough in children

Inhaling medicinal vapors has a beneficial effect on the entire body. The procedures help to get rid of not only a lingering cough, but also rhinitis.

Inhalations in children must be carried out with great caution and only under the supervision of adult family members.

Before the procedure, it is advisable to explain to the child why it is needed and how to breathe correctly in order to achieve the greatest effect. It is more convenient and safer to purchase a nebulizer and use it. This will eliminate the risk of burns and other accidents during hot inhalation. The duration of the session should not exceed 5–7 minutes.

To treat a dry cough in a child, it is advisable to use a nebulizer

Rubbing, compresses

All kinds of warming procedures will be very useful for dry cough, provided that the patient does not have a fever.

If the cough reflex is caused by allergies, whooping cough or laryngeal swelling, strong-smelling products can significantly worsen the patient's condition. Therefore, before starting treatment, it is necessary to visit a doctor to determine the root cause of the cough.

Rubbing is carried out using warming ointments:

• Dr. MOM;
• Eucabalus;
• Badger;
• Pulmex.

Many pediatric doctors do not recommend using these drugs to treat children under 3 years of age, and their opinion is worth listening to. Camphor, essential oils and menthol included in the ointments can cause an allergic reaction in a child.

It is advisable to massage the sternum with rubbing of medicinal agents 30 minutes after the bath. After the procedure, you should cover yourself with a warm blanket and go to bed.

Rubbing and compresses are very useful for dry coughs

Alcohol compresses are often used to treat a dry, non-clearing cough. They are prepared from alcohol or vodka diluted with water. The solution is moistened with gauze folded in several layers and applied to the chest so that it covers the area of ​​the bronchi. The compress is insulated on top and left overnight.

This procedure is contraindicated for young children. If the child is over 3 years old, you need to consult a pediatrician about whether such a compress is worth making. It may be better to get by with rubbing with badger or bear lard or warming ointments.

Prolonged and frequent attacks of dry cough have an extremely negative effect on the condition of the mother and fetus.

With strong tension in the abdominal walls during the cough reflex, the child experiences suffocation.

Brief hypoxia for a few seconds does not cause much harm. The danger comes from prolonged and frequently repeated tension in the muscles that compress blood vessels, which can lead to congenital pathologies of the central nervous system and brain.

In addition, prolonged, forced coughing increases the tone of the uterus, which in the later stages leads to early labor.

An obsessive dry cough can be dangerous for pregnant women

If a strained cough continues for a long time during pregnancy, the metabolic processes between mother and fetus are disrupted. The baby does not receive enough nutrition and is born with low weight and a weak immune system. That’s why it’s so important not to make the illness worse, but to treat it with the help of medications and folk remedies approved during pregnancy.

Alternative medicine recipes

Medicinal herbs should be used very carefully to treat dry cough. If the ailment is of an allergic nature, they can provoke an exacerbation and worsen the patient’s condition. The safest in this regard are marshmallow, elecampane and licorice root. They can be brewed and taken orally, following the instructions on the box.

In addition to medicinal plants, there are many other effective traditional medicine recipes that are used to combat illness.

Egg medicine

This remedy not only quickly eliminates a non-productive cough, but also gets rid of its cause - chronic bronchitis.

To prepare it, bring 200 ml of milk to a boil, remove from heat and add baking soda to it on the tip of a knife and 1 tablespoon each of honey and butter.

Then add an egg into this mixture and stir well. Take the drug as needed when coughing attacks occur.

Lemon

There are a lot of recipes using lemon. The most popular is this:

1. Squeeze juice from 1 fruit.
2. Add two tablespoons of glycerin and honey to it.
3. Mix thoroughly and let sit for at least an hour.

The medicine should be taken depending on the strength and frequency of attacks. The maximum number of doses is 6 times a day.

Lemon is one of the best remedies for treating dry cough.

An equally popular recipe is lemon with honey and horseradish. For one lemon, take the grated root of the hot vegetable and a tablespoon of honey. The ingredients are mixed well and stored in the refrigerator. It is recommended to take one teaspoon of the mixture until the attacks disappear completely.

Hot milk

This medicine is very popular among adults and children. Butter, honey and dark chocolate are added to the heated milk. Mix everything and take it before bed.

You can boil figs in milk. Cook the medicine over low heat until the milk turns brown. Then take out the fruits and eat them immediately, and add chocolate to the milk and drink. Also very tasty and healthy.

Milk-based medicines can be used not only to eliminate symptoms, but also as a cough prevention in winter. Children will be especially happy about such measures.

Foot baths

If the cough reflex is not accompanied by a fever, you can use warming foot baths. To prepare them, add 2 tablespoons of mustard to a bowl of hot water and soak your feet for 25–30 minutes. After the procedure, you should put on warm socks and go to bed.

Foot baths quickly relieve symptoms of non-productive cough

After this treatment, the sputum is expectorated better and the night cough is less tormenting.

General Tips

What else can be done to alleviate the patient’s condition and speed up recovery? For dry cough and chest congestion, it is recommended to move more. If your body temperature is normal, you should not lie in bed all day.

If you feel well, you can do a little exercise, which includes various arm swings. Such movements help cleanse the bronchi and expectorate mucus.

The room in which the patient is located should be frequently ventilated and subjected to wet cleaning. It is very important to monitor the microclimate. Dry air irritates the throat and aggravates the disease.

The effect of treatment will be greatest if you use folk and traditional medicine in combination. Timely diagnosis and competent drug therapy greatly contribute to a quick recovery.

Source: https://superlor.ru/lechenie/chto-delat-kashel-ne-otkashlivetsya

What to do if an adult has a dry cough that cannot be cleared?

If a dry cough does not clear the throat in an adult, this is not always a symptom of a cold infection. Among the provoking factors are disturbances in the functioning of the heart, infection with helminths, dehydration, and malignant neoplasms. Depending on these reasons, appropriate treatment methods are selected.

Symptomatic picture

Unlike a wet cough, a dry cough is considered more dangerous and has a more complex clinical picture. In the field of medicine, it is designated by the term - unproductive, worsening the patient’s well-being and not bringing relief.

The patient's condition is aggravated by attacks of suffocation, urinary incontinence, and sore throat.

Doctors do not recommend relying on self-recovery, since such attacks can often be caused by dangerous diseases, including malignant ones.

Dry cough in an adult, depending on the underlying disease, is accompanied by additional symptoms:

• sore throat;
• congestion of the nasal passages;
• discomfort in the nasopharynx;
• chest pain;
• headaches;
• gagging;
• shortness of breath.

The main insidiousness of a dry cough is that it can be a sign of many serious pathologies in which sputum is not removed. For this reason, cough instead of a mechanism becomes a dangerous independent phenomenon.

Self-medication is unacceptable due to the fact that mandatory specific diagnostics are required, which will help prevent the progression of the disease.

The choice of methods and duration of therapy depends on the underlying pathology that causes attacks without coughing.

Cold cough

During the period of respiratory infections, cough manifests itself in more than half of the patients who seek help at the hospital.

Poor sputum removal is observed only in the first three days from the onset of a cold. Then the non-productive cough passes into the stage of productive, that is, wet.

Sputum may not be coughed up due to damage to the respiratory tract due to the development of a number of colds.

Laryngitis. Damage to the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx occurs, during which barking attacks develop without the removal of secretions.

Pleurisy. Infectious disorders in the pleura are in rare cases accompanied by the formation of mucus. The cough does not clear the throat and is characterized as booming.

Tracheitis . Inflammatory processes in the trachea provoke bronchial irritation and chest pain. There is a constant sore throat and a slight increase in body temperature.

Pneumonia. The disease is characterized by muscle pain in the abdominal area and increased blood pressure. Painful coughing attacks develop, often with purulent discharge.

Bronchitis. At the initial stage of the disease, the cough does not clear the throat. Shortness of breath, soreness in the nasopharynx, and pain when inhaling develop. After a few days, there is a large discharge of sputum.

Treating a dry cough that does not clear the throat requires an integrated approach. In addition to drug therapy, it is important to maintain appropriate humidity in the room and give the patient plenty of fluids.

10 reasons not related to acute respiratory infections

The cough reflex is a natural protective reaction of the body to various irritants. If the cough does not clear up due to a cold, mucolytic drugs will come to the rescue. However, the occurrence of causeless attacks should alert you and be a reason to immediately consult a doctor.

Drip syndrome. A chronic dry cough develops due to the entry of mucus from the nasal cavity through the back wall of the larynx into the respiratory tract.

Sputum accumulates during the day, and at night, when the patient is resting, it clogs the passages and causes attacks. Drip syndrome appears with sinusitis, rhinitis, allergic or drug-induced rhinitis.

Postnasal drip is caused by malignant tumors of the ENT organs.

Parasitic infestations. The symptomatic picture of roundworm infection is characterized by the absence of coughing and a specific burning sensation in the sternum. With deep breaths, the manifestations intensify.

According to medical statistics, more than a billion people on the planet are infected with helminthiasis. Damage to the body by microscopic worms goes away for a long time without any symptoms.

A severe dry cough that does not clear the throat is disturbing at night, when helminthic infestations are most active.

Reflux disease . With this pathology, periodic reflux of food debris from the stomach into the esophagus occurs.

The patient suffers from constant heartburn, a burning sensation in the stomach, and acid regurgitation. These sensations are combined with shortness of breath, the lump in the throat cannot be cleared.

In addition to food, irritating factors include some medications (antidepressants, beta-blockers).

Neurogenic cough. Attacks without coughing and discomfort in the larynx are often diagnosed as a result of cervical osteochondrosis or tension in the neck muscles. Stress and emotional distress worsen the situation.

The attacks are obsessive and shallow, disturbing the patient early in the morning or in the evening. There is a sharp pain in the throat area that is intermittent. In addition to neurological disorders, problems with the thyroid gland occur with similar symptoms.

Additional signs include chills, dry skin, imbalance and irritability.

Heart problems. When diagnosed with chronic heart failure, almost a third of patients suffer from an obsessive, dull, dry cough. Clinical signs are aggravated by physical activity and emotional fatigue.

The attacks become more active at night, combined with a sore throat and a feeling of a lump in the throat, when the underlying disease worsens.

With ischemia, some patients, with a sudden load, develop sensations defined as “angina pectoris”; others develop attacks of dry cough.

Dehydration . Insufficient water intake, especially in the hot season or at elevated body temperatures, causes a sore throat.

Due to a lack of fluid in the body, the secretion becomes viscous, begins to accumulate in large quantities and provokes irritation of the mucous membranes.

Increased acidity of gastric juice. A sore throat and the desire to cough are often observed with increased acidity of gastric juice. Its entry into the esophagus provokes heartburn, which causes irritation of the cough receptors.

Professional cough.

Source: https://stop-kashel.ru/chto-predprinyat-esli-suhoj-kashel-ne-otkashlivaetsya-u-vzroslogo/

Cough in a bedridden patient: causes, methods of diagnosis and treatment

Alexandra Krasnova

It is much easier to cure a cough if the patient is in normal physical shape and can move fully. However, there are situations when a person is forced to remain in bed for a long time for a reason that is not at all related to respiratory diseases. Does the treatment of cough in a bedridden patient differ from standard therapy?

Types of cough in bedridden patients

As mentioned above, the cause of bed rest may be diseases not related to the respiratory tract. In addition, this same group of patients includes people who have undergone surgery or suffered a serious injury.

When a person is in a horizontal position for a long time, his intercostal muscles do not participate in breathing.

If he also has a diseased heart, bed rest can lead to stagnation of the pulmonary circulation, which begins in the right ventricle. Coming out of it, the blood enters the pulmonary trunk and then into the vascular system of the lungs to be enriched with oxygen.

Normally, the outflow to the left ventricle occurs through four pulmonary veins, but in the case of bedridden patients, this process is disrupted.

Small blood vessels through which depleted blood flows into the veins from the capillaries dilate, thereby putting pressure on the pulmonary structures.

After this, the edematous fluid accumulates in the intercellular space, as a result of which gas exchange is disrupted, the blood is not saturated with air in the required amount, and excess mucus begins to collect in the lungs and bronchi.

As you know, a humid environment is an excellent place for the development of pathogenic bacteria such as chlamydia, pneumococcus and mycoplasma.

In advanced cases, streaks of blood may be found in the latter. In addition, when a person is in a horizontal position, it is much more difficult for him to cough.

As for temperature, it does not always accompany this symptom. Most often, fever is already present with pneumonia.

If a bedridden patient experiences shortness of breath or whistling when breathing, this may indicate congestion. In addition, oxygen deficiency occurs, which leads to dizziness, sweating, fatigue and deterioration of the general condition. The consequences in this case can be severe, so you should not postpone diagnostic and therapeutic measures.

Difficulties in diagnosing cough in a bedridden patient

To detect fluid congestion in the lungs, the doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to the chest. If there is inflammation in the organ, wheezing, noise, or crunching of the pleura is detected, then this may indicate that the patient has pneumonia. In particularly advanced cases, such sounds can be heard even without a special device.

In order to make a diagnosis, it is best to admit the patient to a hospital, where an X-ray examination will be done. It is worth noting that some ambulances are equipped with an X-ray machine, but in this case it will not be suitable.

If pneumonia is still detected during diagnosis, the patient must submit sputum for bacteriological analysis. This is necessary in order to determine the type of pathogen and how susceptible it is to antibiotics.

Additional studies include:

• ECG.
• Ultrasound examination of the heart.
• Blood test (general and biochemical).

As a rule, in patients who are constantly in a lying position, pneumonia is very common, especially if the immune system is weakened. The presence of fluid in the lungs is a very dangerous condition in any disease, since the outcome can be fatal if the necessary measures are not taken in time.

What to do if a bedridden person has a cough

If a bedridden patient has a cough, accompanied by congestion in the lungs, the first thing to start with is to ensure that he has the correct body position on the bed, as well as regularly changing positions. If, for example, we are talking about a patient with cardiovascular insufficiency, his torso should be positioned at an angle of 30 degrees in order to avoid swelling.

To facilitate the release of bronchial secretions, positional drainage is used with tapping in the upper back area. To do this, it is necessary for the patient to lie on his side, after which soft pats are made on his back with the palm of his hand, starting from the bottom and moving up. The same should be done with the patient positioned on the other side.

The advantages of the procedure are as follows:

• Antiviral effect.
• Strengthening the immune system.
• Reduced risk of complications.

In order to make breathing easier and more efficient, it is necessary to perform special breathing exercises in addition to inhalations with moisturizers.

If the patient does not have respiratory failure and suffocation, positional passive drainage can be used to speed up sputum clearance. It consists in the fact that a person is positioned so that his head is approximately 15–20% below body level.

In this case, the patient should lie either on his back or on his side. This position can be achieved either by setting up a functional bed, or by placing rolled up bedding under the lower part of the body.

This procedure is carried out no more than three times a day, starting from 10–15 minutes and increasing this time to 50–60. It is performed on an empty stomach. In addition to this, you can do back pats as described above.

Features of cough treatment in bedridden patients

When it comes to treating cough in elderly bedridden patients, special attention should be paid to the selection of medications depending on what other diseases the patients have.

First of all, you need to visit a doctor. In the case of older people, even a common cold should be treated with properly selected drugs in certain doses, taking into account changes in kidney function.

As a rule, in patients who are over 50, the immune system is weakened, sputum is more difficult to clear, which often leads to pneumonia. One of the mandatory drugs in this case are mucolytics, which are aimed at thinning sputum and making it easier to remove from the lungs:

• "Lazolvan."
• "Bromhexine."
• "ACC."
• "Ambrobene" and others.

It should be remembered that before taking this or that drug, you must study the instructions and strictly follow them.

In this case, in no case should you use drugs aimed at reducing cough together with mucolytics, as this will make it difficult for the fluid to drain from the lungs.

In addition to medications, bedridden patients are prescribed inhalations to treat cough, which minimizes the negative impact on the kidneys and liver. For this purpose, as a rule, compressor inhalers – nebulizers – are used.

The nebulizer can be filled with sodium chloride (ordinary saline solution) or alkaline mineral water. You can also add “Ambrobene” or “Lazolvan” here, which will allow for easier sputum discharge.

Another drug that is prescribed in the treatment of cough in bedridden patients is an antihistamine, for example, Suprastin, Tavegil or any other. This makes it possible to exclude an allergic reaction in the patient.

In the case of older people, they are additionally prescribed vitamins in order to speed up the healing process. At elevated temperatures and in serious condition, antibacterial drugs are prescribed.

Folk remedies for coughs in bedridden elderly people

Very often, elderly people, without consulting a doctor, begin treating cough on their own, using folk remedies. However, in this case, you need to take into account that they may not only not help cope with the problem, but also cause harm to the body, thereby complicating the situation even more. That is why, before treating a cough in a bedridden patient with folk remedies, a mandatory consultation with a specialist and adherence to certain rules are necessary:

• do not overeat and give up bad habits;
• constantly ventilate the room to ensure a flow of fresh air;
• completely eliminate excessive physical activity;
• observe drinking regime;
• use inhalations with the addition of expectorants.

Traditional medicine is used mainly to strengthen the immunity of bedridden elderly patients, as well as to combat underlying diseases.

For this it is recommended:

• take a glass of cool water, dilute 2 tsp in it. apple cider vinegar and honey and drink in the morning before breakfast;
• Chokeberry juice and berries have a good effect;
• to lubricate the back, chest and legs, mix castor oil and turpentine in equal parts;
• Infuse garlic cloves in water for three days and place one drop in each nostril.

Preventive measures to combat cough

Patients who are forced to spend all their time in bed need to ensure that a lot of sputum does not accumulate in the lungs and bronchi. In addition, it is necessary to ensure periodic changes in body position, movement of the legs and arms in order to prevent heart failure, and perform breathing exercises prescribed by the doctor.

How to prevent cough in a bedridden patient after a stroke

According to statistics, 34-50% of people who have had a stroke develop pneumonia. As a rule, it acts as a complication and concomitant disease. It is worth noting that this condition is very dangerous for the patient’s life. About 15% of patients who have a stroke followed by pneumonia die, despite medical care provided to them.

In addition, a stroke often causes inflammation in the lungs due to decreased immunity. As for the prognosis for such pneumonia, it all depends on the factors that caused brain damage. In total, doctors distinguish two types of such apoplexy:

• Aspiration pneumonia, which develops because the patient's airways become clogged with small pieces of food. In this case, those parts of the lung where they enter begin to work poorly, and inflammation occurs. As for the symptoms of aspiration pneumonia, they are very similar to the manifestations of poisoning and intoxication. It all starts with a cough, which torments the patient, and then the temperature rises to 37–39 degrees. The situation becomes more dangerous when large bronchi are blocked by pieces of food, since in this case the cough causes severe pain in the person.
• Hypostatic pneumonia (congestive), which most often occurs in bedridden patients. This is explained by the fact that constant exposure to a horizontal position leads to disruption of blood flow in the pulmonary circulation. Due to poor functioning of the drainage system and ventilation, viscous fluid accumulates, which contributes to the spread of microbes and the occurrence of purulent inflammation of the lung.

However, what to do if a cough in a bedridden elderly patient appears after a stroke? Let's figure out what indicates that a person has suffered a stroke, and what indicates the presence of an infection in the body.

As you know, the immune system of a patient who has suffered a stroke is greatly weakened, so viruses easily take root in the respiratory organs. Once in the body, various infections and bacteria can cause inflammation in the larynx, lungs, nasal cavity and bronchi.

In addition, patients after a stroke are highly susceptible to allergic reactions, and since they have to constantly be in a confined space, this can be caused by dust, wool and many other aggressive agents.

There are cases when a cough in a bedridden patient may occur due to a foreign body entering the respiratory tract.

The fact is that a stroke often leads to impaired coordination of movement and some other functions of the body, so actions that before the disease did not cause difficulties for an elderly person and were performed at the level of a reflex, after it can be carried out with inhibition or be completely paralyzed.

If a stroke is accompanied by hypertensive pathology, a cough in a bedridden patient may be a consequence of taking drugs aimed at lowering blood pressure, for example, Captopril, Enalapril, Ramipril, as well as ACE inhibitors. The situation is somewhat more complicated with those patients who have not restored motor activity. In this case, care should include the following measures:

• Regular ventilation of the room (at least twice a day).
• Self-sanitation of the oral cavity or with the help of someone.
• At least minimal activity is required for a bedridden patient. If he cannot do this on his own, you need to turn him over periodically.
• To prevent fluid stagnation in the lungs, chest massage should be performed.
• Constantly do breathing exercises, which can include inflating balloons.

By following these simple rules, you can prevent the occurrence of bedsores in a bedridden patient and reduce the risk of developing congestive pneumonia.

Source: https://pansionat-osen.ru/poleznye-materialy/kashel-u-lezhachego-bolnogo/

How to save the life of someone who is choking

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Source: https://www.adme.ru/svoboda-sdelaj-sam/kak-spasti-zhizn-cheloveku-kotoryj-podavilsya-1463515/

I can’t cough up completely: what to do and how to cough up phlegm. I can’t cough up: what to do if you can’t cough up sputum

The most common reason for not coughing up mucus is untreated colds or viral diseases. When a patient spends a lot of time on his feet, neglects doctor's prescriptions or self-medicates, complications often arise. The patient begins to complain of pain, debilitating or night cough, as well as attacks of suffocation.

This condition is typical for long-term acute and chronic obstructive bronchitis. In the first case, sputum stagnates in the bronchi, in the second, changes in the bronchial wall lead to the fact that you want to cough up, but you can’t.

Mechanism of sputum retention

In pneumonia, when the lower lobes of the lungs are affected, the source of inflammation is located deep in the lungs, and this can also affect the discharge of sputum.

The same thing happens with a lung abscess - sputum accumulates deep in the lung cavity and is not released out with a cough. The wall of the bronchi, changing during bronchiectasis, causes sputum to accumulate and prevents its release.

With this disease, dark-colored sputum may appear, in this case it is a mixture of blood and pus in the mucus.

The x-ray shows light areas - signs of pneumonia

People who work in mines often suffer from pneumoconiosis. Because they have little mucus in their sputum, it is often difficult to cough up and is dark in color due to coal dust filling the lungs.

Important information: this cough is also common in smokers. An important step in its treatment is giving up a bad habit, but relief will not come immediately, but only after some time.

Drug treatment

• In order to stop an incessant cough as quickly as possible, the doctor prescribes a comprehensive drug treatment aimed at combating not only the cough, but also the disease that caused it.
• Preparations for sputum removal
• The following medications help thin the mucus so that it begins to come out when you cough:

Ambrohexal, Ambrobene, Lazolvan and other drugs in the form of syrups, tablets or solutions for inhalation containing ambroxol	This substance stimulates fluid secretion, increases the motor activity of the epithelial cilia that line the bronchi, and, due to this, improves sputum discharge
Fluimucil, ACC, Bronchobos and other drugs in the form of tablets and granules for oral administration, solutions for injections and solutions for oral administration	The main effect of these drugs is to reduce the viscosity of the secretion, due to which the mucus begins to be coughed up
Herbal preparations such as Travisil	Should be taken to facilitate sputum discharge along with other medications for symptomatic treatment

Your doctor may also prescribe exercises to make coughing easier. But you need to remember that all treatment must take place under the supervision of a doctor, otherwise the situation can worsen.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

When a person is suffering from a constant cough, the doctor often prescribes physiotherapy as an addition to treatment. They are indicated for patients of all ages who are unable to clear their throat. Physiotherapeutic procedures are especially often prescribed if it is not possible to limit yourself to medications due to intolerance to certain drugs.

• Inhalations are the most effective way to help a patient, especially during coughing attacks. During this procedure, the bronchi expand and mucus begins to be released. Often, solutions of the above medications are used for inhalation - thus, the active substance enters directly into the bronchi, and its effectiveness increases.
• Electrophoresis helps deliver the drug directly to the bronchi or lungs using an electric current.

Electrophoresis is the application of current to certain areas of the skin.

• If the patient is unable to cough, ultraviolet irradiation may be prescribed to the anterior wall of the chest. Ultraviolet light has a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect and promotes rapid recovery.
• A special massage, during which the patient’s chest or back is tapped, also helps fight stagnation of phlegm. After it, as a rule, it begins to be possible to clear your throat. Often, during a massage, warming ointments are applied to the patient’s chest or back.

ethnoscience

With the consent of the doctor, when treating at home, you can also resort to traditional medicine - infusions of medicinal plants and decoctions of medicinal herbs, rubbing and ointments.

Honey with lemon

When the cough does not clear, lemon and honey can help. You need to prepare a drink from them by taking a glass of warm water and adding 20-40 ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey.

You need to drink this drink at least three times a day, before meals.

Lemon and honey included in its composition not only increase immunity, and, therefore, the body’s resistance to colds and viral diseases, but also have a mucolytic effect.

Advice: the drink is only suitable for those who do not have digestive problems or allergic reactions to honey.

Radish

Another remedy, also based on honey, is prepared using radish. You need to finely grate the radish, squeeze the juice out of the resulting mass and add a few teaspoons of honey to it. Infuse the resulting drink for several hours, and then take 2 tablespoons twice a day.

What to do if a patient is allergic to honey? This ingredient can be replaced with sugar by adding it to radish juice.

Thyme

A decoction of thyme helps thin mucus and remove it from the body. It’s easy to prepare – pour a pinch of herb with boiled water and put on low heat for 5-7 minutes. When the decoction is ready, it must be removed from the heat, after which the patient should cover himself with a blanket or bedspread and breathe over the saucepan with steam.

After the broth has cooled, you can drink it. For a better effect when drinking, honey is added to it.

Tea with elecampane

It is useful to make tea with elecampane roots. To do this, you need to fill one root with hot boiled water, adding a slice of lemon to the container. When the tea is steeped, it should be dark in color and can be drunk like regular tea throughout the day. You can add honey, which will have a good effect on the immune system and help you no longer get sick.

First aid

If an attack of dry cough develops, the patient’s condition can be alleviated as follows:

• Provide a sufficient amount of fresh air, it is advisable to try to keep it humid. This can be achieved using a humidifier or damp cloths on the radiator.
• Remove all external irritants from the room - bright lights, music.
• Eliminate possible allergens - carpets, feather pillows, duvets.
• Warm alkaline drink - milk, tea with honey, water with soda. The amount of liquid should not be large due to possible nausea.
• If the temperature is high, it should be brought down with antipyretic medications or a vinegar compress.

After providing first aid, you should call a doctor. This is especially true in situations where concomitant symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, which indicate a viral infection.

Very strong cough, coughing up pus, how to treat?

Answers:

Lilya Smolko

Besides the cough, are there any other signs of illness? Does your throat hurt? Does your chest hurt? The nose is not stuffy. There cannot be pus in the lungs; most likely you have a sore throat, which is what secretes pus.

Maybe there are pustules on the tonsils that were not treated and resulted in such consequences. Definitely, you need to drink something antiviral, you can try Kagocel - it’s safe for the body and has a good effect.

Then, as a preventive measure, you can drink so as not to get sick! If the condition remains the same, then be sure to see a doctor!

Fox

You need to see a competent therapist!

maximus

run to the doctor's appointment

Natalya Safroncheva

Go to the doctor, get tested, maybe you also have a purulent sore throat?

Daria Gennadievna

expectorants

Oksana Titova

you most likely have bronchitis, you need a doctor to listen and prescribe antibiotics

In t

Source: https://tuberkulezkin.ru/prostuda/ne-mogu-otkashlyatsya-chto-delat-esli-ne-otharkivaetsya-mokrota.html

What to do if a child chokes: how to remove a foreign body from the respiratory tract or throat without harming the baby

This happens to children all the time: he ate berries or nuts, laughed well, took a bad breath, and now he sits all blue, coughing and choking - something got into the wrong throat! And it also happens: a cap from a felt-tip pen, a key from a wind-up hare, or a five-ruble coin suddenly seemed so edible, but treacherously got stuck in the larynx... What to do in a situation when a child is choking? We provide practical advice on emergency care!

Timely assistance provided to a child who has choked or choked can save not only his health, but sometimes his life!

How can something go down the wrong throat?

Children, especially babies, having barely learned to actively crawl, drag into their mouths any object that comes into their field of vision - this is a common occurrence and a subject of daily concern for all parents. The smaller the object, the greater the likelihood that the baby may choke (or choke) while trying to swallow it.

However, kids choke more often and more than older children and adults, not only because they have the habit of swallowing everything “that doesn’t fit well.” But also because the structure of their body is still different from the body structure of everyone else.

Namely: an adult has a special cartilage - the epiglottis - which, at the moment of swallowing, blocks the entrance to the windpipe, thus preventing liquid, pieces of food or anything else other than air from entering the respiratory tract (as people far from medicine say - "wrong throat")

But even in adults, this process does not always work clearly and smoothly (otherwise none of us would know what it’s like to choke or choke). In young children, the synchronization of swallowing and protection of the windpipe with the help of the epiglottic cartilage has not yet been formed at all.

By the way, the absence of the airway closing reflex occurs not only in infants. For example, the same phenomenon is observed in older people, as well as in people “relaxed” by the effects of alcohol, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, etc.

In addition to the fact that the work of the epiglottis itself sometimes fails us, there are also circumstances that can significantly increase the likelihood that a foreign body (if it is in the mouth or nose) will enter the respiratory tract. For example:

• laughter while swallowing;
• talking “with your mouth full”;
• eating or drinking on the go;
• eating or drinking (or playing with small objects) in transport, while driving;

Symptoms of a child choking or choking

As a rule, only a blind person would not notice if a child choked or choked on something. And yet, for the sake of the purity of the narrative, we will determine the main symptoms of a foreign body entering the respiratory tract. So, the child clearly choked or choked if he:

• Cough;
• Labored breathing;
• Hoarse voice (if the child is trying to say something);
• Whistling;
• Signs of suffocation;

Or, in more severe cases:

• Lack of breathing;
• Loss of consciousness.

How to save a child who has a foreign body stuck in his respiratory tract

Nature itself has made sure that in situations where the airways are blocked by something (be it an excessive amount of mucus during an acute respiratory viral infection, or a foreign body that accidentally blocks breathing), we can free and clear the windpipe. Actually, such a mechanism as a cough was “invented” for these purposes.

If the child can cough on his own

There is no better way to clear your airways than a simple, natural cough. If a choking or choking child is able to cough, then he does not need any outside help.

There is no need to hit him on the back, pour water into him, turn him upside down, etc. On the contrary, do not touch the baby, give him the opportunity to clear his throat properly.

If a child is choking or choking, but is able to cough, do not hit him on the back under any circumstances. Because with each inhalation, your blow will push the foreign body deeper and deeper into the respiratory tract, greatly increasing the risk of suffocation.

If the child is choking and cannot cough

However, the natural coughing mechanism does not work in all situations. For example, very tiny children (newborns, infants and children up to about 4-5 years old) are not able to cough effectively - due to the fact that their respiratory muscles are not yet sufficiently developed.

In addition, sometimes a foreign body gets stuck so tightly in the respiratory passage that it blocks any activity in it - not only coughing, but even breathing itself. What to do in such cases?

If a child chokes and cannot breathe, you only have a few seconds at your disposal to help him. Therefore, do not get lost and immediately proceed to the following actions:

• 1 The child must be tilted so that the head is below the level of the back. We carefully place the baby on the hand on the tummy, head down, confidently holding the chin with the palm of your hand (so that it does not slip off the hand). A child older than one year can simply be thrown over the knee or over the arm.
• 2 Then you need to gather all your parental “will into a fist”, forget for a while from hysteria and fear, open your palm wide and exactly 5 times quite hard and sharply hit exactly between the child’s shoulder blades. The fingers of your hand should be strictly parallel to the baby's spine. Moreover, the blows should have such a trajectory, as if you are using them to try to push an invisible object towards the mouth. Exactly 5 times - no less, but no more!

In essence, these blows imitate a child’s natural cough - they create some pressure in the respiratory tract, which pushes a foreign body stuck in the windpipe to the exit.

If at this stage the child was able to breathe, cough, or the foreign body fell out of the mouth under the influence of blows, no further manipulations are necessary. Give your baby a chance to calm down, catch his breath and clear his throat. If nothing happens, continue:

• 3 We perform the so-called Heimlich maneuver. If the child is already quite large (over 2-3 years old), put him in front of you (with his back facing you), hug him, clench the fist of one hand with the other hand, put your hands on the point on the child’s stomach, which is located immediately under the sternum (popularly the place is often referred to as “the underbelly”), then press firmly and sharply with your fist on this point. Again - 5 times! Such pressure will increase the pressure in the respiratory tract and speed up the exit of the foreign body through the mouth.

If the baby is still small (a baby, or a child about 1-1.5 years old) - he should be laid on his back (on any surface, maybe on your hand or on your thigh), preferably again in a position in which the head is slightly lower than the back . Then with two fingers - index and middle - press quite firmly on the point just under the sternum - also 5 times. This is the same Heimlich maneuver, only adapted for small children.

• 4 If you have not achieved any beneficial effect either by hitting the back or pressing under the sternum, repeat steps 2 and 3 again and again. Until the foreign body finally pops out of the child's mouth, clearing his airway. And naturally, it is absolutely necessary that one of your household members (even at the beginning of rescue procedures) call an ambulance...

Video lesson: how to help a baby who has a foreign body stuck in his respiratory tract

If explanations in English are not a problem for you, then you will probably find this detailed video instruction useful:

But if you need explanations in Russian, then you probably won’t find better than extremely clear practical tips from the popular doctor E. O. Komarovsky:

How to help a child who has choked and lost consciousness

When a person (including a child!) chokes on water (for example, during drowning) or when not water gets into his respiratory tract, but any foreign body that not only interferes with breathing, but also causes loss of consciousness, any pats on the back become completely useless.

The first thing to do in this situation is to immediately call the rescue service: call an ambulance, or the police, or the fire department. In the meantime, the rescuers are rushing to you, it is necessary to perform the Heimlich maneuver, but only in a prone position:

• 1 Lift the child’s clothes, having previously laid him on his back, and with the heel of your palm sharply press on the point under the sternum (it is located approximately at the same distance between the sternum and the navel) in such a way as if you are trying to push something under the ribs - that is, the gesture should be strong, but slightly sliding towards the head.
• 2 Series of pushes - 5 times. 2 If after 5 attempts (that is, 5 series of 5 pushes each) the child still does not breathe or regain consciousness, cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be performed. You can only hope that by this moment professional doctors or rescuers will come to your aid.

What most often gets stuck in the airways of children?

It’s impossible to watch your baby every minute of the day - and as soon as you’re distracted for a second, he’s already putting all sorts of little things into his mouth. But there are some things that definitely need to be kept further and higher from the baby’s gaze. Namely, most often the following get stuck in the respiratory tract of babies:

• nuts;
• dog (and cat) dry food;
• popcorn;
• chewing gum;
• small toys and toy parts;
• caps for markers and pens;
• pits from apricots, cherries, etc.
• pieces of apple, carrot, etc. (what parents usually give to their babies as soon as their first teeth erupt).

Something stuck in baby's nose

Even if we, adults, or older children, have something stuck in the respiratory tract, then, as a rule, this “something” gets there through the mouth and is part of the food. But in the case of babies, the situation is different - everything that comes within their field of visibility and reach is often sent not only to the mouth, but also to the nose.

And it also gets stuck there safely. And since the nose is part of the respiratory tract, a piece of donut or a tiny plush mouse, carefully pressed into the nostril by a baby, can also be safely interpreted as a “foreign body in the respiratory tract.”

How to properly clean a baby’s nasal cavity without damaging its delicate mucous membrane? There are several ways:

• Before performing all the manipulations described below, it is useful to instill vasoconstrictor drops into the child’s nose to reduce the risk of developing edema (or eliminate existing edema) to make it easier to remove a foreign object;
• You can “make” the baby sneeze (then, any little thing stuck in the nose will most likely fly out under air pressure);
• If the baby already understands what it means to “blow his nose,” then ask him about it, after closing the free, clean nostril, as well as his mouth.
• There is a fairly effective technique for “rescuing” very tiny children who have accidentally stuffed some small objects into their noses, which is popularly called “mother’s kiss”: the mother or one of the household members, taking a deep breath, must blow into the baby’s mouth. Reflexively, the baby will release all the air through the nose - and the object, under the pressure of the air stream, should jump out.

However, if none of these simple techniques helped clear the child’s nose of foreign objects, you need to contact the emergency room for professional help.

Source: http://www.woman.ru/kids/healthy/article/149625/