Cough after eating: cause

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Cough occurs in many diseases, sometimes it does not indicate any serious problems, or suggests that you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. Causes of a cough after a meal can also be different, it is worth considering the main cases of its occurrence.

Coughing is a reflex process that occurs due to irritation of the respiratory tract during the inflammatory process, ingress of dust, foreign bodies and for a number of other reasons. This mechanism is protective, when cough begins after eating, many people are surprised and frightened, immediately believing that this is a sign of a serious illness.

Causes of

Because there are many conditions in which a coughing after a meal can occur, it is also important to note the attendant symptoms to determine the causes. Also important is the character of the cough, it can be dry or wet.

The main factors for the onset of a cough after eating can be divided into several groups:

1. Ingestion of food pieces in the respiratory tract. The likelihood of this is increased in people who prefer to talk while eating. In this case, the epiglottis can pass a piece of food into the respiratory tract, resulting in a reflex of the cough, which can be accompanied by a sensation of suffocation and wheezing.
2. Various respiratory tract infections in acute or chronic stages. In this case, the ingestion of food and its passage through the esophagus can be a provoking factor in coughing, the nerve endings are irritated, and there is a urge. In this case, there are other symptoms of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, colds.
3. Pathological conditions that interfere with the normal passage of food through the esophagus and prevent its entry into the stomach. There are several such diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the most common are stenosis and spasm of the esophageal valve, atony of the esophagus, various tumors.

These are the main factors leading to a cough after a meal. It is worth remembering that it is quite difficult to determine the exact cause of the symptom without additional diagnosis, especially if other manifestations of any diseases are absent.

Important! Very often, a coughing attack occurs during meals due to gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is shortly called GERD.

Wet cough

A wet cough is accompanied by a separation of sputum, which can be of a different nature depending on the disease that triggered it. With meals, this symptom often occurs due to inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. Food, passing through the esophagus, irritates the nerve endings and provokes a cough.

Cough with sputum after meals usually occurs with chronic lung and respiratory disease. Most often, such diseases include chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema. During food intake, irritation of nerve endings increases mucus secretion and an attack occurs.

Dry cough

Dry coughing during eating or immediately after eating can indicate the foreign body entering the respiratory tract. In this case, coughing in no case can not be restrained, a piece of food must go out. If the foreign body passes farther along the respiratory tract, aspiration pneumonia can occur - a dangerous acute disease.

When a foreign body gets into a cough, it is usually very violent, a person often has an increased tear, and his face turns red. Coughing can be accompanied by a sensation of suffocation. A person who has choked on food should be helped.

If after eating a pershit in the throat and a cough of a dry nature, while getting foreign body did not exactly happen, it can be caused by dry food, too much salt irritating mucous condiments and spices. In this case, it is enough to drink a couple of glasses of water or tea, so that the unpleasant feelings go away.

Important! Also this symptom can talk about an allergy to a product that was eaten.

Cough with nausea

The correct name for this symptom is esophageal vomiting, this is the name of the condition when vomit comes out with a cough. This symptom is more alarming, it can talk about serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

These diseases include esophageal valve stenosis and GERD.Esophageal vomiting can also provoke the formation of a tumor in the esophagus. With these diseases, vomiting with coughing occurs immediately after eating. If vomit begins to go out only after an hour or two, it indicates gastric emesis, which is usually not accompanied by a cough.

However, it should be noted that an attack of nausea during a cough after a meal can be a common respiratory disease, for example, a severe cold, especially when the cough becomes wet. If the seizures are so intense, you should consult a doctor, most likely, you need to take mucolytic drugs that dilute sputum and facilitate its withdrawal.

Cough in a child after eating

Causes in a child are usually the same as in adults. Moreover, children are more likely to have a cough after eating with colds and lung diseases.

However, if the attack is accompanied by severe nausea or vomiting, you should consult your doctor. Since this symptom can talk about a serious pathology, it can be extremely dangerous for the child. The earlier the disease is detected, the treatment is started, the more favorable the outcome.

To which doctor should

be treated. If the cause is for a cold or it can not be easily identified by symptoms, you should consult a therapist. After analyzing the complaints, this specialist can be redirected to a more suitable doctor.

If a fit of cough accompanied by vomiting, you should immediately go to the gastroenterologist, because this symptom usually occurs against the backdrop of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

Than to treat

First of all it is necessary to choose means for treatment of disease which caused a coughing attack. Independently to choose a drug without a preliminary examination should not, otherwise you can only hurt.

In order for a single attack to pass, you should take a couple of deep breaths, drink a glass of water. If the attack was caused by the ingestion of a foreign body, you should clear your throat, then drink and breathe. If the cause was bronchial asthma, you should use an inhaler.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies will help cope with the perspiration and discomfort arising from coughing.

1. If, after an attack, there is a sore throat, you should rinse your throat with chamomile infusion. A glass of boiling water takes a spoonful of dried plant, insist half an hour.
2. Also helps honey. It can be dissolved in water or just sit down a couple of spoons, drinking tea. This remedy softens the cough and helps to get rid of sore throat.

If coughing is repeated often, you should definitely consult a doctor.