Treatment of an allergic cough, and its symptoms in children and adults

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Allergic cough in a child or adult is one of the symptoms of an allergy. It appears for various reasons, because allergens affect the upper respiratory tract.

Cough appears due to the inflammatory process in the trachea, bronchial system, throat. Allergic cough can have a paroxysmal character, then a person begins to cough.

Reasons for

Why does an allergic cough occur, and what is it? Most often the cause of coughing are allergens that can get into the respiratory tract: pollen, pet hair and others.

To identify the causes of allergies can sometimes be very difficult, which creates difficulties, as it is important for the patient to avoid contact with the allergen as much as possible.

The development mechanism of

This type of cough develops as a result of ingress of the allergen into the upper respiratory tract of a person, inflammatory mediators and other substances that cause swelling and inflammation of the nasal passages, larynx, trachea and bronchi enter the bloodstream.

This condition leads to the development of complications from the respiratory system - constant edema and spasm of the respiratory tract leads to a violation of normal breathing, there is hyperventilation of the lungs, which can cause bronchial obstruction and attacks of suffocation.

The main allergens

There are several groups of substances that can cause the development of allergies:

1. Food allergens - these include citrus fruits, chocolate, food colors and preservatives.
2. Air allergens - these include domestic dust( provided there is no wet cleaning in the room), pollen, various chemicals( cosmetics, perfumes, all kinds of varnishes and aerosols).
3. L Medicinal allergens - most of the medicines are foreign and cause it to be sensitized.

Treatment of an allergic cough in a child or adult can begin only after a thorough diagnosis and detection of the exact allergen. First, the doctor examines the child for signs of other symptoms that can cause a cough. If such a search does not bear fruit, tests are conducted to determine the allergen.

How to distinguish an allergic cough from a cold?

It is important not to confuse an allergic cough with the manifestation of any disease of the upper respiratory tract, otherwise there is a possibility to miss and run either the allergy itself, or bronchitis and other such illnesses.

Attention should be paid to some of the signs that help to correctly identify the allergic nature of cough in a child or an adult:

1. When coughing starts suddenly, last 2-4 minutes, and then suddenly stop.
2. If the cough is dry, irritating to the throat and not accompanied by high fever, then, most likely, it is of an allergic nature.
3. It is also characterized by the appearance of seizures most often at night, which are accompanied by such symptoms as: a runny nose, the presence of pruritus in the nose, sneezing, shortness of breath, even asphyxiation.
4. A distinctive feature is the absence of temperature.
5. Allergic cough symptoms of which resemble bronchial asthma are also called the cough form of this disease.

Please note that a correct and timely understanding of the cause of the occurrence of a cough not only speeds up the achievement of a positive result, but also blocks possible problems due to improper treatment.

Symptoms of an allergic cough

Usually an allergic cough begins suddenly, for no apparent reason, sometimes as an attack. In the absence of appropriate measures, the symptom may persist for up to 2 weeks or more, even if there is no allergen present during this time period.

Allergy is characterized by a predominantly dry cough, very rarely there is a wet cough, accompanied by the separation of clear sputum, which does not contain impurities of vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms( pus).

Allergic cough is resistant to most antitussive drugs designed to treat diseases associated with inflammatory processes in the respiratory system.

Other features of

Possible additional symptoms with an allergic cough:

• hoarseness;
• dry rhinitis;
• lacrimation, redness of the eyes( allergic conjunctivitis);
• headaches;
• swelling of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx;
• itching, burning in the throat, nose;
• sneezing;
• digestive disorders( diarrhea, vomiting);
• cough may worsen at night;
• rashes on the skin.

Detecting an allergic rhinitis and coughing in a child is easiest when symptoms occur immediately after exposure to an allergen.

Prevention

To exclude the appearance of an allergic cough, it is important to perform such preventive actions:

1. To adhere to proper nutrition, there are more natural products.
2. Use as little chemicals in your daily life as possible.
3. Most often, wet cleaning and airing the room, especially during the flowering period.

If the same allergic cough has already begun, it is better not to engage in self-medication, because it can develop into asthma, which is much more difficult to treat. In no case can you start a cough caused by allergies. Especially it concerns children.

Treatment of an allergic cough

In case of a cough that is triggered by an allergy, treatment is not an easy task, but it is not worth it. Therefore at the first signs it is necessary to begin struggle against the basic allergic disease.

Discharged allergy leads to aggravation of symptoms, deterioration of health status and development of such dangerous complications as chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma. You can not do without a doctor. Accordingly, first, will need to minimize contact with the allergen :

1. If an allergic cough occurs as a reaction to food, then in this case intestinal sorbents( activated charcoal, Polypefan, Enteros-gel) can be prescribed.
2. It is mandatory to observe a hypoallergenic diet, in which chocolate, citrus, seafood, red berries and fruits are excluded.
3. When the allergies are caused by plants and their pollen, it is worth settling in an acceptable climatic zone.
4. If the cough is provoked by house dust, then you will have to wet the house twice a day and maintain the necessary air parameters in the room with a special ionizer.

In the treatment of allergic cough in children and adults, also allergy-prescribed tablets prescribed by a specialist are also used to eliminate unpleasant symptoms from the nasopharynx:

1. Zirtek, Zatyden, Claritin, Ketotifen, Tavegil, Peritol, Suprastin "and others.
2. Antitussive medications may also be required: Ambroxol, Lazolvan, Cromoglycate Sodium, or Bromhexine.
3. Drugs that dilate the bronchi can be inhaled: "Eufillin", "Berodual", "Ventolin"

It is also important to strengthen the immune system when treating an allergic cough. To do this, you need to consume more fruits, drink vitamin supplements, monitor your health. Do not be lazy to rinse your nose and rinse your larynx if you feel perspiration. For rinsing, a 9% solution of sodium chloride( hydrochloric acid) or plain water is suitable. Often this helps prevent the birth of coughing attacks.

Still, do not rely on yourself in the treatment of an allergic cough, because an ordinary cough can quickly become an asthma, which will be extremely difficult to treat.

Treatment with ASIT

Allergen-specific immunotherapy( ASIT) is by far the only method for treating allergies that do not suppress symptoms, but cope with the cause of allergies - the inadequate immune response.

The essence of the method lies in the fact that the patient is first introduced minimal and then increasing doses of his allergen in the form of a specially prepared drug( sometimes called an allergy vaccine).

As a result, the body, figuratively speaking, "gets used to" the allergen and ceases to consider it a foreign object, which must be actively and intensively protected.

Plasmapheresis

Not a bad result in the treatment has plasmapheresis - mechanical purification of blood from allergens, toxins, immune complexes. This procedure is quite effective, but has a temporary effect, besides, there are contra-indications to its carrying out.