Contents:
- Medical Video: Cold & Flu Treatments : How to Treat a Cough Without Medicine
- What is a chronic cough?
- What should be done if the cough doesn't heal too?
- 1. Take medication from your doctor regularly and according to the rules
- 2. Adjust the dosage and type of certain drugs
- 3. Live a healthy lifestyle
Medical Video: Cold & Flu Treatments : How to Treat a Cough Without Medicine
Coughing is a very common thing. However, if the cough does not heal, even after taking the medicine, it even occurs in a very long time, of course it will be very disturbing. So what can you do but take medicine?
What is a chronic cough?
Chronic cough is a cough that occurs for more than 8 weeks. Based on research that has been done, chronic cough occurs as much as 3.3 percent to 12 percent in people around the world.
The most common cause of chronic cough in patients is the presence of airway disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and lung infections (eg tuberculosis); consumption of blood pressure-lowering drugs in the class of ACE inhibitors; and gastric acid reflux disease (GERD or often called ulcer).
Usually, the cough does not heal too even if you have taken cough medicine. Especially if you have unhealthy habits such as smoking or often in places where the air pollution level is very high.
What should be done if the cough doesn't heal too?
If you have had a cough that doesn't heal too for eight weeks or more, see your doctor immediately. Because the best way to cure chronic cough is to detect the cause.
Try to see if you experience symptoms or have health complaints other than coughing does not heal. For example, the stomach feels sore, shortness of breath, breath sounds like a soft whistle (wheezing), hot chest like burning (heartburn), and coughing up blood.
Tell your doctor if you experience these symptoms because it can be a reference for diagnosis and examination. After that, here are the things you can do to overcome the problem of coughing that doesn't heal.
1. Take medication from your doctor regularly and according to the rules
If a chronic cough is caused by gastric acid reflux or GERD, then you may be given a PPI type ulcer (proton pump inhibitor) until symptoms disappear or are controlled. Treatment must be given continuously for the next three months.
This is because GERD is a chronic disorder. If the treatment is stopped immediately, then the cough can appear again so the treatment must be stopped gradually.
Ulcer medication can be consumed 30-60 minutes before eating (before breakfast and dinner). However, you should make sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist who handles you.
Meanwhile, if a patient has bronchitis, you may be given a corticoseteroid drug that is inhaled and avoid exposure to allergens first.
2. Adjust the dosage and type of certain drugs
Yes, chronic cough can be triggered by the use of drugs to reduce blood pressure (tension), precisely that type of ACE inhibitor drug. Especially if you do not show other digestive or respiratory symptoms.
If the cough is caused due to consumption of ACE inhibitors, the use of this drug can be stopped or replaced with drugs that are safer and come from other groups.
3. Live a healthy lifestyle
Avoiding sweets, spicy foods, and so on is a way to protect your throat or nose from inflammation that might get serious.
In addition, it is very important for you to stop smoking and stay away from the environment that has a lot of cigarette smoke and pollution.
