Smoking is a bad habit that is known to cause significant damage to the body. Tobacco smoke disrupts the functionality of the respiratory system and more than 70% of smokers suffer from chronic cough. People who decide to overcome addiction hope to immediately get rid of all the consequences of tobacco, but the cough after quitting in most cases does not go away, but intensifies. How to treat the cough of former smokers and whether treatment is necessary, we will consider in this article.
Why does the cough appear after quitting smoking?
At the time of smoking a cigarette, tobacco smoke enters the lungs, which in its content is a poison. Contains chemicals, resins, dust and other toxic components. Gradually, a large number of them accumulate in the lung tissue.
Coughing when quitting smoking is a protective reaction intended to cleanse the body of harmful substances. In a healthy person, such a reaction always manifests itself, but in smokers this process is blocked under the influence of inhaled cigarette smoke.
Note! In the tissues of the upper respiratory tract there are epithelial cilia, which, when pathological particles penetrate, provoke a cough, thereby preventing poisoning of the body.
Cough when quitting smoking occurs due to the restoration of the functionality of the bronchial cilia. In the first period after quitting smoking, many people begin to suffer from strong coughing fits. This process is considered natural, since addiction leads to inflammatory processes in the mucosa. As a result, sputum is formed in the bronchi, and the lung tissue can be affected by toxins. The organs of the respiratory system at the time of coughing self-clean.
How long does a cough last after quitting smoking?
Respiratory disorders are seen in most people who have recently quit smoking. In rare cases, such manifestations do not occur. As a general rule, cough does not bother people who smoke cigarettes very rarely or who have little experience.
But how long a cough can last for ex-smokers depends on many factors:
- length of smoking period;
- number of smoking breaks per day (number of cigarettes smoked per day);
- the presence of concomitant diseases;
- the degree of influence exerted by tobacco smoke;
- the patient's age;
- have other bad habits.
There is no exact data on what should be the nature of the cough after quitting smoking and how long this period lasts. Recovery happens differently and individually for everyone.
According to statistics, if respiratory problems arose after a person quit smoking, then after 1-3 months the respiratory system was fully restored. However, if the smoking experience was more than 10 years, the problem can become chronic.
Normally, even with a strong cough, after 2-3 weeks, improvements should be observed in the form of a decrease in intensity and frequency of attacks. If after a month the situation does not change, it is necessary to visit a doctor.
Types of cough after quitting smoking
Great importance is attached to the nature of the cough in people who have quit smoking. Pathological symptoms may indicate complications that arose after smoking.
The nature of the cough that manifests itself after giving up a bad habit, according to medical information:
- wet;
- dried;
- with secretions.
A wet cough is a reflex rejection of purulent mucus (sputum) that has collected in the lungs or airways. There may be very little sputum, or, conversely, mucus is excreted in large volumes, which provokes strong and frequent coughing fits. But it is expectoration with sputum production that is considered normal.
Suspicion of a pathological process in the respiratory organs during the recovery period after quitting smoking provokes a dry cough. Difficulties with sputum discharge occur when the activity of the ciliated fibers is lost, as well as bronchial diseases accompanied by edema.
Dry cough when quitting smoking should be treated with medication. Lack of therapeutic assistance can lead to complications: intoxication, spastic shortness of breath, formation of toxins in the lungs and others.
The greatest danger for ex-smokers is expectoration "with impurities". If at the time of expectoration, along with sputum, brown or black mucus, or blood, an urgent visit to the doctor is required.
Pathological discharge may indicate serious injuries of the bronchial walls, lung tissue and trachea. Tobacco smoke can cause non-healing respiratory burns due to the constant supply of toxins, resulting in an infection that can spread rapidly to damaged areas.
Important! Smoking can cause life-threatening respiratory diseases (tuberculosis, cancer, cirrhosis, and others). As long as nicotine enters the body, the symptoms become dull, but as soon as a person decides to give up the habit, the pathology begins to manifest itself intensely.
What to do first: how to relieve the condition
For people for whom smoking has been a daily habit for a long time, quitting cigarettes seems impossible, but if a person still decides to quit, then he needs to go through a difficult recovery period.
The most difficult is the psychological craving, which few face. The condition is aggravated by coughing fits. Many smokers know that if you "drag" again, you'll catch your breath. However, there are other ways to alleviate the condition. To do this, use drugs or folk remedies.
therapeutic approach
Constant coughing spells cause serious breathing problems and can also interfere with a person's life. To alleviate the smoker's condition, it is recommended to take drugs that have an expectorant and sedative effect.
Note! After quitting smoking, the use of drugs to block cough is not recommended, their use can cause a lung abscess.
In most cases, the doctor, when the patient stops smoking, in order to facilitate the removal of sputum, prescribes preparations of the mucolytic group.
You can accelerate the cleansing of the body from toxins by taking enterosorbents.
Depending on the characteristics of the cough and the presence of possible diseases of the respiratory system, antihistamines, immunomodulators and antibiotics may be prescribed.
popular methods
The treatment of respiratory disorders that bother after long-term smoking cessation can be supplemented with home remedies. The use of alternative medicine methods should be carried out only with the consent of a specialist and after confirming the absence of an allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylactic shock and inflammation of the respiratory system.
You can reduce the frequency and intensity of cough if you use a folk remedy:
- Milk. You can add a teaspoon of honey or soda to warm milk. Drink three times a day.
- Onion syrup. Medium-sized onions are rubbed on a grater (fine) and mixed with two glasses of sugar. The remedy should be insisted for at least three hours. Then, put on a low heat until the mixture acquires the state of syrup. Take a teaspoon during the day with an interval of three hours.
- Eggnog with propolis. Egg yolk is ground with honey and beaten. 2 drops of liquid propolis are added to the mixture. Close the lid on a small jar and put it in the refrigerator. Drink 10 ml. twice daily.
- Herbal decoctions. Suitable chamomile, St. John's wort, sage or wild rosemary. A tablespoon of ground grass is steamed with 0. 5 liters. boiling water. Insist about half an hour, then filter. Drink three to four times a day for a cup of tea.
- Birch decoction. Crushed birch buds (1 tbsp. L) are placed in melted butter (100 gr. ). Transfer to a bowl and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. After cooling, add honey. Take 10 gr. funds twice a day.
Do not abuse traditional medicine, self-medicate or refuse medication. Folk remedies have an auxiliary effect and may not be effective enough in severe pathological processes.
When should you see a doctor?
After quitting smoking, even a person who smoked for a short time can have serious health problems.
It is necessary to consult a doctor if the following symptoms begin to bother:
- coughing fits are too frequent and cause severe chest pain;
- sputum discharge is accompanied by the release of blood or clots of dark mucus;
- when breathing, whistling and wheezing are heard;
- shortness of breath occurs;
- with deep breaths, there is a sharp, excruciating pain in the chest;
- there is a general weakness of the body.
Any pathological manifestation in a state of health is a signal for a visit to a specialist. It is advisable to take steps to recover from smoking immediately, as the consequences of smoking can be very serious.
conclusion
Cough can begin to torment smokers while they smoke and become a signal that it is necessary to break a bad habit. After quitting smoking, coughing fits may intensify, however, this recovery period must be endured. In most cases, the condition returns to normal after 2 to 3 weeks. For full recovery, of course, more time is required, but the main stage of cleansing the body will have already been completed.
After quitting smoking, experts recommend visiting a medical institution for a consultation with a doctor and undergoing a diagnosis to determine whether there are any complications from addiction and, if indicated, to undergo the necessary treatment.