Smoking is a bad habit that is known to cause significant harm 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 cough after quitting smoking in most cases does not go away, but rather intensifies. How to deal with a cough for former smokers, and whether treatment is necessary - we will consider in this article.
Why does a cough occur after quitting smoking
At the time of smoking a cigarette, tobacco smoke enters the lungs, which in its content is a poison. It 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 aimed at cleansing 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 smoke from cigarettes.
Note! On the tissues of the upper respiratory tract there are epithelial cilia, which, when pathological particles penetrate, provoke a cough, thus preventing poisoning of the body.
Cough when quitting smoking occurs due to the restoration of the functionality of bronchial cilia. In the first period after giving up the habit of smoking, many people begin to suffer from severe coughing attacks. This process is considered natural, since addiction leads to inflammatory processes on 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-cleanse.
How long does a cough last after quitting smoking
Breathing disorders are observed in most people who have recently quit smoking. In rare cases, such manifestations do not occur. As a rule, coughing does not bother people who smoked cigarettes extremely rarely or had little experience.
But how long a cough can last for former smokers depends on many factors:
- duration of the smoking period;
- number of smoke breaks per day (number of cigarettes smoked per day);
- the presence of concomitant diseases;
- the degree of influence exerted by tobacco smoke;
- patient's age;
- having other bad habits.
There is no exact data on what the nature of the cough should be after quitting smoking, and how long this period lasts. Recovery happens differently and individually for everyone.
According to statistics, if breathing problems arose after a person quit smoking, then after 1 to 3 months the respiratory system is completely restored. However, if the smoking experience was more than 10 years, the problem may become chronic.
Normally, even with a strong cough, after 2-3 weeks, improvements should be observed in the form of a decrease in the 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 given up cigarettes. 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;
- dry;
- with secretions.
A wet cough is a reflex rejection of purulent mucus (sputum) that has accumulated 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 attacks. 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 giving up cigarettes causes a dry cough. Difficulties with sputum discharge occur when the activity of ciliated fibers is lost, as well as bronchial diseases accompanied by edema.
Dry cough when quitting smoking should be treated with medication. The lack of therapeutic assistance can lead to complications: intoxication, spastic shortness of breath, the formation of toxins in the lungs, and others.
The biggest danger for ex-smokers is expectoration "with impurities. "If at the time of expectoration, along with sputum, brown or black mucus, or blood is released, an urgent visit to the doctor is required.
Pathological discharge may indicate serious lesions of the bronchial walls, lung tissue and trachea. Tobacco smoke can cause respiratory burns that do not heal due to the constant supply of toxins, resulting in an infection that can spread rapidly in the 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 intensively.
What to do first - how to alleviate the condition
For people for whom smoking has been a daily habit for a long time, giving up cigarettes seems impossible, but if a person still decides to do this, then he needs to endure a difficult recovery period.
The most difficult is the psychological craving, which few cope with. The condition is aggravated by coughing attacks. Many smokers know that if you "drag" again, then your breath will recover. However, there are other ways to alleviate the condition. To do this, use drugs or folk remedies.
Therapeutic approach
Constant coughing attacks cause serious breathing problems, and they can also interfere with a person in life. To alleviate the condition of the smoker, it is recommended to take drugs that have an expectorant and sedative effect.
Note! After giving up cigarettes, the use of cough-blocking drugs is not recommended, their use can cause a lung abscess.
In most cases, when the patient quits smoking, the doctor prescribes drugs of the mucolic group to facilitate the removal of sputum.
You can speed up the cleansing of the body of 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.
Folk methods
Treatment of respiratory disorders that bother after quitting long-term smoking can be supplemented with folk 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 swelling of the respiratory system.
You can reduce the frequency and intensity of coughing if you use a folk remedy:
- Milk. You can add a teaspoon of honey or soda to warmed 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 must be insisted for at least three hours. After - put on low heat until the mixture acquires the state of syrup. Take a teaspoon during the day with an interval of three hours.
- Propolis eggnog. Egg yolk is ground with honey and beaten. 2 drops of liquid propolis are added to the mixture. Close the lid in a small jar and put in the refrigerator. Drink 10 ml. twice a day.
- 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 tea cup.
- Birch decoction. Crushed birch buds (1 tbsp. L) are laid out in melted butter (100 gr. ). Transfer to a container and simmer on fire for 30 - 40 minutes. After cooling, add honey. Take 10 gr. funds twice a day.
Do not abuse traditional medicine, self-medicate or refuse medications. Folk remedies have an auxiliary effect and may not be effective enough in severe pathological processes.
When should you see a doctor
After giving up cigarettes, 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 disturb:
- coughing attacks 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 manifestations in a state of health are a signal for a visit to a specialist. It is advisable to take measures to recover from smoking immediately, since the consequences of smoking can be very serious.
Conclusion
Coughing can begin to torment smokers while smoking and become a signal that it is necessary to get rid of a bad habit. After giving up cigarettes, coughing attacks may intensify, however, this recovery period should be endured. In most cases, the condition returns to normal after 2 to 3 weeks. For a 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 diagnostics to determine if there are any complications from addiction, and if indicated, undergo the necessary treatment.