Meltem ÖZGENÇ / ANKARA – Aleyna KESKİN / DHA
Recently, many viruses have caused a prolonged, persistent cough in patients. Many people complain of a cough that does not stop for weeks or even months. While experts recommend going to the doctor for prolonged coughs, he made the following warnings…
PASTILES ALSO TRIGGER
Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Department of Chest Diseases Lecturer Prof. Dr. Can Ozturk: “The distress that the presenting patients describe more is the triggering of a cough followed by a sudden feeling of discomfort in the back of the throat and coughing fits that come in attacks. They say that some mixtures or herbal teas that are known among the public and thought to be good for cough do not work. Moreover, we do not see any benefit from cough syrups and cough suppressants. Some of the commonly used products known as throat drops can trigger coughing more. In our evaluations as the cause of this cough, although it affects the dry and upper airways, it causes asthma-like findings in the lower airways of the patients. We recommend some drugs that can be used for this persistent cough, which will reduce the hypersensitivity of the nerve endings in the airways. These are drugs that can act on the nose (such as nasal steroids) or affect the bronchi (inhalers). Thus, we can contribute to the control of hypersensitivity and non-microbial inflammations that arouse the cough reflex in patients.”
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TAKE AN ALLERGY TEST
Ankara Atatürk Sanatorium Training and Research Hospital Chief Physician Prof. Dr. Aydin Yilmaz: “Viral upper respiratory tract infections cause prolonged coughing. It may take a little longer in people with underlying bronchial sensitivity and atopic tendencies. This cough can even take up to three months. In prolonged cough, patients should not use drugs according to their heads. It should be investigated whether people with this type of cough have an atopic structure and whether they have asthma. Respiratory function and allergy tests should be done. If there is an allergy, drugs should be started. Some cough syrups also work in this case, but the physician must decide. Again, if people with prolonged cough also smoke, if this cough is accompanied by sputum, there may be an underlying risk of lung cancer. I strongly recommend that these people see a doctor and have a chest x-ray taken before it’s too late.”
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DON’T WALK THROUGH
Ankara University Department of Infectious Diseases Head of Department Prof. Dr. Ismail Fish: “We used to see one or two viruses together in the foreground during the winter months, but this year we see 4-5 at once. Since people don’t wear masks, and our immune system forgets about them for three years, we are more likely to get symptomatic infections. And one of the long-lasting complaints recently is that we are exposed to these virus infections one after the other, and another reason is the prolongation due to the development of complications. Usually these virus infections get better within a week. However, sometimes complications (such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis) may develop. For this reason, cough symptoms last much longer. If the symptoms do not regress within a week, the fever does not decrease, the cough increases, and if there is shortness of breath, the citizen should consult a physician. If a complication has developed, the physician should give additional treatment. There are measures that we can recommend to anyone who has cold and cough symptoms. For example, these people will not be thirsty. Although it is thought that it does not work lately, I recommend consuming winter teas such as linden, mint-lemon, to be in a smoke-free environment, and to use a scarf and mask when going out to cold weather in order to alleviate cough.”
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NOT contagious
Coronavirus Scientific Committee Member Prof. Dr. Tevfik Ozlu: “It is usually done standing up, but there is a constant runny nose, itching sensation in the throat and pain. The patient says: ‘I’m fine, actually I’m fine. I’m not like I was during the flu. I have no fever, no fatigue. My appetite has improved, I have no more aches and pains. But a dry cough there is. An annoying cough. It bothers you in the form of seizures throughout the day. I can’t sleep at night because of coughing. I cough so much that it prevents me from socializing.’ The patient cannot go out into society, cannot mix with people. Because right now, if anyone coughs next to us; We are all naturally sensitive. We think, ‘Will it infect me with something?’ The person who coughs is also disturbed by it. This is not actually a cough from an infectious disease. Post-infection, cough, which is caused by the hypersensitivity of the airways after the infection, which we call cough, is caused by a kind of asthma-like picture.
