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 a chronic cough. People who decide to overcome addiction expect to immediately get rid of all the consequences of tobacco, but the cough after quitting smoking in most cases does not go away, but intensifies. How to deal with cough for ex-smokers and whether treatment is necessary - we will consider in this article.
Why Cough Occurs After Quitting Smoking
When smoking a cigarette, tobacco smoke enters the lungs, which in its contents 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 is a protective reaction designed to cleanse the body of harmful substances. In a healthy person, this reaction always manifests itself, but in smokers this process is blocked under the influence of inhaled smoke from cigarettes.
Observation! In the tissues of the upper respiratory tract there are epithelial cilia, which, when pathological particles penetrate, provoke coughing, thus preventing poisoning of the body.
Coughing 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 experience severe coughing fits. This process is considered natural, as addiction leads to inflammatory processes in the mucosa. As a result, sputum is formed in the bronchi and lung tissue can be affected by toxins. The organs of the respiratory system at the time of coughing clean themselves.
How long does the cough last after quitting smoking
Respiratory disorders are seen in most people who have recently stopped smoking. In rare cases, such manifestations do not occur. As a rule, coughing does not bother people who smoked cigarettes very rarely or had little experience.
But how long a cough can last for ex-smokers depends on many factors:
- duration 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;
- patient age;
- have 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 stopped smoking, then after 1-3 months, the respiratory system is completely restored. However, if the smoking experience has been more than 10 years, the problem can become chronic.
Usually, even with a strong cough, after 2-3 weeks, improvements should be seen 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 coughing after quitting smoking
Great importance is attached to the nature of coughing in people who have given up 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;
- 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 causes frequent, strong coughing fits. But it is expectoration with sputum production that is considered normal.
Suspicion of a pathological process in Organs respiratory organs during the recovery period after smoking cessation causes dry cough. Difficulties with sputum discharge occur when ciliated fiber activity is lost, as do 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, formation of toxins in the lungs, among others.
The greatest danger for ex-smokers is sputum "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 necessary.
Pathologic discharge may indicate severe damage to 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 quickly spread to the damaged areas.
Important! Smoking can cause life-threatening respiratory diseases (tuberculosis, cancer, cirrhosis and others). 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 in an intense way.
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 smoking seems impossible, but if a person still decides to do so, they will have to endure a difficult recovery period.
The most difficult is psychological desire, which few deal with. The condition is aggravated by coughing fits. Many smokers know that if you "drag" again, your breathing will recover. However, there are other ways to alleviate the condition. To do this, use drugs or folk remedies.
therapeutic approach
Constant bouts of coughing cause serious breathing problems and can also interfere with a person's life. To alleviate the condition of the smoker, it is recommended to take drugs that have an expectorant and sedative effect.
Observation! After quitting smoking, the use of cough-blocking drugs is not recommended, their use can cause a lung abscess.
In most cases, the doctor, when the patient gives up smoking, to facilitate the removal of sputum, prescribes preparations from the mucolytic group.
You can speed up the body's cleansing 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.
popular methods
Treatment of troublesome breathing disorders after long-term cessation of 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 confirmation of the absence of an allergic reaction that could 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 heated milk. Drink three times a day.
- Onion syrup. Medium-sized onions are rubbed on a (fine) grater and mixed with two cups of sugar. The remedy must be insisted for at least three hours. Afterwards - place on low heat until the mixture acquires the syrupy state. Take one teaspoon during the day with an interval of three hours.
- Propolis eggnog. The 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 place in the fridge. Drink 10ml. 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 and then filter. Drink it three to four times a day for a cup of tea.
- Birch decoction. Crushed birch buds (1 tbsp. L) are laid out in melted butter (100 gr. ). Transfer to a container and cook on the fire for 30 to 40 minutes. After cooling, add the honey. Take 10gr. 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 serious pathological processes.
When should you see a doctor
After quitting cigarettes, even a person who has smoked for a short time can have serious health problems.
It is necessary to see a doctor if the following symptoms start to bother you:
- coughing fits are very frequent and cause severe chest pain;
- sputum discharge is accompanied by the release of blood or clots of dark mucus;
- when breathing, hissing and hissing is 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 steps to recover from smoking immediately, as the consequences of smoking can be very serious.
Conclusion
Coughing can begin to plague smokers while smoking and become a sign that it is necessary to kick a bad habit. After quitting smoking, coughing spells may intensify, however, this recovery period must be maintained. In most cases, the condition returns to normal after 2 to 3 weeks. For a full recovery, of course, more time is needed, but the main step of cleansing the body has already been completed.
After quitting smoking, experts recommend visiting a medical institution for a consultation with a doctor and making a diagnosis to determine if there are any complications of addiction and, if indicated, taking the necessary treatment.