Coughing during pregnancy | Cough

Coughing during pregnancy

Since the immune system protects the child and mother during pregnancy, it is more vulnerable to viruses that cause colds. Mostly it is only a harmless cold with coughs and sniffles, which should be treated with known household remedies such as inhalation and sufficient fluid intake. Herbal teas with honey are particularly suitable, but onion juice can also relieve the cough.

Taking medication should be avoided if possible. However, if the cough is not effectively relieved, relatively well-studied substances such as acetylcysteine, ambroxol or bromhexine can be used after consulting a doctor. Various drugs should never be taken during pregnancy to treat coughs, as they may cause miscarriages.

These include codeine drops, coltsfoot products and fennel oil. Always read the package leaflet carefully before taking any medication during pregnancy. In case of fever, paracetamol can be taken, but slightly elevated temperatures during pregnancy are not a cause for concern. If the fever is high, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible, as it can trigger the contractions at an early stage.

Summary

Coughing is not an illness, but rather a symptom that can occur due to numerous illnesses. Coughing is a very common symptom, especially in cold and wet seasons, and a frequent reason for consulting a doctor.A distinction is made between dry irritable cough and productive cough. Furthermore, a distinction is made between acute and chronic cough.

If the cough lasts longer than 3 weeks, it is considered chronic. In this case a doctor should be consulted to clarify the cause of the cough. In the case of productive coughs, the consistency of the mucus and the color can be used to determine the type of pathogen causing the cough.

Thus, the patient’s sputum, which appears colorless or white, is usually the result of a viral infection, while bacteria cause viscous yellowish mucus when coughing. Normal seasonal infection with accompanying cough is usually not treated. Only in older patients and immunocompromised patients (see: immune system) it is recommended to start antibiotic treatment early.

In addition to questioning the patient, the doctor will also listen to the lungs and divide the diagnosed breath sounds into dry and moist breath sounds. Humid breath sounds would be heard in cases of pneumonia, bronchitis, etc., dry breath sounds would be more common in respiratory tract constricting diseases such as bronchial asthma. If a cough lasts for a long time, it is essential to search for the cause.

Chronic cough can be caused by numerous diseases of the lungs, e.g. bronchial ashma, emphysema, bronchiectasis and COPD. Malignant diseases can also cause a chronic cough and should in any case be excluded by means of chest X-ray examinations (X-ray thorax). Malignant diseases of the lung are often accompanied by bloody sputum, but are not noticed by the patients or are noticed only late.

If no clear diagnosis can be made by X-ray, an examination by computed tomography may be considered. Blood tests can also detect an inflammation (increased CRP and leukocyte elevation). A blood culture that is prepared can identify a pathogen in 60%.

Pneumonia is treated with antibiotics. If the pathogen is not known, a broad-spectrum antibiotic is usually chosen. If the symptoms do not disappear, one must assume that the pathogen has not been hit.

In this case one can change the antibiotics or carry out a pathogen determination. In the case of lung infections, this can be done by bronchoscopy, in which common salt is flushed into the lungs and immediately sucked out again. The cells in the fluid are then examined for the pathogens (lavage).

Chronic cough can also be triggered by the so-called smoker’s catarrh. The hereditary childhood disease cystic fibrosis and the pseudo- croup cough, which also occurs in childhood, can also cause coughing. However, it is usually well separated from other lung diseases or infections by the accompanying symptoms or the time of occurrence.

Many lung diseases that cause coughing must be examined more closely with the help of a lung function test. After strong and prolonged periods of coughing, a pneumothorax may occur. In this case the lung detaches from the chest and purrs together, which can lead to shortness of breath and loss of performance.

Pulmonary embolisms may also be the only symptom that causes coughing. A cough that lasts longer than three weeks or recurs repeatedly must always be clarified by a doctor, as it is often caused by a serious illness.