Complex therapy for prolonged cough in infectious and inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract: case report

Abstract

Cough is one of the most common symptoms in primary care. Despite the fact that a persistent cough resolves on its own in most cases and does not require special treatment, it can significantly reduce the quality of life and require large financial costs for treatment. Infectious and inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract are one of the most common pathologies accompanied by cough. Protracted cough can significantly aggravate the course of the disease, and its duration for more than 4 weeks may indicate a chronic process. Drug therapy should be specific and combined, i.e. it should be aimed at the etiology of the disease, the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying it, and at alleviating symptoms, which leads to a speedy recovery of the patient. The article describes the causes leading to a prolonged cough in infectious and inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, the principles of differential diagnosis and some features of the treatment of persistent cough. Options for both etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy, as well as symptomatic treatment with ivy leaf extract and non-drug methods are given.In cases of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and bronchi accompanied by a non-productive cough, adding of common ivy leaf extract to the treatment allows us to predict relief of sputum discharge, and, consequently, an improvement in the patient’s condition as early as on Day 4-5. It is important to note that this drug should not be used in combination with any antitussive drugs, as it makes it difficult to evacuate thin secret and results in its congestion in the airways. A clinical case of polyetiologic chronic cough combined treatment using reflexology is presented.