A barking cough is a bout of unproductive coughing with a characteristic loud sound that resembles a dog's barking. The symptom is often accompanied by sore throat, hoarseness of voice, a decrease in its sonority up to complete disappearance (aphonia). The most common causes of such a cough are laryngitis, true and false croup, tracheal diseases, and some SARS. To determine the cause, laryngoscopy, chest x-ray, spirography, laboratory tests are performed. To alleviate the patient's condition, mucolytics, expectorants, antitussive drugs, and physiotherapy are used.
In the initial stages of inflammation of the larynx, a slight cough is disturbing, which is accompanied by a feeling of tickling and scratching in the throat. 1-2 days after the first symptoms, the frequency of coughing attacks increases, the cough becomes loud, sonorous, acquires a barking hue. Constant pain in the throat. A characteristic sign is the absence of sputum. With severe laryngitis, paroxysms of barking dry cough occur, which are manifested by a series of coughing shocks following one after another. At the end of the attack, the patient takes a loud noisy breath. The symptom is more often noted in the evening or at night.
True croup, which develops as a result of obstruction of the larynx by fibrinous films, is typical of diphtheria. There are attacks of coarse coughing, during which the patient takes convulsive short breaths, while exhalation may be difficult. Manifestations persist for 2-3 days, then the barking sound during coughing paroxysms disappears, a quiet cough associated with stenosis of the vocal cords comes to the fore. During bouts of coughing, there is anxiety, complaints of a subjective feeling of lack of air, a sensation of a foreign body in the throat.
False croup with spasm of the muscles of the larynx and severe swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract often affects children under 5-7 years of age. Parents notice that the child is excited, coughs constantly, and a “whistling” sound is heard when breathing. Then attacks of barking cough begin, lasting up to 20-3 minutes, during which pallor of the skin, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle is detected. If such cough paroxysms with a specific barking sound arose during treatment in a hospital, they may be due to laryngospasm during citrate intoxication.
The causative agents of acute respiratory diseases have a tropism for the single-layer epithelium of the upper respiratory tract, so the appearance of cough is due to the direct pathogenic effect of microorganisms on specific receptors. The absence of sputum after a cough attack is characteristic of the initial period of all viral infections. With ARVI, the symptom is combined with other signs of damage to the respiratory tract (rhinitis, sore throat, enlarged cervical lymph nodes). The presence of a barking shade in a cough usually indicates infectious diseases such as:
A rough, barking cough tone is due to the spread of the disease process from the larynx to the tracheal area and its bifurcation, which is associated with irritation of the receptors that trigger the cough reflex, while simultaneously involving the vocal cords in the process. Coughing is not only a reaction to inflammatory processes in the mucous membrane, but also a response to mechanical irritation of sensitive nerve endings with exudate. Cough attacks with a special barking sound are manifested by:
Barking-type cough, disturbing at night or immediately after waking up, is more characteristic of bronchial asthma. Paroxysms are also caused by physical exertion, stress, exposure to cold air. Patients complain of shortness of breath, between cough shocks, convulsive breaths are heard at a distance. Exhalation is difficult. To improve ventilation of the lungs, patients take a sitting position, lean forward slightly and rest their hands on their knees. At the end of an attack of barking cough, viscous glassy sputum is usually released in a small amount.
With allergic laryngitis, a rough cough worries throughout the day, it is difficult to trace the pattern of attacks. The symptom is accompanied by hoarseness of voice and discomfort in the throat. A sudden barking cough is observed with angioedema of the respiratory tract. During a coughing attack, there is a lack of air, a sore throat. Paroxysm can be prolonged, without medical attention, this condition is fraught with complete airway obstruction.
When infected with a Koch wand, a persistent rough cough with a dry barking tinge that occurs at any time of the day is disturbing. At the beginning of the disease, there is a periodic cough, combined with a sore throat, a feeling of discomfort in the chest. As tracheobronchial tuberculosis progresses, the cough becomes intense, paroxysmal. Sometimes the paroxysm ends with the release of viscous mucous sputum. Patients notice increased sweating, general weakness, frequent coughing with shortness of breath.
With the accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the heart sac, the development of a painful barking cough is promoted by compression of the airways and heart failure. The beginning of the attack is preceded by discomfort, a feeling of fullness in the chest. With paroxysms, pain intensifies, wheezing and gurgling are heard remotely. Cough attacks are prolonged, accompanied by an increase in pressure in the venous system, which is manifested by visible swelling of the neck and face, swelling of the cervical veins. To facilitate breathing when coughing, the patient takes a vertical position, leans on his hands.
Cough episodes with a barking sound are characteristic of acute intoxication with beryllium vapor. The symptom is preceded by intense perspiration and discomfort in the throat, burning behind the sternum. The intensity of coughing attacks decreases a few days after cessation of contact with the poisonous substance. With a favorable course, the cough goes away on its own. Less commonly, the alveolar and interstitial tissue of the lungs is affected, which leads to the appearance of a painful cough with bloody sputum.
Episodic or persistent barking cough is an indication for consultation with a pulmonologist or family doctor. Diagnostic search involves instrumental methods of examination of the respiratory system to determine the root cause of the symptom. Various laboratory tests help clarify the diagnosis and the leading etiological factor. The most valuable for the diagnosis of pathologies of the respiratory tract are:
Patients whose cough is accompanied by exudative diathesis or other manifestations of allergic reactions are prescribed allergy tests, an extended immunogram is performed to measure the concentration of antibodies of different classes. According to the indications, a CT scan of the chest is done to more clearly visualize the morphological features of the thoracic organs. If sputum is separated after coughing attacks, it is collected for microscopic and bacteriological examination.
Inhalations with a barking cough should be carried out only as directed by a doctor.
To reduce the frequency of bouts of barking cough, it is necessary to eliminate provoking factors as much as possible: regularly ventilate the room, carry out wet cleaning, and avoid harsh chemical odors. To reduce subjective discomfort in the throat and moisten the respiratory mucosa, inhalations with herbal solutions and antiseptics are recommended. It is important to provide a plentiful warm drink; instead of tea, it is better to use herbal infusions of elecampane, thyme, chamomile.
With a debilitating cough, medications are used before a diagnosis is made. Expectorants and mucolytics have a good effect, stimulating the separation of sputum and cleansing the respiratory tract. In the case of an allergic nature of a barking cough, antihistamines are prescribed. Self-use of antitussives is prohibited due to possible side effects. With severe coughing attacks, accompanied by shortness of breath, cyanosis, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible to find out the root cause of the symptom and select therapy.