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Quick return to sports.
Many people, as soon as they start feeling better, rush to return to an active lifestyle — workouts, jogging, the gym. However, resuming physical activity too quickly can become a reason for a lingering cough after bronchitis. During exercise, breathing speeds up, circulation becomes more intense, and the bronchi begin to react more strongly to any residual inflammation. If the bronchial lining hasn’t fully healed yet, even moderate physical exertion can cause irritation, bronchial spasms, and either a dry or wet cough. After an illness, the body needs time — even if you no longer feel feverish or weak. That’s why it’s important to return to sports gradually, based on how you feel, and strictly follow all your doctor’s recommendations.
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Increased sensitivity of cough receptors.
After an illness, the airways may remain overly sensitive for some time. The bronchial mucosa becomes irritated during bronchitis, and even after recovery, the receptors responsible for the cough reflex may remain overreactive. As a result, a condition known as hyperreactive cough can occur: breathing in cold air, changing body position, or entering a dusty or stuffy room can instantly trigger a coughing fit. In most cases, the cough is dry and not accompanied by mucus. While this condition isn’t considered dangerous, it can be quite exhausting. The best thing you can do during this time is to give your respiratory system enough time to fully recover and keep the air well-humidified. In addition, it is important to take the medications (for example, antibiotics Azithral-500, Levoflox 750, Oflox if disease is bacterial). Because continuing treatment even after the symptoms have disappeared helps to permanently eliminate residual inflammatory processes and avoid relapses.
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Eating too many sweets immediately after an illness.
The issue is that a high sugar intake creates a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria and fungi in the mouth and upper respiratory tract. Additionally, sugar thickens mucus, making it harder to clear, and can also cause micro-inflammations on the mucous membranes. All of this can trigger new episodes of coughing, even if the primary bronchial inflammation has already subsided. Therefore, after an illness, you should limit the amount of sweets during the recovery period, giving preference to warm drinks, fruits and healthy sources of energy.
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Improper breathing.
After suffering an illness, the body tries to adapt to changes in the respiratory system. And often, without noticing it, a person begins to breathe incorrectly — superficially, too often or exclusively through the mouth. This might seem like a minor issue, but it can significantly interfere with complete recovery and become a cause of a lingering cough. Improper breathing doesn’t provide sufficient lung ventilation, which makes it harder to fully clear mucus from the bronchi. Moreover, mouth breathing causes cold and dry air to enter the respiratory tract directly, irritating the airways. All of this can provoke an unpleasant cough reflex, even when the inflammation has already passed. The solution is conscious training of proper breathing — slow, deep, and through the nose. Breathing exercises, especially as part of respiratory gymnastics or yoga, can be extremely helpful. They not only help reduce coughing but also strengthen the respiratory system overall.