What are Coughs?

Cough is an important reflex in response to any obstruction or irritation in the throat, larynx, bronchial tubes or lungs. Coughing keeps our lungs and airways free of secretions or foreign objects that may interfere with normal breathing. Coughing once or twice in an hour clears the throat, and is normal. But dry cough that keeps you awake all night needs to be treated.

There are basically 2 types of cough non-productive and productive. In response to medication or allergy dry cough raises no sputum and is scratchy. Sputum is brought up from the respiratory tract during productive cough; this helps in the speedy recovery from inflamed airways and lungs.

During the first stages of cold the cough is usually dry and later develops into a productive one, which signifies that cold is on its way out

 

Symptoms of Coughs

1. Infection is indicated by the production of phlegm, mucous or blood. The mucous maybe clear, yellow, green or blood stained or thick or thin.

Causes of Coughs

• Besides cold, asthma, bronchitis and flu can cause coughing that lasts for several days.
• Food or object trapped in airways, dust, pollution, smoking, heartburn;
• Medication taken to treat high B.P. can cause coughing.
• Coughing accompanied by difficulty in breathing and chest pain indicates serious medical condition.

Coughs: Home remedies

1. Especially during night use vaporizer to add moisture to the air, this humified air liquefies mucous and your cough becomes more productive.
2. Give up smoking because besides causing cough it may lead to fatal disease like lung cancer.
3. Drink plenty of water, as it is more beneficial than medicines and it helps to dilute the secretions.
   1. Coughs can be suppressed by medicines like dextromethx orphan and diphenhydramine (such as benadryl).
4. Before consuming any medicine instructions should be read thoroughly.
5. Rubbing your chest with pure peppermint oil and breathing the vapors; and camphor ointments (vapo rub) are also effective in easing coughs.
6. Sucking a cough drop or hard candy promotes saliva flow that is soothing. However aromatic oils in cough drops can upset stomach or can irritate mucous membrane.
7. Be careful of using combinations of ingredients. For an allergic cough you need only antihistamines that dries up your secretions. And combinations may not have effective doses of either of the ingredients.
8. Loosen up the mucous, if you are congested and your cough is not productive, by using an expectorant.

Preventing Coughs

1. Exercise outdoors, preferably in the morning when pollution-level is at the lowest.
2. Wear a mask if you are regularly exposed to smoke, dust or chemicals at work and see that your work area is properly ventilated.
3. If you suffer from asthma or seasonal allergies special air filter or air conditioner maybe useful.
4. Cigarette smoking may cause coughing. Encourage your near and dear ones to quit smoking.