Coughs
Understanding
Cough-cough
The
human body has a defense system against interference from outside. One of them
is a cough. Coughing is a natural response that carried the body to clear mucus
or factors causing irritants, such as dust or smoke, get out of our respiratory
tract.
Coughing
will generally heal within three weeks and does not require treatment. The
effectiveness of cough medicines are still not fully proven. Homemade
concoctions such as honey and lemon can help relieve mild cough.
Types
of Cough
Types
of cough include dry cough and cough with phlegm. An early indication of dry
cough usually is itching in the throat that triggers coughing. Cough without
phlegm this usually happens when the throat and upper respiratory tract was
inflamed.
Your
brain senses that inflammation in the throat and upper respiratory tract
conditions as foreign and seek to eliminate the cough. Therefore, a cold or the
flu can trigger coughing. In the case of the phlegm, coughing it is very
helpful as it will remove phlegm from the lungs channels.
Consulting
the doctor
If
you cough for more than three weeks due to a viral infection or if your cough
gets worse, consult your doctor. Likewise if you are having difficulty
breathing, chest pain, or coughing up blood, immediately consult a physician.
You
will be referred to a specialist lung and breathing if your doctor is not sure
about the cause. The doctor may recommend the following checks:
Taking your sputum samples to determine
what type of antibiotic to be administered.
Chest X-rays to check whether you have an
infection of the lungs.
Spirometry (inhale and exhale through a
tube connected to the machine) to check whether you have a respiratory disease.
Allergy tests to check whether your cough
is caused by something that trigger allergies, such as dust mites.
Cough
Causes
Respiratory
tract infections caused by viruses are the main cause for most people who are
coughing. Besides infection, causes of cough include:
Long-term disease recurrence, such as
asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), or chronic bronchitis.
Allergic rhinitis, such as allergic to
pollen (hay fever).
Gastroesophageal reflux disease due to
irritation and injury due to gastric acid.
Although
rare, the factors above can still be an early symptom of the disease that
causes coughing long term.
Cough
in Children
Persistent
cough may indicate a respiratory tract infection is more serious. Consult your
doctor if your child has a severe cough and do not go away so that treatment
can be done immediately.
Alert
to the symptoms of whooping cough are also very important, especially in
children and infants. Symptoms of whooping cough include:
The shrill sound in every deep breath after
coughing.
Cough and intense barrage that secrete
thick sputum.
Fatigue and a red face because of continued
coughing.
Vomiting in infants and children.
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