Cough
When you cough, you should understand that is as a result of reflex action when there is an irritant in the lungs, trachea, larynx, pharynx, nasal passages or nose. Cough is a symptom that depicts that something is wrong in the nasal passages or in the body. There are some underlying diseases or silent sicknesses that most people don't attend to or ignorantly brush it off, which at the end can be fatal. Some coughs are self resolving, after some few days it will go away while some are persistent, it can take weeks or months before it goes, this type of cough is called a chronic cough which if not quickly treated can be disastrous.
Cough can be a symptom of many sicknesses such as flu, cold, tuberculosis, cancer, asthma, lungs disease, airway obstruction, heart problems etc. Early diagnosis will not only save money but 100% treatment can be attained and death prevented.
Types of Cough
Although there are many types of coughs, what are usually used to identify and indicate there cause depend on the characteristics they possess, duration and severity of the cough.There are 4 major types of cough that affect both young and old, but these mostly depend on the sicknesses affecting an individual.
- Dry Cough:- This type of cough occurs when there is an irritant or inflammation in the lungs and throat, and is commonly associated with sinus problems or a sign of viral infection. There is no production of mucus in dry cough and is common in both adult and children. The conditions that can initiate dry coughs are; cold, flu, laryngitis, sore throat, tonsillitis, allergies, medications, asthma, covid-19, sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritant such as smoke, dust etc.
- Wet Cough:- This involves the production of mucus. It happens when the airway wants to clear some mucus from the nasal passages or the throat. Depending on the color of the mucus produced, wet cough sometimes indicates that there is accumulation of fluid in the lungs which can leads to congestive heart failure or a serious bacterial infection in the upper respiratory tract. Conditions responsible for wet coughs are; cold, flu, pneumonia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis.
- BarkingCough:- This occur when the trachea (wind pipe) is swollen as a result of inflammation. It is a viral infection of the upper airway that makes breathing difficult which causes a characteristic barking cough. It's usually affects children ages 5 and younger. Barking cough is associated with croup and other viral illnesses.
- Whooping Cough:- Also known as pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can be fatal to babies under the age of one. Whooping cough is a sign of serious bacterial infection which should quickly be treated. It is characterised by a whooping sound after the cough. The conditions that can develop this type of cough are; asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, choking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Risk-Factors
- Smoking
- Asthma
- Irritants/Allergies
- Chronic lung disease
- Obesity
- Gender (female)
Symptoms of Chronic Cough
These symptoms range from mild to serious symptoms such as
- Sore throat
- Phlegm
- Sour taste
- Postnasal drip
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Heartburn
- Hoarseness
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing
- Fever
- Chest pain
- Coughing up blood or yellow or green phlegm
- Coughing so hard it makes you want to vomit
- Cough with unexplained weight loss
To relieve the symptoms associated with chronic cough, you may try the following methods:
- Drink plenty of water, at least 8 to more glasses a day
- Inhale steam
- Gargle with salt water to help remove any mucus
- Use nose mask to avoid inhaling dust, smoke or other pollutants
- Try over-the-counter cough medicines
- Try cough lozenges
Prevention of Cough
- Stop smoking or don't start smoking
- Avoid close contact with those that have pneumonia, tuberculosis or bronchitis
- Eat fruits, vegetables and foods that are high in fibre
Comments
Post a Comment