This is a topic I felt was so common, I wanted it to be informative so you would learn new things about cough and coughing you didn’t know. Chances are for one reason or the other you might have coughed today. So let us start with how we cough.
MECHANISM OF COUGHING
When we make that sound that can be somewhat distressful, several things happen. The mechanism of cough is not well understood but appears to have a relationship with inhaled irritants or inflammation of the airway tract that leads to stimulation of nerves in the respiratory tract, These nerves carry impulses to the medullar of the brain…particularly the cough center and this then leads to the responses cough is known for.
- We inhale a good deal of air into our lungs.
- We trap that air within the lungs with our epiglottis (a leaf-shaped part of the trachea below the tongue),
- The epiglottis is opened and the previously inhaled air is sent out with a rush (that creates the sound)
A cough, also known as tussis, is a voluntary or involuntary act that clears the throat and breathing passage of foreign particles, microbes, irritants, fluids, and mucus; it is a rapid expulsion of air from the lungs.
Reference
Why do we cough?
Human-beings as well as other animals cough. Cats are known for coughing out hairballs which is a consequence of all the grooming they. Humans cough deliberately or involuntarily. You might do it on purpose to clear your airway or for whatever social interactions require coughing.
We as doctors sometimes might ask a patient to cough to elicit a hernia’s cough impulse.
Prolonged periods of coughing are usually indicative of airway infection or it can be due to other conditions. This is what doctors try to find out when they ask you all those questions.
The cause of cough could vary from the simple symptoms of a common cold to more prolonged conditions like asthma.
Causes of cough that start suddenly (acute) are due to common cold, Influenza (flu), irritants, pneumonia, and whooping cough.
These usually stay last somewhere between 2 weeks to a little over a month.
Long-lasting causes of cough are caused by allergic reactions, asthma, bronchitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and postnasal drip.
Reference
Over time we will look into these common causes of cough individually.
When do we see the doctor?
Call your doctor if your cough (or your child's cough) doesn't go away after a few weeks or if it also involves any one of these:
You (or your child) should go to the hospital to be checked by a doctor if you notice that you or your child is coughing out thick greenish-yellow mucus or if you hear the sound that is similar to that of a flute when you are breathing, or if the cough you are experiencing comes with a fever, or you notice you aren’t breathing properly or maybe you feel dizzy or have fainted or the cough comes with an ankle swelling or weight loss.
If you experience choking or vomiting or in addition to the cough you have difficulty swallowing and breathing or if maybe it comes with pink or bloody mucous or severe chest pain then you need to hurry down to the hospital for emergency management
How do we know what is the cause?
There are many causes of cough and they usually do not present alone. We use the complaints the patient comes in with alongside what we see the patient come in with and finally we do investigations to know just exactly what is the cause.
We do all of this so we don’t end up giving the wrong treatment.
In the united states, a cough is the most common complaint of a patient so it is important to know what exactly is the cause.
The first question we usually ask is how long the cough has lasted so we can exclude acute causes from chronic causes.
From the other subheading, I named some long-lasting causes and acute causes. So, if a patient complains of a cough of 6 months duration, we would not be thinking about an acute cause like the flu. We would be thinking of allergic reactions or asthma.
How do we treat cough?
Treatment of a cough largely depends on the cause. Treatment could be as simple as hydration and rest or include moving out of an area with an allergen or the use of drugs to treat specific conditions like asthma.
What can be done at home?
Cough medicines can be used for causes of acute cough, especially when it causes discomfort or disrupts sleep. Under the section when should you see your doctor? are some of the times when you shouldn’t be treating yourself at home
The cough syrups that are sold over the counter are not used to treat the disease that causes a cough but to manage the symptoms of cough and cold. Studies do suggest that these drugs taken have not proven to be more active than inactive drugs (placebos). It is also important to note that these drugs have side effects and can be lethal to children below the age of 2.
These drugs are also best avoided in children below the age of 12.
Tips
- Candies and cough syrups reduce the irritant sensation of a dry cough, be watchful for choking in children below the age of 6.
- Honey is another solution that helps loosen a dry cough. Children below the age of 1 should not be given honey because of the bacteria it contains and which can be harmful.
- Taking a steamy hot shower or using an air humidifier also works.
- You can also try drinking fluids like warm water to thin the mucous in the throat.
- Avoid smoking as smokes, in general, can cause cough.
- Hope you learned a thing or two from this post. Till next time BE AMAZING.