Coughing
First
of all, what is coughing? Coughing
is a reflex action started by stimulation of sensory nerves
in the lining of the respiratory passages - the tubes we use
to breathe.
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When
a person coughs, there is a short intake of
breath and the larynx (the voice box) closes momentarily. The
abdominal and chest muscles used for breathing contract, which
in turn increases the pressure needed to drive air out the lungs
when the larynx re-opens.
You start coughing.
The
resulting blast of air comes out at high speed, scrubbing and
clearing the airway of dust, dirt or excessive secretions. This is a common symptom when the airways are 'tight', as
in asthma and bronchitis.
The
reflex is a vital part of the body's defence mechanisms. Normally,
the lungs and the lower respiratory passages are sterile. If
dust or dirt get into the lungs, they could become a breeding
ground for bacteria and cause an infection in the breathing
tubes.
What
causes coughing?
It
usually means there is something in the respiratory passages
that should not be there. This can be caused by breathing in
dust particles in the air or when a piece of food goes down
the wrong way.
Coughing
could also be a sign that an infection in the lungs is making
the respiratory passages produce phlegm.
- It
can be provoked by:
The
common cold, which is a frequent cause of acute coughing that
usually settles in less than three weeks.
- Sucking
material into the breathing tubes from your mouth, which starts
a bout of coughing.
- It
also can be caused by more severe illnesses, such as pneumonia,
acute heart failure or pulmonary embolism (a clot in the blood
vessels of the lung).
- Smoking,
which often causes chronic coughing.
- Asthma
- particularly in children who may only show coughing and
no wheezing.
- Another
cause is stomach acid coming back up the gullet and spilling
over into the windpipe (gastro-oesophageal reflux).
- Medicines
used in heart disease called angiotensin converting enzyme
(ACE) inhibitors can also cause coughing.
- A
common cause of chronic coughing is bacterial
or viral infections in the lungs, e.g. acute bronchitis, pneumonia,
whooping cough, croup in children.
- Coughing
is more efficient when preceded by a full intake of air.
For
this reason, patients with weak muscles, poor coordination of
airway closure and re-opening, or who have airflow obstruction
will have a poor coughing result and be susceptible to complications
including chronic coughing infection in the lower respiratory
tract and pneumonia.
How can coughing be treated?
Coughing
is a symptom, not a disease. It is the underlying cause that
needs to be treated.
You
should consult your doctor if any of the following symptoms
accompany your coughing, so that possible underlying
causes can be investigated and treated where necessary:
- Coughing
up phlegm that is green, rusty brown, yellow, blood-stained
or foul smelling.
- Chest
pain.
- Shortness
of breath or wheezing.
- Pain
and swelling in the calf.
- Recurrent
night-time coughing.
- Whooping
cough or croup.
- Worsening
smoker’s cough.
- Sudden
weight loss.
- Fever
and sweating.
- If
you can't cough but need to, problems soon arise. Equally,
when coughing is painful (for example, because of a broken
rib), patients try not to cough and this can be dangerous.
What
if a young child is coughing?
Older
children and adults usually have some idea whether their coughing
is caused by a foreign body, dust or smoke particles, or an
infection in the breathing tubes. Clinical inspection will reveal
features that may suggest a specific cause.
If
a young child is coughing, parents need to
be able to tell whether the coughing is a sign of disease or
whether their child has a foreign body in their respiratory
passages.
If
your child also has a fever or a cold, this is a sign of an
infection. If nothing else seems to be wrong, wait for the coughing
to go away. If the coughing goes on for more than a couple of
days, consult a doctor.
If the coughing comes on suddenly, and is very
forceful, it's likely your child has swallowed something that's
causing the cough. This could be life-threatening for your child,
who could choke. Lift your child by the legs so their head points
downwards, then slap their back with a cupped hand. If this
doesn't help, call an ambulance immediately.
If at any point your child seems very ill, you should consult
an emergency doctor immediately.
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latest treatment. This new and
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extracts and a mineral. This coughing treatment seems to work
by killing the bacteria and viruses that cause infection in
the lungs.
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Coughing
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