A Persistent Cough Can be Disturbing and Very Uncomfortable
Persistent Cough isn’t fun. Persistent cough in simple understandable terms means a continual importunate cough that just refuses to go. Coughing occurs when there is spurring in the sensory nerves of the respiratory passage. Respiratory passages are the tubes we use for breathing.
When someone continuously coughs, there is less breathing taken in the voice box closes momentarily, the muscles used for breathing. In our chest and abdomen contract, when the above happens there is a reflex action in which the pressure to breathing out increases forcing the voice box to open. This forced reflex action is called coughing.
Coughing is a reflex action which is more like a defence mechanism for the body. It is a way of sterilizing the lungs and the respiratory tubes. A prolonged dust and dirt in the lungs can lead to serious chest infection.
Persistent cough is frequent coughing spells that occur due to existence of certain particles in the respiratory passage. Particles of dust, dirt and even food can cause disturbances in the normal breathing system and lead to persistent coughing.
An infection in the lungs can cause can also be a reason for Persistent coughing. Persistent coughing can be aggravated by many reasons such as –
- Frequent coughing can be a result of common cold, this takes about 3 weeks to settle.
- Coughing can be caused by taking in food or water into the tube from the mouth.
- Severe illnesses like pneumonia heart failure as well as blood clotting in the lungs can lead to coughing as an after effect of the illness.
- Smoking leads the path to persistent coughing.
- Asthma in children can lead to Persistent coughing without sneezing.
- Acidity of the stomach also can be a grave cause for Persistent stomach.
- Heart medication like Angiotensin can also lead to coughing.
- Viral or bacterial infection of the lungs can also lead to coughing.
Persistent cough is not a grave illness, but it still needs to be treated, coughing needs doctors advice if –
- Cough follows with mucus that is blood stained, yellowish green, or foul smelling saliva.
- If coughing leads to chest pain it needs doctor’s consultation.
- Persistent cough in the night, swelling followed by pain in the calves
- Symptoms of whopping cough are seen.
- Excess smoking which can lead to worsened smokers cough.
- Persistent fever with sweating.
- Sudden weight loss.
All the above need doctors advice immediately. Persistent coughing in younger children is also seen very often. Nowadays, with the increase of air pollution more and more children are likely to suffer from a cold or cough more regularly. Persistent coughing in children can be by inhaling a foreign particle of smoke or dust, if the child has only cough one can wait for sometime if cough prevails over a period of 3 to 4 days then doctors’ consultation is advisable.
Coughing accompanied with cold and fevers are signs of infection and need doctors’ consultation.
Many cough syrups and drops are now available in the market with the doctor’s advice you can take any of them as temporary relievers for your cough. These cough syrups or drops can be very helpful in killing any kind of viral or bacterial infection present in your lungs. Though cough goes on for a longer period of 4 days needs doctor consultation.
Asthma Cough
Asthma, a disease of the human respiratory system, which narrows the airways, commonly in response to a “trigger” such as an exposure to an allergen, exercise, cold air, or emotional stress. This narrowing can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. Between asthmatic episodes, most people with the condition feel fine.
This disease is a chronic inflammatory condition wherein the airways develop an increased responsiveness to certain stimuli, shown by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, increased mucus production, inflammation, and intermittent airway obstruction. Asthma can be anywhere from mild to life threatening, but can generally be controlled with a combination of drugs, inhalers and changes in lifestyle.
People have focused on asthma recently because of its rapidly increasing number of patients, affecting up to one in four urban children. Genetic factors can contribute to cases of asthma, but there is no clear pattern of inheritance found. It is a very complex disease which is influenced by many various developmental, genetic, and environmental factors, which work together to create the widespread condition.
Breast-fed babies have proved to be less susceptible to asthma. Current research indicates that the prevalence of asthma in children has been increasing. Around the globe, asthma is the cause of more than 175,000 deaths per year.
Asthma and Athletics
Asthma appears to be more common in athletes than in the general population. There seems to be a high number of asthmatics in sports like mountain biking, cycling, and long-distance running, and a somewhat low percentage in weightlifting. It is not clear how much of these cases are results of the effects of training in the sport.
Asthmatic Cough
The bronchial tubes have linings that get exaggerated when you produce bronchitis. This makes it difficult for air to travel to the lungs. In bronchitis, mucus is also developed, which is mostly formed in your airway. So as you can see, bronchitis is a disease that affects your capability to breathe appropriately.
The disease can be acute or chronic and prolonged suffering may result in grave situations. Bronchitis is most prevalent in changing weather conditions and the chronic patients must take enough precautionary measures to prevent its recurrence.
Whatever the cause may be, generally the condition may subside within couple of days without any great efforts except giving some proper antibiotic but if it is severe, it may turn to a worse condition in which, the breathing, sometimes gets difficult.
The acute type of bronchitis most often occurs after a cold, flu or sinus infection and there may be shortness of breath, wheezing, plus a productive cough (phlegm). During the chronic type of bronchitis there is a productive cough and may not be the result of an infection. The chronic cough can last for three months.
It results from inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the large airways that lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs. The disease occurs in two forms: acute infectious bronchitis (usually viral) and allergic asthmatic bronchitis.
Rest is also a good home remedy for bronchitis because walking makes one feel worse and slows the body’s ability to fight infection. During the rest intake of a pain killer would relief muscle pain. In children aspirin should not be administered. It is advisable to give acetaminophen.
Lemons also help in getting rid of bacterial & mucus from respiratory system. Grid one teaspoon lemon and add it to one cup of boiling water, steer for five minutes the strain and drink. Water helps liquefy more mucus making it easy to cough out. One can use water from a steam treatment.
If before, there were no sign of bronchitis and any one is taking antibiotic for sinus and other infection then there is more chance to develop bronchitis.
The thick mucus due to sinus reaches the bronchi and attracts the fungal yeast. Antibiotic, along with the bad bacteria kills the ‘friendly’ bacteria also and this leads to yeast infection.