We all cough. You can have a mild cough that can be annoying or a severe cough that can be so harsh it can break a rib.
Experts say coughing is the top reason people see a doctor — more than 30 million visits a year. You can have an acute cough, one that comes on suddenly, like during a cold, or a chronic cough, which lasts more than eight weeks in adults and four weeks in children.
Your first step toward relief is to identify the type of cough you have and what’s causing it. Then, consider your symptoms. With that info, you can choose the best treatment.
Types of Coughs
A cough is supposed to protect you. It gets out stuff that doesn’t belong in your lungs and windpipe, such as inhaled dirt or food. But it can also be caused by other things. How long a cough lasts depends on what’s causing it.
There are several classifications for coughs. They include:
- Productive cough. Also called a wet cough, this cough brings up mucus or phlegm.
- Nonproductive cough. This is a dry cough that doesn’t bring up mucus or phlegm.
- Acute cough. It comes on suddenly and lasts two to three weeks.
- Subacute cough. This type lingers after you’ve had an infection and can last three weeks.
- Chronic cough. This is a cough that lasts eight weeks for adults and four weeks for children and may require medical attention.
- Refractory cough. This is a chronic cough that hasn’t responded to treatment.
What Is a Cough Reflex?
Coughing is your body’s natural reflex, a response to something that affects your throat or airway. It’s mostly a healthy response because your body is trying to protect you. Food caught in your throat, mucus in your airway, or even certain types of medications can send a message to your brain, telling your chest and stomach muscles to tighten up and push air out of your lungs, making you cough. It might be just one or two coughs or many more. It all depends on what caused the coughing in the first place.
What Causes a Cough?
There are many common triggers for both “productive” (or wet) coughs and “nonproductive” (or dry) coughs. Productive coughs help get mucus out of your lungs. Dry coughs don’t produce anything.
Wet coughs can be caused by:
Viruses. Colds and the flu are the most common causes of a productive cough although you might have a dry cough long after you’ve had a cold. It can last weeks. This could be because coughing irritates your lungs, which leads to more coughing, which irritates your lungs, and so on.
Postnasal drip. When you’re congested, mucus can drip down from your nose into the back of your throat, making you cough. You can get postnasal drip from colds, flu, sinus infections, allergies, and other problems.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, although some doctors include asthma. These illnesses can weaken the tubes in your airway (bronchial tubes) and the tiny sacs (alveoli) that pass oxygen into your blood and remove carbon dioxide. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of COPD.
Heart conditions. Heart failure can cause a chronic cough. If your heart isn’t working properly, fluid can build up in your lungs. Your body causes the cough, hoping you’ll get rid of the fluid.
Dry cough causes
Dry coughs are usually caused by something that irritates your airways or throat.
Irritants. Even if you don’t have allergies, things such as cigarette smoke or strong perfumes can set off a hacking spell.
Allergies and asthma. If you have allergies or asthma, you may have triggers such as mold or dust. Inhaling these can cause your airways to overreact and try to protect you. They’re trying to force out what’s bothering them.
Acid reflux. When you have heartburn, stomach acids back up into your throat, especially when you’re lying down. This reflux can irritate your windpipe, vocal cords, and throat and make you cough.
Other causes. Many other problems, such as lung inflammation, sleep apnea, drug side effects, and breathing in cold, dry air, can be triggers.
Credit: webmd
