Every man coughs and there is no living person on earth who has not done it a dozen or more in his life time. Coughs are done either voluntarily or involuntarily and more so by people whose passage way from mouth to the lungs or oesophagus gets blocked.
Meaning of Cough
A cough is a recurring reflexive action of the mouth and its lower passageways. It is performed more in order to clear the pathway of the breathing passage from secretion, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. It is usually made in three phases or simultaneous actions performed so speedily that it resembles on single action. The first phase is inhalation and then the second step, that is, exhalation against a closed glottis. Then the third phase and that is the violent release of air from the lungs following the opening of the glottis. Coughs are involuntary or voluntary function and depend upon the nature of the individual and the crisis near and inside the mouth arising out of several factors.
Causes of Cough
Coughs are caused sporadically or continuously if a person experiences discomfort in the passage ways of the mouth and the lungs. These may occur due to excessive smoking, air pollution and accumulation of dust particles in the lungs or near to it. Sometimes, a foreign body is found in the windpipe due to food particles not being swallowed properly might bring out coughs in rapid succession. These are usually washed down with water and are never serious to warrant attention. Then there are polite coughs and some people have a habit to cough and spit frequently. Some coughs are provoked by common cold while others may be due to a clot in the blood vessel of the lungs.
Symptoms of Cough
The most common of symptoms of cough is to perceive the nature of the cough itself. A cough comes without much of a warning and doesn’t mean anything at all. But if it persists for a long period it warrants immediate attention. There are dry coughs and whooping coughs and productive Coughs and these are studied and treated accordingly. The productive coughs are identified as those that bring out the mucus out of the mouth. Again, a person may experience chest pain, colored mucus coming out of the mouth, weight loss, throat pain and difficulty in swallowing while they cough. These must be brought to the attention of the doctor immediately.
Diagnosis of Cough
Diagnosis of Cough is done by physician. He generally listens to a person while coughing. This is the best way to diagnose the seriousness of the cough and accordingly treatment is suggested.
Treatment of Cough
Treatment is generally given after ascertaining the nature of the cough. Doctors give cough medicines for treating coughs that are not dry in nature. In case of dry Coughs the physician gives cough suppressants which when taken removes the urge to cough. Of late research has pointed out that gargling with a mixture of warm water and salt washes the mucous that contains bacteria. It also effectively checks the protein that causes inflammations. These if done with care and effectively not only relieve the throat of any pain, but also bring clarity to the voice. Again, in many cases coughs arising out of lung cancer and throat cancers are treated more seriously and may have serious implications on the health of the patients. In cases of respiratory infections like the bronchitis, pneumonia, pertussis and tuberculosis, treatment are accorded taking into consideration the severity of the cough symptoms and the tests reports obtained from the clinical lab.
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