Causes, Emergency Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

A cough isn’t usually concerning unless it lingers for more than two weeks or you have additional symptoms such as difficulty breathing.

Coughing is a common reflex that clears your throat of mucus or foreign irritants. While everyone coughs to clear their throat from time to time, a number of conditions can cause more frequent coughing.

Most episodes of coughing will clear up or at least significantly improve within 2 weeks. Contact a doctor or healthcare professional if your cough doesn’t improve within a few weeks. This could indicate a more serious condition.

Also, contact a doctor if you cough up blood or have a “barking” cough.

Did you know?

A cough that lasts for less than 3 weeks is an acute cough. If a cough lasts between 3 and 8 weeks, improving by the end of that period, it’s considered a subacute cough. A persistent cough that lasts more than 8 weeks is a chronic cough.

There are several possible causes of a cough.

Urge to clear your throat

Coughing is a standard way of clearing your throat.

When your airways become clogged with mucus or foreign particles such as smoke or dust, a cough serves as a reflexive reaction that helps clear the particles and make breathing easier.

Usually, this type of coughing is relatively infrequent, but coughing will increase with exposure to irritants such as smoke.

Viruses

The most common cause of a cough is a respiratory tract infection, such as a cold or the flu.

Cough is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), too. A chronic cough is also one of the hallmark symptoms of long-haul COVID-19 (long COVID).

Respiratory tract infections are usually caused by a virus and may last for 1 to 2 weeks. Antiviral medications such as those for the flu are most effective when you take them within 2 days of your symptoms starting.

Smoking

Smoking is another common cause of coughing.

A cough caused by smoking is almost always a chronic cough with a distinctive sound. It’s often known as a smoker’s cough.

Asthma

A common cause of coughing in young children is asthma. Asthmatic coughing typically involves wheezing, making it easy to identify.

Asthma exacerbations should be treated with the use of medications to open your airway (delivered by an inhaler or a nebulizer). It’s possible for children with asthma to outgrow the condition as they get older.

Medications

Some medications will cause coughing, although it’s generally a rare side effect.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can cause coughing. They are often used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions.

Two of the more common ACE inhibitors are enalapril (Vasotec) and lisinopril (Zestril).

Your coughing will stop when you quit using the medication.

Other conditions

Other conditions that may cause a cough include:

• damage to your vocal cords
• postnasal drip
• bacterial infections such as pneumonia, whooping cough, and croup
• serious conditions such as pulmonary embolism and heart failure

Another common condition that can cause a chronic cough is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this condition, the contents of your stomach flow back into your esophagus. This backflow stimulates a reflex in your trachea (windpipe), causing you to cough.

Contact a doctor if you have a cough that hasn’t cleared up or improved in 2 weeks. It may be a symptom of a more serious problem.

Get immediate medical attention if you develop additional symptoms. Symptoms to watch out for include:

• fever
• chest pain
• headaches
• drowsiness
• confusion

Coughing up blood or having difficulty breathing also require immediate emergency medical attention. Call 911 or your local emergency services right away.

If the doctor can’t determine the cause of your cough, they may order additional tests. These tests could include:

• Chest X-ray: A chest X-ray helps them assess whether your lungs are clear.
• Allergy tests: They’ll perform blood and skin tests if they suspect an allergic response.
• Phlegm or mucus analysis: These tests can reveal signs of bacteria or tuberculosis.

It’s very rare for a cough to be the only symptom of heart problems, but a doctor may request an echocardiogram to ensure that your heart is functioning correctly and isn’t causing your cough.

Difficult cases may require these additional tests:

• CT scan: A CT scan offers a more in-depth view of your airways and chest.
• Esophageal pH monitoring: If the CT scan doesn’t reveal the cause, the doctor may refer you to a gastrointestinal or pulmonary (lung) specialist. One of the tests these specialists may perform is esophageal pH monitoring, which looks for evidence of GERD.

In cases where the previous tests are either not possible or extremely unlikely to be successful, or your cough is expected to resolve without treatment, doctors may prescribe cough suppressants.

In most cases, a cough will disappear naturally within 1 or 2 weeks after it first develops. Coughing won’t typically cause any long lasting damage or symptoms.

In some cases, a severe cough may cause temporary complications such as:

• tiredness
• dizziness
• headaches
• fractured ribs

These are very rare, and they’ll normally stop when your cough disappears.

A cough that’s the symptom of a more serious condition is unlikely to go away on its own. If left untreated, the condition could worsen and cause other symptoms.

Infrequent coughing is necessary to clear your airways. But there are ways you can prevent other coughs.

Quit smoking

Smoking is a common contributor to a chronic cough. It can be very difficult to cure a smoker’s cough.

There are a wide variety of methods available to help you if you decide to quit smoking, from gadgets to advice groups and support networks. If you quit smoking, you’ll be much less likely to catch colds or experience a chronic cough.

Dietary changes

According to a 2018 case study, a diet high in fiber-rich fruits may help relieve chronic respiratory symptoms, such as a cough with phlegm.

In addition, guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians suggest that adults with GERD may reduce their cough by avoiding eating within 3 hours of their bedtime.

If you need help adjusting your diet, a doctor may be able to advise you or refer you to a dietitian.

Medical conditions

If you can, avoid anyone with a contagious illness such as bronchitis. This will reduce your chances of coming into contact with germs.

Wash your hands frequently and don’t share utensils, towels, or pillows.

If you have existing medical conditions that increase your chances of developing a cough, such as GERD or asthma, ask a doctor about different management strategies. Once you manage your condition, you may find that your cough disappears or becomes much less frequent.

Causes, Emergency Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

A cough isn’t usually concerning unless it lingers for more than two weeks or you have additional symptoms such as difficulty breathing.

Coughing is a common reflex that clears your throat of mucus or foreign irritants. While everyone coughs to clear their throat from time to time, a number of conditions can cause more frequent coughing.

Most episodes of coughing will clear up or at least significantly improve within 2 weeks. Contact a doctor or healthcare professional if your cough doesn’t improve within a few weeks. This could indicate a more serious condition.

Also, contact a doctor if you cough up blood or have a “barking” cough.

Did you know?

A cough that lasts for less than 3 weeks is an acute cough. If a cough lasts between 3 and 8 weeks, improving by the end of that period, it’s considered a subacute cough. A persistent cough that lasts more than 8 weeks is a chronic cough.

There are several possible causes of a cough.

Urge to clear your throat

Coughing is a standard way of clearing your throat.

When your airways become clogged with mucus or foreign particles such as smoke or dust, a cough serves as a reflexive reaction that helps clear the particles and make breathing easier.

Usually, this type of coughing is relatively infrequent, but coughing will increase with exposure to irritants such as smoke.

Viruses

The most common cause of a cough is a respiratory tract infection, such as a cold or the flu.

Cough is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), too. A chronic cough is also one of the hallmark symptoms of long-haul COVID-19 (long COVID).

Respiratory tract infections are usually caused by a virus and may last for 1 to 2 weeks. Antiviral medications such as those for the flu are most effective when you take them within 2 days of your symptoms starting.

Smoking

Smoking is another common cause of coughing.

A cough caused by smoking is almost always a chronic cough with a distinctive sound. It’s often known as a smoker’s cough.

Asthma

A common cause of coughing in young children is asthma. Asthmatic coughing typically involves wheezing, making it easy to identify.

Asthma exacerbations should be treated with the use of medications to open your airway (delivered by an inhaler or a nebulizer). It’s possible for children with asthma to outgrow the condition as they get older.

Medications

Some medications will cause coughing, although it’s generally a rare side effect.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can cause coughing. They are often used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions.

Two of the more common ACE inhibitors are enalapril (Vasotec) and lisinopril (Zestril).

Your coughing will stop when you quit using the medication.

Other conditions

Other conditions that may cause a cough include:

• damage to your vocal cords
• postnasal drip
• bacterial infections such as pneumonia, whooping cough, and croup
• serious conditions such as pulmonary embolism and heart failure

Another common condition that can cause a chronic cough is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this condition, the contents of your stomach flow back into your esophagus. This backflow stimulates a reflex in your trachea (windpipe), causing you to cough.

Contact a doctor if you have a cough that hasn’t cleared up or improved in 2 weeks. It may be a symptom of a more serious problem.

Get immediate medical attention if you develop additional symptoms. Symptoms to watch out for include:

• fever
• chest pain
• headaches
• drowsiness
• confusion

Coughing up blood or having difficulty breathing also require immediate emergency medical attention. Call 911 or your local emergency services right away.

If the doctor can’t determine the cause of your cough, they may order additional tests. These tests could include:

• Chest X-ray: A chest X-ray helps them assess whether your lungs are clear.
• Allergy tests: They’ll perform blood and skin tests if they suspect an allergic response.
• Phlegm or mucus analysis: These tests can reveal signs of bacteria or tuberculosis.

It’s very rare for a cough to be the only symptom of heart problems, but a doctor may request an echocardiogram to ensure that your heart is functioning correctly and isn’t causing your cough.

Difficult cases may require these additional tests:

• CT scan: A CT scan offers a more in-depth view of your airways and chest.
• Esophageal pH monitoring: If the CT scan doesn’t reveal the cause, the doctor may refer you to a gastrointestinal or pulmonary (lung) specialist. One of the tests these specialists may perform is esophageal pH monitoring, which looks for evidence of GERD.

In cases where the previous tests are either not possible or extremely unlikely to be successful, or your cough is expected to resolve without treatment, doctors may prescribe cough suppressants.

In most cases, a cough will disappear naturally within 1 or 2 weeks after it first develops. Coughing won’t typically cause any long lasting damage or symptoms.

In some cases, a severe cough may cause temporary complications such as:

• tiredness
• dizziness
• headaches
• fractured ribs

These are very rare, and they’ll normally stop when your cough disappears.

A cough that’s the symptom of a more serious condition is unlikely to go away on its own. If left untreated, the condition could worsen and cause other symptoms.

Infrequent coughing is necessary to clear your airways. But there are ways you can prevent other coughs.

Quit smoking

Smoking is a common contributor to a chronic cough. It can be very difficult to cure a smoker’s cough.

There are a wide variety of methods available to help you if you decide to quit smoking, from gadgets to advice groups and support networks. If you quit smoking, you’ll be much less likely to catch colds or experience a chronic cough.

Dietary changes

According to a 2018 case study, a diet high in fiber-rich fruits may help relieve chronic respiratory symptoms, such as a cough with phlegm.

In addition, guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians suggest that adults with GERD may reduce their cough by avoiding eating within 3 hours of their bedtime.

If you need help adjusting your diet, a doctor may be able to advise you or refer you to a dietitian.

Medical conditions

If you can, avoid anyone with a contagious illness such as bronchitis. This will reduce your chances of coming into contact with germs.

Wash your hands frequently and don’t share utensils, towels, or pillows.

If you have existing medical conditions that increase your chances of developing a cough, such as GERD or asthma, ask a doctor about different management strategies. Once you manage your condition, you may find that your cough disappears or becomes much less frequent.

Where does a cough come from and how to get rid of it

№1. What is a cough?

Cough is a defensive reaction of the body. With the help of coughing, the respiratory organs are cleared of excess secretion and microbes. Cough is different, and its treatment depends on it.

What is the cough mechanism? Microorganisms, dust, sputum and everything that makes breathing difficult are removed from the respiratory tract through the glottis due to coughing shocks. Thus, the body reflexively tries to get rid of unnecessary elements. The nature of the cough depends on the level at which the exposure to the pathogenic microbe occurred.

No. 2. How does cough occur in the body?

Several cough causative agents:

• viruses;
• bacteria;
• allergens.

In addition, the disease can occur due to polluted air or a high content of dust in it. In most cases, the process of coughing is quite simple: the lungs produce a significant amount of mucus, and the body tries to get rid of this mucus through coughing.

No. 3. Types of cough

There are only two types of cough:

• dry;
• wet (with phlegm).

In addition, the cough may continue for different periods of time:

• Acute . It lasts about three weeks, during which the person coughs continuously. Acute cough usually comes with phlegm.
• Drawstring . An acute cough after three weeks flows into a protracted one – the patient coughs in attacks or at certain times of the day or night.
• Chronic . Protracted cough turns into chronic after three months. Chronic cough can be both the cause of an untreated disease and its complication, and the consequence of the presence of very dangerous diseases in the body. If you have been coughing for more than three months, contact your doctor immediately.

No. 4. How to treat different types of cough?

The first thing to do when coughing is to see a doctor. He will determine the causes of the cough and prescribe a treatment that will contribute to the transition of a dry cough to a wet one and get rid of sputum.

• Mucolytics are used to thin sputum.
• Expectorants make coughing stronger so that thin sputum comes out;
• Calming reduce cough activity, used for dry cough.

No. 5. What diseases does coughing signify?

Acute cough occurs in respiratory diseases, acute bronchitis, pneumonia, pharyngitis. Chronic cough can be both the cause of an untreated disease and its complications, and the result of very dangerous diseases in the body: lung tumors, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, heart failure. It’s better not to wait until it gets really bad and not to hope that “first aid” with folk remedies or self-appointment will absolutely help. It can help, but it can lead to disastrous consequences.

No.6. The main mistakes in the treatment of cough

• Drink mucolytic (expectorants) when there is no sputum. Such preparations will simply “break” dry bronchi.
• Use cough suppressants (eg butamirate based) when the cough is wet. If there is sputum, it must be removed, and this can only be done with the help of a cough.
• Do warm-ups, rubbing during the acute period. Any physiotherapy is possible only when the disease has receded.

Improper treatment of even a beginning cough can lead to the development of pneumonia, so cough should be treated only as directed by a doctor.

No. 7. Bonus: Traditional cough medicine

If you still decide to first try to cope with the disease yourself, then here’s how you can try to do it:

• Herbal preparations . With tracheitis, tracheobronchitis, bronchitis and pneumonia, herbal preparations are used, from which special infusions are prepared.
• Cough drinks . With laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, anti-cough drinks help very well: a drink from figs, milk with Borjomi and mineral water with mukaltin. They are able to remove the infection and turn a dry cough into a wet one.
• Inhalation . Inhalations with propolis, asterisk balsam, chlorophyllipt, sage, fir essential oil are excellent in fighting infection. At elevated temperatures, inhalation should not be done.
• Black radish with honey . This drug is great for coughing. You need to take one black radish, cut out the core and pour honey into it, then let it brew overnight. In the morning, drain the honey and drink it on an empty stomach.
• Drinking . Drinking plenty of water is just a necessity for colds. Suitable fruit drinks, rosehip broth, mousses, herbal decoctions, warm milk with honey.
• Leg soaring . The connection between the lower extremities and the upper respiratory tract is known and proven. With hypothermia of the legs, a spasm of blood vessels in the upper respiratory tract reflexively occurs. However, this connection can be successfully applied to the treatment of colds, applying rubbing or hot foot baths. It is good to add dry mustard to the water. After the procedure, you must wear warm socks.

causes, types of cough, treatment of cough in an adult

Published: February 02

Updated: June 10

Reading time: 4 minutes

Cough is the body’s defense response to irritation of receptors. The function of a cough is to free the airways from sputum, mucus, pus or blood, from smoke, foreign bodies such as dust or food particles. In addition, cough – reflex, and not consciously caused – is assessed during a medical examination, since it is always a symptom of a pathology, and not a separate disease. The timbre of cough (barking, sonorous, silent, etc.), the time of its occurrence (day, evening, night or morning) and other features help the doctor in making a diagnosis.

At the same time, a cough, even a mild one, worsens the quality of life: it causes a feeling of discomfort in public spaces, interferes with work and rest. Severe attacks irritate the mucous membrane of the larynx and vocal cords, can provoke hemorrhages, vomiting, headaches, suffocation. Therefore, along with the main therapy, symptomatic treatment of cough is carried out.

Causes of cough in adults

There are many diseases that can be symptomatic of cough. And not all of them affect the respiratory system. Cough reflex receptors are located not only in the nose, larynx, trachea, bronchi, but also outside the respiratory tract (in the ear canals, stomach, pericardium), and the cough center itself is located in the brain. Therefore, a cough may indicate:

• disorders in the nervous and cardiovascular systems;
• presence of pathology in the gastric tract;
• diseases of ENT organs.

Cough can also be a side effect of medications, caused by exposure to toxic substances. But the most common causes of cough are acute respiratory infections (ARI), including those caused by viruses (ARVI). Mild forms of such diseases are usually denoted by the word “cold”.

How to choose a cough remedy for a cold

First of all, treatment should be aimed at combating the cause of the cough, that is, the cold. Cough suppressants are used to relieve the patient’s condition, and are usually selected according to the nature of sputum production. According to this criterion, cough can be divided into two types: non-productive (dry cough without sputum) and productive (wet with sputum).

• The dry cough associated with the acute phase of the common cold is due to irritation of the respiratory tract due to viral inflammation. In this case, a plentiful warm drink, lozenges for resorption are used, in the case of an obsessive paroxysmal cough, the doctor may prescribe funds aimed at reducing the cough reflex.
• Wet cough with a cold appears with a further course of a respiratory disease. At this stage, drugs are used that facilitate the removal of sputum and help clear the airways faster.

Let us emphasize once again that a cold is a common, but not the only, cause of coughing. For the diagnosis of the disease and the correct selection of drugs, it is necessary to consult a doctor, especially if the cough in an adult is prolonged, that is, it does not take more than eight weeks, dry and without fever.

What types of coughs Rengalin helps with

Rengalin contains components for the treatment of both dry and wet coughs. Such a complex preparation can be used at all stages of a cold. This is convenient because you do not need to track the nature of the cough in order to replace the antitussive with a mucolytic or expectorant drug. Rengalin is also indicated for coughing, which is a symptom of non-colds, including allergic respiratory diseases. The drug relieves cough attacks, has anti-allergic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effects.

How to drink Rengalin for adults, and how long the treatment should last, is determined by the doctor. Standard scheme: 1-2 tablespoons of the solution or 1-2 tablets three times a day. Before use, you must carefully read the instructions for the drug.

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