What can cough speak about?

Coughing is a symptom that we often do not attach much importance to. And the truth is, in most cases, the cough goes by itself after a few days, and we forget about it safely. However, there are cases when coughing is not so "harmless" and can be a signal of our body about the presence of a serious disease. Let's look at what causes a cough can be caused and how to deal with it.

First of all, one must understand that cough is a protective reflex of the body, which arises in response to irritation of the larynx and upper respiratory tract. Irritation can be caused by bacterial, chemical and mechanical factors. Thus, a simple cough can occur not only with a cold, but also with such serious diseases as pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis and even lung cancer. The question is how to determine the causes of cough and choose the right treatment.

Types of cough

Depending on the symptoms, a moist and dry cough (or productive and unproductive, respectively) is distinguished:

• A wet cough is accompanied by the release of phlegm. This type of cough is most often a symptom of colds, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, tuberculosis. Separation of sputum in these cases is caused by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs or other respiratory tract. For different diseases, a different color and structure of sputum is characteristic. For example, purulent discharge is a sign of bacterial infections, and rusty sputum appears in heart failure.
• Dry cough , also known as barking, is more likely to develop in response to exposure to irritants and allergens such as smoke or dust. At the same time, some colds can also be accompanied by a dry cough. If the symptom is worse at night, this may be a sign of bronchospasm or heart failure. A prolonged dry cough is also one of the symptoms of bronchial asthma.

As you can see, most causes of coughing are not so harmless. Therefore, do not put up with this symptom for a long time and if the cough lasts more than 5-7 days - contact a doctor.

How to treat a cough?

Because cough is a protective reflex of the body, it should not be suppressed, since it helps clear the airways. Instead, it is necessary to find out and cure its cause.

As you may have guessed, the cough treatment depends on what is its cause. Since there are a large number of diseases that can cause cough, the treatment should be prescribed by a doctor after this disease is diagnosed. Here are just some general recommendations on how to cure a particular type of cough:

• Antibiotics are used only in cases when a cough is caused by a bacterial infection.
• Medicines known as mucolytics are used to relieve cough and stimulate expectoration.
• Quite effectively help to cope with the inhalation cough.
• With a dry cough, it is necessary to drink about 1.5 liters of water a day to dilute sputum.

It is important to understand that cough treatment should be carried out in conjunction with the treatment of the underlying disease, since the mere suppression of this symptom will not cure you of the disease. Moreover, even if the cough is caused by a "non-serious" disease, without timely treatment, it can go into chronic form or lead to serious complications.