A cough is a natural protective reflex to keep your airways safe and clean. However, the cough may also develop due to viral infections. Before jumping into the causes of cough, cough is classified based on the duration for which it stays.
1) Acute cough:
It stays for less than 3 weeks
An acute cough is caused due to upper respiratory tract viral infection, also commonly known as the “common cold”, and inflammation of bronchitis also called acute bronchitis.
Other causes of acute cough include
- The acute occurrence of COPD
- Allergic rhinitis
- Asthma
- CHF (Congestive Heart Failure)
- Pulmonary embolism
Read more – Tips to prevent asthma attacks
2) Subacute cough
It lasts for 3–8 weeks
SubAcute Cough is caused due to continuous irritation of receptors during the inflammation due to the common cold.
3) Chronic cough
It lasts for more than 8 weeks
Chronic cough can be diagnosed and treated well by a specialist like a pulmonologist.
Causes for chronic cough include
- Upper respiratory tract syndrome
- GERD
- Chronic bronchitis
- Non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis
- Intolerance to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor medication
- Chronic sinusitis
- psychosomatic cough
- obstructive sleep apnea
Read more – Sleep apnea symptoms and causes
Symptoms of cough
- Cough
- Wheezing
- Breathing difficulty
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Stuffy nose sneezing
- Hoarse voice
- Lost Voice
- Ear pain
Read more– Home remedies for sore throat
Treatment for Cough
The treatment of coughs is aimed at reducing symptoms. Symptomatic treatment is done through OTC & cold medicines. The two classes of drugs used to treat cough are suppressants and expectorants. Suppressants are used in dry coughs to calm an irritated throat. While expectorants are used to expel excess mucus accumulated in the airways. As discussed earlier, cough is a protective reflex, it should not be stopped abruptly, and maximum care should be taken to prevent this “natural reflex”.
If an infection is suspected, then a sputum culture and antibiotic therapy should be commenced. Amoxicillin/clavulanate 875 mg/ daily two times for 3 – 6 weeks is the first treatment line.
Other alternative medicines which are used include
- Clindamycin 300 mg by mouth 3 times a day for 3–6 weeks
- Cefuroxime 500 mg 2 times a day for 3–6 weeks
- Cefprozil 500 mg 2 times a day for 3–6 weeks
- Clarithromycin 500 mg 2 times a day for 3–6 weeks
Cough Medicine
Cough Tablets
Tablets, capsules, caplets, and gel are not the most desired dosage form. The time for action is longer for solid dosage than for liquid dosage forms. The liquid dosage gives a soothing effect that cannot be had in the solid dosage form. Even though solid dosage has a few shortcomings, it is still the preferred form for cough treatment when travelling.
Ex: Solvin Cold
Cough syrup
The syrup is an ideal form of medicine for cough. The main advantage of syrups is its soothing effect on the throat. The medicine coats the throat inside and relieves irritation and cough.
Ex: CoughSee, Coughrow
Cough Suppressants
Cough suppressants are indicated in dry cough. The dry cough has to be stopped or suppressed to heal the throat. Therefore, the name cough suppressants. Suppressants are effective against scarring in the throat.
Ex: Coughex
Types of cough:
There are two types of cough
a) Productive cough:
It is due to excessive airway secretions. It is also called a wet cough. Wet coughs are treated with expectorants.
b) Non-productive cough:
The non-productive cough does not have secretions so it’s a dry cough. It is due to an irritant. Dry coughs are treated with cough suppressants.
Sounds of a cough
Cough Sounds depend on the type of cough; it may sound like
- Barking sound
- Sniffle
- Sniff
- Hiccup
- Sneeze
- Snort
All the cough sounds can be separated into three to four phases. Cough sounds are essential in the diagnosis and applying proper treatment.
Conclusion
The cough is a common ailment that usually lasts for a week or so. And many quick treatments can help if the problem persists. It’s due to some serious underlying problem. Precautions and care solve the issue to a great extent. Consult a doctor or your family physician if symptoms persist longer than usual. Avail teleconsultation from our expert doctors on our online pharmacy when you place an order for medicines, or you can also download our Truemeds app to do the same. Get branded and generic medication by uploading your prescription on True Meds. When placing an order for medicines online, you may save more money by selecting alternative or generic medicine advised by Truemed’s expert doctors. And also, save up to 72% on your purchase and get free home delivery pan India.
Disclaimer– Truemeds’ sole intention is to ensure that customers have access to information that is accurate & trustworthy. However, the information here should not be used directly and it cannot act as a substitute for the advice of a doctor. The information provided is only to stay informed. The information on side effects, drug interactions or warnings, and alerts are not exhaustive. Please consult your doctor for the right advice on diseases & medication information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cough syrups do not cause the acidity seen during coughing. The cough and acidity conditions in patients are caused by the excess liquids inside the body and can be alleviated with appropriate acidity medicine.
Cough suppressants work by calming the dry throat. They work by stopping the brain reflex in the brain. It just tells the brain to stop coughing, but the same issue is inside the lungs.
Reference:-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493221/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9804079/
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