Basically, coughing is the way your body gets rid of an irritant. So when something irritates your throat or airway, your nervous system alerts your brain. The brain then responds by informing your chest and abdomen muscles to contract and expel a burst of air.
Therefore, a cough is a significant defensive reflex that can help protect your body from irritants such as smoke, allergens (mold, pollen, dust), and mucus.
But don’t be complacent. Coughing can also be a symptom of illnesses and conditions and its characteristics can give you a hint to its cause. It is crucial to learn and understand the key symptoms because some coughs go away on their own, while others require treatments such as asthma medical treatments.
Here are various types of cough and the conditions associated with them.
Wet Cough
When you cough up mucus or phlegm, that’s a wet cough or a productive cough. Its common causes are the flu or cold. They can come on slowly or quickly and you may experience them with other symptoms, such as fatigue, postnasal drip, and runny nose. Wet coughs sound wet because mucus is being pushed out of your respiratory system. Wet coughs can last less than three weeks or longer than eight weeks. Some conditions that can cause a wet cough include pneumonia, acute bronchitis, asthma, a cold or the flu, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Remedies for a wet cough
- saline drops
- cool-mist humidifier
- honey
- OTC cough and cold symptom-relieving medications
Dry Cough
If there is a wet cough, there is a dry one. And this is the exact opposite of the wet cough. A dry cough does not bring up mucus. You may experience having a tickle in the back of your throat triggering your cough reflex, producing hacking coughs. This type of cough is usually hard to manage and may present in long fits. People have dry coughs because there may be inflammation or irritation in their respiratory tract but no excess mucus to cough up. If you have a dry cough, it can usually be caused by upper respiratory infections like a cold or the flu. Other possible causes are sore throat, sinusitis, laryngitis, allergies, tonsillitis, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and exposure to irritants (pollution, dust, or smoke).
Dry cough is also one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19, along with fever and shortness of breath.
Remedies for a dry cough
- humidifier
- cough drops
- antibiotics
- antihistamines
- asthma medications
It is important to talk to your doctor to know the causes of your dry cough and get the proper treatment.
Paroxysmal Cough
This is a type of cough with intermittent attacks of uncontrollable coughing. A paroxysmal cough can make a person feel exhausted and in pain. People who have this type of cough may struggle to get a breath and may vomit. Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a bacterial infection that can cause violent coughing fits. When a person experiences cough attacks, his lungs release all the air they have, causing the person to inhale with a “whoop” sound. And this can be life-threatening for babies. For kids age two months and older, it is best to get vaccinated to avoid contracting pertussis.
Whooping cough often causes paroxysmal coughs. Other possible causes can be asthma, pneumonia, COPD, tuberculosis, and choking.
Remedies for a paroxysmal cough
Take natural and healthy natural lung supplements.
Supplements are very helpful in treating different types of cough. But be sure to be cautious in choosing a product. Opt for supplements that are natural, healthy, and effective. Luckily, Lignosus is here to help you get rid of that annoying sticky cough! This delicious and healthy powdered health supplement is meant to strengthen and improve lung functions, boost the immune system, and promote vitality. This is indeed a healthy way to treat coughs.
So say goodbye to that annoying phlegmy cough now. Let Lignosus™ help you and experience good respiratory health and an effective immune system!