Cough: Identify the cause and choose the right treatment

The cough reflex is a natural, perfectly healthy reaction to convey debris, dust, smoke, accumulated secretions or germs from the respiratory tract. However, persistent cough indicates an infection, allergy or over-stimulation of the respiratory tract. Up to eliminate the cause cough can torment, pain and prepare awake at night.

Basically it can be distinguished “productive cough” dry cough. The productive cough cleans the airways of foreign material or mucus. The latter is not only a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, he glued the respiratory tract. The causes may:

• Foreign bodies, dust, fumes that irritate the respiratory tract or even spasm can.
• Colds, inflamed with increased secretion and production, swollen mucous membranes associated.
• Allergic reactions that often have very similar consequences. mucous membranes swell, it is distributed more secretions.

Dry cough, however, has no sound, liberating function: An inflammatory, mechanical or allergic stimulus, but also chronically dry, stressed mucous always loosen from new attacks of coughing, which are just as painful as it was exhausting and the already sore throat or pharynx or the irritated bronchial always straining again.

Colds cough effectively treat.

A cough may have diverse causes. Have cold pathogen fixed in the respiratory tract, mucous membranes are inflamed, sore throat and larynx, often the voice hoarse. Whether bacterial or viral cold, all home remedies and medications that usually grab here, move and coughing to body:

• Moist warm compresses to the neck or chest pack.
• Tea , sweetened with honey if necessary. Basically, proper hydration.
• Gargling with sage, salt water or disinfectant, astringent preparations from the pharmacy.
• Keeping moist mucous membranes through inhalation and lozenges.
• Warmth and rest, which being adapted.

Often it is recommended to apply at night antitussive preparations so that the coughing not lose sleep and therefore compromise the recovery of the immune system. During the day care mucolytics that the patient can cough up secretions from the bronchial tubes and lungs.

Cough and severe symptoms.

Persistent cough, coupled with fever or even painful breathing, is a case for the doctor. Here it is important to clarify the causes and targeted for treatment. Possible examples:

• Laryngitis, characterized by unproductive, heavy and painful cough. Here especially the ignition must be counteracted massively.
• Whooping cough: Adults can also be infected! The persistent cough attacks increase in part to the shortness of breath. A reliable diagnosis is often only possible through a blood test.
• Painful cough and yellowish to reddish discharge: here eventually announces pneumonia on, the administration of antibiotics is necessary .
• Asthma and Allergies: Besides the identification and avoidance of triggers help here often inhalers, sprays and antispasmodic lung coach .