Health Network News

Coughing is often accompanied with flu and common cold, and results in soreness in throat and sometimes even acute pain. It is important to seek proper medical help and treat it appropriately.

The defence mechanism of the body causes coughs to clear the passage of air in the throat which prevents proper flow of air to the lungs. They not just happen because of physical problems and ailments but also can be triggered because of psychological problems. Cough caused due to physical problems are normally either allergic in nature, caused by external pollutants or other agents, or a symptom of some ailment the person is suffering from. The latter is a habit of sneezing or coughing in a person without any concrete physical reason, and it is called ‘habitual coughing’ or Streruphilia in medical parlance.

Cough can many times be acute or chronic, based on its typical nature and on the basis of the span for which it continues and its intensity. Painful and persistent coughs which remain for less than three weeks can be due to either infectious or non-infectious diseases. While conditions like pneumonia and sinus infections result in acute cough, chronic coughs are normally a result of problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

Consulting a good physician is essential to get to the underlying cause of the problem and taking suitable treatment to get well again. Physicians prescribe many types of medicines to control the coughing symptoms and pain like antihistamines, antibiotics and other suppressants. In some cases, particularly chronic ailments, the cough treatment can last for long durations, even months, to fully cure or control the problem.

Like with all physical ailments, it is always more sensible to take precautionary measures to avoid cough rather than having to deal with it later by undergoing prolonged treatment. A healthy lifestyle can protect you from cough related problems and for that you must give up smoking and take a proper, balanced diet.