As soon as the weather cools, the number of people with colds increases. Perhaps the most common symptom that troubles you with a cold is a cough. Although we tend to look at this ailment through our fingers, according to specialists it can signal more serious disorders. When should you be concerned?

A cough appears when various foreign bodies and dust get into the airways; by coughing, these foreign bodies are removed. The cough reflex is caused by receptors in the trachea or irritation of the bronchi. 

Different coughs.

Firstly, according to our clinic's specialists, you should clarify what kind of cough is troubling you. A cough can be all sorts – dry, wet, intense or infrequent, spasmodic or in fits. There's no single medicine that treats all types of cough, so it's very important to clarify what kind of cough is troubling you. 

When you have a cold and start coughing, it's especially important to distinguish a dry cough from a wet cough, because its treatment will depend on that. Most often, at the start of a cold the cough is always dry, but with proper treatment you start coughing things up as early as the 3rd day of illness.

If you cough up a lot of runny phlegm – that's a wet cough, and if the phlegm is thick and there's a small amount – the cough is deep. A wet cough is perhaps the main sign of recovery, because with the phlegm coughed up, the agents of respiratory diseases and secretions are removed too.

With a wet cough, expectorant medicines are often prescribed that improve the removal of bronchial secretions from the airways. 

Why do you cough constantly?

Coughing is caused not only by illnesses but also by smoking. Constant tobacco smoke damages the upper and deep airways. A patient can start to be troubled by a constant cough lasting months or even years. This is the main symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

A cough is also caused by allergies to pollen, pets, house dust mites, mould and so on.

How long does a cough last?

An acute cough usually lasts up to 3 weeks. A cough is considered prolonged when it lasts 3–8 weeks. A chronic cough lasts up to 8 weeks. The duration of such a cough gives away possible asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and, in rarer cases, cancers.

How to help yourself?

When a cough isn't prolonged and there's no temperature or it's only slightly raised, you can treat yourself at home. On the contrary, if the cough is dry, you need to intensively moisten the oral mucous membrane. You can do this by drinking a lot of water and teas and doing steam inhalations, which will help you cough things up.

At night you can also rub the back and chest with an ointment containing menthol and pine essential oil, or put on a warmed cherry-stone or salt pad. This pad will pleasantly warm the chest and soothe the cough. 

To avoid a cough, we recommend walking in fresh air more often, resting enough, eating a full diet and taking vitamins. Still, if a cough troubles you for some time, come and check your health at AND klinika!