Symptoms of chronic cough

Cough is a reflex caused by stimulation along the lining of nose, throat, voice box or lungs and it is considered to be a defense mechanism of the body although repeated coughing can also be exhausting to a lot of people and is generally a sign to consult a doctor in severe cases. In this article we will be briefly discussing about the type of coughs, their causes and ways to treat them. Coughs can mainly be classified into two types, one caused by the infections and the other is Allergic cough (coughing caused because of an allergen).

Coughs which are caused by allergies are generally because of our lifestyle and the environment we live in. Allergies occur when our body does not accept a particular substance and starts treating it like a foreign body and the common and the most easily visible allergic reactions are rashes and coughing; although both of them can have severe and painful effects in some cases.  Some of the causes of Allergic cough are house dust mites, inhalants, food and pollution.

Apart from these some other common allergens are trees, pollen, animal fur, mold and insects. Allergy shots are usually helpful in reducing the sensitivity of the allergens. Allergic cough are usually short term and they don’t last long if treated immediately, it is the discomfort they cause in breathing that causes distress among the patients. This can be prevented by having anti-allergic shots and also having the knowledge about the type of foods or surrounding that cause allergies in the first place.

The other type of cough is caused by infections and this type usually lasts for several weeks and also months in few cases and is chronic in nature. They cause respiratory distress and often make the person feel very exhausted and sleepless as the result of which they might feel tired all the time. This type of cough is usually persistent in adults who smoke and have a tough and unhealthy working environment.   This in severe cases might cause headache, dizziness, excessive sweating, and loss of bladder control and also fractured ribs. Women tend to have more sensitive cough reflex and it is said that they are more likely to develop a chronic cough more than men. It is usually caused by bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and also lung cancer.