Coughs are usually associated with sickness, but not all coughs are inherently. Coughing clears your throat of foreign irritants. Sometimes, you need to cough to make breathing easier. A cough that lasts less than two weeks in adults is considered acute. If your cough lasts longer than eight weeks, it is considered to be chronic. Most coughs clear up or improve in about two weeks. Here are four different types of coughs and symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore.
Chesty Cough
This type of cough can make your chest feel heavy. It’s called a productive cough, because you may produce mucus when you cough. Generally speaking, chesty coughs are caused by viruses. It might be worse in the morning, because you probably didn’t cough at night. So, you have a lot of mucus that needs to be expelled when you wake up. Stay hydrated and use cough drops to soothe your throat. A decongestant spray may ease breathing. A warm salt water gargle can also help remove mucus and soothe your throat. If it lasts longer than three weeks or is accompanied by fever, difficulty breathing or discolored mucus, you may need to see your doctor.
Dry Coughs
A dry cough is non-productive. You may cough, but you won’t bring up mucus. A dry cough can be caused by many different things, asthma, smoking, allergies, medication, postnasal drip, viruses and more. Dry coughs are much more difficult to treat than chesty or productive coughs. Throat lozenges can soothe your throat. Hot drinks with honey are also good moisturizers. You may also want to add natural OTC cough meds for dry cough. If you aren’t sure about its cause, you should speak with a doctor. When a dry cough disrupts your life negatively, such as you can’t sleep, you may want to make an appointment with your health care provider.
Night Cough
When your cough gets worse at night or only happens at night, it could be symptomatic of a more serious issue. It could be acid reflux. When you are in your bed, the acidic contents of your stomach may travel back up your esophagus, making you cough. Asthma may worsen during the night. Some medications can make you cough at night or cause chronic coughs. A night cough can make you grumpy, because you need sleep to feel your best.
Choking Cough
A sudden coughing episode can indicate choking. It means a foreign body is present in your throat. Your body naturally responds by coughing. If the foreign body is small, like pollen or dirt, it should cough out fairly easy. Pieces of food that get caught in your windpipe can be hazardous. If you are around others, grab your throat with one or both hands to symbol choking. If you are alone, try to cough even stronger, because the item can often dislodge on its own.
Coughs Can Be Annoying, But They Are Symptoms of Something Wrong With Your Body
Whether it’s flu, a cold or another issue, don’t ignore your cough for too long. Try Brillia Health natural flu medicine over the counter alleviate an acute cough.
