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- What is a cough?
- What are the type of cough?
- What are the causes of cough?
- How we can prevent from cough?
- How is Cough Spread?
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1.What is a cough?
A cough is a sudden, violent expulsion of air from the chest in response to an irritation in the airway. Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean you have an underlying disease or disorder.
A cough is simply a symptom and not a disease and is a sudden, often repetitive, spasmodic contraction of the thoracic cavity, resulting in violent release of air from the lungs, and usually accompanied by a distinctive sound.
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2. What are the type of cough?
There are three main types of cough:
1) Productive Coughs - is the one which has been present for more than 3 weeks. This may be caused by breathing in dust particles in the air or when a piece of food goes down the wrong way. In this type of cough generally there is a production of phlegm or mucous from the lungs. Mostly it occurs due to viral or bacterial infection and chronic in nature.
2) Non-Productive Coughs - is the one that has been present for less than 3 weeks. This cough is usually dry, tickling and irritating and the onset is acute. It does not produce any mucous or phlegm.
3) Cough due to Cold/Flu – In common cold and flu there are often two phases: First a non productive or less productive cough and in second phase dry cough become productive cough.
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3. What are the causes of cough?
Besides “the common cold” and flu, other common causes of coughs include
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Gastric reflux or heartburn |
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Bronchitis & Pneumonia (lung Function) |
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Emphysema (obstructive lung disease) |
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Smoking cigarettes or exposure to secondhand smoke |
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Lung cancer or metastases (cancer spread to lungs) |
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Congestive heart failure |
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Chronic Pulmonary Infection |
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4. How we can prevent from cough?
- Don't smoke and stay away from secondhand smoke.
- If you have seasonal allergies like hay fever, stay indoors during days when airborne allergens are high. If possible, keep the windows closed and use an air conditioner. Avoid fans that draw in air from outdoors. Shower and change your clothes after being outside.
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If you have allergies year round, cover your pillows and mattress with dust mite covers, use an air purifier, and avoid pets and other triggers.
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5. How is Cough Spread?
Cough is a highly contagious disease of the respiratory system. And it can be easily spread through infected droplets coming from infected person's cough. That is why it is advised to the person suffering from cough, to keep his hand or hanky on mouth while coughing.
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