Cough What Is a Cough? a Cough Is a Reaction Or Reflex
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AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY PATIENT HEALTH SERIES Cough What is a cough? A cough is a reaction or reflex. Coughing helps keep things out of your lungs and clears things that are not suppose to be in your lungs. Why do I cough? You usually cough because you are trying to get mucous (phlegm), in- fection, specs of dust (or other things inhaled from the air), out of your lungs. Other things like cold air can also cause some people to cough. Author: What causes me to cough? getting it is to make sure to wash your Irene Permut, MD, Aditi Satti, MD, You cough when your cough receptors hands often. If someone is coughing around on behalf of the Clinical become irritated. You have cough receptors you, ask them to cover their mouth when Problems Assembly in your main breathing tubes (airways) and they cough. You should also stay away from things www.thoracic.org your smaller airways. You also have cough ATS Patient Health Series receptors in your throat, diaphragm (the that can irritate your lungs and cause you ©2011 American Thoracic Society large muscle between the abdomen and to cough. Things that can irritate your lungs lungs) and your stomach. These receptors are: protect your lungs. ■ air pollution ■ things that give you allergies Why does some coughing last a ■ smoking really long time and other times ■ being exposed to smoke from others for only a short time? ■ cold air How long you have a cough depends on what is causing the cough. You may have How is a cough treated? a cough that lasts just a couple of days How your cough is treated depends on or a cough that troubles you for many what is causing your cough. For example, weeks. A cough that lasts for just a week if your cough is caused by asthma, then or so is usually from a cold, flu, sinus or taking your asthma medicines should help minor lung infection. If your cough lasts your cough. If your cough is caused by a more than a couple of weeks, it can be bacterial infection, then antibiotics from from post nasal drip, heartburn, asthma, your health care provider may be needed. medications or something more serious such as a lung tumor. You should see your When should I talk to my health care provider for a cough that lasts health care provider about a long time. my cough? Contact your health care provider if your Can I give my cough to cough: someone else or “catch” a ■ lasts for more than a few weeks cough from someone? ■ has blood in it A cough from a lung infection (like a cold ■ comes on at about the same time that or the flu) can be spread to someone you start to sweat when you sleep else so you can catch it. You cannot get (night sweats), lose weight, or have a (or spread) asthma, allergies, heartburn, fever chronic bronchitis, or a lung tumor. If you are not sure if you can spread your ■ comes on about the time it is hard for cough, it is always best to think that you you to breathe can spread it, and cover your mouth when ■ is worse at night coughing. If someone is contagious with ■ is from allergies the flu or a cold, the best way to keep from ■ comes on when you have heartburn.