Different types of Coughs and treatments

Different types of coughs and treatments


Coughing is a natural and useful reflex by our body and helps to clear our airways from harmful substances. Therefore, coughing itself is not bad at all, it is rather an important mechanism. However, it can get annoying and even problematic if you suffer from a bad cough or from coughing fits that won´t stop. Very frequent and prolonged coughing attacks can put a strain on the lung tissue. Here you can find out more about coughing and what you can do to manage it.

Causes of cough

A cough is a symptom and not a respiratory condition itself. A cough can be caused by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria or by irritants such as dust, dry air, or allergens. Also, cigarette smoke can cause coughing and in the long run chronic bronchitis or COPD.

A chronic (long term) cough can also be caused by chronic respiratory diseases such as:

Types of coughs

There are different types of coughs, and it is important to differentiate between them to know how to manage a cough. A cough usually clears up within three to four weeks and it therefore doesn’t need treatment. However, within these three to four weeks it can get very annoying and there are things you can try to manage it.

There are different ways to classify a cough. The first one would be to classify it by the cause: allergic cough, sickness with cough, viral cough or bacterial cough. It's also important to look at how long the cough lasts for. Is it persistent? Does it ever go away? It would of course be best to avoid the cause such as the allergen for allergic cough or the viruses themselves for viral coughs. However, this is not always possible.

For managing a cough, it is useful to differentiate the two types of coughs:

  • cough with mucus / phlegm
  • dry cough (tickly cough)

Dry cough management

A dry cough feels tickly without coughing up phlegm. The reasons can be varied such as dry air, dust, air pollution or sensitive airways after a viral infection. In some cases, it can also be caused if people need to speak a lot or are in dry cold air. With dry coughing our mucosa is too dry and the natural defense mechanism of our airways – mucociliary clearance – is impaired. The body tries to solve this problem by coughing fits which feel tickly.

Managing a dry cough at best involves moisturising the airways. Use isotonic saline inhalation solution with a nebuliser for this. Isotonic saline has the same salt concentration (0.9 % Sodium Chloride) as our body fluids. It moisturises the mucosa and thus regenerates the mucociliary clearance. Use isotonic saline two to four times a day to manage a dry cough. Isotonic saline doesn’t have any known side effects and has no interactions with other medications.

Manage cough with phlegm

If you are coughing up phlegm (mucus), you suffer from a so-called productive cough. Most often the cause is a virus and sometimes a chronic respiratory condition. If you have a chronic condition, you should always speak to a doctor about managing the cough.

For an acute cough with phlegm, you can inhale hypertonic saline solution with a nebuliser. The hypertonic saline helps to thin the mucus, and this makes it easier to cough it up. To manage a cough with phlegm, use hypertonic saline with a nebuliser two to four times a day.

Medical treatments for cough

If you are considering medical treatment to relieve a cough, you should talk to a pharmacist. As the NHS states: “the effect of cough medicines is limited and hot lemon with honey has similar effects”1. Note: Some cough medicines and cough syrups contain alcohol and are not safe for children. Also, honey is not safe for children younger than 12 months as it can contain bacteria which can be toxic to children 2.

Nebuliser for cough

A nebuliser delivers saline solutions and other active agents directly to the airways. Therefore, they deliver the fine mist to where it is needed when you have a cough. Please note that inhaling saline solution is only possible with a nebuliser as it cannot be inhaled via hot steam. The boiling temperature of salt is much higher than that of water therefore, only the water evaporates.

When to see a doctor

Usually, you don’t need to consult a doctor with a cough as it clears up within three weeks 1. However, you should see a doctor if you experience the following accompanying symptoms:

  • Fever: A persistent cough with a high fever could signify a significant infection.
  • Shortness of Breath or Wheezing: These symptoms may indicate asthma, pneumonia, or other serious respiratory conditions.
  • Chest Pain: Persistent or sharp chest pain accompanying a cough should be evaluated immediately.
  • Blood in Sputum: Coughing up blood can be a sign of serious conditions like lung cancer or pulmonary embolism and requires prompt medical attention.
  • Night Sweats or Weight Loss: These symptoms, along with a chronic cough, may suggest tuberculosis or other serious illnesses.
  • Difficulty Breathing or Swallowing: These severe symptoms necessitate immediate medical care.

How to prevent a cough

Of course, it would always be better to prevent a condition rather than treating it. However, coughing is an important mechanism and is just the reaction to something that the body wants to get rid of. Therefore, you can try to avoid the triggers for coughing. With an allergic cough you could theoretically avoid the allergen. However, some airborn allergens such as pollen are hard to avoid completely. It is also hard to completely avoid viruses.

There are however some things you could do to reduce the risk for a cough:

  • Avoid close contact with people who have cold symptoms.
  • Don't smoke tobacco.
  • Inhale saline solution with a nebuliser once a day during the winter season to keep your airways moist.

Conclusion

Coughing is a natural reflex of our body rather than a symptom of an illness itself. Usually, a cough ends within three to four weeks and doesn’t need treatment. However, it can be very unpleasant and there are things you can do to manage a cough. For managing a dry cough, you can inhale isotonic saline with a nebuliser to moisturise your airways and help to recover faster. For a cough with phlegm you can inhale hypertonic saline as this thins your mucus and makes it easier to cough it up. If you suffer from a persistent cough that lingers for more than three weeks, or if it is very bad, you should speak to a doctor.

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