Types Of Coughs

Cough is a commonly seen health condition and although it becomes troublesome, it is, in fact, a reflex which keeps a person’s throat and air passages clear of mucus, irritants such as foreign particles and microbes. Coughing occurs in mainly three phases. Inhalation is followed by a forceful exhalation and a consequent violent release of air from the lungs with the opening of glottis. Usually accompanied by a distinctive sound, cough can be voluntary as well as involuntary. If one is found coughing frequently, it might indicate the presence of a disease. So, instead of suppressing it with cough suppressants, it is advisable to consult the doctor to avoid further complications. This article entails a list of different types of coughs one might suffer from.

 

 

Considered to be a symptom of chest congestion, chesty cough is another common category of cough. A person suffering from cold or influenza usually suffers from chesty cough, which contains a lot of phlegm. This cough is said to be useful since it coughs out the phlegm from the chest, lungs and air passages of the excess mucus. If the phlegm continues to remain in the chest, it can lead to high fever as well as vomiting. Usually, physicians suggest an expectorant in this case, which thins down the phlegm and makes coughing it up simpler.  

This category of cough is caused by a bacterial infection and is highly contagious. Commonly prevalent among children, whooping cough is characterized by a long spell of coughing in which the sufferer cannot breathe adequately. At times, the coughing becomes so intense that it leads to dry heaving or vomiting and in extreme cases causes the blood vessels of the eye to break.

 

Chronic cough is mostly seen in people suffering from certain health conditions such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or bronchitis. In such a case, a person coughs involuntarily and this is said to be the body’s response to inflamed or blocked air passages. It is also the body’s own mechanism to exchange oxygen. Chronic cough differs according to the health condition that the person is suffering. For instance, if a person is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the cough may be dry and raspy, while in case of cystic fibrosis, the cough may be full of phlegm.

 

A person suffering from asthma generally experiences a dry, non-productive cough, which is usually accompanied by a wheeze or crackling sound. Even in case of allergy, which is caused due to the constriction of air passages by pollutants such as pollen, cigarette smoke, animal dander or products with a strong fragrance, one experiences coughing spells similar to asthma. Asthma as well as allergy can be cured by an inhaler or long-term treatment, with the help of corticosteroids.  

 

When a person is suffering from common cold or influenza, he first experiences a spell of non-productive cough followed by a productive one. First, the viruses invade the lung, and the lining of the respiratory tract is impaired. The mucus secretion gets affected and now the mucus becomes stickier and clings to the lungs. It cannot be detached easily and coughing can become quite exhausting. With the cold getting progressive, mucus production increases and the non-productive cough starts getting productive.