Whether you have a wet cough or dry dough, dealing with the symptoms can disrupt your everyday life. Some coughs are persistent and last for several weeks, while others come on suddenly as intense coughing fits but quickly cease. Determining the origin of your symptoms can help you find the appropriate treatment, and you can study these passages for a broad overview of the types of coughs and available treatments.
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What Does My Cough Mean?
When you cough, your body is expelling an irritant. The nervous system detects a problem or blockage in your airways and sends a warning to your brain. Then, the brain instructs the abdomen and chest to release a burst of air to expel the irritant. Coughing is a reflexive response that protects your body from foreign particulates and other irritants such as pollen, mold, dust, mucus, and smoke.
Since coughing can be related to several medical conditions and illnesses, it’s vital to take notes about the severity of the cough, the duration of symptoms, any accompanying symptoms, and the type of cough. When you examine the wet vs dry cough factors, you’ll have a better idea of your treatment options.
Wet vs Dry Cough
Determining whether you have a wet or dry cough isn’t tricky when you listen to the sound of the cough and the feeling in the back of your throat.
Wet Coughs
Also considered as productive coughs, wet coughs expel mucus and feel wet on your throat. The most common reasons for wet coughs are the flu and common cold, and the coughing can last up to three weeks with acute cases and may last for a month or more with chronic symptoms. For less severe symptoms, you can treat your cough with Brillia cough control.
However, if your cough persists for multiple weeks, you should visit a doctor for a complete examination. A chronic wet cough can be a result of:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Pneumonia
Dry Coughs
When your cough feels dry and does not expel mucus, you have a dry cough. Like wet coughs, you can have dry coughs with additional cold and flu symptoms caused by a virus. After you recover, you may have a dry cough for several weeks after other symptoms have subsided. For adults, a temporary dry cough can be relieved by cough medicine and cough drops.
If you have an infant with a dry cough, a humidifier can help relieve the irritation, but you should not treat the condition with medication or cough drops. When a dry cough is a chronic condition, it can be caused by:
- Asthma
- Tonsillitis
- Allergic reactions
- GERD
- Reactions to medications
When you speak to a physician about a chronic dry cough, be sure to mention any additional symptoms and the duration of your coughing fits. After determining the cause, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics or other medications to fight off the symptoms. If your coughing is so severe that it causes breathing problems and vomiting, the doctor will check you for a bacterial infection like whooping cough. Antibiotics are typically prescribed to fight off bacterial infections.
Coughing fits are irritating and sometimes painful, but you can treat your cough properly when you understand the cause of the irritation. For over-the-counter medications to treat your cough, cold, or flu, you can visit a qualified online merchant.
