Cough – causes, side effects and treatments at NaturalPedia.com

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 by Michelle Simmons

A cough is a reflex that keeps the throat and airways clear. Coughing helps the body heal or protect itself, although it can be irritating or distracting. A cough can be acute or chronic. Acute coughs start suddenly and typically last up to two to three weeks. Chronic cough can be caused by chronic bronchitis, asthma, allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), smoking, throat disorders, and some medicines. Other causes of coughing, both chronic and acute, are acute sinusitis, bronchiectasis, bronchiolitis, choking, croup, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, heart failure, laryngitis, lung cancer, neuromuscular diseases, such as Parkinson’s, respiratory syncytial (RSV), and tuberculosis.

Known side effects of cough

Coughs have several known side effects, which include a runny nose or nasal congestion, headache, or postnasal drip from sinus inflammation or chronic sinusitis, cold, or flu; wheezing due to asthma; heartburn because of GERD; fever, chills, night sweats due to bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, or other lung infection; chest pain, shortness of breath, or swelling of the legs from fluid retention called edema because of congestive heart failure.

Body systems harmed by cough

The main body system that is harmed by cough is the respiratory system as it mostly affects the respiratory tract.

List of foods or nutrients that prevent cough

According to an article published on the website of Reader’s Digest, coughs can be treated or prevented by drinking thyme tea, drinking a mixture of flaxseeds, honey and lemon, brewing black pepper tea, sucking a lemon or adding some of it in your drinking water, drinking warm milk, and blending almonds and adding it to a cup of orange juice. Aside from honey, other treatments for cough include probiotics, bromelain, peppermint, marshmallow, and salt and water gargle. Other food and nutrients that can prevent or treat cough include turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion, and hot milk with honey, according to an entry published on the website Top10HomeRemedies.com.

Treatments, management plans for cough

Most coughs lasts up to three weeks, and usually go away on their own. There are several treatment plans for cough, according to an article published on the website of the National Health Service in the U.K., which include having enough rest, drinking a lot of fluids, and drinking hot lemon with honey, which has the same effect as cough medicines. According to an entry published on the website Patient.info, other treatments include zinc supplements, vitamin C, vitamin D, and other herbal remedies.

Where to learn more

Summary

Cough, which can either be acute or chronic, is the reflex that keeps the throat and airways clear.

Cough causes a runny nose or nasal congestion, headache, postnasal drip, cold, or flu, wheezing, heartburn, fever, chills, night sweats, chest pain, shortness of breath, or swelling of the legs.

Cough mainly harms the respiratory system.

The foods and nutrients that can help prevent and/or treat cough include thyme, flaxseeds, honey, lemon, black pepper, warm milk, orange juice with blended almonds, probiotics, bromelain, peppermint, marshmallow, salt and water gargle, turmeric, ginger, onion, and hot milk with honey.

Cough can be treated by having adequate rest, drinking lots of fluids, drinking hot lemon with honey, taking supplements of zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

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