Table of contents:
- Different types of coughs and how to treat them
- 1. Coughing up phlegm
- Symptoms
- Cause
- Treatment
- 2. Dry Cough
- Symptoms
- Cause
- Treatment
- 3. Coughing up blood
- Symptoms
- Cause
- Treatment
- 4. Whooping cough
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- 5. Chronic cough
- Cause
- Symptoms and treatment
Coughing is a common symptom that appears when there is a problem with the respiratory system. However, not all coughs are the same. Cough symptoms have different types depending on the disease causing them. Understanding the differences between each type of cough can help determine the right treatment for you. For that, let's understand the various types of coughs that are common below.
Different types of coughs and how to treat them
In fact, coughing is a normal natural response to anyone. Coughing is a form of defense for the body so that your airway is always clean and free of substances that can interfere with breathing.
However, if it doesn't go away, you must understand some unusual types of coughs and should be aware of.
1. Coughing up phlegm
A cough with phlegm generally causes a lump in your throat. This type of cough occurs due to the presence of phlegm or mucus that clots in the respiratory system. A cough with phlegm is also known as a productive cough because of the excess production of phlegm in the respiratory system.
Phlegm actually plays a role in supporting the work of the respiratory system, such as keeping the throat and lungs moist. Phlegm also functions to clean the tissue from foreign particles or harmful irritants.
Symptoms
As the name suggests, one of the main symptoms experienced by a cough with phlegm is coughing with phlegm. Sometimes, phlegm buildup in the lungs can be characterized by shortness of breath and chest tightness.
Other signs of a health complaint that can be caused by a cough with phlegm include:
- Itchy or sore throat
- Experiencing fatigue
- The body shivered
- Nasal congestion and mucus.
Cause
Excess sputum production is generally caused by viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. However, there are other biological events that contribute to the increased production of phlegm in the respiratory tract. In addition, this type of cough can also be a symptom of the appearance of other diseases.
The following are a number of diseases that cause cough with phlegm:
- Post-nasal drip
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Asthma
Treatment
To relieve a cough with phlegm, you can use cough medicine with phlegm that can be purchased at a pharmacy, natural cough medicine, or go to a doctor directly.
For the use of OTC cough medicines, you can choose drugs that contain expectorants that work to thin out phlegm.
Meanwhile, natural or home remedies that have been proven by effective research to cure a cough with phlegm are consuming 1/2 tablespoon of honey every night as long as the cough with phlegm lasts.
2. Dry Cough
In contrast to a cough with phlegm, a dry cough is not accompanied by excess mucus production so it is also known as a non-productive cough. This cough is generally worse at night. Different from other coughs, the frequency of coughing in this type of cough is indeed higher, which is also exacerbated by the burning sensation in the throat.
Symptoms
When experiencing this type of cough, usually the throat also feels sore when the breathing process takes place. The common symptoms of dry cough are also accompanied by other health problems which include:
- The throat feels itchy
- The voice turned hoarse
- Body temperature rises
- Experiencing fatigue
A number of other respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath and shortness of breath and a runny nose are commonly indicated with this type of cough. This condition can disappear at any time and reappear or continue continuously.
In addition, this type of cough can also be a sign of health problems that are not related to the respiratory system, such as GERD. The sufferer will usually feel pain in the chest and a burning feeling of nausea in the stomach (heartburn).
Cause
Viral infections of the respiratory tract are the main cause of dry cough. Pollution, dust, and contaminated air also play a big role in triggering allergies which in turn can cause dry coughs.
Likewise with increased stomach acid or GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), this condition can cause a person to experience a dry cough, heartburn, sore throat, and pain in the chest.
Treatment
Choose a drug from the antitussive class that contains dextrometorpan which helps suppress coughing so that the pain when coughing can be reduced.
Meanwhile, a natural remedy for this type of cough that you can apply at home is to use a humidifier to humidify the air in the room. Eating raw garlic directly to stop infections in the respiratory tract can also relieve dry cough.
3. Coughing up blood
Hemoptysis is another term for one type of cough, which is coughing up blood. The term indicates where the blood that is ejected when coughing comes from.
This blood can come from the lungs, throat, or nearby respiratory tract. Generally, the blood is bright red to thick with a slightly frothy texture due to sputum mixing.
Symptoms
There are also signs of other health problems that are often experienced by sufferers of coughing up blood, including:
- The cough lasts for more than two weeks
- Chest pain
- Dizzy
- Fever
- Hard to breathe
Cause
This type of cough can indicate a more serious health problem because bleeding can be caused by infection of the respiratory tract, lungs or the presence of cancer cells.
The American Academy of Family Physicians states that the common causes of bloody cough are bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung cancer.
Treatment
The method of treatment used for this type of cough aims to stop the bleeding process, prevent lung aspiration, and treat the underlying disease that is the cause of the complaint.
An ABC (airway, breathing, and circulation) assessment is always the first step in handling cases of bloody cough. This type of bloody cough itself is a condition that requires immediate treatment by a doctor.
Coughing up blood can be caused by dangerous diseases such as tuberculosis and lung cancer, it requires special and intensive medical care, such as undergoing quarantine for tuberculosis and chemotherapy procedures to cure lung cancer. In other cases the treatment for this type of cough corresponds to causes such as bacteria in pneumonia.
4. Whooping cough
Whooping cough or pertussis is a type of cough that often spreads quickly among children and adolescents. The cause is a bacterial infection Bordetella pertussis in the respiratory tract. Whooping cough generally lasts 4-8 weeks so it is also known as a hundred days cough.
Symptoms
Apart from a prolonged cough, this type of cough is characterized by an inhalation that makes a high pitched sound "whoopOr wheezing (wheezing). Initial cough symptoms are mild and will get worse, along with several other health problems, such as:
- Nasal congestion
- Watery eyes
- Dry throat
- Fever
Treatment
Whooping cough needs to be treated immediately for at least the first 1-2 weeks before more serious symptoms appear. An effective treatment for whooping cough uses macrolide class antibiotics, such as azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin.
Vaccines, such as DtaP and Tdap can be done to prevent bacteria Bordetella pertussis which causes whooping cough.
5. Chronic cough
Based on the duration of the cough, the types of cough are divided into three, namely acute cough that lasts for 3 weeks, sub-acute cough that lasts from 3 to 8 weeks, and finally a chronic cough that can last for 8 weeks or more.
Cause
Chronic cough can be an alarm for other diseases that have the potential to have more serious health hazards. The following are conditions and diseases that are mostly found in medical cases to be the cause of the symptoms of a prolonged cough:
- Asthma
- Post-nasal drip
- GERD
- Tuberculosis
- Pneumonia
- Bronchietaksis
- GERD
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease
- Drug side effects
However, in most cases, acid reflux (GERD) and post-nasal drip, that is, a condition in which the nose produces excess mucus so that it flows down the back of the throat is a major cause of chronic cough.
Symptoms and treatment
Chronic cough may or may not be accompanied by phlegm, but an excess volume of sputum can indicate a problem in the lungs. Symptoms such as blood in the phlegm can also indicate a more dangerous health condition. Meanwhile, chronic cough treatment can vary depending on the disease causing it.
