Coughing usually means there is something in the respiratory passages that should not be there. This can be caused by breathing in dust particles in the air or when a piece of food goes down the wrong way.

It could also be a sign that an infection in the lungs is making the respiratory passages produce phlegm.

Coughing can be provoked by:

1. Common cold, which is a frequent cause of acute cough that usually settles in less than three weeks.
2. Sucking material into the breathing tubes from your mouth.
3. More severe illnesses, such as pneumonia, acute heart failure or pulmonary embolism (a clot in the blood vessels of the lung).
4. Smoking habit, which often causes chronic cough (smoker's lung).
5. Asthma - particularly in children who may only cough and show no wheezing.
6. Stomach acid coming back up the gullet and spilling over into the windpipe (gastro- oesophageal reflux).
7. Medicines used in heart disease called ACE inhibitors.
8. Bacterial or viral infections in the lungs, eg acute bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, croup in children
9. Damage to the nerves that supply the vocal chords (known as vocal chordpalsy) and chronic cough can occur.

Types of Coughs

Chesty Cough

Chesty Cough also known as productive cough is usually due to a viral or bacterial infection. This type of cough expels the phlegm which has formed in our respiratory passages, so that abnormal mucus and germs are eliminated from the respiratory tract and breathing becomes easier.

Dry Cough

A non-productive cough is dry, tickling and irritating. This cough can for example be caused by phlegm that is so viscous that it is not loosened and expectorated. It is usually caused by inflammation of the throat and upper airways (common cold or flu). It can also have an allergic or neurotic origin or can be caused by other perhaps more severe diseases. Smokers usually tend to get dry cough.

Treating Coughs

Chesty Cough

Chesty Cough can be treated with cough expectorants which usually in syrups which eliminate the phlegm that has been accumulated within the bronchial tree. Mucolytics medicine which will thin out the secretions and help its expulsion thus also helps curing the phlegm as well as the wet cough rather quickly.

Dry Cough

Dry coughs can be treated with cough suppressants medicine to reduce the cough reflex. Other cough suppressants include simple linctus, glycerin and lemon and honey, which coat the throat and provide relief from dry cough.

Healthy Tips

1. Drink plenty of warm water.
2. Avoid soft drink.
3. Gargle with lukewarm salty water.
4. Do not eat or drink any dairy 
5. Avoid anything too sweet.
6. Once you don't feel as bad as before, try to stay upright unless you're sleeping, because 
   you'll find that it'll stop a lot of the congestion.
7. Plenty of rest
8. Use a humidifier. It will help add moisture to your room.
9. Stop smoking
   

Note: This tool has been reviewed by doctors and is for general educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. The information in this tool should not be relied upon to make decisions about your health. Always consult your family doctor with questions about your individual condition(s) and/or circumstances.