7 Coughs and What They Might Mean
A cough is often indicative of an
underlying issue. For example, a cough can be due to allergies, a common
cold, lung disease, or even gastrointestinal issues. Although the
causes may vary, the reason you cough is to help your body eliminate
foreign materials or mucus from your lungs and upper airway passages. In
other words, it’s one of your body’s protective mechanisms that is
designed to keep you breathing easily.
By paying attention to the sound of your
cough, along with any accompanying symptoms, you can often identify the
cause, which can then be used to help you recover quickly. Below are
seven common reasons for a cough, and what you can do about them.
1. Postnasal Drip
Having a cold or allergies can cause mucus to drip down your throat.
This postnasal drip can touch nerve endings, leading to either a dry or
wet cough. A cough that is being caused by a postnasal drip will usually
be worse at night, and might be accompanied by a scratchy feeling in
the back of your throat. If it’s allergies that’s causing this postnasal
drip, you may also have itchy eyes and sneezing.
If you have postnasal drip accompanied by congestion, cold symptoms,
pressure in your face, and thick green or yellow mucus, you might have a
sinus infection. If this is the case, irrigating your sinuses might
help.
Back in 2007, a study carried out by the University of Michigan found
that saline irrigation was more effective at decreasing nasal congestion
than saline sprays. This appears to work by thinning mucus, decreasing
the swelling in your nasal passages, and removing any debris, allergens,
and bacteria from your nose.
To make your own saline solution, add one teaspoon of sea salt to one
pint of distilled water.
2. Asthma
A dry cough along with a rattling or
wheezing sound is often indicative of asthma. With this condition, your
airways become inflamed, leading to coughing, wheezing, and difficulty
breathing. Coughs caused by asthma are usually worse at night or while
exercising. It can also be accompanied by chest tightness, fatigue and
shortness of breath.
If you have asthma, it might be a good idea to look into the Buteyko
Method which shows you how to bring your breathing back to normal. When
you’re breathing normally, you get much better oxygenation of tissues
and organs.
3. GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
When food passes into your stomach from the esophagus, a muscular valve
called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) closes, preventing food or
acid from moving back up. GERD, also commonly known as acid reflux,
occurs when the LES relaxes inappropriately, allowing acid from your
stomach to flow into your esophagus.
GERD may cause a dry, spasmodic cough, that is likely to worsen when
you’re lying down or eating. You may get heartburn as well, but in 75%
of cases, a chronic cough is the only symptom.
GERD is thought to be caused by having too much acid in your stomach,
which is why acid-blocking drugs are often prescribed or recommended.
However, the problem can also be caused by having too little acid in
your stomach, which is why drugs such as proton pump inhibitors
typically just make the issue worse. Ultimately, the answer to heartburn
and acid indigestion is to restore your natural gastric balance and
function.
Eating processed and sugary foods is a surefire way to exacerbate GERD,
as this will upset the bacterial balance in your stomach and intestines.
Instead, you should eat a lot of vegetables and other high-quality
unprocessed foods. You should also consider eliminating triggers from
your life such as alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine products.
4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
If you’re chronically coughing up lots of mucus, this might be due to
COPD. Typically, the cough will be worst in the morning and ease
throughout the day. You may also experience shortness of breath,
fatigue, wheeziness, and chest tightness.
Smoking is a major contributor to COPD, which includes chronic
bronchitis and emphysema. With emphysema, the air sacs in your lungs
lose their elasticity. Chronic bronchitis occurs when there is swelling
in the linings of your lungs and it constrains your breathing.
5. Medication-Related Cough
ACE inhibitors, which are used to treat
high blood pressure, can cause dry coughs in about 20% of patients. If
you notice you have a dry cough a few weeks after starting this type of
medication, it could be to blame.
While you shouldn’t stop taking blood pressure medication without
consulting your doctor, it’s important to be aware that high blood
pressure can often be remedied with lifestyle changes. Therefore, if
you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, dietary strategies can help
control it.
One of the common underlying causes of high blood pressure is related to
your body producing too much insulin and leptin in response to a high
carbohydrate and processed food diet.
Therefore, if you suffer from high blood pressure, you should do your
best to avoid processed foods.
6. Pneumonia
This starts out as a dry cough and progresses into a wet cough with
green, yellow, or red mucus. The cough might be accompanied by chills,
fever, trouble breathing, or pain when coughing or breathing in deeply.
Anytime you cough up excess mucus, spit it into the toilet rather than
swallowing it as this can cause stomach irritation.
Most people who have pneumonia can recover at home by drinking lots of
fluids and getting adequate rest. However, in severe cases in the
elderly or young, pneumonia may require hospitalization to receive
breathing treatments, fluids, and oxygen therapy.
7. Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
Whooping cough causes a severe cough that ends with a whooping sound as
you breath in. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
declares that the best way to prevent whooping cough is to get
vaccinated, but this deserves a closer look. CDC data shows that 84% of
children under the age of 3 have received at least four shots for
whooping cough, and yet, despite this high vaccination rate, whooping
cough is still prevalent among both vaccinated and unvaccinated
individuals. Therefore, this would suggest that the vaccine is
ineffective.
If you think you might have whooping cough, you should seek medical
attention right away. However, there are some things you can do that may
keep it away:
• Avoid mucus-forming foods such as milk, flour, eggs, and sugar.
• Keep your home well-ventilated and free of smoke.
• Keep well hydrated.
• Rest and avoid exertion.
• Massage essential oils with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil) into
your chest.
• Heat a pan of water to just boiling point, then add a couple of drops
of thyme. Breathe in the steam from the pan.