2023-05-10 17:18:40
Persistent inflammation can irritate nerve reflexes that cause coughing
When infected with colds and other respiratory diseases, suffering from coughing occurs following sneezing, colds, and runny nose. And some wonder why the cough sometimes takes so long following the rest of the symptoms have disappeared, according to a report published by Live Science.
Persistent inflammation
Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, said persistent inflammation is the main reason why a cough lasts for a long time. This inflammation can have several sources, making it difficult to treat. These sources include viral and bacterial infections, which cause inflammation of the airway and nose, which in turn irritates the mucous membranes in the airway and nose and produces mucus — the phlegm and mucus associated with the common cold.
Previous injuries and smoking
According to the US National Institutes of Health, rhinitis causes postnasal drip, which is mucus that runs down the throat from the nose and is a common cause of coughing. Dr. Rizzo added that when particles enter the airway through the nose or mouth, they can stimulate nerve receptors in the lungs to tell the brain that they are unwanted particles. Then pressure builds up in the diaphragm, and the air is forcefully expelled, taking dust, food, and mucus with it.
Dr. Rizzo explained that rhinitis and cough persist following a common cold because airway inflammation can take a few weeks to subside, and the time period can be longer if a person has had previous lung infections or is a smoker.
inflammatory cells
When someone gets sick, special immune cells called macrophages and neutrophils help fight infections in the airway, which are themselves inflammatory cells.
Sometimes following a cold ends, inflammatory cells remain in the airway and keep it inflamed, which is why a cough can persist following an infection, said Dr. Amy Dickey, a pulmonary and clinical care physician at MGH and an instructor at Harvard Medical School.
hypersensitive tissues
Meanwhile, the delicate airway tissues can be hypersensitive to particles that enter through the nose or mouth. That’s because a complex system of nerves and muscles in the airway, throat, and brain control coughing.
Cough for 3-4 weeks
“Viruses and mucus act like a reflex hammer and the cough is the leg that gets hit with the hammer,” Dr. Dickie said. Once the inflammation goes down, that reaction becomes less allergic and the cough should go away. For a cough that lasts three to four weeks following getting sick, there is some Home remedies and behaviors can help shorten the duration of a cough (or at least relieve symptoms).
Home remedies
“If postnasal drip is accompanied by a cough, saline nasal solution or nasal steroids can help reduce the inflammation that contributes to postnasal drip,” says Dr. Dickey. She added that throat lozenges can also help soothe the throat and suppress coughing.
Honey and saline solution
According to a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Rehabilitation Medicine, research shows that honey and saline can help relieve a cough. However, more studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of natural products.
Cough benefits
While a cough can be irritating, it is important to remember that coughing serves the immune function. If irritants and mucus remain in the airways, they can damage the delicate tissues of the airways or the lungs, or even obstruct breathing. Dr. Dickey recommends exercising to stimulate deep breathing to loosen mucus, or taking an expectorant, which thins mucus and eases coughing, which can help flush out inflammatory irritants.
Cases need to consult a doctor
Experts recommend that you see a doctor if the cough persists for more than three to four weeks and is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, or green-yellow mucus.
If the cough persists on its own for more than eight weeks, Dr. Rizzo said, the doctor will need to do a chest X-ray or measure lung function to check for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, emphysema or other serious diseases.
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