Whooping cough resurging in US
A new research has explored why whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis, is making a comeback.
Dr. Rajesh Vandra
Chest Physician/ Pulmonologist
Dr. Rajesh Vandra
Chest Physician/ Pulmonologist
When you have a cough, what do you do? Wait for 2–3 days before reaching out for the cough syrup in your kitchen cabinet? Do you know if it is effective enough for the type of cough you suffer from? Before you answer that, do you even know what type of cough you have? A productive cough is one that produces mucus (sputum) or phlegm. This kind of cough helps in clearing mucus from the lungs. Therefore, it should not be suppressed.[1]
A classic symptom of a productive cough is coughing with sputum or phlegm production. Usually, phlegm contains mucus with bacteria, debris or dead tissue, and sloughed-off cells. Other symptoms include:
Prevention of cough may not be possible; however, you can take certain preventive measures as follows.
The diagnosis of productive cough is usually very easy. The doctor will ask the patient about his/her symptoms, and listen to the patient’s chest sounds or breathing to check for any sign of congestion or difficulty in breathing (identified by a raspy intake of air). In cases where the doctor suspects other causes, he/she may order additional tests, including a sputum sample, blood tests, chest x-ray, and lung function tests. A methacholine challenge test may be performed to rule out asthma. Therefore, it is essential that one go to the doctor at the earliest to minimize complications because of underlying diseases.[2]
Treatments for wet cough are primarily aimed at relieving the congestion in the chest. Over the counter (OTC) expectorants can provide some relief. Along with other medication, the cause of the cough should be treated. For example, asthma is treated with inhaled bronchodilators that may or may not contain inhaled steroids, pneumonia and lung abscess are treated with antibiotics. In the case of a condition called bronchitis, there are prescription medicines that contain bronchodilators or inhalers that contain steroids. Moreover, there are tablets available that contain these bronchodilators and steroids. If the situation is severe, there are injectables available. In some cases where the congestion might be severe, a doctor might prescribe mucolytic agents (substances that break down the mucus) such as bromhexine or ambroxol with or without a bronchodilator. These medications are important to provide symptomatic relief.
While your doctor is treating the cause of your cough, you can take the following measures to reduce your symptoms.
Certain homemade remedies for cough can help in alleviating symptoms. To decrease the tickle in your throat or irritation that makes you feel like coughing, you can try the following home remedies.
Three months to one year of age - Warm and clear fluids such as lemonade or apple juice, 5–15 ml, four times a day, can help soothe the cough. Avoid giving honey to children below the age of 1 year.
In children over the age of one - Honey, 2–5 ml, as required, can be used as cough medicine. Honey can be substituted with corn syrup.
For children above the age of 6 years - Cough drops can be used to reduce irritation of the throat. Hard candy may be used if you do not have cough drops. Avoid giving cough drops to children below the age of 6 years to prevent incidents of choking.[4]
The prognosis of a productive cough is good. It primarily depends on what the cause of your cough is. If you continue to smoke, it may aggravate your symptoms of cough and may lead to breathlessness. Most causes of cough are viral infections that are short-term and may get better within 1–3 weeks.[6]
Usually, since productive cough is the manifestation of an underlying condition, if left untreated, the condition may worsen, leading to multiple complications. For instance, a lung infection might spread to organs and damage them, and a patient with asthma or COPD may develop difficulty in breathing. The excessive cough itself can cause chest and abdominal pain, giddiness, unconsciousness, and rupture of organs such as the oesophagus (food pipe), and lung (leading to the air outside the lungs, i.e., pneumothorax) and an increase in blood pressure.
Other complications of a cough are as follows.
A new research has explored why whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis, is making a comeback.
Suffering from repeated bouts of cough? Check out which of these ill practices is triggering it
Understand the meaning of dry and wet cough, expectorants, phlegm and many such cough terms.
Do you have persistent cough? Know whether it's due to bronchitis. Here are the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of bronchitis.
Are you suffering from persistent cough? Here are the possible reasons for your prolonged cough.
Most people are not bothered about cough when it starts initially because it occurs with common cold or a viral throat infection. Cough is so common that hardly anyone realizes it could be due to a bigger problem.
Your guide to understanding productive cough.
A new research has explored why whooping cough, otherwise known as pertussis, is making a comeback.
Suffering from repeated bouts of cough? Check out which of these ill practices is triggering it
Understand the meaning of dry and wet cough, expectorants, phlegm and many such cough terms.
Do you have persistent cough? Know whether it's due to bronchitis. Here are the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of bronchitis.
Are you suffering from persistent cough? Here are the possible reasons for your prolonged cough.
Most people are not bothered about cough when it starts initially because it occurs with common cold or a viral throat infection. Cough is so common that hardly anyone realizes it could be due to a bigger problem.
Your guide to understanding productive cough.
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