Types of cough and their treatment approaches

Cough and cold are very common issues during the monsoon season. A lot of infections like common flu and other air-borne infections spike during this season. Majority of the patients who visit the doctors clinic suffer from the common issue of acute cough but they might have different conditions or reasons for their cough, cold, and flu. Five types of acute cough which the patients can develop are discussed here:

1. Chest cough

A chest cough is a type of cough with excessive mucus which comes from the chest. This type of cough is often referred to as a “productive cough” because the act of coughing helps in getting rid of mucus present in the chest. This type of cough may also be triggered with excessive irritation. In such cases, clinicians recommend an expectorant cough medication containing guaifenesin as it helps to loosen the mucus for easier coughing.

2. Dry, tickling cough

This type of cough is basically noticed when there is less or no mucus present and the cough mainly comes from the throat due to throat irritation. In such cases, it is recommended to use a demulcent which can coat the throat and help in relieving irritation in the upper respiratory tract. Acceptable demulcents include water, hard candy, lemon, honey, menthol, or simple syrup.

3. Bronchitis

It is an inflammation that occurs in the lining of the bronchial tubes. This type of cough is normally accompanied by cold-like symptoms which include stuffy nose, headache and fatigue, along with yellow-gray phlegm. The best way to get rid of bronchitis is taking fluids in good amounts as it will help in thinning the phlegm that would relax the patient and it would also help in preventing dehydration. Prescribing antibiotics is avoided for most of the patients with bronchitis because the condition is usually caused by a virus, rather than a bacterial infection.

4. Post-viral cough

A post-viral cough is a common symptom of the upper respiratory tract infection which has occured due to throat inflammation. In such cases prescribing antibiotics is avoided because the cough is mostly caused as a result of viral infections.Basically a recommendation for using OTC cough syrup is given which would contain either dextromethorphan or menthol to relieve the discomfort in patients.

5. Whooping cough

Pertussis or whooping cough is considered to be a contagious disease which has been associated with several cases of mortality since decades. Initially whooping cough is noted with the symptoms of mild, cold-like symptoms with severe episodes of coughing with thick phlegm over the course of a few weeks. The best way for treating such patients is to protect them by giving vaccination to the patients and their kids to prevent dangerous outcomes among young children. Therefore, based on the above classifications one can understand their reason for cough and also the severity or how contagious it is. Obtaining such basic insights would also help in preventing and controlling the issues among the patient using proper interventions.

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