Cough is actually good for us since it a protective reflex of the respiratory tract and tries to rid the body of irritants such as mucus, allergens or foreign substances. [1] However, if you find yourself persistently coughing – especially for more than a week after trying home remedies and OTC cough formulations or syrups– it is best to visit a doctor and find out what is causing it. Cough can affect your life is several ways; here are some of them:
Cough causes lifestyle problems
When you cough all the time, it can be difficult to converse or finish speaking your part with clarity. People around you may exhibit an impatience or irritation with your coughing. Persistent coughing interferes with the ability to sleep during the night and this means daytime fatigue and a constant sense of irritation. All that pressure building up in the throat and mouth can induce severe headaches. People given to chronic cough often find themselves short of breath and in turn, this drains them of energy. Another common problem is urinary incontinence caused due to chronic cough which happens because the bladder is subjected to continuous pressure. [2] All these factors put together mean lifestyle problems that have no solution unless you manage to get rid of the cough.
Cough can cause physical damage [3]
If you have noticed, a persistent cough is often accompanied by chronic muscular pain in the chest and back. Every time you have a coughing fit, a strong pressure is generated within the chest cavity and this strains the muscles there and causes muscle pain. Women who have weak bones have been known to crack ribs when coughing very hard. Delicate blood vessels in the anus and the nose and recent surgical wounds may also burst leading to haemorrhage.
Acute cough poses health risks [4]
Cough present for a short time is called an acute cough. It is either in infections such as viral fever, sinusitis, bronchitis, whooping cough and pneumonia or non-infectious conditions such as asthma, allergies to environmental conditions such as pollution or cigarette smoke. And these, if untreated, can lead to further complications.
Cough easily infects people around us [5]
Every time a person with an infection coughs – even if he or she covers the mouth with a handkerchief or the hands – there is a strong likelihood of letting loose infectious organisms that can attack other people in the vicinity. People with a weakened immune system are especially prone to such air-borne infections.
Chronic cough could indicate deep-seated problems
Cough in most people can be attributed to infections, allergies or other minor problems. Rarely, in some chronic cases (cough that lasts greater than three weeks) is an indicator of some underlying medical condition such as tuberculosis [6] or other lung diseases including cancer, congestive heart failure, ear infections, gastro oesophageal reflux disease, etc. People on ACE inhibitor type of drugs for hypertension may also suffer from chronic cough as a reaction to the medicine. [7]
In Indian homes, it is quite common to find people treating cough with natural remedies such as turmeric in hot milk, or crushed garlic sautéed in ghee or ginger and tulsi juice mixed with honey. OTC cough formulations like Benadryl are also widely used for symptomatic relief from decades.Even after a week, if you do not find relief and find the cough getting worse, visit a doctor who will help treat the root cause for the cough.
Also read: Coughs are of different types, so are their solutions
Source
[1] Management of chronic cough by Ian D Pavord and Kian Fan Chung in the Lancet
[2]National Kidney and Urological Diseases Information Clearinghouse: “Urinary Incontinence in Women.”
[3]What are the dangers of coughing? (Live Strong)
[4]National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of National Health Institute, US
[5] Interim Guidance on Infection Control Measures for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Healthcare Settings, Including Protection of Healthcare Personnel. July 15, 2010, CDC
[6]Textbook of Pulmonary Medicine by D. Behara
[7] Iron supplementation in ACE inhibition as a treatment for cough: is it really inoffensive? [Hypertension. 2001]