No, you don’t reach for antibiotics at the slightest cough. Cough, unless it gets worse or becomes persistent, is not something you need to be alarmed about.
Actually, coughing is important because it is a defense mechanism of our body. It helps clear our airways of irritants, such as smoke and mucus. And sometimes, it helps prevent infections as well. However, if you are coughing for more than two weeks after a viral infection or the cough is progressively getting worse, then you definitely need to see a doctor.
Treating the cause is important
ENT and Pulmonology experts suggest treating the cause of cough rather than the cough itself. ‘Cough is often a reactive / protective response of the body to a disease. Unless we treat the cause, the purpose is not achieved,’ says Col Ajith Nilakantan, Prof & HOD (ENT), Army Hospital (R&R), Delhi.
There could be many reasons why you cough. The causes most commonly seen are the common cold or flu, seasonal changes, allergies, irritation and asthma.
In a small number of cases, it could be due to heartburn, congestive heart failure or even serious lung disease. Very rarely, cough could be the side effect of ACE Inhibitors * prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, certain chronic kidney disease and migraine
Smoking can also cause chronic cough that leads to chronic bronchitis ** if there is increased mucus secretion. And if there is blood in the cough, it could even be cancer.
Get symptomatic relief with OTC cough formulations
While it is obvious that such cough conditions need to be treated for their underlying causes, you can get some relief from the symptoms with syrups available over-the-counter. Your doctor may recommend either cough suppressants called antitussives or expectorants to loosen mucus and cough them up depending on whether the cough is productive (with production of sputum, phlegm or balgam in hindi) or dry (without sputum). Bronchodilators may also be prescribed to relax the airways when required.
The formulations by Benadryl can help reduce both the productive and dry kinds of cough with their CR and DR variants. The Benadryl CR formulation has a unique triple action formula which thins, loosens and expels phlegm, allowing consumers to get symptomatic relief. The newly launched DR variant caters to people with dry cough caused by chronic irritation. It helps by suppressing the cough and blocking the cough reflex.
Home remedies help too!
Ayurveda categorizes cough as a kapha disorder which is treated with herbs and spices such as cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and long pepper. Ayurvedic formulations such as Sitopaladi churna, Talisadi churna and Draksha are effective in treating cough claim Ayurveda experts ***.
Home remedies such as lemon tea with a dash of ginger or basil leaves and honey help relieve symptoms of cough ****. Simple steam inhalation is also very effective as it releases the mucus in the throat and provides relief. So does gurgling with warm salt water.
So don’t let cough limit your life. Identify the kind of cough you have and opt for home remedies along with OTC formulations meant for the cough you have. If you do not get relief within a week, do consult a doctor.
Also read: Coughs are of different types, so are their solutions
Reference:
* http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8862965
** http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/brnchi/printall-index.html
*** http://www.ayurveddoctor.com/ayurvedic-treatment-for-cough.html
**** http://www.prokerala.com/health/natural-treatment/home-remedies-for-cough.htm