COUGHING, WHAT CAUSES IT, HOW TO GET RELIEF?

A cough is a sudden, often repetitive, spasmodic contraction of the thoracic cavity, resulting in violent release of air from the lungs, and usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. A cough is usually initiated to clear a buildup of phlegm in the trachea; air may move through this passage at up to 480 km/h (300 mi/h). Coughing can also be triggered by a bolus of food going down the trachea instead of the esophagus, due to a failure of the epiglottis, although this may result in choking instead. Frequent or chronic coughing usually indicates the presence of a disease.

A cough medicine is a drug used to treat coughing and related conditions. Dry coughs are treated with cough suppressants (antitussives) that suppress the body's urge to cough, while productive coughs (coughs that produce phlegm) are treated with expectorants that loosen mucus from the respiratory tract.

Cough suppressants
Cough suppressants may act centrally (on the brain) or locally (on the respiratory tract) to suppress the cough reflex.

Centrally acting suppressants include dextromethorphan (DM), noscapine, ethyl morphine, and codeine.

Peripherally acting substances include local anaesthetics, which reduce the sensation of nerves in the throat, and demulcents, which coat the esophagus. Although it is commonly believed that cough medicines must coat the throat to be effective, there is no evidence that it is possible to control coughing by this means.

One might think it unwise to suppress the cough reflex — the mechanism for expelling mucus from the respiratory tract — but severe coughing may lead to lung irritation, causing a vicious cycle. The cough reflex is also very strong and cannot be completely suppressed.

Expectorants
An expectorant is a medicine or herb which increases the expulsion of tracheal or bronchial mucus through expectoration or coughing. In over-the-counter preparations, guaifenesin is often used. Herbal expectorants include the following:

Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum),
Balm of Gilead (Populus gileadensis),
Balsam of Peru (Myroxylon perierae),
Balsam of Tolu (Myroxylon toluifera),
Blood Root (Sanguinaria canadensis),
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara),
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale),
Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra),
Elecampane (Inula helenium),
Garlic (Allium sativum),
Golden Seal (Hydrastis canadensis),
Grindelia (Grindelia camporum),
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis),
Iceland Moss (Cetraria islandica),
Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus),
Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra),
Lobelia (Lobelia inflata),
Lungwort (Sticta pulmonaria),
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis),
Mouse Ear (Hieracium pilosella),
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus),
Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa),
Senega (Polygala senega),
Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus),
Squill (Urginea maritima),
Thuja (Thuja occidentalis),
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris),
Vervain (Verbena officinalis),
White Horehound (Marrubium vulgare),
Wild Cherry (Prunus serotona).
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Cough drops
Cough drops are tablets which people can suck to soothe the throat or to alleviate excessive coughing. They are usually relatively small, sweetened, and contain medicine that helps to reduce pain or irritation. The occasional use of "lozenge" (first used in 1530, according to the Oxford English Dictionary) is due to the original lozenge shape of cough drops. Popular brands of cough drops include Fisherman's Friend, Halls (cough drop), and Ricola.

The source of these articles is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL
 

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