Mind Your Cough....!!!

Coughing is a useful physiological mechanism which clears foreign materials and surplus secretions from our respiratory passage. It is an essential protective mechanism for the airways and lungs. Thus it should not be repressed arbitrarily.

Cough can be symptom of upper or lower respiratory tract infection, or may be consequence of a non-infectious condition such as asthma, exposure to smoke, or aspiration of a foreign body.
It is caused by stimulation of receptors present in throat, respiratory passage or stretch receptors in the lungs.

Cough can be classified as DRY or non-productive cough and WET or productive cough.

Dry cough are not accompanied by secretions and are usually associated with viral respiratory infections, cardiac diseases. While wet cough is accompanied by secretions and expel secretions which blocks the airway.

In wet cough excessive secretion of mucus results in obstruction of airway and impairment of gas exchange.
Hence, the excessive mucous is cleared and the material expectorated is called SPUTUM.
This Sputum can be clear or colored, with or without odor depending upon the extent of infection.

A dry cough has no phlegm or sputum but has irritation in throat due to dryness. It is usually sensed as a tickle in the throat and occurs when the throat and airways are swollen. The body identifies this as a foreign object and tries to remove it by coughing.
The other symptoms that are accompany dry cough are sore throat, nasal congestion, hoarse voice,etc.

The drug of choice for wet cough are expectorants like Guaiphenesin, Ammonium chloride, Sodium and Potassium citrate as well as Mucolytics like Ambroxol, Acetylcysteine.

While the drug of choice for dry cough are Antitussives like dextromethorphan and Antihistaminics like Chlorpheniramine, Diphenhydramine and Promethazine…