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A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes.As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually ...
[1] [8] Chronic cough is a common symptom in several different respiratory diseases like COPD or pulmonary fibrosis [9] but in non-smokers with a normal chest x-ray chronic cough are often associated with asthma, rhinosinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease or could be idiopathic.
A postinfectious cough is a lingering cough that follows a respiratory tract infection, such as a common cold or flu and lasting up to eight weeks. Postinfectious cough is a clinically recognized condition represented within the medical literature.
[1] [10] The cough is sometimes referred to as a smoker's cough since it often results from smoking. When chronic bronchitis occurs together with decreased airflow it is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [27] [26] Many people with chronic bronchitis have COPD; however, most people with COPD do not also have chronic bronchitis.
The cough is usually mild compared to that accompanying influenza. [4] While a cough and a fever indicate a higher likelihood of influenza in adults, a great deal of similarity exists between these two conditions. [24] A number of the viruses that cause the common cold may also result in asymptomatic infections. [25] [26]
A habit cough is a chronic cough that has no underlying organic cause or medical diagnosis, [1] [2] and does not respond to conventional medical treatment. [3] This is sometimes called tic cough, somatic cough syndrome and previously psychogenic cough, but without clinical justification.
The most common symptom of eosinophilic bronchitis is a chronic dry cough lasting more than 6–8 weeks. [3] Eosinophilic bronchitis is also defined by the increased number of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, in the sputum compared to that of healthy people. [2]
Frequent hand washing and flu vaccination may also be protective. [5] [10] Treatment of acute bronchitis typically involves rest, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and NSAIDs to help with the fever. [3] [6] Cough medicine has little support for its use and is not recommended in children less than six years of age.