Respiratory Disease

Primarily understand what a Chronic Cough is?

A cough that lasts for two months or longer is recognized as a chronic cough that may take place with different symptoms, such as excess mucus in the back throat, shortness of breath, stuffy nose, heartburn, etc. It is perhaps caused by sinus infections, GERD, asthma, or other relevant conditions. It may also be caused due to consumption of tobacco or by breathing passive smoking for a long time.

Symptoms of Chronic Cough

• Stuffy or running nose
• Hoarse voice
• Sore throat
• Sour taste in the mouth
• Irritating sensation in the throat or chest
• Vocal cord dysfunction

Causes of Chronic Cough

• GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease): refers to that condition in which hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) comes back to the throat and results in chronic irritation that leads to a chronic cough.
• Postnasal drip: it is an outcome of dripping down of mucus back of the throat that irritates the throat and causes cough. Postnasal drip is sometimes felt like “a tickle in the back of the throat,” and drainage results in chronic cough. This “tickle” occurs when the mucus gets larger than usual. This condition may linger for weeks and months.
• Asthma: cough associated with asthma may not last long or come and go with the season, become worse when exposed to numerous fragrances or cold air, or appear after infection occurs in the respiratory area.
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease): it is associated with respiratory issues, including emphysema, bronchitis, etc.
• Bronchitis: swelling in bronchial tubes and the enhanced mucus production can cause a cough. Bronchitis is of two types- chronic and acute, where chronic conditions cause a chronic cough.
• Blood Pressure Drugs: high blood pressure medications consist of ACE inhibitors that can cause a chronic cough.
• Infections: infections associated with bronchitis and pneumonia can cause a chronic cough. Pertussis causes cough, which mainly occurs in adults that are termed whooping cough. Fungal infection can also cause chronic cough-like Tuberculosis infection.

Complications Associated With Chronic Cough

• Loss of bladder control: physical movement (heavy lifting, sneezing, coughing, and laughing, etc.) puts pressure on the bladder that causes a person to leak urine; a condition is called stress incontinence.
• Vomiting: most coughing is not severe, but a powerful cough can cause bleeding, broken bones, or make a person vomit. Vomiting may be caused by the mucus produced drips down the throat, triggering coughing bouts.
• Headache: excess coughing triggers a headache, and doctors classify coughing headache in two categories- primary and secondary, where the primary condition is considered temporary or harmless.
• Intense sweating: blood in coughed-up mucus can be associated with other symptoms, including sweating and fever chills. These symptoms vary from general symptoms and include pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and chronic sinusitis.
• Sleep disruption: chronic cough patients generally experience sleep disruption and is why they seek medical attention.
• Broken ribs: an intense cough-induced rib fracture as constant coughing puts pressure on the ribs. This condition occurs when the cough force is higher than the ribs' elastic limits that causes fracture over the most susceptible area.

Prevention of Chronic Cough

• Take steam: steam is considered the best way to ease the cough and sore throat. Therefore, it is traditionally used by people to relieve a cough.
• Intake honey: Honey plays a crucial part in loosening a cough, although people must not give honey to children below 1-year as it may contain bacteria that can be harmful to children.
• Drink fluids: this is not just associated with water; it also includes fruit and vegetable juice, energy drinks, and tea or hot milk to soothe the throat.
• Suck on hard candies: it may assist in soothing an irritated throat or easing the dry cough.
• Avoid tobacco smoke: direct smoking or passive smoking can irritate lungs, leading to worsened coughs caused by this.

Homeopathy Over Allopathy

Do you ever think that why our ancestors live longer than us? The first thought that would hit your mind is they eat healthily. They eat healthily and avoid the use of Allopathic medicines. There are many reasons to choose Homeopathy and not Allopathy or Ayurveda:

• The homeopathic medication didn’t have side effects like Allopathic medicines. Allopathic medicines treat the disease, but Homeopathic medicines treat the patient as it works on the roots.
• Homeopathy suggests the purest form to treat any acute or chronic disease. It does not include the risk of side-effects of medications, unlike allopathic treatment.
• Homeopathy concentrates on the principle that “a minimal dosage of a specific medicine can be more effective than a heavier one.”
• Drugs made-up in Homeopathy organizations are mainly formed from natural substances such as phosphoric acid, belladonna, etc.