What Causes Coughs

Coughing is an important defense mechanism in the body. While coughing, the larynx closes and there is a shortness of breath. Due to contraction of abdominal and chest muscles, air in the lungs is forced out under high pressure, resulting in coughs. Coughing is necessary to get rid of substances that irritate the air passages. Whenever you are exposed to smoke, dust or pollutants, you may start coughing. It is also a spontaneous reflex action to remove mucus secretions, phlegm and foreign particles from the respiratory tract. When mucus secretions or foreign particles obstruct the respiratory passage, the cells along the air passages get irritated, stimulating the sensory nerves in the lining of the respiratory passages. Cough can also be triggered by the entry of food bolus into trachea instead of esophagus, due to dysfunction of epiglottis.

Coughing is a common symptom in a number of health-related problems and illnesses. Constant cough may indicate any serious illness. Cough may be dry or chesty. Dry cough is just irritating and less productive; while chesty cough brings up mucus or phlegm from the lungs. There are two types of coughing: acute coughing and chronic coughing. Acute cough starts suddenly and lasts for about 2-3 weeks. Chronic coughing lasts longer than 3 weeks. It can continue for more than 8 weeks. Well! To find out what causes coughs, read on...

What Causes Coughs

Coughing is usually associated with smoking, irritants, allergies, respiratory tract infections, respiratory diseases and some other health conditions like viral infections. There are different causes of acute and chronic coughing.

Causes of acute cough: Acute coughing can be due to infectious and noninfectious causes. Infectious causes are associated with viral upper respiratory infections such as common cold, pneumonia, sinusitis and whooping cough. Cold viruses can cause a postnasal drip, leading to cough. Viral illnesses are generally followed by a dry cough that can last for several weeks.

Noninfectious causes include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations and environmental allergies. Environmental allergies can cause dry cough. It is often accompanied by itchy and watery eyes, sneezing and a runny nose. Some severe illnesses like pulmonary embolism or acute heart failure can also cause acute coughing.

Causes of chronic cough: Chronic cough is associated with smoking, environmental irritants and certain diseases. Some common causes of chronic cough are postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and certain medications. Coughing and wheezing are the common symptoms of asthma. It is characterized by shortness of breath. Coughing in people with asthma is triggered by exercises, exposure to cold air and allergens like dust or pollutants. Postnasal drip causes excessive mucus production that can lead to irritation and inflammation of respiratory passages, which can trigger cough reflex. Chronic bronchitis causes long-standing inflammation of bronchial tubes, which can lead to breathlessness, congestion, wheezing and productive cough.

Lung cancer, congestive heart failure and sarcoidosis are less common causes of chronic cough. A few people with chronic cough have lung cancer. Most of them are former or current smokers. GERD causes constant irritation of throat, esophagus and lungs, which may result in chronic cough. Medications like angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or beta blockers used for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure can lead to chronic coughing as a side-effect.

Smoking, exposure to allergens and environmental pollutants can increase the risk of chronic coughing. Smoking is the leading risk factor for chronic coughing. It causes certain irreversible changes in the lungs, leading to lung damage. Exposure to allergens like pet dander, pollens, dust and chemical fumes may cause a persistent cough. Environmental pollutants like nitrogen dioxide or diesel exhaust can irritate the air passages, causing chronic coughing.

You can prevent irritating coughs by avoiding exposure to allergic substances as well as by taking appropriate precautions to prevent health problems that can cause cough. Since smokers are at a higher risk of developing cough, it is beneficial to stop smoking.