Fever is an important clue to infectious causes of persistent coughing. Pertussis whooping cough is a respiratory tract infection that can cause serious problems in children who have not been immunized properly with diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus DPT vaccine.
Pertussis began to resurface in adolescents and adults because the original tetanus-diphtheria booster shots did not cover pertussis and the vaccine's effectiveness wears off over time. Heart disease can masquerade as lung disease if coughing and breathlessness are its main symptoms. It's a common occurrence in patients with heart failure HF. Their cough is most pronounced when they're lying flat, so they often resort to sleeping propped up on pillows. The cough of HF may be dry, or it may produce thin, frothy white sputum.
Leg swelling, fatigue, and exercise intolerance are other common symptoms of HF. Abnormal swallowing can lead to persistent coughing if food triggers the cough reflex by heading down the "windpipe" instead of the "food pipe.
Environmental irritants can trigger the cough reflex, not just once but with nearly every breath of air laden with chemicals or particles ranging from sulfur dioxide to nitric oxide to dust and molds. Even clean air can trigger coughing if it is too dry or too cold. Lung cancer certainly belongs on the list of disorders that cause persistent coughing. Fortunately, though, it's not high on the list, at least in nonsmokers.
Mental factors can produce many physical symptoms, including cough. Psychogenic coughing increases at times of stress and disappears during sleep. If you don't think that coughing is a common complaint, just head to the nearest drugstore. You'll find a bewildering array of syrups, sprays, tablets, and lozenges designed to control coughing. You'll also see a steady stream of customers coughing up lots of money to purchase products that may be ineffective.
Many cough remedies contain expectorants, compounds intended to loosen sputum, making it easier to clear. Guaifenesin is the most popular expectorant. Unfortunately, there is little scientific evidence that expectorants are effective. You'll probably do just as well by using a humidifier and drinking lots of water. Cough suppressants are also very popular.
Nonprescription agents such as dextromethorphan can partially suppress the cough reflex, promoting patient comfort. Prescription cough syrups with codeine tend to be more effective. When used appropriately, cough suppressants can reduce discomfort; remember, though, that because coughing can serve a useful function, it should not always be suppressed. Medicated lozenges and cough drops are among the most widely sold cough remedies.
These products contain various combinations of menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil, honey, and other ingredients. Like with liquid cough medicines, some also contain topical anesthetics. Despite their popularity, there is no evidence that medicated cough drops are more effective than simple hard candies. Don't ignore a chronic cough — but don't panic just because your cough lingers for more than three or four weeks. Most often, the puzzle can be solved without elaborate tests, and the problem can be corrected with simple treatments.
In fact, you may be able to diagnose and treat yourself, especially if postnasal drip or gastroesophageal reflux is the culprit. Even so, your doctor can also help. In most cases, it won't take much more than a stethoscope and a treatment trial or two. But if your cough is accompanied by sputum production, bloody sputum, fever, weight loss, night sweats, breathlessness, undue fatigue, or chest pain, you should consult your doctor without delay.
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Anxiety disorders are caused by a unique combination of genetics, your environment, important life events, and learned coping patterns. Can Anxiety Cause a Cough? The anxiety-cough cycle Types of cough Cough vs. How can anxiety cause a cough?
The anxiety-cough cycle. What type of cough can anxiety cause? Is it a cough or a tic? Other causes of cough. Next steps. Anxiety in the Body: Physical Symptoms and Signs. While hyperventilating, many people use coughing as a way to feel like they're getting a breath. For reasons that are not quite clear, coughing can make people feel as though they're clearing their lungs and improving their ability to breathe, even though there is also no medical reason that coughing should improve breathing ability.
Another problem comes from the damage that both of those issues cause. Chronic coughing can irritate the nerves that control the cough reflex. When irritated, these nerves may cause you to cough more.
What makes matters worse is that not only does anxiety cause hyperventilation - coughing can also cause hyperventilation, and hyperventilation can cause anxiety.
Those that have developed chronic cough for any reason including from hyperventilation or irritated nerves may become more prone to hyperventilation as a result of coughing, which in turn causes more coughing, and so on. Those that are prone to panic attacks may also be at risk for severe anxiety during times of hyperventilation.
This causes people to hyperventilate more, which can cause temporary but painful stress on the lungs and eventually more coughing. Coughing, hyperventilation, and anxiety all contribute to each other in a way that is difficult to stop without help. There are also minor health issues that can contribute to coughing. Those that have developed Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease, a form of acid reflux, may be more prone to chronic cough. In some this cough is manageable, but others with anxiety may find that the way they hyperventilate and the lightheadedness they feel after large coughing fits further complicates their anxiety, and may trigger severe anxiety attacks that produce coughing themselves.
Coughing and anxiety have a very complex and contributory relationship. It's a relationship you need to stop if you hope to stop both anxiety and coughing. Generally, the best way to stop symptoms of anxiety is to prevent anxiety itself. With coughing though, it's not quite that simple. You'll also need to breathe in a way that is healthier for coughing and figure out easy ways to avoid contributing to the cough. Many people recommend daily deep breathing exercises to essentially re-train your body to breathe more efficiently.
It requires daily commitment, but many argue it is the only way to regain control of the way you breathe. Rapid, shallow breathing. This kind of breathing is common with anxiety. The more you do it, the more your throat will get raw and dry, leading to coughs.
What You Can Do Learn to deep breathe. This is essentially a relaxation exercise. Breathe in slowly through your nose for about five seconds. Hold your breath for two seconds. Breathe out through your mouth for at least seven seconds. Do this multiple times every day.
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