Healthbeautyidea.com | Why Do We Cough? Cough with phlegm occurs when the body produces more phlegm or mucus in the respiratory tract. While a dry cough is a cough that does not produce phlegm. Both cough with phlegm and dry cough can be caused by various factors, so that the way to overcome it should be adjusted to the cause.
Cough is the body’s reaction to foreign objects that enter the respiratory system. Besides in response to the entry of foreign objects in the respiratory tract, cough can also be a symptom of a particular disease.
When dust, pollution, or allergens enter the respiratory system, the brain sends signals through the spinal cord to the muscles in the chest and abdomen. When the muscles contract, the air gushes through the respiratory system to push out foreign objects. It is called a cough.
Why do we cough during flu and colds?
Flu and colds are two different diseases, so the cause is not the same. However, both have one of the same symptoms, namely cough. Most people who experience flu and colds also have coughs. Usually flu is identical to a dry cough and a cold is identical to cough with phlegm.
Prof. Alyn Morice, a respiratory expert at the Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, Hull York Medical School, UK said that humans naturally infected with rhinovirus, which is the most common cause of cold and influenza viruses when Flu.
The cold and flu viruses attack the body through the nasal lining. As a response, the immune system tries to fight both viruses by releasing a mediator of inflammation i.e. Bradykinin. Increased bradykinin in the body resulted in some symptoms such as sore throat.
In addition to bradykinin, other mediators that are released to fight such viruses are tachykinin, peptides, and Leukotrienes. These mediators become one of the causes that make us cough.
Well, usually when the flu, we have a cough that is heavier than when we have a cold. This is due to damage to the cell lining of the airway that usually occurs when we are infected with a flu due to a dry cough.
While we are a cold, excessive mucus production can also stimulate nerve receptors that eventually make us cough. It occurs as a result of the stimulation of mucus to the nerve endings in the airway.
Read also: How to prevent a cold?
Why do we cough up mucus?
Cause of Certain Diseases.
In addition to the presence of viruses, bacteria, or fungi, cough with phlegm can also experience when we are affected by some certain diseases.
Flu.
Flu can be one of the causes with early symptoms of cough.
Usually, when going through the flu, our whole body will feel pain and with a sore throat.
Upper respiratory tract infections
In addition, every year the children will also experience about six to 12 upper respiratory tract infections.
This infection usually occurs in the months of the rainy season.
Bronchitis
In addition to flu, bronchitis can also be one of the causes we experience cough with phlegm.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the tract that carries air into the lungs.
Such inflammation or infection may lead to increased production of mucus causing cough with phlegm.
Read also: Acute Bronchitis Treatment, Causes, and Symptoms.
Cigarette smoke
The cause of another cough with phlegm is exposed to cigarette smoke.
Cigarette smoke contains a variety of substances that are harmful to the body and can cause us to have a cough with phlegm even though we are healthy.
Coughing on Infants and Children
The cough experienced by infants and children can be caused by the same factors as a cough in older people, such as respiratory infections, asthma, and GERD. If a cough on the baby or children continuously can be a more serious respiratory tract infection. So meet the doctor and discuss the problem of severe cough experienced by the child.
Thank you very much for reading Why Do We Cough? Hopefully useful.
