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a cough is a natural and spontaneous reflex to an irritant in the airway or throat. coughing is the body’s way of protecting against dust and germs that get into the airway — expelling those particles at around 80 kilometers per hour .
“throats and lungs normally produce a small amount of mucus to keep the airway moist and to have a thin covering layer that works as a protective barrier against irritants and germs you may breathe in,” according to the american lung association. “some infrequent coughing helps mobilize mucous and has no damaging effects on your body.”
little is known about how often healthy people should be coughing because it is an incredibly difficult thing to track (we often don’t even realize we’re coughing), but one study of healthy children found that between 11 and 35 coughs was a normal amount in a day.
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if you’re coughing because there’s a bit of dust or another irritant in your lungs or airways, it will be an instantaneous reaction that will pass in seconds or minutes. but if your cough lasts for three weeks or longer, it’s a sign that something is going on in your body. and if it lasts more than eight weeks, it is considered chronic .
inhalation of irritants. whether it’s pet hair, dust or certain fumes inhaling an irritant can agitate the throat and cause inflammation and coughing. an acute cough caused by one of these irritants can usually be treated usually by drinking fluids, using cough drops, gargling with salt water, adding honey or ginger to hot water to soothe or using over-the-counter cough medication. however, it should be noted that cough medicine will not cure any underlying reason for your cough, it will only mask the symptoms.
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upper respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of a cough. most often in the form of a cold or flu, upper respiratory tract infections usually bring on a sore throat, runny nose, and fevers in addition to the cough. these infections are usually easily treated with over-the-counter medication and rest.
lower respiratory tract infections are more serious viral and bacterial infections that are usually accompanied by a deeper cough and need to be treated with antibiotics. bronchitis, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis are the most common lower respiratory infections.
smoking. inhaling the chemicals contained in cigarettes or anything else you smoke can irritate the throat and/or lungs and cause a cough. if you smoke a lot, you can develop something called smoker’s cough — which tends to sound different than a normal cough.
post-nasal drip . viral infections, allergies, sinus infections and even spicy foods can all lead to mucous dripping down from the back of the sinuses into the throat, causing a cough. a phenomenon known as a post-nasal drip, it can be treated with over-the-counter medication, using a humidifier or sleeping with your head up to prevent mucous from collecting in your throat.
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other conditions that may cause you to cough include hay fever, pulmonary embolism, a collapsed lung, croup and asthma. according to the canadian lung association , “you can have two or three causes [of coughing] at the same time.”
