Chesty Cough? Why do you have it and what causes it?
Understand your chesty cough and how to effectively it.
Chesty Cough? Why do you have it and what causes it?
A chesty cough is triggered with excessive production of mucus or phlegm in the respiratory tract. Coughing mechanism is a natural process of your body and helps to keep irritants and unwanted foreign particles from getting into your lungs.
Productive coughs, usually, indicate a bacterial, viral or an allergic reaction. When the airways of your nose are irritated, it causes your body to produce excess mucus to trap foreign particles. When you cough, it helps your body to remove extra mucus from your airways.
Why do we Produce Mucus?
When we breathe, the oxygen in the air reaches the bloodstream through our lungs. The air moves through the tubes called bronchi that are lined by a layer of mucus. These mucous membranes trap foreign particles such as bacteria, dust, and viruses and restrict them from entering our respiratory tract. Thus, it helps your body to get protection from unwanted bacteria and viruses.
When a virus or bacteria, particularly of the common cold or the flu, enter the respiratory tract, our body produces excess mucus in order to prevent the bugs from entering our system. It helps to ward off the infection and keep our body-safe. However, the increased mucus gets accumulated in the respiratory system and a cough reflex is developed to remove the extra phlegm.
What Causes of a Chesty Cough?
There are a number of factors that results in excessive mucus production in the upper respiratory tract. The following are the common causes that can lead to a chesty cough.
Cold and flu viruses: These viral infections are the most common cause that results in a chesty cough. A cold or the flu can be accompanied by a chesty cough that can last till the infection prevails in your body.
Lung infection: Lung infections such as tuberculosis or pneumonia can give rise to a chesty cough. It is a serious condition and needs medical intervention.
Medical conditions: Medical conditions such as chronic bronchitis or cystic fibrosis can result in a chesty cough. It needs proper medical treatment to cure a chesty cough resulted from such conditions.
Smoking: Excessive smoking can cause irritation in the lungs. It develops excess production of mucus in the lungs and changes cell structures in the respiratory tract.
How can you Treat a Chesty Cough?
You can take medications that are tailor-made for treating a chesty cough. Cough syrups can be proved effective to relieve the symptoms and develop productive coughs. Benylin Chesty Coughs Non-Drowsy might help you to soothe your chesty cough from deep within. Its non-drowsy formula allows you to carry your daily activities without feeling sleepy and lethargic. Sucking on Kilkof Lozenges that contains effective ingredients such as menthol and eucalyptus can help you to alleviate the symptoms of a chesty cough.
You can also try various natural remedies to curb your symptoms and help you get quick relief. Try to keep yourself warm and drink plenty of fluids to loosen mucus from your lungs. Saltwater gargling can also be an effective treatment to treat your chesty cough. Honey is considered to be beneficial to treat and calm your irritated throat. Also, drinking a lemon drink will help you fight against the infection.
A chesty cough, usually, runs its course in five to ten days. However, if the symptoms persist, make sure that you visit your doctor as soon as possible.