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What Type Of Cough Do You Have?

Types Of Cough
It is very common suffer to from cough during the change of season. And just because it is common, we find it perfectly reasonable to ignore it until it gives us sleepless nights. Now even if we actually admit that the cough is really becoming a nuisance, we usually save the trip to a doctor for the weekend. In the meanwhile, we self medicate ourselves with whatever cough syrup happens to be there at home.

This practice can actually kill you. There are many different types of cough and each has a different procedure of treatment. See the symptoms of different types of cough to understand what you need to do.

What Type Of Cough Do You Have?

1. Phlegm Cough: This is the most common kind of cough that you have when you catch a bad cold. The most striking characteristic of this cough is that, it comes straight from the chest. When you cough, you can feel the phlegm in your lungs churning and bits of it will come out from your mouth. When you have this kind of cough, you are 'coughing out' something. So, it is vital that you do not take a cough suppressant syrup. Instead inhale steam so that it liquifies the phlegm in your lungs and makes it easier for you to clear it out.

2. Dry Cough: This type of cough is an exact antithesis of the phlegm cough. This usually happens when your phlegm dries up or is totally removed from the lungs. Unlike the previous kind of cough, this cough comes from the throat. It happens because something is irritating your throat. A smoker's cough is usually a dry cough that they develop over a period of time.

3. Allergic Cough: This type of cough occurs largely among people who are asthmatic or severely allergic to certain environmental elements like dust or pollen. A strange thing about this cough is that it can occur at any time even if you do not have a cold. Every time the lining of your oesophagus is exposed to the allergic substance, you will cough. There are special types of cough syrups for allergic cough depending on the type of allergen that troubles you.

4. Reflux Cough: Acidity can also make you cough. If you have a persistent cough that just refuses to go away, then it could be an acid reflux. When the food is not digested properly in your stomach it flushes upwards towards the food pipe and makes you cough. This can lead to puking and heart burns too.

It is very important to identify the type of cough that is troubling you and treat it appropriately. If your cough lasts for more than 3 days, it is best to see a doctor.

Story first published: Friday, June 29, 2012, 15:29 [IST]
Read more about: cough and cold medicine