Friday 29 October 2010

What Causes a Cough?

Amplify’d from www.wisegeek.com



What Causes a Cough?





There is nothing more irritating to have than a reoccurring cough. It can be the cause of much embarrassment and appear when we would least like it to. With the amount of pollutants now present in the air, the possible causes of the cough are wide ranging.

Throughout the day, people are exposed to numerous particles of dust, fumes and germs. Our living space can be polluted with tobacco smoke, car exhaust fumes and airborne infections. With all of these pollutants, it is a wonder that we are not continually coughing 24 hours a day.

There are two main types of cough, dry and chesty. The cough is an involuntary action by the brain to clear a blockage or irritant from the body’s airways. A cough may also be due to a viral infection such as the flu or common cold.

The dry cough is often seen as the less productive of the two types. Whereas the chesty cough brings up phlegm or mucus from the lungs, a dry cough can just seem plain irritating. Many smokers can have a continual dry cough throughout their lives. They see the cough as part of their smoking and, in time, they take it for granted.

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