Some things you should know about cough and when to see a doctor

Of course, you know very well that everybody coughs, and there's no need to be anxious when it's an occurs sometimes. Allergies and short-term sicknesses such as the common cold, can cause repeated coughing most times. But coughing can be annoying, it's the body’s way of clearing the airways and aids prevent infection. Coughing due to a cold or the flu usually goes away on its own without therapy. Though, if your cough is not getting better and particularly if it brings up blood, interfere with your sleep or affects your work, it may be time to consult your doctor.
Cough symptoms are divided into three types: acute, subacute and chronic.
Causes of Acute Cough
This type of cough frequently start suddenly and go away in one to three weeks. They're usually caused by the common cold or other upper respiratory infections, including the flu, pneumonia and whooping cough. Coughs caused by the common cold usually get better within a week without specific therapy, but symptoms may continue for likely three weeks.
Causes of Subacute Cough
This type of cough lasts three to eight weeks, lingering after respiratory infection or cold is over. The throat or airways may remain swollen and inflamed after an infection, causing you to continue coughing; and this is d condition known as airway hyper-responsiveness.
Causes of Chronic Cough
When a cough persists longer than eight weeks (sometimes four weeks in children), it's said to be chronic. Chronic cough can have many causes. Asthma, postnasal drip syndrome (upper airway cough syndrome), and gastroesophageal reflux disease are the most plausible causes of persistent cough in adults. These disorders, alone or in combination, are responsible for 90 percent of cases of chronic cough.
There are other causes of chronic cough such as pneumonia, angiotensin-changing-enzyme inhibitors(bloodpressure medications), pertussis (also called whooping cough), cardiac failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by smoking, chronic bronchitis from exposure to cigarette smoke etc. There are less common causes of chronic cough such as bronchiectasis, lung cancer, pulmonary embolus(blood clot in the lung), cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis and pneumothorax.
Piece of advice to relieve the Cough
•    If you have had a cough for a short while, you may not require to do anything but wait for it to go away on its own. Measures you can take at home to ease an acute cough include the following: Take a steamy shower to relieve a dry, sore throat. You can breathe in steam making use of a vaporizer.
•    Drink plenty of fluids such as warm liquids with lemon or honey to aid thin mucus and relieve your throat.
•    Try to avoid exposure to dust or any other substances that can activate a cough; if you smoke cigarette, try as much as you can to stop smoking.
•    Try cough drops to relieve a dry, tickling cough (don’t give these to kids younger than 3 years).
When to Call the medical doctor
A cough that persists for longer than three weeks, or is getting worse, requires a trip to your doctor for immediate medical care and to rule out something more serious. Immediately call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
•    A fever of 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
•    Wheezing or shortness of breath
•    Weakness, anorexia or fatigue
•    Coughing up of thick green or yellow mucous
•    Weight loss
•    Night sweats and discomfort
•    Coughing up of blood
•    Chest pain
What to Expect From the doctor
Determining the cause of a chronic, persistent cough is relevant to effective treatment. Your medical doctor will request a detailed medical history and carry out a physical examination. The doctor may ask questions about the duration of your cough, your symptoms, your medications, whether you smoke and how cold air or exercise affect your breathing and cough.
Your physician May Ask you the following questions About Your Persistent Cough
Do you have a fever?
Do you take blood pressure medicine?
How long have you had your cough?
Did your cough start with a lung infection or other illness?
When do you cough?
Are you breathless even when you are not coughing
Do you smoke?
Do you have heartburn?
Does anything relieve your cough?
Do you have night sweats?
Do you have chest pain?
Have you lost weight?
Have you been in contact with anyone with tuberculosis or have you recently traveled?
Source: Pharmacy Times
Computed tomography scans, chest x-rays, lung function tests and laboratory tests may be carried out.
Medications
Coughing is necessary for clearing mucus and other irritants and may assist prevent infection. For this reason, cough medicines are commonly used only when a cough causes a lot of pain, irritation and disturbs daily activities. Your physician may recommend the following medicines:
•    Antihistamines. If you have a cold or flu or any allergy, antihistamines may work better than nonprescription cough medicines. Chlorpheniramine and brompheniramine reduce the production of mucus and widen airways. Unluckily, these medicines can make you sleepy and may be better to take only at night
•    Decongestants. Phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine are examples of decongestants utilized to aid clear a runny or stuffy nose and relieve postnasal drip. Utilization of these medicines is not advised in anybody with high blood pressure.
•    Expectorants. Some coughs are dry, while others, called productive coughs, bring up mucus (phlegm). For a productive cough, an expectorant such as guaifenesin (trade names include Robitussin and Mucinex) aids thin or loosen mucus and move the mucus without any difficulty. Drink lots of water if you take guaifenesin.
•    Steroid nasal sprays. A steroid nasal spray may aid postnasal drip. Nasacort (triamcinolone acetonide) is an example of over-the-counter steroid nasal sprays.
•    Bronchodilators. Bronchodilators such as Albuterol aid relax the airways and make breathing easier.
•    Analgesics. Pain relievers like Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen can be taken for aches, fever and pains. Be cautious not to take more than the prescribed acetaminophen dosage because too much can cause liver damage and even death. Note that some combination cold and cough medicines contain acetaminophen
•    Antitussives. Recommended cough suppressants may be useful to suppress a dry cough. There is no proof to show that OTC cough suppressants soothe a cough.
It is necessary to talk to your kid’s physician or any health care provider before you give a kid 6 years or younger an OTC cough medicine, despite it is labeled for kids. These medicines may not be beneficial, depending on the case, and can have severe adverse effects.