what causes cough?
2007-01-26 00:39:25 · 5 answers · asked by barbaros1 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
Cough is one of the defence mechanisms of the lungs. Anything that disturbs the lining of the airways (the bronchi) will trigger the cough reflex. Things irritating the pleura (lining of the lungs) can also trigger cough.
For a more detailed description, see the wiki page.
Things that disturb the airway lining include:
o Inhaled foreign body - eg. food or drink or any other object "going down the wrong way"
o Respiratory Infections - bacteria and viruses can inflame the airways and cause cough
o Asthma, Emphysema and Bronchitis - conditions that irritate the airways - asthma by means of an allergic/inflammatory reaction and the latter two as Chronic Obstructive Airways diseases
o Pulmonary Embolism - a clot in the peripheral part of the lungs can irritate the lung lining and cause cough. It can cause coughing of blood (haemoptysis).
o Pneumothorax - air between the lung and the chest wall - can cause cough
o Pneumonia - infection of the lung tissue with accumulation of pus in the alveoli can inflame the airways or pleura and cause cough
o Invasive medical procedures (pleurocentesis, insertion of chest tubes etc.) can irritate the pleura and cause cough.
2007-01-26 00:48:54 · answer #1 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you have a cold or flu your body creates symptoms to let you know. Having a cough is actually your bodies way of telling you that you are ill and without it you cant do anything to get better. If you naturally just cough then it might be your lungs defence. Sometime we cough when we choke to get rid of anything that could be trapping our airways. If we cough when we choke on water then our body thinks that the water contains something because it has not gone down where it was supposed to so to get rid of it your body will cough.
Its just a rough thing and there is alot more detail to it but hope it helped.
2013-11-20 06:29:43 · answer #2 · answered by Pete 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the defense mechanism of your body which make you cough. When you have infection or allergic reaction in throat or lung. Body knows that some thing is there which is a foreign body. Human body wants to through it out & that is by coughing. Same as in case of diarohea.
2007-01-26 00:49:20 · answer #3 · answered by Dr. Arun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://chestcough.blogspot.in/2015/01/persistent-dry-cough-remedy.html
2015-01-27 17:49:13 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
being sick cold/flu can cause a cough. lung diseases.
2007-01-26 00:47:39 · answer #5 · answered by havingfun 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋