5 Surprising Facts about Coughing

Cough occurs when particles like mucus, germs, or dust irritate your throat and airways making your body automatically respond through “coughing”. Just like other reflexes namely sneezing or blinking, coughing also helps to protect your body against germs. 

The symptom of cough is responsible for approximately 30 million clinician visits annually in the United States. Continuous coughing can cause some serious side effects, like chest pain, exhaustion, light-headedness, and loss of bladder control. Mayo Clinic states that “cough is considered ‘acute’ if it lasts less than three weeks. It is considered ‘chronic’ if it lasts longer than eight weeks”. Physicians at Suburban Wellness SC also believe the same. It is then recommended to visit a cough treatment clinic in Homer Glen and improve the health condition. 

Here, we reveal some fascinating facts about your coughing. Read on!

5 Unknown Facts about Coughing

Coughing is a quite common and natural phenomenon. Most of us experience or will experience some episodes of cough throughout our lives. There are some facts about a cough that you might not know. It is important to take note of those to understand everything about the cough.

1. Chronic cough is not only a symptom of a disease. That means sometimes it can lead to further health problems, like muscle spasms, incontinence, headaches, etc. It is important to get yourself checked with a primary healthcare service in Homer Glen and get rid of this condition. 
2. If you cough or sneeze openly in the same room as someone else, there is a high chance that you are capable of spreading the infection to them. As per the research conducted by MIT, droplets created from sneezing and coughing can travel a distance up to 200 ft.
3. Smoking can cause a chronic cough. If you are a regular smoker then, it's important to quit soon. Talk with your Dr. Sudarsana Chakrabarti, MD, about programs and products that can help you quit smoking. Also, avoid secondhand smoke.
4. A cough may or may not be deadly. When a cough is caused by a viral infection it will be a continuous one. Whereas coughs that are the result of allergies, asthma, or airway irritation are in most cases not contagious at all.
5. Last but not least is the fact that "not all coughs are due to infections". There are several other reasons for it. Physicians at a cough treatment clinic in Homer Glen states that the reasons for cough can range from something as simple as common viral to pneumonia.

When to get medical attention?

A cough that’s caused by an irritant or allergens usually clears up within a few weeks. But it’s a good idea to follow up with your physician if it lasts longer than 3 weeks. Dr. Sudarsana Chakrabarti, MD, will diagnose your cough by asking questions regarding the symptoms of the cough. You can also visit the physician through a telemedicine visit powered by PatientMD. Schedule an appointment with the physician at Suburban Wellness SC today!