Causes of persistent cough with phlegm… All you need to know
Do you suffer from persistent coughing fits for a long period of time? If you are that person, this article will explain to you the causes of persistent coughing with phlegm in detail, so that you are aware of all the possible causes of such a symptom, and take – accordingly – the appropriate action for you.
We will also discuss the simplest and easiest tricks to stop coughing immediately, how to treat severe coughing with phlegm at home, what are the causes of persistent coughing in adults, and when is coughing dangerous. But mainly the topic of the article will be about the causes of persistent coughing with phlegm and how to treat it.
But first, let’s get to know…. What is persistent cough? Or what is persistent cough?
A cough or persistent cough is the patient’s persistent cough for more than 8 weeks or more in adults, or 4 weeks or more in children.
The cough continues throughout the day, but it becomes more active than usual with the onset of night. It causes poor concentration during the day, and lack of sleep at night. Coughing attacks are so severe that they may develop to the point of vomiting from the severity of the cough. Of course, those who cough severely suffer from severe dizziness immediately after the coughing attack. In rare cases, the severity of coughing in a person with chronic cough causes him to suffer a fracture in one of the ribs.
The cough itself is not considered the disease, but rather one of the symptoms that affect the person as a result of a certain disease. This is what we will discuss in the following topic:
Causes of persistent cough with phlegm in children
Chronic cough usually comes without phlegm (dry cough), but with the frequency and severity of coughing attacks, it causes the throat mucus to come out violently, and often with severe pain in the throat. If the child is affected by this, the matter becomes a source of severe discomfort, not only for the child, but also for the parents, especially the mother who accompanies him during his illness.
The matter becomes more difficult with the causes of persistent cough with phlegm in children because the child cannot express himself accurately as adults do. Therefore, the diagnosis process becomes more difficult.
In general, the most common causes of persistent cough with phlegm in children are:
- Severe colds: This is the most common symptom among children, and one of its symptoms is severe cough. However, the cough usually goes away after the cold symptoms go away after several days, but with the continuation of the symptoms, the cough continues.
- Sinusitis: The child may have sinusitis for genetic reasons, or it may be a temporary symptom of any other disease. In both cases, the cough affects him for a period of time.
- Allergic rhinitis: Allergic rhinitis is also one of the most common causes of persistent cough with phlegm.
- Asthma: Asthma is the most common cause of coughing with phlegm. It also causes spasms in the trachea, which causes severe coughing.
Each of the above causes has a specific type of cough, a specific sound, and a specific time when the child develops these symptoms. The specialist doctor knows them and prescribes the appropriate cough medication based on them.
Causes of persistent cough with phlegm in adults
The causes of persistent cough with phlegm in adults vary in the variety of diseases that usually affect adults more than children. In addition to the previous diseases that we mentioned regarding children, there are many other diseases that are considered causes of persistent cough with phlegm, such as:
- Upper respiratory tract infection: Infection occurs for any reason and affects the upper respiratory system, and causes different types of cough, including whooping cough (a type of cough in which the person makes a sound similar to a rooster’s crowing when he has a coughing fit). Although it is rare in adults, whooping cough can also happen to them. Fungal lung infections are also considered one of the causes that lead to coughing. The cough usually continues for several more days – and perhaps weeks – after recovery.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: This is a lung disease that results in difficulty in the flow of air to the lungs. This occurs as a result of chronic inflammation of the lungs, which also leads to chronic bronchitis. This disease causes emphysema, which in turn leads to difficulty breathing due to damage to the small air sacs in the lungs. With chronic bronchitis, very severe and painful coughing attacks occur in the chest, accompanied by colored phlegm.
- Some blood pressure medications: such as Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which are used to treat high blood pressure, sometimes cause severe coughing attacks. Of course, they continue with the patient as long as the medication is used.
- Gastro-esophageal reflux: Gastro-esophageal reflux occurs when stomach acids rush through the pharynx and reach the throat and mouth. When gastro-esophageal reflux occurs, the body’s reflex reaction is to cough violently to get rid of the acidic fluid in the throat and mouth. Coughing attacks continue as the esophageal reflux continues.
- Bronchiolitis: This is an inflammation that occurs in the very small airways in the lungs, causing coughing attacks in adults to be more frequent than usual.
- Asthma: Although we mentioned asthma in the causes of persistent cough with phlegm in children, it is important to emphasize that asthma is one of the most prominent diseases that the patient is known for with very clear symptoms such as difficulty breathing, a distinctive wheezing sound coming from the chest, in addition to shortness of breath that accompanies the asthma patient most of the time. Coughing attacks do not occur frequently with asthma, but they are one of its distinctive symptoms, especially when a person is exposed to cold air or an infection in the upper respiratory tract (since the sensitivity of his lungs is higher). In other cases, frequent coughing is the only symptom of asthma. In all cases, the asthma patient suffers from a chronic cough, whether intermittent or continuous.
There are more serious diseases in which coughing is also one of their symptoms, such as lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.
Treating persistent cough with the correct medical procedures
The above list of causes of persistent cough with phlegm is difficult to discover personally. The patient must be examined by a specialist doctor. The doctor will request some important tests (analysis and x-rays) for the patient to diagnose the disease with great accuracy, before determining the appropriate medication according to the medical condition.
In the case of seeking relief from the persistent cough day and night – especially at night – it may be preferable to take an anti-cough and phlegm-expelling drug such as Proby syrup (for cough and expectorant with honey – 125 ml syrup) manufactured by Martinez, a leading company in the pharmaceutical industry with more than 55 years of experience. Proby syrup is manufactured from 100% natural ingredients using modern and safe manufacturing techniques to ensure that the patient does not experience any side effects.
Treating cough with natural herbs
There are those who prefer to resort to natural preparations to treat cough and expel phlegm in natural ways. Nature brings us good solutions with many herbal drinks that calm coughing attacks, reduce throat congestion, and help expel phlegm.
Among these drinks:
- Ginger tea with honey and lemon slices
- Green mint tea
- Turmeric drink
- Thyme drink
- Honey and lemon drink
And many others. Of course, all of the previous drinks are hot, and are drunk warm or hot according to preference.
Conclusion:
The causes of persistent cough with phlegm in children and adults vary with a list of diseases. Some are simple, such as colds, and some are chronic, such as pneumonia and asthma. Coughing persists in smokers in particular. To treat cough permanently, it is preferable to search for the cause of the cough and deal with it in the appropriate medical manner, and the cough will go away automatically. As for soothing the cough, there is Proby syrup (for cough and expectorant with honey – 125 ml syrup) to soothe cough for children and adults alike. This is in addition to many natural drinks that soothe cough if consumed regularly, such as mint tea, ginger with honey, honey with lemon, and others.
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Sources:
- Chronic Cough – Mayo Clinic
- Chronic Cough – Webteb
- More than 11 drinks to treat cough – Altibbi
- Causes of cough in children and its treatment – Altibbi