Why do I still have a cough after a cold is gone?
Coughing has the role of preventing foreign substances from entering the body, but even after a cold is cured, coughing may continue for a while. Why is this, the science news site Live Science summarizes the information.
why do coughs linger after a cold?
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Inflammation of the airways and nose is thought to be caused by viral and bacterial infections. Inflammation irritates the mucous membranes of the airways and nose, producing mucus that causes phlegm and a runny nose. Inflammation in the nose, in particular, causes a condition known as postnasal drip, in which the mucus produced in the nose flows down the throat rather than through the nostrils, causing coughing.
Also, when particles enter the body through the mouth or nose, a cough occurs when neuroreceptors in the brain send out signals that they are not what you want. When you cough, pressure is applied to the diaphragm to force the air out, along with mucus and food particles that have entered the body.
One of the causes of persistent inflammation is macrophages and neutrophils that fight disease. These immune cells work to prevent airway infections, but they can also cause inflammation.
Amy Dickie, M.D., a clinician at Massachusetts General Hospital, says the airway tissue is very delicate and can be particularly sensitive to foreign intrusions: 'If you hit your knee with a hammer, you get a kick. As such, it is possible that there is a similar reflex mechanism in the airways.' In other words, viruses and mucus are hammers, kicks are coughs, and if inflammation subsides, reflexes should weaken and coughs should disappear.
If you have a persistent cough and a persistent runny nose, saline or nasal corticosteroids can help reduce the nasal inflammation that causes the runny nose, Dickey says. Exercise that requires deep, rapid breathing also reduces the viscosity of sputum, making it easier to expel sputum. The same effect can be obtained with an expectorant.
But it's also important to cough occasionally, Dr. Dickey said, because coughing is also a function of clearing debris from the delicate airways and lungs.
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