by : james sameul

Coughs

A cough is an action your body takes to get rid of substances that are irritating to your air passages, which carry the air you breathe in from the nose and mouth to the lungs. A cough occurs when special cells along the air passages get irritated and trigger a chain of eventsA cough is a very important mechanism through which the body disposes off unwanted particles, pathogens and the like, by expelling air at high speeds away from the body, it can be expressed as the forceful expulsion of air and foreign materials through the mouth. Even if the sound itself has become associated with disease, coughing is a defense reaction of the body.

Causes Of Coughs
The bacteria that cause whooping cough are released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can get whooping cough if you breathe in these bacteria. You can also get it if you touch a surface (such as someone's hand) that is coated with the bacteria.
Coughing can be a side effect of some drugs and medications.
Coughing can be caused by congestive heart failure. Babies who cough while feeding may be getting milk in their airways.
Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic cough.

Signs And Symptoms
In children, severe coughing that leads to vomiting or causes a red or blue face from the effort Fatigue from the exertion of coughingA child's cold is often accompanied by a cough because, instead of blowing his or her nose, a child usually sniffs mucus down into the throatCoughing is a defense mechanism that is used to clear the airways of mucus, inhale toxins, or a foreign body. Coughs can be productive or unproductive depending on how it is done. A productive cough should result in the clearing of mucus or secretions from the airways.

Treatment Of Coughs
If you have an acute cough and have not been to the doctor, you may attempt to use over-the-counter cold remedies to relieve your symptoms. If a common cold or flu is suspected, these may provide relief until the infection gets better on its own. The treatment of an acute cough is directed primarily at decreasing the cough in addition to treating the underlying cause.

Decongestant nasal sprays. Adults shouldn't use decongestant drops or sprays for more than a few days because prolonged use can cause chronic inflammation of mucous membranesElderly people, people with very severe bacterial or viral infections, and people with weakened immune systems may require admission to the hospital to manage the underlying problem.

Breathing Techniques
Learning to breathe properly is another very important lesson for people with COPD.? If you have COPD, you usually work very hard to breathe.? However, because you are not breathing properly, your hard work does not make you feel better and you become tired easily.

Cough Home Remedies:
Honey and lemon: Mix 1 part lemon juice to 1 part honey. Mix well, may mix together better if you heat it for a few seconds in the microwave.
Vitamin C: Ester C is best but it is also the most expensive. Ester C is good because it absorbs into the body better and is not wasted in the through any of the bodily functions. Another remedy is to take half a cup of hot water, add three teaspoons of fresh lime juice to it, one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of ginger juice. Mix well and sip this concoction, three times daily,? to find relief from cough.