COUGH and COUGHING

Coughing is the bodys mechanism to clear the lungs and/or
throat.   Coughs are caused for two main reasons,
something is irritating the throat or something is
irritating the lung tubes.

Many coughs are cause by post nasal drainage that
accompany upper respiratory infections.  The mucous
drains from your nasal area down the back of your
throat and irritates the area causing cough and sore
throat.   For this problem, antihistamines such
as benadryl work very well because they stop the
drainage.

With irritation in the lungs such as from pneumonia or
bronchitis(asthma) the cough is an attempt to remove
the mucous plugs from the bronchioles and bronchus.

Narcotic antitussive remedies block the nerve receptors
in the throat area, thus they stop the message that
irritation is occuring in the throat.

People with bronchitis may find that bronchodialators
such as albuterol work very well in preventing
cough.