{"product_id":"2940151972352","title":"Coughing, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions","description":"\u003cp\u003eCoughing\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEveryone has coughed at least once in his or her lifetime.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCough is the medical term for reflex body defense mechanism meant to expel unwanted secretions, blood or foreign bodies from the airways.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cough act is spontaneous and activated by the irritation of the nerve receptors where the impulse travels to the cough center to effect the cough mechanism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe body adopts this mechanism to protect the airways unlike the digestive system which has an inlet (the mouth) and an exit (the anus).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lung has a common entry and exit point and adopts the cough as the method when foreign bodies are accidentally inhaled into the lungs or that other material such as infected mucus and phlegm needed to be expelled from the airways.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cough nerves are stimulated when the airway is inflamed as in infection by any forms of micro-organisms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat are the types of cough?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. Acute cough lasting up to 3 weeks\u003cbr\u003e2. Sub-acute cough between 3 to 8 weeks\u003cbr\u003e3. Chronic cough beyond 8 weeks\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat are the causes of cough?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe causes are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. Infections\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe most common cause is viral infections followed by infections by bacteria such as tuberculosis and fungi.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. Non infective causes such as bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, cigarette smoking and lung cancers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. Aspirations of regurgitated materials and acid reflux of stomach contents (GERD) during periods of intoxications which may occur when a person is under the influence of sedatives\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e4. Inhalation of irritants or foreign bodies\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5. Inhalation of poisonous fumes and toxic chemicals especially in metal or chemical industries\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e6. Allergic conditions such as asthma or allergic bronchitis or allergic rhinitis\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e7. Unusual and uncommonly causes which include auto-immune diseases and heart failure\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e8. Other serious illnesses such as cancers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e9. Ultimately having excluded all pathology mechanism, the cough may be due to psychological stress.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a whole it is an important protective mechanism to protect the body.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe most common cause of cough is in infection, cigarette smoking and allergic mechanism as in bronchial asthma.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat are the symptoms or presentations of cough?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. Presence or absence of sputum and its nature\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is typical of highly reactive airways as in infections and hyper-reactive airways.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBronchopneumonia and patients with bronchiectasis typically complain of copious expectorations which are usually colored.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey may be yellow, green and blood stained occasionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDirty sputum with tinges of grey is common in chronic smokers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBronchial carcinoma particularly alveolar cell carcinoma present with copious sputum production.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. Presence or absence of fever\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFevers are present almost all the time in infective causes whether bacterial, viral, tuberculosis or fungal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGenerally the doctor should aware of persistent high fevers over a period beyond 3 days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe persistent fever should alert the doctor of a possible pneumonia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. Accompanying breathlessness\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBreathlessness with accompanying wheezing usually means a diagnosis of bronchial asthma in the younger patients.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the older patients (\u0026gt;60 years of age) with the likely history of heart disease, a diagnosis of heart failure (cardiac asthma) should be considered.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMajor airway obstruction occurs in cases of endo-bronchial tumors or in the very young foreign body’s inhalation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eModerate to large pleural effusions as well as pneumothorax will cause breathlessness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e4. Chest pains\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bronchial tree is a relatively painless organ.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever pain is experienced when the pathology especially inflammation involves the parietal pleura.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeep seated pneumonic processes involving the parietal pleura usually cause severe pain which may restrict the breathing.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePleural tuberculosis however is relatively pain free and so are most malignant pleural involvements.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5. Hemoptysis or blood in the sputum\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe coughing of blood is also a dangerous symptom and rightly so as it may indicate the presence of a serious lung problem.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kenneth Kee","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47069514793200,"sku":"2940151972352","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940151972352_p0.jpg?v=1764016773","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940151972352","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}