One of the in clinics, outpatient clinics, specialists in Pneumology and Otorhinolaryngology it’s the cough.
According to (SEORL):
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“Coughing is one of the main defense mechanisms of the respiratory tract to protect against foreign agents that irritate the respiratory tract, such as smoke.”
- Typically, these episodes last for a short time and are related to a cold..
In general, if there are no complications, it is normal for the cough to disappear within a few days.
Is cough a disease?
When we do not just improve and the cough persists for weeks, we could be facing a more complicated problem. And it is that, as they assure from the SEORL:
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“Cough is not a disease in itself, and is not considered a health problem, but It can greatly affect a person’s quality of life.» .
if they pass more than 8 weeks in a row with a coughwithout remission despite the treatments determined by the doctor, it is considered that it’s chronic cough.
And the consequences of suffering from it, according to the otorhinolaryngologists, range from:
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Changes in sleep rhythms
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syncope
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Up to rib fractures
Even in the long term, the discomfort it produces can lead the person to an anxiety disorder or depression.
Chronic cough or poorly cured cold?
One of the popular beliefs that try to explain those coughs that last too long is the famous “badly cured” cold.
Other times, patients attribute this symptom to the pollution of the environment where they live or to tobacco smoke.
But experts warn that chronic cough must be given importance because it could be “a sign of a more serious pathology.”
Between the causes of chronic cough the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology points out several:
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Asthma
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chronic bronchitis
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The alergies
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postnasal drip syndrome
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Gastroesophageal reflux.
Pathologies that have persistent cough as a symptom
Apart from the causes of chronic cough listed here, there are other much more serious pathologies that have persistent cough among their symptoms:
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pneumonia
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The tuberculosis
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pulmonary fibrosis
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Lung cancer.
Finally, some medications can also cause chronic coughsuch as those often prescribed to regulate blood pressure or heart failure.
On occasions, this type of cough may even be associated with a neurosensory disorder of one of the nerves located in the larynx.
And although, as a general rule, coughing is the main symptom, the truth is that it is sometimes accompanied by a tickling in the throat, burning sensations, hoarseness, hoarseness, or even a bad taste in the mouth.
When should we go to the doctor because of a cough?
We’ve all had a cough at some point. Despite this, on some occasions patients with chronic cough take time to receive a diagnosis that clarifies where this annoying sensation comes from.
The SEORL indicates that the most appropriate thing if we have a cough is to rule out the most serious pathologies to which it may be due, and then make a detailed analysis of the symptoms to reach the origin, whatever it may be.
In any case, We should always consult with our GP.
And above all, the otolaryngologists recommend that it is important to go…
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If the patient has difficulty breathing
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if you have trouble swallowing
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lose weight for no reason
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You have a cough for more than two weeks
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sputum with blood
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He has fever…
You should see a specialist to rule out the most serious pathologies and start the appropriate treatment.