It’s normal to hear a chorus of coughs throughout this season. Coughing on occasion is normal and beneficial. A cough that produces bloody or stained mucus or lasts for several weeks may be a sign of a serious illness that requires medical attention.
Your body produces a cough as a reaction to irritation of the throat or airways. An irritant causes your nerves to fire, sending a signal to your brain. The muscles in your chest and abdomen are then instructed by the brain to force air out of your lungs in order to drive the irritant out.
Although the occasional cough is normal, a persistent cough could indicate a medical issue. Coughing might be very strong at times.
Coughing over extended periods of time with force can irritate the lungs and produce more coughing. In addition, it may result in headaches, vomiting, urine incontinence, insomnia, dizziness, or fainting, and even fractured ribs.
Acute vs. chronic cough
A cough is considered “acute” if it lasts less than three weeks. Some of the causes of an acute cough include:
- Common cold
- Influenza
- Inhaling an irritant, such as smoke, dust, chemicals or a foreign body
- Pneumonia, which is an infection in one or both lungs
- Whooping cough
