Constant coughing could mean that there is something wrong with your respiratory system. It is normal to cough, in fact, coughing is good because it means that your system is irritated by something and by coughing, it is trying to force out the irritant out of the body. However, when coughing becomes constant, it is a different story. Persistent coughing can be annoying and tiresome. It could keep us up all night because we can’t stop coughing and we can’t communicate well because of the itchy feeling on the throat that triggers us to cough. Coughing is often brought about by a lot of factors which include pollution, smoking, dust and others. But sometimes, constant coughing might also indicate a more serious underlying disease.
Causes of Constant Coughing
• Persistent and Recurrent colds – When a person experiences colds over and over again, phlegm could accumulate on the walls of the lungs and on the passageway. The body would naturally try to get rid of that irritant so constant coughing ensues.
• Bronchitis – Bronchitis causes one’s lungs to lose their elasticity, for the airways to become swollen and mucus production to increase. With this infection going around the respiratory system, the body responds by trying to get the irritant out by endeavoring to cough it out.
• Allergens – Factors like dusts, pollens, pollutions and others cause the respiratory system to get irritated causing incessant coughing.
• Asthma – People with asthma are very sensitive to trigger factors like allergens and extreme physical activities. These factors cause them to have shortness of breath. When this happens, the body finds a way to catch its breath causing the person to constantly cough.
• Gastrointestinal Disease – GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease causes a backflow of acid from the stomach into the lining of our pharynx and esophagus. This causes irritation which would then lead to constant coughing.
• Drug Induced – The common side effect of ACE inhibitors is coughing. People with hypertension usually take this kind of medication. As soon as medication is stopped, the coughing will also cease.
• Infection – Infection of the respiratory system such as tuberculosis and pneumonia can cause constant coughing. Other infections that cause coughing are HIV, AIDS, and SARS.
Treatment for Constant Coughing
• For common colds, the use of decongestants and ample amount of rest may help cease constant coughing.
• People who have allergies and suffer constant coughing due to dusts particles and other allergens can take in antihistamines to help manage and minimize steady coughing. The doctor’s advice is needed so that the right type of medication can be given.
• For infections and bronchitis, antibiotics are most helpful to fight off the bacteria that caused the infection. The doctors are the best persons to approach regarding this matter for they can determine what type of bacteria has invaded the system and what kind of antibiotic will be most effective to kill it.
Constant coughing in chidren
There are many reasons for constant coughing in children, but the cases are not serious. These include common cold, seasonal allergies and croup. Common cold as the name suggests, is quite common but it is rarely life threatening and goes away in a few days. Seasonal allergies can strike anytime of the year and go away in time. Croup is more of a ‘barking-type’ cough but is also nothing serious and is a seasonal condition, at best.
The more serious causes of coughing in children include respiratory syncytial virus and whopping cough. RSV or respiratory syncytial virus has symptoms similar to common cold but with worsening cough and difficulty in breathing. If not treated, it can also take serious forms like pneumonia and bronchitis. Whopping cough’s main symptom is coughing that goes for twenty to thirty seconds; it is a condition that can be prevented with DTaP vaccination
Constant coughing in children treatment
For children who are quite young, it may not be easy to treat constant cough because most medications are for older kids and adults. The first step of treatment should always be decongestants and antihistamines. The other line of treatment can be corticosteroids that can stop inflammation, through nebulizer for very small kids and through inhaler for slightly older ones.
Constant coughing is very irritating; in order to prevent this from happening, one should live a healthy lifestyle. In order to manage and treat recurring and incessant coughing, professional medical advice is required.
