Prolonged cough; It can be a symptom of diseases such as asthma, allergies, COPD, chronic bronchitis, upper respiratory tract problems, postnasal drip, reflux and even cancer.

Cough is one of the most common reasons for consulting a doctor, at almost every age, all over the world. Cough, which is not a disease on its own, is a symptom seen in many diseases. In fact, coughing is a defense mechanism that plays a role in clearing and protecting the airways. However, if it lasts longer than two weeks and the quality of sleep at night has reached the point where it will impair the quality of life along with work and school life, the underlying disease must be investigated. Sometimes cough can be the first symptom of very serious diseases such as cancer.

From the Department of Chest Diseases at Yeni Yüzyıl University Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital, Dr. Upset. Dr. Hijran Mammadova Orucova gave information about ‘Causes of cough and things to watch out for’.

Generally, people who use tobacco products such as cigarettes and hookahs and who have frequent upper respiratory tract infections may not go to the doctor due to these reasons, which causes delays in diagnosis. If you have a persistent cough that does not go away, it is useful to knock on the door of a specialist.

Cough can also trigger embarrassment, depression, mental illness

With the society becoming more sensitive after the pandemic, coughing has become dangerous not only for the person himself, but also for the people around him. We see that people are uncomfortable with sneezing or coughing individuals and try to stay away from them. This prevents people from socializing by causing psychological conditions such as the feeling of shame because of coughing in front of other people, the feeling of disturbing other people, trying to stay away from society, depression, etc. cause mental illnesses such as

If there is a cough, patients should not use cough suppressant syrups and drugs according to their minds. First of all, all the reasons that can cause cough should be examined one by one. The severity and character of the cough, whether it is dry or phlegmatic, increasing day or night, if there is an infection, whether it increases or decreases afterward, its relationship with the season and environmental factors, and whether there are other accompanying complaints should be investigated. After upper and lower respiratory tract infections, cough may last up to three weeks in non-smokers and up to eight weeks in smokers.

Cough is a symptom, not a disease.

A long and irritating cough is a harbinger of diseases such as asthma, allergies, COPD, chronic bronchitis, upper respiratory tract problems, postnasal drip, reflux. The factors causing the increasing cough complaint due to reflux are resolved more quickly with the questions directed to the patient and the examinations made. Especially when lying down, cough increases due to the backward escaping of stomach acid. In these patients, burning and heartburn occur in the stomach. Let’s not forget that every disease has a cause. Cough is also a symptom, not a disease. Let’s not forget that air conditioners and heaters also cause cough by drying the air. The dry air environment can cause a chronic stinging cough. To prevent this, water in a bowl or room humidifiers can be used on the heaters in the room.

Pay attention to the side effects of blood pressure medications!

Some of the drugs used (especially blood pressure, cholesterol-lowering drugs) cause cough by causing side effects, and the cough continues proportionally as long as you continue to use the drug. If no findings are found if the necessary research is done, it may be beneficial to change the drug by looking at the side effects of the drugs that the patient uses regularly.

Prolonged and untreated cough can lead to serious problems. Since muscles and ribs are also used in continuous and severe coughs, rib fractures may occur, especially in elderly people, due to the severe pressure that occurs. In those who do not experience such severe results, the patient may experience distress due to muscle pain, which is often seen. There may also be urinary incontinence due to severe coughing and even fainting attacks in some people.

Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency