cough
Sign in to saveA cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. Coughing into one's elbow or toward the ground—rather than forward at breathing height—can reduce the spread of infectious droplets in the air.
AI overview
A cough is a sudden expulsion of air from your lungs that helps clear your breathing passages of fluids, irritants, foreign particles, and microbes. It matters because it's your body's protective reflex that works in three phases—inhaling, building pressure, and forcefully releasing air—and covering your cough with your elbow can help prevent spreading infectious droplets to others.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Medical condition.name
- Cough
- Medical condition.image
- File:Toux impromptue.jpg
- Medical condition.specialty
- Pulmonology, otorhinolaryngology
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
22 sectionsContents
- Presentation
- Complications
- Differential diagnosis
- Infections
- Reactive airway disease
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Air pollution
- Foreign body
- Drug-induced cough
- Habit cough
- Neurogenic cough
- Other
- Airway clearance
- Pathophysiology
- Diagnostic approach
- Classification
- Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Other animals
- References
- Further reading
- External links
A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. Coughing into one's elbow or toward the ground—rather than forward at breathing height—can reduce the spread of infectious droplets in the air.
Frequent coughing usually indicates the presence of a disease. Many viruses and bacteria benefit, from an evolutionary perspective, by causing the host to cough, which helps to spread the disease to new hosts. Irregular coughing is usually caused by a respiratory tract infection but can also be triggered by choking, smoking, air pollution, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, post-nasal drip, chronic bronchitis, lung tumors, heart failure and medications such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and beta blockers.