Coughing pain

Coughing is a reflex action due to stimulation of sensory nerves. These nerves are located in the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Pain when coughing can occur due to various diseases that irritate the mucous membrane of the larynx, as well as the respiratory tract. What are the causes of pain when coughing and what to do about it?

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What causes cough?

Coughing usually means that there is something in the airways that shouldn't be there. Coughing can be caused by inhaling dust particles in the air or a situation where a piece of food goes the wrong way.

It may also be a sign that there is an infection in the lungs, filling the airways with mucus. Accordingly, the lungs or chest may hurt when coughing, as breathing is significantly more difficult.

Cough can be caused by the following reasons

• A cold, which is a common cause of acute cough, usually lasts less than three weeks.
• More severe illnesses, such as pneumonia, acute heart failure, or pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the blood vessels of the lungs).
• Smoking, which often causes chronic cough (so-called smoker's lung).
• Asthma - especially in children who can only cough but do not wheeze.
• Stomach acid that can flow back up the esophagus into the windpipe (gastroesophageal reflux).
• Medicines used for heart disease called ACE inhibitors.
• Bacterial or viral infections in the lungs, such as acute bronchitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, croup in children
• In rare cases, a cough can be caused by a mental illness.
• Damage to the nerves that supply the vocal cords (known as vocal paralysis) and chronic cough.

The cough becomes more severe if the patient with a sore throat actively inhales cold air. For example, when running or walking quickly. And the pain in the throat usually gets worse with such a cough.

For this reason, patients with weak muscles, poor coordination of airway closing and opening, or people with airway obstruction (COPD) will cough heavily. They are also particularly susceptible to complications from coughing, such as lower respiratory tract infections and pneumonia.

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What happens when you cough?

When a person coughs, a short breath is taken and the larynx (voice box) instantly closes. The abdominal and chest muscles are used for breathing, and their contraction increases the pressure needed to draw air out of the lungs. The larynx then opens again.

As a result, air comes out of the larynx at high speed, cleaning and freeing the airways from dust, dirt or excessive secretion (phlegm). Coughing is a common symptom of respiratory diseases, which, if severe, can develop into asthma. Then, coughing and shortness of breath can cause chest pain.

The cough reflex is a very important part of the body's defense mechanisms. Generally, in a healthy state, the lungs and lower respiratory tract are sterile. If dust or dirt gets into the lungs, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria and lead to pneumonia or an infection in the respiratory tubes. Then, very often, there is pain in the chest when coughing.

How to treat a cough correctly?

Cough is a symptom, not a disease. Cough has causes that need to be eliminated by treatment.

You should consult your doctor if your cough is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

• cough with sputum colored in the following colors - green, rusty brown, yellow, and also blood in the sputum with an unpleasant odor
• chest pain
• shortness of breath or wheezing
• pain and swelling in the calf muscles
• intermittent cough at night
• whooping cough or croup
• worsening cough symptoms - so-called smoker's cough
• sudden weight loss
• fever and sweating
• hoarseness of voice with chronic cough that does not resolve spontaneously.

If you can't cough without pain, see a doctor immediately. But for colds and infections, you can use home remedies for a painful cough.

Ginger

Buy ginger root. It can be sold in different forms, sliced, whole, and powdered. Wash the ginger root and cut it into thin slices. So thin that you can see through the ginger. Put a few slices of ginger in your mouth and chew it like gum. The natural enzymes in ginger will cure your sore throat. This will stop a painful cough and also soothe your airways, helping the pain go away.

Garlic

Mince 2 heads of garlic and place the mixture in a liter jar. Make sure the jar is tightly closed with a lid so that no air gets in. Let the mixture sit for an hour, then add honey. Cover the garlic and honey so that there is about 5 centimeters from the top of the liter jar. The honey will act as a cough syrup, and the garlic will act as a medicine for a sore throat.

Cover the jar and refrigerate the mixture for at least 24 hours. Then you can take a teaspoon of garlic and honey every time you feel like coughing. Garlic and honey will help reduce the pain of coughing if the source is a cold and not an injury to the respiratory tract.