Cough: Symptoms, Causes, Types and Treatments | Dr Nitin Rathi | Narayana Health

Cough is a protective reflex to forcefully expel excess mucus accumulation in the throat. Dr Nitin Rathi, Senior Consultant, Pulmonology at Dharamshila Narayana Hospital, Delhi, shares insights on coughs and treatment options.
Cough is a relatively common symptom that can occur suddenly or sometimes persist. Here are three ways to mindfully differentiate between a regular cough and one that may indicate a more severe situation:
1. Duration of the Cough
Acute Cough: This cough lasts less than three weeks and might stem from a common infection, possibly viral.
Subacute Cough: This lasts 3 to 8 weeks and might develop due to TB (tuberculosis), asthma, pneumonia, COPD, or other conditions.
Chronic Cough: It lasts more than eight weeks
Coughs with a duration of less than three weeks are self-treatable. An expert must check coughs exceeding this time frame. Also, there are two types of coughs.
2. Dry and Wet Coughs
Dry Coughs: Indicates viral infections or related to ILD.
Wet Coughs: Indicate infection, as yellow mucus or blood in the mucus can be seen, requiring an immediate X-ray for further diagnosis by an expert.
3. Infective and Non-Infective Coughs
Infective: Indicates Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, Swine Flu, and COVID
Non-Infective: Indicates ILD (where the lungs begin to stiffen), Lung Cancer, asthma, and COPD.
If someone experiences a cough lasting more than three weeks, especially with heavy mucus (yellow-coloured) or blood in the cough, it is advisable to visit a nearby chest specialist immediately. The doctor will take a general history and may order tests such as a CT scan, X-ray, and pulmonary function tests in the outpatient department (OPD). Treatment may include antibiotics, cough syrups, and bronchodilators. Sometimes, the specialist may perform advanced tests requiring hospital admission. Do not delay seeking medical attention to reduce complications with timely treatment.
Dr Nitin’s insights help us identify different types of coughs and get timely treatment, ensuring better health outcomes and improved quality of life.
#cough #pulmonology #chroniccough #takecare #narayanahealth
Visit our website www.narayanahealth.org to know more about Narayana Health and its facilities.
Call Us: 0806750 6900
Fill in the Enquiry Form: bit.ly/3zh1EE3
Connect with Us
Facebook - / narayanahealth
Threads - www.threads.net/@narayanaheal...
Instagram - / narayanahealthindia
Twitter - / narayanahealth
Blog - www.narayanahealth.org/blog/
LinkedIn - / narayanahealth
Quora - www.quora.com/profile/Narayan...
Telegram - t.me/NarayanaHealth
Timestamp
00:00 - Introduction
00:13 - What is cough?
00:47 - How do you differentiate the types of Cough?
01:02 - Acute cough less than 3 weeks
01:18 - Chronic Cough for more than 3 weeks could be Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, Asthma, COPD
01:28 - When to meet or consult a chest physician in case of cough?
02:03 - Reasons for Cough (Infectious or Non-infectious)
02: 35 - How to diagnose the type of cough?
02:26 - Treatment options for the different types of coughs.