CoughsAlmost half the people who seek medical care during the winter months suffer from inflammatory conditions of the respiratory tract. Half the short term absences from work are due to respiratory disease. The most common presenting symptom of respiratory disease is the cough. When the mucus membranes of the throat or bronchial tract are irritated and inflamed they produce extra mucus. Coughing is a reflex action which is designed to dislodge mucus or other foreign bodies from the trachea and bronchial tree. There are two distinct types of cough. The dry, hacking cough and the wheezy productive cough. Most of the acute infections of the upper respiratory tract are viral in origin and often start out quite dry and then progress to being more mucus. This type of cough can respond very well to cough medicines. Long term chronic dry coughs that are not infective are often due to irritants or other types of lung problems. A smokers cough is most likely to be productive with clear non infected mucus and the relationship to smoking is usually easy to spot. This type of cough doesn't respond so well to all cough medicines. In this situation try using Lanes Cut-A-Cough. Containing Squill, it helps to break up phlegm, and I have had very good results with it in clinic. Many people try to use cough suppressants, thinking that if they can stop the cough reflex happening then the problem will have started to clear up. Cough suppressants should only be used on very dry coughs, unless the cough is exhausting the patient and preventing them from sleeping. The best cough suppressant is Wild Cherry Bark. This herb can relieve irritation of the mucosa and the nerve endings and help to soothe the cough reflex. It can also be used for nervous coughs. It is a very gentle herb to take and can safely be used by children. Most coughs are best treated with expectorants. These are herbs that increase the amount of respiratory fluid secretion, which will help to soothe the membranes. Within the category of expectorants there are a number of different kinds, some that are sedative and others that are stimulating. It is often difficult to know which one is best suited. A good general all round expectorant is Napiers Herbal Cough Syrup. This will help to gently relieve coughs and phlegm from the throat and chest. If the cough is productive and sounds chesty, I usually prescribe a Lanes Sage and Garlic. Garlic has anti microbial actions and will clear infection, and help to prevent more catarrh forming. As well as treating the cough it is important to look at ones general health. Herbs such as Echinacea, Elderflower and Liquorice can be used to boost general immunity, and if the problems are recurrent or long standing it is always best to have a herbal consultation. |
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