Getting over that dreaded cough

Getting over that dreaded cough

The first thing to think about when you want to get rid of that dreaded cough is:  “what is going on in my body that I am coughing so much?”   Most people focus simply on the cough itself and not the underlying factors.  If you can find out why you are coughing, you can then look to heal.  WebMD says this, “A cough is only a symptom, not a disease”.

What is a cough?

Coughing is a repetitive reflex that helps the body clear the breathing passages from various things like: secretions, microbes, irritants and foreign substances.  In order to cough, your body forces you to exhale and open the vocal cords, thus making the distinctive sound.  You can either force a cough or be forced to cough by your involuntary nerves.

Who gets a cough?

A cough is the most common reason people visit their primary care physician.   In children, coughing is one of the most common reasons parents take them to the emergency room.  I can personally tell you that I was one of them for my  asthma.

Types of coughs?

Productive coughs are easy to spot.  They produce phlegm or mucus.  This is  simply the body’s way of clearing mucus from the lungs.

Nonproductive coughs are dry and do not produce any sputum or mucus.  You  may see this as a dry, hacking type cough at the end of a cold or when someone is exposed to an irritant of the throat or esophagus.

What causes a cough?

There are many causes to coughs, and here are a few…

• Viral illnesses
• Infections
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Nasal discharge or postnasal drip
• Smoking
• Bronchospasm (as with asthma)
• Allergies
• Medicines
• Dust or fumes and chemicals

What to do about a cough.

There are many ways to treat a cough.  Again, the key is to find out why the  person is coughing.  Because a cough is so frightening for a parent, they just want to get rid of the cough.  Correcting the cause of the problem may then be forgotten once the cough is gone.  This is what happened to me, my mom and dad freaked out when I was coughing.  The problem was never corrected until I discovered chiropractic.

Toxicity may be underlying your cough

What most people are unaware of is the lungs job in elimination.  The lungs help to keep up with all the toxic chemicals we expose our bodies to.  You breathe up to 16,000 times a day, while you go to the bathroom up to 20 times a day.  Breathing and the loss of your skin are very effective ways to eliminate toxins from the body.  Coughs can be a sign that the elimination system is over worked.

Neurology and coughs

As was said in the beginning, coughing is a reflexive action designed to help the
body get rid of junk.  The autonomic nervous system (the same system that makes your heart pump and lungs breathe) is in control of this.   You can cough
voluntarily, but it is most efficient when the body does it.

If your autonomic nervous system is out of balance, the body becomes toxic, the
immune system is compromised and then you have to get rid of it with a cough, rash, diarrhea etc.  Again, just symptoms of an internal body imbalance.  We
correct imbalances to the autonomic nervous system!

Dr. Robert Moore was asthmatic his entire life until he became a chiropractic patient in 1989.  He likes breathing so much that he became an upper cervical  specific chiropractor.  His office is called Awesome Chiropractic and is located on  Old US 23 in Brighton, just 5 minutes from downtown.  Call our office today to  see if we are a fit for you (810) 225-7246