Cough
| A cough can arise for a variety of reasons, for
which the cause must first be determined. Physiologically speaking, the
cough is a necessary body function. It is the body’s mechanism of
action for clearing material from the airway. For example, if some
fluid or small food particle is aspirated upon ingestion, cough acts as
a protective mechanism. The cough mechanism is thought to be the result of cough receptors found in the nose, sinuses, auditory canals, nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, pleurae, diaphragm , and probably, the pericardium and GI tract. If one or more of the receptors is stimulated, the resultant cascade travels through the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves to the medulla, which is located in the brainstem. This is known as the cough center. Upon the stimulation of a given receptor, the cough center is activated. This causes a reflexive action of laryngeal, intercostal, and abdominal muscles; combined with closure of the glottis and deep inspiration. The processes increase lung pressure and causes the glottis to forcefully open forcefully. This is the event we term cough. This cascade can also be externally stimulated from either applied force, or by forced expiration. Cough is categorized into productive and nonproductive types, which refers to whether sputum or blood is being expelled. A chronic cough is defined as a cough that persists beyond one month, as coughs may occur as a single or paroxysmal episode. | ||||||||||||||
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