Coughing, much like catching the flu, is common and usually not a sign of anything serious; it’s your body’s way of responding to irritants in the throat and airways. But when a cough lingers longer than expected, it raises a question: why is my cough not going away?
In such cases, understanding the difference between a fleeting cough and a persistent or chronic cough is crucial. And if you’re looking for ways to manage a stubborn cough, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a holistic approach that might provide the relief you’re seeking.
Defining Acute Cough
An acute cough, typically lasting fewer than three weeks, is a common symptom often linked to temporary ailments like the common cold or seasonal allergies. Such coughs are usually short-lived and resolve with minimal care, primarily requiring self-management to alleviate symptoms. This type of cough is your body’s immediate response to clear irritants from the airways, making it a frequent but generally non-severe condition.
Understanding Chronic Cough
When a cough persists beyond three weeks in adults, it becomes classified as chronic and may signal underlying health issues needing medical attention. In rare cases, a persistent cough could be an early symptom of lung cancer or even heart failure, a condition in which fluid build-up in the lungs causes persistent symptoms.
Key Differences and Significance
So, how do you know if the cough you are dealing with is acute or chronic?
Distinguishing between an acute and chronic cough hinges on their duration and underlying causes. Acute coughs, as mentioned, are usually brief, linked to common illnesses like colds or flu, and resolve within a couple of weeks without extensive treatment. In contrast, a chronic cough lasts longer than four weeks in adults and may stem from more serious health conditions requiring thorough medical evaluation.
Why Does a Chronic Cough Matter to Your Health?
But why is coughing non-stop a concern?
Chronic cough, persisting for weeks or even longer, often signals underlying health issues that shouldn’t be ignored. While it’s not a disease itself, a persistent cough can be symptomatic of conditions like asthma, GERD, respiratory infections, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and, in more severe cases, lung cancer.
Therefore, recognising and addressing a persistent cough is thus crucial because it might be your body alerting you to a significant health problem that needs attention.
Symptoms
After all, chronic cough isn’t just about the cough itself; it comes with a host of other symptoms that can disrupt daily life.
Commonly accompanying symptoms include:
- Postnasal drip, or a sensation of fluid trickling down the back of your throat.
- Frequent throat clearing and a sore throat.
- Hoarseness and a change in voice.
- Wheezing, shortness of breath, and other breathing difficulties.
- Heartburn or an acidic taste in the mouth.
- Disrupted sleep due to night-time coughing bouts, leading to fatigue and reduced alertness during the day.
- In severe cases, intense coughing can cause headaches, dizziness, and even rib fractures.
Potential Complications
Ignoring a chronic cough can also lead to serious health risks and complications. If untreated, chronic cough may:
- Further irritate and inflame airways, making breathing more difficult.
- Trigger or worsen asthma symptoms.
- Impair the oxygen supply to vital organs, affecting overall health.
- Escalate into more severe conditions requiring emergency intervention.
Causes of Cough: A Broader Perspective
But more importantly, what makes us cough?
Sometimes it’s simple, but other times a cough can be a sign of something more.
Common Causes of Acute Cough
A cough that appears suddenly and lasts for a short period is typically due to:
- Common Colds and Viral Infections: Quick to catch and usually resolving on their own.
- Seasonal Allergies: Triggered by pollen, dust, or other airborne irritants, requiring only symptomatic care.
- Environmental Factors: Exposure to smoke or chemical fumes.
However, when coupled with symptoms like fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, or producing coloured or bloody phlegm, it could indicate more serious infections like pneumonia or bronchitis.
Underlying Causes of Chronic Cough
A persistent cough that lasts longer than a few weeks often points to deeper health issues, such as:
- Chronic Bronchitis: Primarily seen in smokers or those exposed to air pollution.
- Asthma: Characterised by difficulty breathing and a wheezy cough.
- Post-nasal Drip: Mucus drips from the nose to the throat, causing irritation.
- GERD: Acid reflux irritates the throat and can cause a lingering cough.
Less commonly, chronic cough can be a sign of severe conditions like lung cancer or heart failure, where fluid build-up in the lungs leads to persistent coughing.
Risk Factors for Developing a Chronic Cough
Beyond understanding the causes, it is important to know why some people develop a persistent cough in the first place. This will enable better prevention and management plans to be developed.
Lifestyle Factors
Certain lifestyle choices significantly impact the risk of developing a chronic cough. Smoking is the most common cause, profoundly irritating the lungs and airways. Regular exposure to air pollutants, industrial chemicals, or even heavy dust can also trigger long-term respiratory issues.
Medical Conditions
Asthma, allergies, and sinus problems frequently lead to coughing as the body tries to clear the airways. Conditions like GERD, where stomach acid backs up into the throat, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often linked to smoking or long-term exposure to harmful fumes, are also common culprits.
What is a Dry Cough?
When discussing coughs, it’s also essential to understand the distinction based on the presence of mucus.
A productive, or wet cough, expels mucus or phlegm from the respiratory tract. In contrast, a dry cough, which is non-productive, does not produce any mucus or phlegm, often leaving a persistent tickle in the throat.
Common Chronic Dry Cough Signs and Symptoms
A dry cough often feels like a persistent tickle in your throat, leading to frequent throat-clearing attempts. This type of cough can leave your throat dry and sore, sometimes exacerbating the irritation and discomfort, making everyday activities like talking and sleeping challenging.
Potential Causes of Dry Cough
Dry coughs can be triggered by a variety of factors.
In recent times, COVID-19 has been a common cause of persistent dry coughs. However, other conditions such as allergies, asthma, and exposure to irritants can also lead to a dry cough. GERD and postnasal drip are other culprits, along with less common causes such as medication side effects or more serious conditions like pneumonia or bronchitis.
Soothing a Cough with TCM
So, how can Traditional Chinese Medicine help manage your cough?
In TCM, the lungs are seen as vulnerable to external disturbances due to their delicate nature. Therefore, recognising the specifics of a cough, such as its duration, timing, and the nature of sputum, is crucial in TCM.
Coughs in TCM are categorised into those caused by external factors and those from internal imbalances.
Cough Induced by External Pathogens or Factors
In TCM, external pathogens such as Wind, Cold, Heat, and Dryness are believed to invade the body and disturb lung function, leading to coughs. These coughs typically start suddenly and can be alleviated with timely TCM interventions and lifestyle adjustments. For example:
- Wind-Heat Cough: Often presents with a loud cough, yellow phlegm, and symptoms like fever and sore throat.
- Wind-Cold Cough: Characterised by frequent coughing with thin white sputum and symptoms like a runny nose and body aches.
- Wind-Dry Cough: Causes significant throat dryness and scanty, sticky phlegm, often accompanied by a slight fever and stuffiness.
Cough Induced by Internal Imbalances in the Organ Systems
Chronic coughs in TCM are often also attributed to long-term imbalances within the body’s organ systems, particularly the lungs, spleen, liver, and stomach. Such imbalances can manifest as persistent or recurring coughs, highlighting the need for a holistic approach focusing on restoring balance and enhancing vital energy (Qi). Various TCM methodologies target these imbalances to help alleviate cough symptoms and restore health.
Lifestyle Modifications to Quicken the Recovery of Cough
Effective management of coughs also involves lifestyle adjustments based on TCM principles:
- Avoiding cold and raw foods which can exacerbate coughs.
- Reducing exposure to irritants like smoke.
- Ensuring adequate rest and managing stress through techniques like meditation and gentle exercise.
Acupressure to Relieve Cough
TCM also recommends acupressure as a non-invasive way to manage cough symptoms. Key points include:
- Lie Que LU 7: Located on the forearm’s radial side, above the wrist’s transverse crease, nestled between the brachioradialis and abductor pollicis longus tendons. Cross the thumbs and index fingers; the point is beneath the index finger’s tip on the depression at the styloid process.
Acupressure to Relieve Dry Throat
For dry throat, a common symptom associated with coughing:
- Lian Quan CV 23 (Ridge Spring): Found at the upper border of the hyoid bone, this point is pivotal for addressing throat and speech disorders. It’s utilised for symptoms like swelling, pain in the throat, stiff tongue, and issues with speech or swallowing. Commonly used for excessive drooling or extreme dryness, it intersects the Conception Vessel and Yinwei Meridians, enhancing its effectiveness in addressing these issues.
When to See a Doctor
It’s crucial to seek medical attention if your cough persists and is accompanied by alarming symptoms. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience wheezing, persistent fevers, chills, or phlegm that is yellow, green, or bloody. Immediate emergency care is necessary if you have trouble breathing, cough up significant amounts of blood, feel like you’re choking, or suffer from severe chest pain.
If these symptoms sound familiar and you’re exploring options like TCM for a chronic cough, consider consulting with a practitioner skilled in Chinese medicine in Singapore. They can offer insights and remedies tailored to your symptoms, potentially providing relief where conventional medicine aligns with holistic approaches. Moreover, TCM isn’t limited to managing coughs; TCM for headaches also provides personalised care.
