Cough

Cough is an independent disorder or symptom of many disorders. A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the mouth that can help clear of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes.  

Types of cough: 

1. Dry coughs commonly follow on from respiratory illnesses. These coughs develop when there is little or no mucus in the throat. A person may feel a tickling sensation in their throat and be unable to stop coughing.
2. Wet cough occurs when a person coughs up mucus or phlegm. Wet coughs are typically due to an infection, such as the flu, the common cold, or a chest infection.
3. Chronic Cough-  A cough that lasts longer than a typical illness, usually 8 weeks or more. 

• Cough with phlegm - in Wet cough.
• Cough without phlegm- In Dry cough.
• Breathlessness.
• Decrease exercise ability.

A chronic cough can occur with other signs and symptoms, which may include:

• A runny or stuffy nose.
• A feeling of liquid running down the back of your throat (postnasal drip).
• Frequent throat clearing and sore throat.
• Hoarseness.
• Wheezing and shortness of breath.
• Heartburn or a sour taste in your mouth.
• In rare cases, coughing up blood.

According to Ayurveda there are three elements present in our body: vata, pitta and kapha which should be in balance. Vata obstructed in the respiratory tract due to various reasons, attains upward direction and comes out with force making specific sound is called as Kasa.

The majority of coughs are caused by viruses and clear up without treatment.

• flu
• common cold
• laryngitis
• bronchitis
• pneumonia
• smoking
• mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose (post nasal drip)
• GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease)
• asthma
• some medications (e.g., ACE inhibitors)

Treatment protocol aims at:

1. Reducing the overproduction of mucus, controlling inflammation and lowering cough. 
2. Prevent recurrence by balancing the immune response.
3.  Long term relief and rejuvenating the body.

The first line of treatment should always be avoiding the causative factors. If the problem persists then consider the following treatment protocol.

• Swasakutar is effective in conditions like wheezing and breathlessness. Vasa helps to support the bronchial function with bronchodilatory, expectorant and helps to clear the mucus from the respiratory tract. Similarly, other drugs like Pippali, Talisa, Tankana,  Maricha and Shunthi acted as mucolytics, effective in reducing productive cough and sputum formation. 
• In productive cough, or Wet cough, Talisadi Churna liquefies the thick mucus and helps coughing up the sputum from the lungs due to expectorant action. It reduces sputum production and clears the lungs, also eliminates the wheezing sounds.

(In a productive cough, it should be used with honey)

• For Dry cough - Talisadi churna, Vasa, Kantakari, Yastimadhu are effective along with ghee

(The above mentioned Ayurvedic drugs are Herbs and Herbomineral preparations)

Pippali, Talisa, Tankana,  Maricha , Shunthi ,  Talisadi Churna, Vasa, Kantakari, Yasthimadhu