Chances are, your medicine cabinet contains some pills that are past their expiration date. You might even have some pain relievers, some cough syrup or some sleeping pills that were purchased back when Richard Nixon was ...
Oct 9, 2012
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New cases of the coronavirus are reported every day, and as yet there's no vaccine. So what treatments are available if you're one of the unlucky ones who gets infected?
Mar 27, 2020
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Top public health officials have one piece of advice for curbing the outbreak of the new coronavirus: stay home.
Mar 23, 2020
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Harry Potter author JK Rowling says a breathing technique has helped her coronavirus-like respiratory symptoms, a claim that has been widely reported and shared on social media.
Apr 8, 2020
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COVID-19 may not be just one disease, but six distinct types, a new British study claims.
Jul 28, 2020
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The human body has a large surface area that is in contact with the outside world, much of this comes from the body's largest organ – our skin – which protects us from a variety of potential threats. The other major sites ...
Feb 28, 2019
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(HealthDay)—Current and former smokers are at risk for a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis, but many aren't aware of the threat, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation says.
Jan 29, 2021
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As the nation adjusts to the threat of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, it's only natural to worry whether a cough or aches and pains could be signs you have become infected by the virus. Dr. William Petri, ...
Mar 17, 2020
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World Cancer Day is February 4 and that makes this the ideal time to talk about lung cancer and smoking. Internationally, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths and the World Health Organization estimates that ...
Jan 21, 2022
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(Medical Xpress)—A large team of researchers with members from across the globe has found that an ingredient in popular cough medicines may help people with Type 2 diabetes. They have published a description of their research ...
A cough ( pronunciation (help·info) Latin: tussis) is a sudden and often repetitively occurring reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. The cough reflex consists of three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. Coughing can happen voluntarily as well as involuntarily.
Frequent coughing usually indicates the presence of a disease. Many viruses and bacteria benefit evolutionarily by causing the host to cough, which helps to spread the disease to new hosts. Most of the time, coughing is caused by a respiratory tract infection but can be triggered by choking, smoking, air pollution, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, post-nasal drip, chronic bronchitis, lung tumors, heart failure and medications such as ACE inhibitors.
Treatment should target the cause; for example, smoking cessation or discontinuing ACE inhibitors. Some people may be worried about serious illnesses, and reassurance may suffice. Cough suppressants such as codeine or dextromethorphan are frequently prescribed, but have been demonstrated to have little effect.[citation needed] Other treatment options may target airway inflammation or may promote mucus expectoration. As it is a natural protective reflex, suppressing the cough reflex might have damaging effects, especially if the cough is productive.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
