Constant Coughing That Indicates Illness

It is common knowledge that a persistent cough is often indicative of illness. In order to cure the constant coughing, a person needs to determine if the cause of the constant is minor or serious. There is a certain list of criteria concerning constant coughing that indicated a person needs to seek immediate medical attention:

- A cough that has lasted at least two weeks without any sign of improvement.

- A cough that has lasted several days and is accompanied by a fever of over 100 degrees.

- Coughing that produces green, yellow, or bloody mucus.

- An inability to sleep for several consecutive nights due to coughing.

- A harsh, barking sound to the constant coughing.

If an individual has a cough that produces a pink froth or cannot breathe needs to head straight to an emergency room.

The most common illnesses that produce this type of coughing can include acute bronchitis, influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. The most common symptoms of acute bronchitis include tightness of the chest, low grade fevers, and wet coughing that produces colored mucus. Similarly, the signs of influenza are unmistakable. In addition to the hacking, an individual can suffer from headaches, body aches, constant feelings of tiredness, and high fevers. There are two different types of pneumonia: viral and bacterial. The symptoms of pneumonia can often be mistaken for those of bronchitis, because the list of symptoms is rather similar. Because pneumonia is an infection of the lungs, it should be treated right away. Left untreated, it can cause death in the elderly and the very young.

In all of the aforementioned diseases, a person must seek medical treatment from trained medical personnel. Home remedies are not effective in treating the viruses that cause these infections. Constant hand washing is the most effective method of reducing the possibility of transmitting germs. Additionally, a person can obtain an annual flu shot from their primary care physician. However, if a person comes down with any of these diseases, a doctor will most likely prescribe a mixture of steroids and antibiotics to treat the disease.