A hacking cough is disturbing for the cougher as well as his coworkers, family and bed partner. Over-the-counter cough medicines can quiet a disruptive cough, but should not be taken for coughs caused by asthma, smoking, emphysema, pneumonia or...
Although a persistent cough can interfere with your toddler's sleep and make her sound very ill, coughing is not usually a sign of serious illness. Coughing protects your toddler's airways by keeping them clear of mucus and other secretions. A...
When your baby develops a hacking cough, it may have several causes. Your infant may have a simple cold, or she may have a more serious illness such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or asthma. While the cough may not be anything to worry...
A dry, hacking cough is a symptom associated with several different illnesses and allergies. Treating the underlying cause can help relieve the dry, hacking cough over time but when the illness is viral, medicines can't kill the infection....
A cough is a reflex triggered by the body in an attempt to keep harmful substances out of body and keep the airways clear. An occasional cough may occur as a result of dust particles or irritating substances in the air, or it can be brought on by...
A dry, hacking cough is a symptom that accompanies several illnesses, especially respiratory infections. A dry cough is one that doesn't bring up mucus. The cough can be caused by the body attempting to clear an irritant such as a virus from the...
Unlike productive coughs--coughs that can be helpful by bringing mucus up and out of the lungs, dry hacking coughs tend to needlessly irritate your throat and lungs, causing tickling and burning sensations that can make your days difficult and...
A dry, hacking cough can ruin your sleep, make conversation difficult and generally make the day miserable. Treatment is aimed at three goals: adding moisture to the upper respiratory tract, decreasing irritation and eliminating inflammation in...
The body responds to irritants in the throat by coughing. Acute illnesses such as the flu, seasonal or annual allergies, and chronic conditions like bronchitis or emphysema may be the cause of coughing, which might be painful or merely annoying....
The cold is most commonly associated with the winter months. It can, however, attack individuals during the summer as well. A cold is a viral infection that can be caused by a number of different viruses. A cold virus usually starts in the sinus...
The common cold can leave you feeling absolutely miserable. Symptoms include a runny and stuffy nose, a hacking cough, sore throat, sneezing and watery eyes. The Mayo Clinic states that the common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory...
Community acquired pneumonia is a disease that affects the lungs. It is usually caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae or Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It can be spread from person to person and is acquired through the inhalation of...
Community-acquired pneumonia primarily affects the lungs. It originates from an infection by bacteria such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. It spreads through inhalation of air droplets and can spread rapidly in places with...
Avian influenza, also known as bird flu or H5N1, is a strain of influenza that primarily affects birds; however, the illness can also affect humans. H5N1 is classified as a type A influenza virus, which means that it is responsible for global...
Coughing is common in childhood illnesses and helps to clear airways and the throat. Coughs can range from mild to serious and be a nuisance or frightening. Typically, a cough accompanies a cold or viral infection. A cough can be productive, such...
Smokers and children with a parent who smokes often suffer from a condition commonly called smoker's cough. Cigarette smoke damages the protective ciliated cells and increases the amount of mucus produced by the body. This leads to either a dry,...
If you have bronchitis, you know that hacking cough is one of the worst parts of the illness. And if you have viral bronchitis, you have got to wait out the illness until the virus clears up. A bronchitis cough can give you a headache and keep you...
When cold and flu season rolls around, it can leave you feeling pretty miserable. There is no cure for the common cold, but there are plenty of herbs out there that will help relieve your symptoms in a natural, gentle way, without any of the side...
High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the risk for heart attack and heart failure, aneurysm, stroke and kidney damage. Hypertension occurs when the pressure pumping through the arteries is too high, greater than 140/90 mm Hg. According...
The medical term for a collapsed lung is atelectasis. Part or all of your lung can collapse due a blockage in the lung cavity that prohibits the lung from expanding as you inhale. Your lung can also collapse if there is a hole in the lung that...
It is never pleasant to have a dry, hacking cough that is painful and leaves you exhausted and too weak to do any of your daily tasks. When you have an allergy attack, the flu or a cold, there are a few things you can do to treat your cough. You...
Whether you are coughing due to allergies or from the flu, a dry, hacking cough can be painful, annoying, cause you to loose sleep and affect your daily activities. Coughing occurs when irritants cause tickling or scratching in the throat, larynx...
If your child has been lying awake at night with a hacking cough, you can help make his night more bearable. Most likely, your child's cough is caused by a cold or the flu. If your child's cough lasts more than a few days or is accompanied by any...
Coughing helps to keep your airways clear. A productive, or wet, cough brings up mucus from the respiratory tract, but a dry cough produces no mucus. Persistent dry coughs cause sore throats, chest discomfort and sleep disturbances. Possible...
When your 8-month-old baby has an irritating cough, you may wonder if it is okay to give cough syrup. However, over-the counter cough syrups are strongly discouraged for children before the age of 2 years, according to the American Academy of...
TB--or tuberculosis--is a bacterial infection within the human body caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2006, over nine million new cases of TB were diagnosed throughout the world, reports the Merck Manual, an online medical...
We have all had a cold or flu that has lingered with that dry hacking cough that never seems to go away. It is painful and makes laying down to sleep miserable and impossible. The dry, unproductive cough can cause muscle spasms, pain in the...
Asthma is a chronic condition that affects a person's breathing. Approximately five million children in the United States have asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Diagnosing asthma in a toddler requires vigilance...
The flu is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system. Called seasonal influenza, the peak time of year for flu is between November and March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that every year anywhere from 5 to...
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease leading to severe coughing bouts and even vomiting. Learn about whooping cough in this respiratory health video.
