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March 9th, 2005- Posted Behind that Cough article
March 9th, Posted- News Article on Opening of Caton Farm Road
October 9th, 2004- Posted pictures of our Open House and Dedication
What’s Behind That Cough?
By Jeanne Milsap Special to the Daily Southtown
Coughs are nothing unusual at this time of year as colds and other viruses make their annual rounds.
Most can be handled with the help of a lozenge, but there are times when a cough can signal something more serious. And other times, a simple cough form a cold can progress into bronchitis or life-endangering pneumonia.
Coughing is the body’s way of getting harmful foreign bodies out of the lungs. Special cells that line the airways get irritated by invading viruses, bacteria, dust, pollen and pollution. Extra mucus in the lungs and even low humidity can set the cells off, too.
The cells send nerve signals that eventually get to several muscles, including the diaphragm, resulting in a cough – essentially a burst of outflowing air meant to clear the lungs. Coughs are mostly a good thing. They rid the lungs of stuff that shouldn’t be there, including virus-induced mucus that could otherwise form the perfect bacteria breeding ground.
Dr. Scott Ciechna, a family physician affiliated with Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, has seen quite a few patients with coughs in the past few weeks.
Ciechna divides coughs into two categories. One he calls “productive coughs” which bring up mucus, or phlegm. Productive coughs can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, post-nasal drip. Bronchitis and some kinds of pneumonia, he said.
Ciechna attributes a nonproductive, or dry, hacking cough to such noninfectious causes as asthma, reflux disease (GERD), cigarette smoking or airborne irritants such as dust or pollutants.
In patients with heart problems, coughing also can be a sign of congestive heart failure. Ciechna said sudden coughing in a young child could signal that a small toy or other object has been swallowed.
Over-the-counter medicines
Ciechna says most people with coughs at this time of year just have a cold or allergies.
There’s no need to see a doctor for a mild cough that accompanies a cold, he said. Most caused by colds go away by themselves in a few days.
Most physicians agree it’s not a good idea to suppress a cough. It’s only doing its job of clearing the lungs, after all. But if a cold-associated cough is making sleep difficult or is interfering with daily activities, certain over-the-counter remedies are acceptable, Ciechna said.
Keep the ingredients simple and directed only to the symptoms you have, he said.
Ciechna said a decongestant such as pseudophedrine can help with runny noses and post-nasal drip. A cough syrup with guaifenesin can help bring the phlegm up, he said, or one with dextromethorphan will work to suppress a dry, hacking cough.
Dr. David Calimag, a family practitioner at Lincolnway Medical Associates in New Lenox and affiliated with Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, agrees that over-the-counter medicines may not be the best way to go with a cough. “You can try them,” he said, “but a cough is a protective reflex. It gets a lot of bad stuff out.”
Reasons behind a cough
A cough at this time of the year could be caused by a virus, he said, or it could be brought on by asthma. Airways in patients with asthma can be hyper-reactive to irritants, leading to airway constriction that can cause coughing.
Calimag often orders spirometry, or simple air flow tests, to check for asthma in his patients with a cough.
Ciechna also checks for asthma as well as allergies. He listens to their lungs, checks their ears and throat, and tries to determine the cause.
If he thinks it’s asthma, he might give the patient an inhaler for a trial. If they respond to the medicine in the inhaler, they have asthma.
Antibiotics are prescribed when a bacteria is at work. A bacterial sinus infection can cause a cough as well as a type of bronchitis also known as “walking pneumonia.”
Real pneumonia also can be caused by bacteria, either as a primary cause or as a secondary infection after a virus.
Whooping cough, or pertussis, has been making a comeback lately too. There were 11,000 cases in this country last year. The Centers for Disease Control says that ‘s the most in more than 30 years.
Pertussis is a bacterial infection in the lungs that can cause serious breathing problems, especially in infants. A pertussis cough gets worse during a period of two weeks, not gradually better as with colds.
The characteristic cough of pertussis makes a whooping sound on inhalation at the end of a coughing spell.
Keeping good hygiene can reduce your chances of picking up a germ that will cause a cough. Staying away from those who are sick and washing your hands with warm, soapy water are two good ways to avoid the causes of a cough.
