Worried about a chesty cough?

How to deal with a chesty cough

A chesty cough is a very common problem, particularly in the winter months when there are lots of cold and flu viruses going around.

To help you understand and manage the issue going forward, this blog will take a look at some key questions surrounding a chesty cough such as:
• What is a chesty cough?
• What causes a chesty cough?
• Who is at risk?
• Plus, lifestyle tips to help prevent or tackle a chesty cough

Read on to find out more about these issues.

What is a chesty cough?

A cough is a natural reflex which your body uses to expel irritants and mucus from the airways. Mucus is produced by various membranes in the body, but, when it is produced in excess by the respiratory system, this is referred to as phlegm. A chesty cough occurs when excess phlegm is produced, stimulating nerves in the airway, which can cause your chest and lung area to feel sore, heavy and congested.

If you are suffering from a chesty cough, you may find that your cough feels 'wet' and that you are coughing up phlegm. This type of cough is your body's way of trying to loosen the phlegm and clear this from the chest. These coughs are often worse in the morning, when the cough reflex has had time to 'rest' and there has been an accumulation of phlegm during the night.

What causes a chesty cough?

The reason for your chesty cough may be down to a lifestyle habit, or a recent illness or health condition. If you have recently had a cold or flu, the virus may still be lingering in the respiratory tract which can cause damage to the mucus membranes and result in excess mucus production.

Colds and coughs are often caused by viruses and, therefore, cannot be treated using antibiotics. Cough medicines such as Bronchoforce can help to reduce the frequency and violence of coughs, as well as thinning the mucus to make it easier to lift and expel from the body.

In some circumstances, a chesty cough can be a sign of an underlying problem, such as asthma or bronchitis. Bronchitis is an infection which irritates and inflames the main airways of the lungs, causing them to produce excess mucus. Bronchitis is usually caused by the same viruses which cause the common cold or flu; however, it can also be caused by bacteria.

Symptoms of bronchitis include:
• A hacking cough which produces green, grey or yellow mucus
• Common cold symptoms such as a headache, sore throat and blocked nose
• Tiredness
• Pain in the chest and stomach muscles
• Wheezing, shortness of breath or soreness when breathing.

Conditions affecting the heart, such as tuberculosis, an infectious lung condition, may also cause a chesty cough. If you suspect that this, or any other more serious condition, may be the reason for your cough it is advisable that you see a doctor as soon as possible.

Smoking long term can also give rise to a hacking, chesty cough. Many of the chemicals in tobacco prevent cilia, the hair-like structures along our airways, from being able to push tar and other debris out of the lungs properly.

Research has demonstrated this, confirming that some chemicals found in tobacco can cause the cilia to move slower, as well as reducing their length, which means more toxins are able to enter the lungs.¹

This effect on cilia leads to inflammation and, as a result, the body has to cough more to try and remove the tar from the lungs. As the lungs become more clogged, the respiratory tract lining becomes irritated and the body has to try really hard to clear the excess mucus and debris.

The type of persistent chesty cough associated with smoking can sometimes develop into more serious conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Who is at risk?

The following groups of people may be at more risk of developing a chesty cough than others:

• People who have suffered bronchial infections in the past
• People who smoke or vape
• Asthma sufferers
• Elderly people
• People who feel their cold often goes to their chest
• People with other health conditions, such as heart, liver or kidney disease.

Anyone with a weakened immune system is also at greater risk of contracting chesty coughs.

Weakening of the immune system can occur through lifestyle factors which we may not always be aware of. If you work closely with the general public, have a poor diet, have poor sleeping habits, travel a lot, are stressed or have a hectic lifestyle, you may be making yourself more vulnerable to the bugs which cause these nasty chest coughs.

This is particularly heightened during winter as, due to the damper air, viruses can be carried and, therefore, spread more easily. In addition to this, if you have been treated for many chest infections as a child or in the past, it may be harder to alleviate your chesty cough due to a level of antibiotic resistance that your body may have built against typical medications.

If you are worried about getting a chesty cough, or that you may be at risk, it may be advisable to boost your immune system to give your body the best chance of fighting the cough if it does occur, or to prevent it from developing altogether.

Our Immune Support may be a beneficial product to try, as these tablets support the normal functioning of the immune system and help to reduce tiredness and fatigue during spells of sickness.

Lifestyle tips to prevent or tackle a chesty cough

Having a healthy immune system is the best strategy to help prevent chesty coughs. Ensuring your diet is rich in fruits and vegetables can boost your immune system and help keep your respiratory tract healthy and strong for fighting infections. Vitamins and minerals which may support your immune function include:

• Vitamin C - found in a large variety of fruits and vegetables including oranges, strawberries, blackcurrants, red and green peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts and potatoes
• Beta-carotene - found in red peppers, carrots and spinach and yellow fruits such as apricots and mango
• Zinc - present in foods such as meat, shellfish, cheese, bread and cereal products such as wheatgerm.

Foods high in these vitamins and minerals are easily absorbed and utilised by the body. This is one of the main reasons it is essential to obtain these nutrients through food.

Our immune support product benefits from the use of plant-based, natural source ingredients which the body easily identifies and absorbs, and may, therefore, be a beneficial product to take alongside a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Echinacea may also be helpful, especially if you are suffering cold or flu symptoms. As well as strengthening the immune system, Echinacea has the advantage of direct anti-viral properties, as well as the ability to relieve symptoms of colds, flu and upper respiratory tract infections. According to research, Echinacea may also have the ability to reduce the production of mucus during colds.

Sharma M et al. (2010) found that when infected with a cold type virus, respiratory tract cells produced more mucus, however, this was reversed by Echinacea. In addition to this, the infected cells secreted large quantities of inflammatory chemicals, but this response was also reversed by Echinacea.² These inflammatory chemicals are what can cause typical symptoms of the common cold, for example, sneezing, coughing and runny nose.

There are many other simple lifestyle tips which you can follow to reduce your chances of catching a chesty cough, such as exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, drinking alcohol in moderation, getting plenty of sleep, and minimising stress.

If you are already suffering from a chesty cough, the following steps may help alleviate your symptoms:

• Get plenty of rest
• Drink lots of water and warm fluids, such as a hot lemon or honey drink, to soothe your throat
• Ensure that you are expelling any mucus that is brought up – this helps to clear the infection from your chest
• Raise your head with extra pillows whilst sleeping to relieve heaviness from chest

When to see a doctor

Through following the advice given and allowing your body to rest, your chesty cough should clear within 3 weeks. If your cough persists beyond 3 weeks, it may be advisable to see a doctor to rule out any underlying issues.

If your cough is accompanied by other symptoms such as feeling very unwell, coughing blood, chest pain, losing weight for no reason, night sweats, a fever or difficulty breathing, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

References

¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790614/ 

² https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19998417 

What you said!

We recently ran a poll to test your knowledge of the vitamin C content in some common foods. We've crunched the numbers and here are the results.

Results: Which of these foods has the highest vitamin C content?

29.9% of you said that Acerola cherries had the highest vitamin C content. Well done everyone - this is the correct answer! Acerola cherries are extremely rich in vitamin C, providing up to 100 times the vitamin C content of oranges!