Dry Cough and Cough With Sputum

Coughing is a natural process and protective reflex in healthy individuals, which is important to keep the throat and respiratory tract clean. But excessive coughing may indicate a disorder or disease that requires medical treatment. Cough can be dry (without sputum) or productive (with sputum).

Dry cough or non - productive does not produce an increase in sputum production and often the symptom is itchy throat sputum, cough of this type can cause hoarseness or disappear. Dry cough is caused by very small particles of food or irritant smoke, cigarette smoke (both active or passive smokers). Change of air temperature and perhaps as a body’s response to dry air or other type of air pollution.

Dry cough may occur as a result of virus infection that has just occurred, the flu or cold, dry cough that is why it is sometimes thought as a cough after virus infection. Dry cough can be a sign of other diseases such as asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease or congestive heart failure, but dry cough can be triggered by certain medications (ACE inhibitors, beta diseases, aspirin).

Meanwhile, Productive Cough or Cough with sputum can be marked by a characteristics noisy sound in the chest or chest tightness accompanied by spending sputum. Productive cough may be symptoms that persist after the symptom of sore throat, nasal congestion or sinus congestion.

Naturally cough can be acute or chronic, acute cough usually occurs suddenly and no more 2-3 weeks and is often caused by colds, flu or virus infection, while chronic cough up to more than 2-3 weeks.