What is cough?
Cough is a body’s common reflex action that clears the throat when it is filled with mucus or foreign irritants.
It stimulates the nerves that send a message to the brain and the brain signals the chest and abdominal muscles to push air out of the lungs to force out the irritant.
An occasional cough is a normal and healthy reflex of the body. But, if it persists for several weeks or months and brings up discolored or bloody mucus may indicate a condition that needs medical advice.
Prolonged and forceful coughing can irritate the lungs and can cause severe chest pain, exhausting, sleeplessness, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, and even broken ribs.
If a cough lasts for less than three weeks, then it is called as acute cough. This type of cough will clear up or at least significantly will improve within two weeks.
If the cough lasts between three and eight weeks and improves by the end of this period, then it is considered as subacute cough. If it persists for more than eight weeks, then it is a chronic cough.
If you have a cough mix with blood or have a “barking” cough. You should consult your doctor if your cough hasn’t improved within a few weeks because it could indicate something more serious.
What is cold or common cold?
The common cold is caused due to viruses and is a disease of the upper respiratory tract. It is usually harmless and might not feel that way.
Various types of viruses can cause a common cold. Children less than the age of 6 are at the greatest risk of colds, but adults can also expect to have two or three colds per year.
The patient gets recovered from a common cold in a week or 10 days but the symptoms might last longer in smokers.
What causes a cough?
A cough can be caused by several conditions which may be temporary or permanent.
Causes are:
Clearing the throat: When your airways get blocked with mucus or foreign particles such as smoke or dust then a reflex action is done by the body that attempts to clear the particles and make breathing easier.
Viruses and bacteria: Most of the viruses and bacteria cause respiratory infection, such as a cold or flu.
Smoking: Smoking is a common cause and cough caused by it is a chronic cough with a distinctive sound. It’s often called a smoker’s cough.
Asthma: In young children is asthma is also a cause of coughing. This cough involves wheezing sound which makes it easy to identify.
Medicines: Certain medications that cause coughing which is a side effect, like Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions.
Other medications like Zestril (lisinopril), Vasotec (enalapril), etc also cause coughing.
Other conditions:
Other conditions that can cause a cough includes vocal cords damaged, postnasal drip, pneumonia, whooping cough, serious conditions such as pulmonary embolism and heart failure.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also the main cause of chronic cough. In this condition, stomach contents flow back into the esophagus which stimulates a reflex in the trachea and causes the person to cough.
What are the causes of a common cold?
There are various types of viruses that can cause a common cold, but the rhinovirus is the most common culprit.
It enters the body through your mouth, eyes or nose. It spreads through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks.
It also spreads by sharing contaminated objects, such as utensils, towels, toys or telephones and by hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold.
What are the symptoms of a cough?
Most of the symptoms of cough will clear up, or at least significantly improve, within two weeks. But some of the symptoms that persist for a longer period are
- Fever
- Pain in chest
- Headache
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Cough mixed up with blood
- Difficulty in breathing
What are the symptoms of a common cold?
Symptoms of the common cold are:
Symptoms of a common cold usually appear after one to three days of exposure from virus and which can vary from person to person, might include:
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Nasal congestion
- Slight body ache
- Mild headache
- Sneezing
- Low-grade fever
- Generally feeling unwell (malaise)
- Yellowish or green colored thick discharge from nose
What is the Ayurvedic treatment for cough and cold?
Chandigarh Ayurved Centre is providing you the best and effective kit for cold and cold which is “Cough and Cold Go kit”.
This kit works as per the Ayurveda concept by balancing the vitiated kapha dosha in the body especially in the upper respiratory tract.
It consists of various Ayurvedic formulations for cough that will cure the chronic cold and cold naturally without having any side effects.
- Cough & cold go powder:
As the name suggests, Cough & cold go powder mainly works on the respiratory tract. It comprises of a combination of pure and natural ingredients for cough that have been used in Ayurveda for many ages.
The ingredients present in it are Sitopladi churna, Talisaadi churna, Yashtimadhu churna, Laxmi vilas ras, Godanti bhasma, Abhrak bhasma, etc.
It helps in treating chronic cough, Whooping cough, chest congestion, chronic fever, etc. It shows wonderful results in other symptoms like fever.
Some of the ingredients show coolant properties that relieve burning sensation and control body temperature.
Recommended Dosage – Take 1 Sachet twice daily with normal water.
- Kas Shwas Hari Rasa:
Kas Shwas Hari Rasa is an Ayurvedic potent formulation that is useful in treating respiratory system related problems.
It contains Shwas Kasa chintamani rasa, Laxmivilas nardiya rasa, Sutashekhar rasa, Talisadi churna that are processed in Bhawana Vasa Kwath.
This tablet shows broncho-dilator properties that treat upper respiratory congestion and bronchial asthma. This formulation shows effective results in both acute as well as chronic respiratory diseases.
Recommended Dosage – Take 1 tablet twice daily with normal water.
- Cough Go Tablets:
As the name suggests these tablets treat cough, cold, bronchitis, etc.
The ingredients present in it are Sonth (Zingiber officinale), Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Pippali (Piper longum), Kali Mirch (Piper nigrum), etc. which shows antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, a bronchodilator, & expectorant properties.
It is also beneficial in fever due to phlegm and treats acute as well as chronic cough.
Recommended Dosage – Take 1 tablet twice daily with normal water.
- Broncho care syrup:
Broncho care syrup contains Vasa Patra (Adhatoda vasica), Pippali (Piper longum), Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), Kantkari (Solanum surattense), Chitrakmool (Plumbago zeylanica), Sonth (Zingiber officinale), etc.
This syrup shows bronchodilator properties that treat the breathing difficulty and is also used in chronic cough, whooping cough, chronic laryngitis, etc.
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 teaspoonful twice a day.
- Anu Tailam:
Anu Tailam is a classical formulation that has been used in Ayurveda for many ages for the treatment of various upper respiratory tract conditions.
This oil is administrated through the nasal passage to lubricate and protect the tract. It contains roots and bark of various wonderful herbs like– Sesame oil, bael tree root, solanum root, cinnamon stem bark, cardamom fruit, desmodium root, etc.
As per Ayurveda, it balances the Kapha dosha and provides relief to the neck, head, and shoulder area.
It also provides strength to the nervous system and also beneficial for headache, earache, sore throat, etc.
Method of application – Administered 2 to 3 drops of anu tailam in each nostril
Vaidya Jagjit Singh is an Ayurvedic Physician in Chandigarh and has an experience of 30 years in this field. He is founder of Chandigarh Ayurved Centre. Chandigarh Ayurvedic Centre provides best ayurvedic treatment &panchakarma therapies centre in Chandigarh. Chandigarh Ayurvedic Centre is a leading Multi specialityAyurvedic Clinic of North India.
