Thursday, September 6, 2018

Signs and Symptoms of Acute and Chronic Cough in Old Age

A chronic cough is one of the most common issues that needs to be assessed and treated in seniors. If we understand the underlying reasons and symptoms of a cough and the reason behind it, it is often easy to cure or treat.

When the passages between the nose and mouth to the lungs are irritated by the substances entering through the inhalation of air, the body tries to get rid of them through a cough. A cough is when the air in the lungs is forced to expel under high pressure.

Signs and Symptoms of an Acute and Chronic Cough

Acute Cough
Coughs mainly occur due to infectious and noninfectious causes. Viral upper respiratory infections or common colds, acute bronchitis, sinus infections and pneumonia cause an acute cough. These are often curable or treatable.

1. Infectious cause
Symptoms that point to an infection are body aches, sinus pressure, chills, fever, vomiting, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, postnasal drip, headache, night sweats, phlegm, and sputum.

2. Noninfectious cause  
Noninfectious coughs occur when a person is exposed to certain irritants or chemicals in the environment. It can often be improved with inhalers or allergy medications.

Chronic Cough
It is not easy to find the major signs and symptoms of a chronic cough. Many seniors get this type of cough due to environmental allergy or prior smoking habits. It can be treated to a great extent by medication and quitting the habit of smoking.

Chronic coughs or noninfectious coughs can also occur due to chronic lung diseases like emphysema, asthma or chronic bronchitis.  
   
If your aging loved one is suffering from any type of cough, take them to an experienced specialist who can correctly diagnose and treat an acute or chronic cough. 

If your loved one needs Elderly Assistance, get in touch with Birmingham’s leading senior care agency – Always Best Care. They provide all the senior care and non-medical services your loved one may need to lead a healthy life. For a free consultation, call (205) 874-9730.

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