Types of Cough and it Effects

Our body eliminates foreign substances or mucus from upper airways and lungs through coughing. Cough has several unique features. Coughing is not a disease instead it is a symptom of underlying health condition. Coughs are classified into two types, they are productive coughs and non productive coughs.

Productive cough

Cough which produces mucus is called as productive cough. The mucus produced through cough may be drained from nose, sinuses or from the lungs. A productive cough should not be drained as it helps to eliminate the mucus from lungs. Many factors can lead to productive cough like

Viral diseases- people face reproductive cough when they have viral diseases like cold and flu. Mucus that discharges into the throat triggers cough. Infections- infection in lungs and upper airways leads to cough. Diseases like pneumonia, sinusitis, bronchitis and tuberculosis can lead to productive cough. Chronic lung disorders- the main symptom of chronic lung disorders is productive cough. Stomach acids- stomach acids entering into esophagus may lead to cough. This can be a sign of GERD and may disturb your child’s sleep.
Nasal discharge- nasal discharge flowing into throat may also lead to productive cough.

Non productive cough

A dry cough or cough which does not produce mucus is called as non productive cough. Usually people develop dry cough when got exposed to irritants or end of cold. Few causes which leads to non productive cough are

• At the end of viral diseases like cold and flu, people develop dry cough which may last longer and this type of cough become worst during night times. 
• Dry cough during nights may be due to spasms in bronchial tubes which may be caused due to irritants.
• Allergies also lead to dry cough.
• Exposure to allergens like dust, pollution, chemicals, smokes etc. 
• Mild asthma can also cause non productive cough Dry cough is also caused when airways gets blocked due to any inhaled objects.