Symptoms and signs that revile the infections include fever, body aches, sore throat, nausea vomiting, headache, sinus pressure, chills and post nasal drip. These are common if the cough is infectious. If it is not, one may not find all the symptoms. Non-infectious symptoms include coughs with wheezing and harshness in the throat.
Broadly it can be classified into two categories like Productive and Non-productive.
Productive cough
As the name suggests, this cough is with some purulent discharge or phlegm. The color of that may vary from white or yellow or bloody which is dangerous and needs an attention. The person feels some mucus tingling all the time to their throats. Usually to avoid going outside or spitting into wash-basin, people do engulf the mucus or the sticky material that has come along with the cough which is not at all advisable.
Non-productive cough
This is also known as dry cough. There will be no mucus or purulent discharge along with the cough. Whenever one coughs, they feel discomfort in breathing. The dry cough produce more sound compare to the productive cough.
Ayurveda classifies cough into five major categories…
Vataj kaasa – this is produced by Vata Dosha mainly. The main features of this are pain in flanks, lungs, chest, dry cough and dryness of mouth.
Pittaja kaasa – Pitta Dosha is mainly involved in this cough. This produces burning sensation in chest and may accompany mild to moderate fever. This may follow the nauseating feeling and sometimes vomiting. The sour taste feeling in the mouth is not uncommon. There could be purulent discharge from the throat along with coughing.
Kaphaja kaasa – this is produced by Kapha Dosha. This brings sweet taste all the time in mouth. The tongue is quoted and there is heaviness in the chest region. This may accompany the shiragauravtaa or shirashool (heaviness in the head or headache). There could be tingling sensation in throat and coughing usually follows with mucus or phlegm expectoration.
Kshayaja (say – kshaa ya ja) kaasa – this may come from severe infections. In Ayurveda it is described if one does excess intercourses, suppression of natural urges like feces or urine may invite this cough. Usually tridosha (all the three humors) are affected. This may present fever, burning sensation, edema and purulent bloody discharge from the mouth.
Kshataja (say – ksha ta ja) kasa – this is developed by over exertion in anything namely excess horse-riding (or traveling in open air), carrying heave loads that is out of our strength and fighting or combat with one who is more powerful than us. This is characterized by firstly dry cough and then purulent bloody discharge. There will be pain in throat and chest which is soochivat (prickling sensation). Fever, breathlessness and thirst are not uncommon.
Tests for cough
The cough is often taken lightly which is not good. This may bring the hazardous condition in the human body. It is better to diagnose perfectly and treat the cough. The cough is not a disease but it is one of the symptoms of the main disease. To find the causative factor for the cough there are certain tests those are performed when the patient complaints of cough.
The chest x-ray is first and foremost. This is also common and is advised at the priority. The chest x-ray reviles any lesion in the lungs or any patchy area in the lungs. This is done just to be sure that the physician should not miss something big. If the cough is productive, the sputum test is done to rule out the major diseases like tuberculosis. Other screening test and haemogram (complete blood test) help physician to diagnose allergic cough or any other underlying diseases.
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