How Long Can Dry Coughs Last For
  In this article we have an overview of how long can dry coughs last for. This is actually dependent on what takes place when you are on medication. Once you have a dry cough you can take several different types of medication which will eventually determine if you actually have the cough for an extended period of time.
In allergies, antihistamines diminish these unpleasant symptoms by acting against a natural body substance called histamine, which causes them. Histamine is normally stored in the body, but it is released when certain cells are stimulated by allergic agents such as pollen. Once out of storage and in circulation, histamine causes the dilation of blood vessels, the seepage of fluid into surrounding tissue spaces and a runny nose.
A viral invasion of the nose will also cause the release of histamine, but in this case the quantity of histamine in circulation has relatively minor significance. The body’s response to the virus alone that is, the appearance of a full- fledged cold is fully capable of bringing on all the same symptoms without the release of histamine, and taking antihistamines is essentially an exercise in futility.
Besides their dubious value in treating colds, antihistamines create problems that often make their presence in cold preparations, even in small amounts, undesirable. They cause drowsiness, and are dangerous to use before driving, working with machinery or engaging in any other activity that requires full attention and energy. Because they greatly enhance the soporific effects of other substances, they should not be combined with alcohol, sleeping pills, tranquilizers or painkillers. In people suffering from glaucoma, antihistamines can raise pressure within the eye or the arteries and complicate treatment. Depending on how often and how you use this will determine how long can dry coughs last for.
Men suffering from an enlarged prostate gland should also be cautious with antihistamines; they restrict the elimination of urine, intensifying the urination difficulty caused by the prostate ailment. And a physician’s supervision is advisable in antihistamine treatment of children with convulsive disorders: Although these drugs ordinarily cause drowsiness, they paradoxically can stimulate children; in those already afflicted by over stimulated nervous systems, the illness may be worsened. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid cold preparations that contain even small amounts of antihistamine because the ingested drug may have undesirable effects on the developing fetus or the infant.
The next two classes of chemical agents the antitussives, or cough suppressants, and the expectorants are taken sometimes separately, sometimes together, depending on the type of cough involved. In what is known as a nonproductive cough, the muscular reflex of coughing is constantly stimulated by inflammation in the throat, but little mucus is produced or ejected. A productive cough, on the other hand, brings up quantities of mucus and contributes to their removal.
The objective of an antitussive is to silence a nonproductive cough; that of an expectorant, to enhance the effectiveness of a productive cough without increasing its frequency.
Cough suppressants include both narcotic and non-narcotic agents that lull the cough control center in the brain so that it triggers the cough reflex less often. The most effective is the narcotic codeine, a derivative of opium. Because its use can lead to addiction, the amount of codeine in over-the-counter cold remedies is strictly controlled in the United States. |
