A Different Drum: Communicating meaning through coughing
Hack, hack, hack. There I go, coughing again. But what exactly is a cough and what does one mean? It seems as if we should all know more about coughing, since we’ve done it all of our lives and are likely to continue for the remainder of our years.
According to the American Lung Association, “Coughing is an important reflex that helps protect your airway and lungs against irritants.” So I guess instead of regarding it as merely irritating, I need to start recognizing coughing as a beneficial function of keeping my respiratory system safe (similar to sneezing and blinking) from intruding irritants.
Periodic maintenance coughing is a bodily function that ensures problematic substances, such as germs, dust and mucus, don’t build up internally. However, when you feel yourself coming down with something and spontaneous, involuntary coughing ramps up, it’s hard to remember that there is always at work in the background a pro-active type of coughing that has your back, not just your chest.
Along those lines, with the respiratory problems I’ve experienced in recent months, it’s time I pay more attention to coughing that seems to be here to stay — and give it the respect it due instead of vilifying how it feels. Let me share here what I have learned through the American Lung Association (lung.org):
Coughing can be acute (lasting three weeks or less) or chronic (lasting two months or more), with subacute coughing falling in between. There’s relatively little cause for alarm over acute coughing unless it’s accompanied by other medical symptoms, such as fever, headache, drowsiness or shortness of breath, which need further investigation. Of course, that doesn’t make acute coughing any more fun for the person who is experiencing it. Believe me!
Acute cough is typically caused by upper respiratory tract infections, hay fever or allergic rhinitis, inhalation of irritants, lower respiratory tract infections, pulmonary embolism(s), lung collapse, heart failure, post-nasal drip and GERD. An acute cough can be an important signal that something is wrong and needs to be examined more closely.
By the same token, chronic coughing is often the result of a more serious issue or perhaps a chronic lung disease, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis. Persistent coughing over time is also commonly caused by smoking, medications, allergies, sinus problems and digestive issues. Any coughing that involves funky sounds, like whooping, wheezing and barking, needs to be taken seriously, for the bigger problem it might signify.
In addition to your cough style and duration, there’s also the content of what you bring up to consider. Not to be gross, but it matters whether your cough is dry (non-productive) or wet (mucus-producing). Within that realm, the color of the phlegm and whether it’s blood-tinged is also significant.
That’s a lot to remember regarding coughing and nothing to sneeze at. I especially like what the Lung Association said about chronic cough, which continues to negatively impact my life as I undergo testing and treatment attempts toward pinpointing the underlying cause of my current respiratory suffering:
“If you have chronic cough it can feel like a burden on your daily life, with lack of sleep, mental and physical exhaustion and social stigma impacting your quality of life.”
Amen! As the huge dark circles under my eyes signifying lack of oxygen and sleep attest, I’m beyond exhausted. My inability to control my coughing has led to untold embarrassment and agony over the past several months. But I have been able to classify my coughing episodes thusly:
Coughus Interruptus: spontaneous episodes of coughing at the most inopportune times – while playing piano at church, while attending a funeral, while public speaking, etc. Aargh!
Bladder-Defying Violence: deep, sudden-onset episodes of 50 mph or greater speed/force coughing that ambush before I can brace my bladder. Occur only in public settings.
Nightmarish Nighttime Hacking: coughing that begins the minute my head hits the pillow, necessitating (ultimately unsuccessful) sleeping attempts everywhere except in bed.
Anti-Intimate Empathy: ruination of heartfelt moments through uncontrollable, mistimed coughing fits directly into the face of someone attempting to bare his/her soul — overshadow underlying communication.
For those reasons and others, I hope to soon discover both the cause of my coughing and effective treatment for it.
— Kristy Smith’s Different Drum humor columns are archived at her blog: diffdrum.wordpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: A Different Drum: Communicating meaning through coughing
