A-hhhhem! Three experts cough up advice
March 4, 2008
Daphne Gordon
LIVING REPORTER
Ahem. Cough, cough. Hack, hack, hack.
Sound familiar? Like, maybe, the soundtrack to bedtime at your house, or the afternoon symphony at your bustling place of business?
Coughs and colds are the most common reason Canadians seek medical advice. And they sap an estimated $400 million a year from the economy as a result of lost wages, doctor visits, pharmaceutical and herbal remedies, among other things.
While Toronto Public Health says this year's cold and flu season – so far, at least – has been no worse than past years, it seems this winter's strain has refused to let go of our lungs. The city's collective hacking can be heard loud and clear in classrooms and libraries, movie theatres and community centres, retail stores, daycares and offices.
A-hhhhem.
There are many possible causes of coughs, some of which are serious – pneumonia, gastroesophageal reflux, heart disease and asthma, to name a few. That's why it's important to visit a doctor when an acute cough goes on too long, or when a chronic cough changes.
But sometimes, a cough is just a cough. The most common causes of the nasty symptom are rhinitis and sinusitis, which can start with a cold or flu. But after a respiratory infection is gone, the cough can continue because of lingering irritation in the airway.
So what to do?
Even when it's not serious, it's not necessary to suffer stoically. We asked three experts – a medical officer from Toronto Public Health, a medical doctor and a naturopath – for the latest on how to handle cough.
To see a video that explains the four stages of a cold, click here.
MEDICAL DOCTOR
WHO: Dr. Brian Levine, medical director of California's The Cough Center, thecoughcenter.com.
WHAT: Levine
founded his pioneering cough clinic in 2005. He visited Toronto
recently to promote Halls cough drops and, he says, to educate the
public about the causes of cough and what to do about it.
IN HIS WORDS: "You
want to control cough, you don't want it to control you. There is no
single magic bullet. Cough is complicated because it involves the
central nervous system. A combination of treatments is usually best."
HOW:
In
the first stage of coughing, shorten your work and social schedule, eat
plenty of fruits and vegetables, and take the antioxidant vitamins C
and E.
As the cough worsens, get at least eight hours of sleep,
drink lots of water to flush toxins out, and pop cough drops containing
menthol, which can suppress the cough impulse. (He recommends Halls
because it offers sugarless options.)
Cough medicines containing
dextromethorphan (DM) can suppress cough in adults by affecting the
cough centre in the brain, but in children, they aren't proven
effective and can have serious side effects.
When it gets
really bad, try a saline nasal spray, either homemade or store bought,
to reduce inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. Avoid exercise.
Read a good book or listen to music to get a shot of endorphins.
In
the post-infectious stage, eat protein to build up lost muscle mass and
do deep breathing exercises to restore collapsed airways in the lungs.
Instead of vigorous workouts, which can drain energy needed for
healing, do gentle yoga or Pilates.
NATUROPATH
WHO: Dr. Kimberlee Blyden- Taylor, associate dean of clinical education at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, ccnm.edu.
WHAT: Blyden-Taylor
co-ordinates the clinical aspect of training for students in the
four-year, full-time program for doctors of naturopathic medicine.
IN HER WORDS: "You
don't always want to suppress cough, because it's the body's natural
reflex to move the bacteria, which is trapped in phlegm, up and out.
The problem comes when the cough is so active that it is keeping you
from sleeping or it's just exhausting."
HOW:
To
prevent coughs and colds, build immunity with the herbs Siberian
ginseng and astragalus. Also, avoid sugar, caffeine and alcohol and get
lots of sleep. Alternating hot and cold showers can increase
circulation and white blood cells.
To encourage kids to take
herbal immunity builders, make tea with astragalus or ginseng, then mix
the tea with juice or freeze it into an ice pop.
Once a cold
has taken hold, live with a cough if it's producing phlegm. If not,
loosen phlegm with a mustard plaster applied to the chest. The less
natural option, Vicks VapoRub, will work in a pinch. Also, try inhaling
over a bowl of steaming water containing a few drops of eucalyptus or
tea tree oil.
To soothe the sore throat that often comes with
cough, try good quality honey. (She recommends New Zealand's Manuka
honey for its anti-viral qualities.)
When suppression is
necessary, use herbal cough syrups containing wild cherry bark and/or
coltsfoot. (She recommends Natural Factors and Nim Jiom, a Chinese
brand that's produced in North America and available here.)
PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICAL OFFICER
WHO: Dr. Irene Armstrong, associate medical officer of health, Toronto Public Health, toronto.ca/health.
WHAT: As
a physician for Toronto Public Health, Armstrong educates the public
about all aspects of health, including communicable diseases such as
cold and flu.
"Cough is one way of spreading respiratory
illnesses. Infectious droplets spray out when you cough, and within a
metre, those droplets can infect someone else."
HOW:
The
best way to prevent coughs resulting from the flu is vaccination. And
it's not too late. Influenza season started in November and will
continue through April. For information call the Ministry of Health at
1-877-844-1944, or see gettheflushot.ca.
Once you're infected, stay home to avoid passing the illness on to others.
To prevent infection of others in the home, cover coughs and sneezes. Wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizers.
Toronto Star