86 ILLUSTRATION BY PETER AND MARIA HOEY
When you catch a cold, the
runny nose and sneezing
subside after a few days. The
coughing? It just keeps coming,
like bad reality TV. The hack
outlasts other symptoms in
seven out of 10 cold sufferers,
according to research by
Peter Dicpinigaitis, M.D., of
the Montefiore Cough Center.
If you also have chest pain,
fever, or blood, or if you’ve
been coughing for two months
or longer, see a doctor stat, Dr.
Dicpinigaitis says. Otherwise,
the barking is prob ably no
big deal. And you can defeat it
once you know how it works.
“Coughing is a reflex, just
like an itch,” he says. Here’s
how to scratch it.
2/ Vagus Nerve
The irritated receptors
in your windpipe and air-
way send signals to your
brain through the fibers
of this large nerve.4/ Chest
Your cough center tells
your chest muscles to
tighten as you inhale air.
The cough is coming!
Your chest may push up
phlegm, though most
post-cold coughs are
dry. Consistently hacking
up slimy stuff could be
a sign of bronchitis or a
chronic condition called
bron chiectasis, which
can damage your airway.
See a doctor if it persists.5/ Mouth
and Throat
You open your epiglottis
(the windpipe’s entrance)
and force air out your
throat and mouth. The
cough can irritate nerves
in your throat, which may
send signals through
the vagus nerve to trig-
ger the whole process
again. To calm those
cranky nerves, swallow
a spoonful of something
sticky and sweet, like
honey. Or pop a cough
drop with menthol, which
may desensitize recep-
tors in your throat. You
can find the maximum
dosage in Fisherman’s
Friend Original Extra
Strong lozenges.3/ Medullary
Cough Center
Your brain has a hack-
ing HQ. It’s in your
medulla, a region that
coordinates involuntary
actions. When the cough
center receives a signal
from the vagus nerve,
the cough reflex kicks
in. You could stop it with
dextromethorphan, an
over-the-counter cough
suppressant that works
by muting your cough
center. You need at least
30 milligrams to do the
trick, and many prod ucts
are too weak, says
Dr. Dicpinigaitis. And
check for drug interac-
tions: Dextromethorphan
is dangerous when it’s
taken with certain drugs,
including some anti-
depressants.1/ Windpipe and
Lower Airway
These passages are
lined with sensitive
receptors. Invading
viruses irritate and
inflame them, and the
irritation can persist
even after your immune
system clears the infec-
tion. Head this off: In
a study published in the
journal Medicine, peo-
ple who always washed
their hands before eat-
ing, after using the
toilet, and after coming
home from community
activities were able to
significantly reduce their
odds of coming down
with the flu—a common
cause of coughs.Health
Why You
Cough
Use our guide to send
that nasty hack packing.
By Julie Stewart
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