Cough is the most common symptom of a cold, and coughing itself is a protective reflex of the body. However, some people cannot stop coughing even after taking cold medicine. Does this mean there is a problem with the respiratory tract?
【Possible Causes of Cough】
1. Allergic rhinitis or sinusitis
Cough caused by diseases in the nose (such as allergic rhinitis or sinusitis) has a medical term called upper airway cough syndrome. These patients often have obvious nasal symptoms, such as sneezing, clear or yellow nasal discharge, nasal congestion, headache, and decreased sense of smell. Typical findings can be seen during nasal examination, such as pale and swollen mucous membranes, clear watery nasal discharge, etc.
2. Laryngopharyngeal reflux
Stomach acid is a strong acid with strong corrosive properties. When stomach acid refluxes into the throat, it irritates the throat and causes coughing. These patients often have a feeling of foreign body sensation in the throat, a small amount of white sticky phlegm that is difficult to cough up, and the symptoms may worsen after meals. Some people also experience obvious acid reflux, heartburn, and bloating in the stomach.
3. Allergic cough
These patients often have allergic constitution but do not show typical allergic rhinitis. Allergen tests or serum IgE tests may be positive. The most common allergen Dr. Zeng has seen in cases is dust mites.
Dr. Zeng has also encountered cases of cough caused by sleep apnea and cough caused by tracheal invasion by tumors, but these are less common in otolaryngology, so they are not discussed here.
【Misconceptions in Treatment】
1. Delayed treatment: Many people think that cough is a minor illness and do not take it seriously. They try to tough it out on their own, but the result is often not self-healing and can even lead to more serious inflammatory infections. For cough caused by a cold, it is necessary to pay enough attention and receive timely and appropriate medication.
2. Random use of medication: For example, many people drink cough syrups containing Fritillaria cirrhosa or strong loquat syrup without considering whether they are suitable for their symptoms. In fact, these two medicines are cooling in nature and are not suitable for cough caused by wind-cold. Most patients have cough caused by wind-cold infection, and taking these cooling medicines will only worsen the condition.
【Using Dried Loquat Blossom Tea to Relieve Cough】
The method of making dried loquat blossom tea to relieve cough:
1. Rinse the freshly picked loquat blossoms. If you are picking loquat blossoms to harvest fruits, it is best to pluck the flowers individually (do not pick them in clusters) so that the loquat fruits will grow larger.
2. After picking, rinse the loquat blossoms and dry them in the sun. Since there is a specific season for picking loquat blossoms, you can only dry them on sunny days and store them for future use.
3. After drying, the loquat blossoms can be used to make tea.
Brewing method: Take about 7 grams of this product and put it in a cup. Pour boiling water over it and wait for a moment before drinking. It can be brewed with a covered cup or soaked in a large pot. Adding an appropriate amount of rock sugar or honey can enhance the flavor. Loquat blossom tea has a faint loquat fragrance, and when brewed, the tea is clear, fragrant, and refreshing. It is a green health drink and an excellent tea.
Only by using targeted medication can we achieve effective results. Cough treatment should also be personalized based on the specific condition.
