11 Best Doctors for Cough Treatment in Nagpur

The causes of cough include
•Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs; influenza, common cold and viral laryngitis)
•Lower RTIs (LRTIs; bronchitis and pneumonia)
•Allergy (hay fever) or irritants (fumes)
•Lung clot or collapse (smokers), infections (tuberculosis) or cancer
•Heart failure
•Post-nasal drip
•Acid reflux
•COPD
•Asthma
•Certain medications

You will require immediate medical attention if your cough is associated with:
•Fever
•Breathing difficulty and shortness of breath
•Mucus with pus and blood
•Facial swelling
•Hives
•Severe chest pain
•New or existent wheezing untreatable with inhalers
•Worsening of leg swelling along with shortness of breath, experienced mainly while lying flat

The diagnostic tests include
•A thorough history of the cough along with a physical examination and vital signs measurement (temperature, pulse and oxygen levels)
•A blood test to check for infections
•A swab from the throat or phlegm sample
•Chest x-ray or CT scan
•Spirometry (to measure breathing capacity)
•Methacholine challenge test (to check for asthma variant)

Some homecare measures useful for treating cough include:
•Steam inhalation using a vaporiser or a steamy shower to reduce nasal congestion
•Increasing saliva by using cough drops and hard candy, which relieves dry cough and sore throat (avoid it for kids)
•Honey reduces the frequency of cough by soothing the inflamed throat

Yes, cough can spread from person to person depending on its cause, for example, infections.