Is an incessant cough keeping you up at night, causing you a tight chest, or the result of mucus buildup? Seasonal allergies, a flu virus, or a more serious bronchial infection are the most common reasons for a nagging cough. However, a cough can sometimes indicate a more serious health condition—such as asthma. Whatever the reason for your hacking, a cough is the body’s typical reflex when foreign material is blocking the lungs and upper airway passages.
So how do you determine one cough from another? Let’s take a look at why a cough occurs, and what the top common health conditions a cough indicates, depending on the associated symptoms of course…
1. Post Nasal Drip
Post-nasal drip, in other words, a cough that causes phlegm or mucus to drain down the back of the throat from the sinus cavities in order to keep mucus away from the lungs, is a very common source of an itchy, scratchy cough that you’d get with seasonal allergies. Those with allergies, commonly experience post-nasal drip during periods of high pollen—such as rag weed season in the late summer/early fall season.
