What Causes Cough in COPD?

A chronic cough that produces sputum or phlegm is a common sign of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD is a lung condition that features problems with clogged airways and breathing difficulties. The condition is brought on by a combination of an excess secretion of mucus and an inflammation of the breathing airways. A chronic cough is often the first symptom noticed by people with COPD. How Your Respiratory System Works
Your respiratory system cleans itself and keeps you healthy by filtering out dust and other foreign particles inhaled while you are breathing. A protective layer of mucus covers the walls of the respiratory system. The mucus traps harmful substances, making it easy for the body to get rid of them. Tiny hairs known as cilia lining the walls move back and forth, pushing everything toward the nose and mouth where they can be expelled with a noisy burst of air. This is the cough mechanism in action.
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What Smoking Does
Smoking overwhelms your body's normal ability to clear out toxins. According to the Merck Manual, cigarette smoke is the main cause of COPD. The many hazardous substances in cigarettes irritate the airways and create inflammation. The lungs produce an overabundance of mucus, and the walls of the lungs become thick and swollen. Smoking also injures the cilia in the lungs and impairs their ability to move out the extra mucus and foreign particles. The mucus pools and clogs the lungs. The narrowed passageways make it difficult to breathe.
Treatment for Coughing and COPD
COPD causes permanent and progressive damage to the airways. The disease is treatable, but there is no cure. However, quitting smoking will slow the progression of the disease and reduce the coughing. If the condition progresses unchecked, the repeated coughing may become severely disabling. It will eventually take longer to recover from the attacks, decreasing the quality of life. Treatment of COPD includes drug and oxygen therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, enhancement of nutrition and pulmonary rehabilitation.