168 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
COUGH
Coughing is not a sickness in itself, but is a sign of many different sicknesses that
affect the throat, lungs, or bronchi (the network of air tubes going into the lungs). Below
are some of the problems that cause different kinds of coughs:
DRY COUGH WITH
LITTLE OR NO PHLEGM:
COUGH WITH MUCH
OR LITTLE PHLEGM:
cold or flu (p. 163)
worms—when passing
through the lungs (p. 140)
measles (p. 311)
smoker’s cough
(smoking, p. 149)
bronchitis (p. 170)
pneumonia (p. 171)
asthma (p. 167)
smoker’s cough,
especially when
getting up in the
morning (p. 149)
COUGH WITH
A WHEEZE OR WHOOP
AND TROUBLE BREATHING:
asthma (p. 167)
whooping cough (p. 313)
diphtheria (p. 313)
heart trouble (p. 325)
something stuck in the
throat (p. 79)
CHRONIC OR PERSISTENT COUGH:
tuberculosis (p. 179)
smoker’s or miner’s cough (p. 149)
asthma (repeated attacks, p. 167)
chronic bronchitis (p. 170)
emphysema (p. 170)
COUGHING UP BLOOD:
tuberculosis (p. 179)
pneumonia (yellow, green, or
blood‑streaked phlegm, p. 171)
severe worm infection (p. 140)
cancer of the lungs or throat (p. 149)
Coughing is the body’s way of cleaning the breathing system and getting rid of
phlegm (mucus with pus) and germs in the throat or lungs. So when a cough produces
phlegm, do not take medicine to stop the cough, but rather do something to help
loosen and bring up the phlegm.
Treatment for cough:
1. To loosen mucus and ease any kind of cough,
drink lots of water. This works better than any medicine.
Also breathe hot water vapors. Sit on a chair with
a bucket of very hot water at your feet. Place a sheet
over the bucket to catch the vapors as they rise.
Breathe the vapors deeply for 15 minutes. Repeat
several times a day. Some people like to add mint or
eucalyptus leaves or Vaporub, but hot water works
just as well alone.
CAUTION: Do not use eucalyptus or Vaporub if the
person has asthma. They make it worse.