We’ve all had them and usually they are unwanted. Usually we take steps to stop them, but have you ever really thought of why we get each of these?
Coughing, sneezing, a runny nose, and fever are all mechanisms that the body utilizes for a purpose.
Coughing is the body’s way of removing foreign material or mucus from the lungs or upper airway passages or reacting to an irritated airway. A productive cough produces phlegm or mucus (sputum). The mucus may have drained down the back of the throat from the nose or sinuses or may have come up from the lungs. A productive cough clears mucus from the lungs, so preventing the cough is not warranted.
Sneezing is the body’s way of removing something from the nasal passages. Sneezing occurs when the sensitive lining of the nose is irritated by a viral infection, a bit of pollen, animal hair, perfume, cold air, smoke or pretty much anything else that could fit in your nose and tickle your nasal passages. The irritation cause a release of chemicals such as histamine which cause a reflex reaction resulting in a sneeze, to help expel whatever the body needs to.
A runny nose is the body’s way of helping to control or rid infection or a common cold. When we catch a cold, the virus stimulates membranes in the nose to produce excess mucus, filling the nasal cavities. This is to prevent infection from spreading to the lungs and respiratory tract, where it could cause worse damage. When mucus streams out of the nostrils or is propelled by a forceful blow, it carries bacteria and viruses from the nose and sinuses. Treatment to reduce a runny nose is not necessary.
A fever is the body’s way of helping to rid itself of a bacteria or virus. Ideal body temperature is commonly known as 98.6 degrees F. An infection in the body will commonly cause the body to turn up the heat and raise the base temperature. The body knows that the virus or bacteria will not be able to survive at the higher temperatures, so it is a way to kill off the infection. With the exception of high fevers, treatment to reduce the fever is not needed.
All in all, there is a purpose for coughing, sneezing, a runny nose and a fever. Although each of them may not be the most comfortable, it is best to think twice before reaching in your medicine cabinet to find a drug to stop the body’s natural way to fight an infection.
Information taken from WebMD and Wikipedia.
