The cough reflex is a normal airway defence mechanism against aspiration, but a dysregulated cough presents as irresistible bouts with hypersensitivity to even slight environmental stimulus.
Cough is one of the most frequent symptom and also the main reason for many medical visits among patients with respiratory diseases. Most importantly, cough can also seriously impair quality of life, as it includes psychological, social, and physical consequences.
Types of Cough
- An Acute cough lasts for less than 3 weeks may indicate an acute underlying cardiorespiratory disorder but is most commonly caused by a self-limited viral upper respiratory tract infection (example, common cold).
- Subacute cough lasts for 3 to 8 weeks and commonly has a post-infectious origin.
- Chronic cough lasts longer than 8 weeks and is most commonly caused by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, upper airway cough syndrome, asthma, non-asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, or gastroesophageal reflux disease alone or in combination. It can be idiopathic or psychogenic as well. It can result in considerable morbidity including exhaustion, sleep disturbance, cough syncope, urinary stress incontinence and work absenteeism. It affects 10-20% of the general population.
Another way to classify the cough is on the basis of its character. Cough can be of following types:
1) Dry cough: Cough with little or no mucus in the throat is referred to as a dry cough. It follows respiratory illnesses like common cold and flu and is usually self-limiting. Dry cough can also be chronic in conditions like laryngitis, sore throat, tonsillitis, sinusitis, allergies, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, post-nasal drip, and exposure to irritants like air pollution, dust and smoke.
2) Wet cough: Cough with presence of mucus or phlegm is a wet cough. It occurs due to respiratory infections in which case it can also contain small amounts of bright red blood. Wet cough when chronic, can be due to bronchiectasis, pneumonia, COPD, non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection, etc.
3) Whooping cough: Whooping cough or Pertussis is an infectious bacterial infection manifesting as a mild cold or flu-like symptoms followed by aggressive and painful cough. It is contagious for about 2 weeks from when the cough starts.
4) Choking: Cough can occur due to obstruction in the airway as a reflex to get rid of the object or it may occur due to an irritant in the throat.
5) Croup: Croup is the inflammation, oedema and subsequent obstruction of the larynx, trachea and bronchi especially of infants and young children. It is caused by a parainfluenza virus and is manifested by episodes of difficult breathing and low-pitched cough resembling the bark of a seal which is further aggravated by crying and coughing and anxiety and agitation. This leads to a vicious cycle of worsening signs and symptoms. There may be fever, hoarseness of voice and noisy or laboured breathing.
The action of each ingredient of KOF AID TABLET is as follows:
Bryonia alba: Acts on mucous membranes and lungs. It relieves dry, hacking cough accompanied by hoarseness and chest pain.
Ipecacuanha: Dry, teasing cough associated with severe breathlessness, wheezing, rattling in chest, gagging and vomiting.
Antimonium tartaricum: It helps in clearing the accumulated mucus in the air passage, in attacks of Bronchitis and dyspnoea.
Phosphorus: Hoarseness and dry cough with constant desire to ‘clear the throat’.
Drosera rotundifolia: Relieves from whooping and convulsive type of cough.
Justicia adhatoda: Relieves breathlessness, cough and sneezing.
For better results along with KOF AID TABLET, patients are advised to avoid the following, if it causes aggravation Cold foods like ice-creams & cold drinks, aerated drinks etc. Sour foods like curd, citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, grapes etc. and their juices, tomato soup, vinegar, pickles, sambar, rasam, ketchups etc. AVOID Oily & spicy foods, dry fruits and heavy foods like pakoras, karhi, halwa and other fried foods.
Consumption of coffee, onions, garlic etc. has no effect on the efficacy of this homoeopathic medicine.
An effective formula which helps :
- Soothes throat & aids expectoration.
- For dry, spasmodic, allergic, congestive cough of Bronchitis and Asthma.
- Checks associated symptoms of headache, Rhinitis and fever.
Expiry: 5 years from the date of manufacturing.
