Introduction
Coughing and hoarseness often occur together, which is because both symptoms are usually the expression of a respiratory infection. As a rule, they are harmless and can be easily controlled at home with a few measures.
Causes
Hoarseness and coughing are both not diseases but symptoms that can occur in the context of various illnesses. For each of these complaints there is a large variety of possible triggers. However, when they are present together, they are most often caused by an infection of the respiratory tract.
For such infections there are about 200 pathogens that can be considered. In most cases, however, viruses are the cause of a respiratory tract infection, but more rarely bacteria or even fungi are the culprits. Typically, you get the infection by contracting it from another infected person.
Coughing is in principle a useful reaction of the body. It is a reflex that occurs when substances have entered the airways that cannot be removed by the cilia on the mucosal cells and thus hinder breathing. These substances can be mucus (for example, in the case of an infectious disease), leftover food or inhaled foreign bodies. Hoarseness occurs when the sensitive mechanism of the vocal cords in the larynx, which is responsible for voice formation, is disturbed. This can be caused by swelling of the mucous membranes (for example in the case of infections), nerve damage or mechanical irritation.
Symptoms
Coughing and hoarseness are symptoms in themselves. However, they are often accompanied by other symptoms, which are also caused by the respiratory tract infection that is usually present. Coughing and hoarseness are therefore most frequently accompanied by a cold, which is also caused by overproduction or the lack of drainage of secretions from the respiratory tract. In addition, depending on the illness, breathing difficulties, fever, headaches, aching limbs and fatigue can also occur. Symptoms of inflammation of the vocal cords
Therapy
The therapy of cough and hoarseness depends on the underlying causes. However, respiratory tract infections can often only be treated symptomatically, as there is no specific treatment for most of the viruses responsible. This is different if bacteria are responsible for the disease, then the doctor prescribes an antibiotic.
General measures that help against hoarseness and coughing are physical protection (avoid strenuous sports, while a leisurely walk in the fresh air can even help), healthy eating (drink plenty of fluids, eat foods rich in vitamins), inhalation or rubbing with essential oils (note: essential oils are not allowed in small children because of the risk of respiratory distress) and keeping the airways moist by humidifying the air or using chamomile steam. Many cough remedies are freely available in pharmacies. When choosing one, one must distinguish between a productive cough, which manifests itself through the secretion of mucus (the aim here is to liquefy the mucus, which makes it easier to cough it up – this can be achieved, for example, with the help of cough syrups containing ivy extract) and an unproductive cough, in which no mucus has yet formed, which can be suppressed with medication to stop the agonizing cough.
However, a cough blocker should never be administered without the express prescription of a doctor. Some home remedies such as cough teas (for example with fennel or thyme), hot milk with honey or chest compresses can also have a soothing effect on the cough. In any case, you should see a doctor if, in addition to coughing and hoarseness, you also have fever, heart problems, ear, forehead or cheek headaches, nausea and vomiting or breathing difficulties, or if the symptoms do not improve even after a week of self-therapy.
If you have hoarseness, you should first of all spare your voice and above all not whisper or constantly clear your throat, but if you speak softly, because whispering puts even more strain on the vocal folds and may cause you to cough. Avoiding smoking, strongly spiced food, alcohol and cold drinks is also part of sparing the voice. Home remedies against hoarseness are sage and Icelandic moss, which can be taken in the form of sweets, for example.If the hoarseness has persisted for a longer period of time, it may be necessary to integrate speech training with a speech therapist into the therapy plan.
Otherwise, there are many other treatments that can sometimes be necessary in cases of hoarseness, up to and including surgery, but which are then caused by more serious conditions and are usually not simply caused by the typical combination of coughing and hoarseness. In general, it can be said that both hoarseness and coughing almost always subside if the underlying disease is treated appropriately. Any symptoms usually disappear completely.
