Questões para Concursos

Read the following
article
and answer questions 49 to 55.

Can Allergies Cause
Coughing — Or Is It Just
A Cold?
Important q: Is it phlegmy
or dry?
BY
CASSIE SHORTSLEEVE

No matter why it's
happening, a cough is always annoying
—it's
loud, it's uncomfortable, and it never fails
to garner unwanted
attention.
But
what's
really behind that cough? Can allergies
cause coughing — or do you just have an
annoying cold?
Well, turns out, there are
some pretty distinct differences between
allergy coughs and cold coughs...

Just
curious: Why do we cough, anyway?

"The
purpose of a cough is to help us," says
Monica Lee, MD, an otolaryngologist at
Massachusetts Eye and Ear. It’s your body’s
way of trying to expel something it
perceives as a threat in the airway, she
says.
Those
perceived threats can be a bunch
of different things: a piece of food stuck
in your throat, pollen, air pollution, or
swelling or drainage from extra mucus in
your throat. All those things irritate the
sensory fibers in your airway, which then
stimulate a cough.
As for what exactly
happens in your body during a cough? It's
kind of complex, says Dr. Lee. Basically,
your vocal chords close briefly
to generate
pressure in the lungs. Once enough pressure
is built up, your vocal chords open back up,
and air flows quickly through your voice
box, which generates that coughing sound.
Kinda cool, huh?
7So...can allergies cause
coughing? Give it to me straight.

In short,
yes. Usually, allergies create dry coughs
(it’s a direct reaction to something you’re
sensitive or allergic to in the airways). If
that's the case, you’ll likely have other
symptoms (think: itchy , watery
eyes; a runny
nose; an itchy throat; and sneezing, says
Dr. Lee). Headaches and wheezing
often come
with allergies, too, according to the
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and
Immunology.

Remind Me: When Is
Allergy
Season?
Timing's also a factor. If
you're
allergic to pollen (or your BFF's new
adorable kitten), for example, you’ll likely
notice symptoms (including your cough)
almost immediately, or within an hour of
being exposed. And those symptoms could last
for hours after you've been exposed — even
after the allergen isn't nearby anymore.

Coughs related to
allergies are also
dependent on patterns, so doctors always try
to look at the big picture. Say you get a
cough every single March. That could be a
sign you're actually suffering from
allergies, instead of the common cold. "You
need to look at everything that's going on,"
says Paul Bryson, MD, an otolaryngologist at
the Cleveland Clinic.
Your best defense for
a cough from allergies? Antihistamines like
Allegra, Claritin, and Zyrtec, which are all
available over-the-counter. Other options
include steroid nasal sprays and
immunotherapy shots, which can work to
regulate your body's response to allergens,
instead of just relieving the
symptoms.
How
do I know my cough is from a cold?

You know
how allergy coughs are typically on the
drier side? Coughs from colds (or the flu)
tend to be on the wetter side (that
"wetness" is actually mucus your body which
is trying to move out of your body, says Dr.
Lee).
Coughs
that come along with a cold
usually come along with stuffiness, along
with postnasal drip (a.k.a., mucus running
down the back of your throat), which can
cause a sore throat or chest discomfort. A
low-grade fever may also signal a cold
instead of allergies.
Colds aren't as
immediate as allergies. Instead, they tend
to develop over the course of a few days,
says Dr. Bryson.
You can try a few different
things to help relieve a cough.
Decongestants can work for, well,
congestion. And ingredients like
dextromethorphan (found in many multi-
symptom products like Vicks NyQuil Cold
&
Flu Nighttime Relief) can help ease the
coughing itself. Just make sure you take any
products as-directed.
It should be said,
however, that a dry cough isn't
always
allergies, just like a wet cough isn't
always a cold. Allergies can plague
your
nose, for example, causing post-nasal drip
(a wet cough), while mild colds might not
leave you stuffed up enough to produce any
phlegm.

Do I ever need to
worry about a
cough?
Something important to
remember: A
cough — no matter its cause — shouldn’t be
your norm.
Colds
usually run their course
within a couple of weeks, which means a
cough associated with a cold should go away
in about three weeks time (though some can
linger on for as long as eight weeks),
according to the U.S. National Library of
Medicine. The length of an allergy-related
cough will vary depending on how (if) you're
treating it.
But
if you notice you’re still
barking after two months of symptoms, see
your doc. You could either be dealing with
an allergy you’re not aware of (this is
where an allergy test could come into play)
or potentially suffering from another issue
such as asthma (especially if you notice
shortness of breath with any of your
symptoms), reflux, pneumonia, or bronchitis,
says Dr. Bryson.
And if something (allergies
or a pesky cold) is bothering you enough to
disrupt your life, don't put off getting it
checked out. If nothing else, seeing a doc
will give you peace of mind and maybe even
speed up your recovery time.

SOURCE:https://www.womenshea
lthmag.com/health/a26289646/coughing-from-
allergies-or-
cold/. Access: 02/12/2019.