Why do kids cough?
Coughing is nature’s way to clear the airway of foreign matter allowing air to pass easily into and out of the lungs. Cough involves a 3-step process: 1. Inhaling air. 2. Brief tightening of the glottis (the “door” to the airway) which allows pressure to build up in the lungs. 3. Rapid exhalation of air (hopefully ejecting any foreign matter stuck in the airway!). The noise of cough is caused by vibration of the vocal cords and surrounding tissues. A cough can be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary cough – Kids can control voluntary coughing by either coughing on purpose or by supressing the urge to cough. Coughing is often in response to a “tickle” in the throat. This “tickle” is caused by chemical receptors in the airway that are triggered by inflammation or the presense of debris. Involuntary cough – This kind of cough can not be controlled. It is either stimulated by chemicals in the airway or by foreign matter that reaches the back of the throat (threatening to enter the airway).
