Preventing Coughs from Us

In essence, coughing is a reflex reaction of the body in an effort to protect the body from foreign objects/dust or other things that enter the respiratory tract and cause stimulation of the cough reflex, with the aim of pushing everything out through the mouth and in the form of liquid droplets, and occurs occasionally.

However, coughing becomes a problem when it occurs continuously for days or even months, aka there is no improvement to recovery. Usually these symptoms occur due to infection from people we meet or are close to us (in the office, classroom, at home, etc.)

Cough Category

Among ordinary people, coughs are divided into 2 categories:

1. Dry cough: no phlegm/sputum
2. Wet cough: there is phlegm/sputum. Medically, it can be identified that if the phlegm is yellowish or greenish, it is a sign of an infection process, so treatment with antibiotics is one of the considerations when the first treatment does not improve towards recovery.

The Covid-19 pandemic has not long passed, and this pandemic has become a very valuable experience for us that cough symptoms can cause infection to people around us, especially coughs caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Haemophyllus Influenza) and viruses. So efforts must start from ourselves to protect ourselves from contracting coughs using a method that has been proven to be effective, namely using a mask.

The aim of using masks for healthy people is to prevent us from getting infected when other people cough in closed and crowded rooms, on public transportation, offices and others. Meanwhile, using a mask for people who are suffering from a cough serves to avoid transmission to other people around us, especially to babies, toddlers, the elderly and people with low immunity who have a higher risk of infection. Apart from that, it is also recommended not to throw away phlegm carelessly.

Correct Cough Etiquette

Everyone needs awareness to know the correct cough etiquette, as a good and correct cough procedure starts with covering the nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve so that bacteria or viruses do not spread into the air and do not infect other people.

Wrong cough habits include:

1. Not covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing in public places
2. Not washing your hands after using them to cover your mouth or nose when coughing and sneezing
3. Throwing cough saliva anywhere
4. Throw away or place used tissues anywhere
5. Not using a mask when coughing.

The etiquette for good and correct coughing is as follows:

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, handkerchief or sleeve when coughing and sneezing
2. Immediately throw away the used tissue in the trash
3. Wash your hands using clean water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer according to procedures
4. Use a mask

By implementing correct cough etiquette, we can prevent transmission to other people, especially family, relatives, friends, relatives and other people in the community. And also avoid contracting coughs when people around us are coughing. If you have a cough and it hasn't healed, immediately consult a doctor at a health facility or online via telemedicine