What is Cough?
[[File:Pertussis.jpg|thumb|A young boy coughing]] A '''cough''', also known as '''tussis''', is an action the body takes to get rid of anything that irritates the lungs or throat. To do this, muscles in the [[thoracic cavity]] contract to make air leave the [[lung]]s with a lot of force. Coughs often happen quickly and more than once, and are usually accompanied by a unique sound, also called a cough. Coughs are more likely to happen when a person is sick, because infections often irritate breathing passages. Another cause of coughs is a person breathing air that is not clean, like air with [[dust]] or [[smoke]]. ==Causes== * [[Lung cancer]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20374620|title=Lung cancer - Symptoms and causes|website=Mayo Clinic}}</ref> * [[Influenza]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/symptoms-causes/syc-20351719|title=Influenza (flu) - Symptoms and causes|website=Mayo Clinic}}</ref> * [[Sarcoidosis]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/sarcoidosis/symptoms.htm |title=FSR - Symptoms of Sarcoidosis |access-date=2010-05-15 |archive-date=2010-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328081308/http://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/sarcoidosis/symptoms.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> * [[Pneumonia]] * [[Tuberculosis]] * [[Common cold]] * [[Smoking]] * [[Allergen]] == Related pages == * [[Flu]] ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Reflexes]] [[Category:Symptoms]] [[Category:Infectious diseases]] [[Category:Medical signs]] [[Category:Pulmonology]] [[Category:Respiratory system]] {{biology-stub}}