cough

A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound.

咳嗽是通过大的呼吸通道突然排出空气，有助于清除液体、刺激物、异物和微生物。作为一种保护性反射，咳嗽可以与咳嗽反射一起重复，包括以下三个阶段：吸气、对着关闭的声门用力呼气，以及声门打开后肺部剧烈释放空气，通常伴有独特的声音。

Frequent coughing usually indicates the presence of a disease. Many viruses and bacteria benefit, from an evolutionary perspective, by causing the host to cough, which helps to spread the disease to new hosts. Most of the time, irregular coughing is caused by a respiratory tract infection but can also be triggered by choking, smoking, air pollution, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, post-nasal drip, chronic bronchitis, lung tumors, heart failure and medications such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors).

频繁咳嗽通常表明存在疾病。从进化的角度来看，许多病毒和细菌通过引起宿主咳嗽而受益，这有助于将疾病传播到新的宿主。大多数情况下，不规则咳嗽是由呼吸道感染引起的，但也可能由窒息、吸烟、空气污染、哮喘、胃食管反流病、鼻后滴注、慢性支气管炎、肺肿瘤、心力衰竭和血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂（ACE抑制剂）等药物引起。

Treatment should target the cause; for example, smoking cessation or discontinuing ACE inhibitors. Cough suppressants such as codeine or dextromethorphan are frequently prescribed, but have been demonstrated to have little effect. Other treatment options may target airway inflammation or may promote mucus expectoration. As it is a natural protective reflex, suppressing the cough reflex might have damaging effects, especially if the cough is productive.

治疗应针对病因；例如戒烟或停用ACE抑制剂。咳嗽抑制剂如可待因或右美沙芬经常被开处方，但已证明效果甚微。其他治疗方案可针对气道炎症或可促进粘液咳出。由于这是一种自然的保护性反射，抑制咳嗽反射可能会产生破坏性影响，尤其是如果咳嗽是有效的。

The complications of coughing can be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute complications include cough syncope (fainting spells due to decreased blood flow to the brain when coughs are prolonged and forceful), insomnia, cough-induced vomiting, subconjunctival hemorrhage or "red eye", coughing defecation and in women with a prolapsed uterus, cough urination. Chronic complications are common and include abdominal or pelvic hernias, fatigue fractures of lower ribs and costochondritis. Chronic or violent coughing can contribute to damage to the pelvic floor and a possible cystocele.

咳嗽的并发症可分为急性或慢性。急性并发症包括咳嗽晕厥（咳嗽持续时间长且剧烈时，由于大脑血流减少而导致晕厥）、失眠、咳嗽引起的呕吐、结膜下出血或“红眼”、咳嗽排便以及子宫脱垂妇女的咳嗽排尿。慢性并发症常见，包括腹部或骨盆疝、下肋骨疲劳骨折和肋软骨炎。慢性或剧烈咳嗽可导致盆底损伤，并可能导致膀胱膨出。

六级/考研单词: cough, gradual, fluid, particle, lung, virus, bacteria, irregular, tract, infect, trigger, choke, pollute, drip, chronic, tumor, medicare, ace, seldom, prescribe, suppress, classify, acute, faint, decrease, prolong, urine, fatigue, fracture, rib