h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A603749

As a means of communication or just to get rid of a tickle in the throat? There may be much more to the cough than you think...

Just a short entry on how we all cough; love to hear your thoughts on this!

Stay ,
WD

This entry claims to be about expectorating but is actually about the wider topic of coughing. Expectorating is not the same as coughing, but a subset of it. It means removal of phlegm from the lungs by coughing.

This is true, Gnomon. Good Entry, though - as an ex-smoker I could certainly relate to it!

I think that this is a good explanation of the cough mechanism. In a previous life I trained as a speech therapist and found it very interesting. From what I remember (and this needs checking as my memory is somewhat rusty) a cough can be a symptom of throat cancer too.

A cough is also used therapeutically too - particularly with patients who have had a stroke or those who need to learn to swallow. It can also be used to help people develop better breath control.

I think Ormy raises a good point too - what about smokers coughs?

Thanks for all the comments!

The reason why I called it the Art of Expectorating and not, the agreeably more accurate, Art of Coughing was purely because I thought that 'expectorating' sounded a lot more ironic than coughing; in a kind of more pretentious manner, the kind of thing that someone trying to impress would say, simply because it has so many more syllables than 'coughing'

I'll rename it to the Act of Expectorating, which is the mechanism of coughing up phlegm, and identical to coughing up anything really, as I understand it

As for smokers cough, I will pop it in, but changes will occur slowly as I have to find a better ISP (which dies on me tomorrow I'm afraid....)

Love to hear more comments!

Stay ,
WD

I like. Very informative...

Right; changes (sorry for the delay)!

>added a bit on smoker's cough at the end as requested

All comments, as always, gratefully recieved!

Stay ,
WD

Good grief...

I have now bookmarked this Entry so that I can look at it if I'm ever tempted to take up smoking again!

Great work! One question: why that ominous 'Final Words' bit in the header for the section about smoker's coughs? Are you hinting at the possibly terminal consequences of smoking?

Hiya Ormy!

Glad you like the new version!

The 'Final Words' was never really meant to be that ominous, but just to indicate the last section of the entry; although, I guess that it could be interpreted as you say...very, terminal...

Any further comments, as always, gratefully received!

Stay ,
WD

You don't mention the Chronic cough as in "he-doesn't-even-realise-he's-doing-it". My husband clears his throat dozens of times at meals (his pupils have even commented on it). I have a son who did it a lot while tiny, and my mother-in-law did it up until she died at 81, so presumably it's hereditary. When confronted with it, he just denies he's doing it. It's driving me mad.

This is, I am convinced, an entirely psychological cough - there is nothing there to be removed, nor is he trying to attract anyone's attention.


One point that might be worth including. I have heard (and it seems to make sense) that one proper cough, if you really do have something to get rid of, is far less tiring on the throat muscles than lots of strangled efforts* This is important for singers and actors, who need to be able to speak or sing as loud and clear as possible. Is it right that you use more muscles and are more cramped up when trying to clear your throat as opposed to a real open cough?

*This might be what one would do - e.g. if you are in the theatre or somewhere where you are too embarrassed to make a lot of noise, you try and do it quietly, and go on for ages with "hm, hm" where one loud, short, cough would do the job.

People coughing at concerts drive me mad, too. (Classical concert, not pop concerts, they can do what they want there, you can't even hear yourself talk, so it can't spoil the enjoyment) I once read a saying in German that "People with coughs don't go to the doctor, they go to concerts"

Whoops - I didn't mean my husband invites all his pupils to our meals - it just seems that he coughs even more often at mealtimes, although reading the paper is a good second. He obviously also does it in class.

As to the 'smoker' section: is it true that the gases are still hot when being inhaled? I'd doubt that. Could be if a smoker inhaled a full breath through the cigarette/pipe/whatever, but they mix it with air before inhaling.

Hiya! I thought no-one else was going to comment on this one...

Perhaps, but the gases are hot, or warm enough to kill the cilia - but I will double check to see if it is correct

Any further comments, as always, will be gratefully received!

Stay ,
WD

As someone who spent the last couple of days coughing (and sneezing), I must say, well done

Peace,

Dancer

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'The Act of Expectorating'.

This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review Forum because your entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

You can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.h2g2.com/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!

Congratulations Witty Ditty

As the Editors just said, this thread has moved out of the Peer Review and it won't be long before it is sent off to a Sub Editor and is on the next step to being in the Edited Guide. You'll be contacted by email once it finally makes it in.

Congrats once more

Congradulations





Dancer

*Ahem*

Congratulations!!!

yeah!

oops!