Managing Cough as a Defense Mechanism and as a Symptom

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Ineffective cough may require medical treatment to keep airways free of mucus and other secretions

Physical therapy can help people whose expiratory muscles have been weakened or paralyzed by disease or spinal cord injury.

Some drugs are available that may help some patients cough up and expel abnormally thick mucus.

Keeping airways free of mucus is important to prevent invasion of airways by bacteria that can cause serious disease.

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