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IGotNoStringsOnMe t1_izjqr0x wrote

Reply to comment by Alwayssunnyinarizona in Post viral cough: why does it get worse after you get better? by [deleted]

Would some of the coughing be due to the scar tissue healing like when scabs itch like mad? Or is it all down to the secondary invaders?

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_izk8og8 wrote

A bit of both :) your respiratory tract is lined with cilliated cells - they have little finger-like projections that help move mucus and debris from your lungs to your mouth. When you wake up in the morning with crap in your throat - that's why. Some respiratory viruses and bacteria can damage those cells, and affect how well they move stuff up, so the lining is more like flattered cells for a few days. While that continues to heal, bacteria have a better chance of growing there, but eventually either your immune system clears it and the cells heal, or it gets worse and you die ;)

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yayreddit02 t1_izmzmch wrote

That last part made me laugh (even though im reading this thread because my covid cough hasn’t gone away after 2 months)

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