You don’t think about it unless you’re doing it. Coughing. The cough reflex is a critical means by which your body protects your airway from blockage by irritants or foreign materials. Like many bodily functions, it occurs without conscious intervention—until there’s a problem, and then it’s the only thing you can think about. An irritant in your trachea or lungs triggers the reflex, causing deep inspiration followed by forceful exhalation to expel the foreign material. When the cough reflex cannot stimulate a cough strong enough to expel the foreign body, hypoxemia (low oxygen in the … Continue reading Cadence by David Stern →