Probably a large misunderstanding of human anatomy but why does it seem that coughing is really inefficient at removing whatever the body is trying to expel from the lungs. As a comparison, vomiting, diarrhea, sneezing are all very forceful without really any effort on the part of us. However, coughs seem to barely expel anything without help from medication and continue WELL after the actual infection is resolved unlike those other body expulsion techniques mentioned above. I type this with a non-productive cough two weeks after a cold.
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Say you are sick and coughing up phlegm. The body produces phlegm continuously during illness, so even if you cough it all up, you will soon have more to cough up later.
Your body also coughs due to irritation, which is correlated with having stuff to cough up but not a guarantee. Your lungs remain irritated after the infection, so you cough until they are fully healed, even though the infection has ended.
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