A wet cough is also called a productive cough because each cough produces mucus from the respiratory tract. Wet coughs are often seen in people who have asthma, bronchitis or other conditions that cause mucus and other fluids to settle in their lungs.

Sore throat is a common symptom of upper respiratory tract infections, such as a cold or the flu. It’s not uncommon to also have varying degrees of hoarseness or to completely lose your voice. Viral infections are the most common cause of hoarseness, or laryngitis.

Expectant mothers often worry about taking over-the-counter medications for fear of potentially causing harm to their developing baby. This may even include cough drops, which come in a variety of flavors and include a diverse range of ingredients.

Airborne diseases, caused by microorganisms called pathogens, are primarily dispersed through moist air droplets or dust. Using air as transportation, pathogens use your respiratory tract as a channel for both entrance and exit via breathing, coughing or sneezing.

If you rely on oral contraceptives for birth control, chances are you have heard that antibiotics like amoxicillin can decrease their effectiveness. You may be wondering how this can occur and if it is true.

Shingles is a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus—chicken pox—and typically occurs among the elderly. Its side effects can be agonizing.

Coughing is a reflex that occurs whenever your throat is irritated. It may occur after eating certain foods. Some digestive conditions, related to eating food, may trigger coughing and other symptoms.

Although a mother-to-be and her unborn child share many things during pregnancy, the common cold is not one of them. Common cold viruses typically pose no threat to a developing baby in the womb. Mother, however, is more prone to catch a cold during pregnancy, and symptoms are likely to last longer and be more intense.

Humidity refers to the amount of atmospheric water vapor, and humidifiers are devices that increase it. Indoor humidity levels should ideally remain between 30 and 50 percent, according to MayoClinic.com. Levels can be monitored with a device called a hygrometer, and many humidifiers have them built in.

Chicken pox was once considered one of the trials of childhood, but since 1980 it has become less prevalent due to the development of a vaccine. Spread through coughing, sneezing or direct contact, symptoms of the disease do not appear until 10 to 21 days after exposure.

The skin serves as a protective barrier against a wide range of bacteria that are present in the environment. Breaks or cracks in the skin allow these bacteria to enter and cause a skin infection called cellulitis.

Many people experience eye symptoms toward the end of or just after a head cold. This condition is aptly termed a "cold in the eye" because it typically represents spread of the virus responsible for the cold spreading to the eye.