You may need a prescription from your doctor for antibiotics. You can also use a neti pot to help clear sinuses. Find neti pots on Amazon. Your coughs may be caused by the common cold. Your cough may worsen at night or when you lie down. Rest, chicken soup, fluids, and time are usually all it takes to beat a cold. Severe coughs due to a cold, however, may be treated with cough medication in adults and children older than 6 years.
Decongestant sprays that help reduce postnasal drip may also be used in adults and children older than 6 years.
Asthma causes airways to become narrow and inflamed. A dry cough is a common symptom of asthma. You may need a prescription inhaler to treat asthma. A chronic cough is a common side effect of long-term smoking.
Not only will your cough improve, your overall health will, too. Read more: The best natural cough remedies ».
For barking coughs, take your child in a steam-filled bathroom for about 20 minutes to help them breathe more easily. Exposure to cool air may relieve some coughs, but be careful if your child has asthma as it may aggravate an asthma cough.
Cough drops are a choking hazard for young children. Most coughs go away on their own, but severe nighttime coughing may be a sign of a serious condition. For example, heart failure can cause a chronic cough that worsens at night.
Respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis , pneumonia , and COPD also cause severe, chronic cough. Thick mucus can trigger your cough reflex on its own, but even normal mucus can cause problems, as it can contain allergens and irritants. To avoid this problem, prop yourself up on several pillows so that your body is at a degree angle between sitting up and lying down.
Try this for a few nights to give your throat a chance to heal. Irritants like dust, pet hair, and pollen can circulate around the house all day and night.
If someone in your household smokes or you use a wood-burning fire for heat, make sure to keep the door to your bedroom closed at all times.
Take other precautions, like keeping pets out of the bedroom and keeping windows closed during allergy season. A HEPA air purifier in the bedroom can help cut down on cough-inducing irritants. Also look for allergy-proof bedding and mattress covers. Honey is a natural cough suppressant and anti-inflammatory agent.
In fact, one study found that it was more effective at reducing nighttime cough in children than OTC cough medicine. Add a teaspoon of raw honey to tea or warm water to soothe a sore throat.
Or just take it straight. Hydration is more important to the healing process than most people know. Keeping hydrated helps keep your throat moist, which is key to protecting it from irritants. Aim to drink about eight large glasses of water each day. Consider adding herbal tea or warm lemon water to the menu. If you think you might have GERD, then you should speak with a doctor about your treatment options. In the meantime, there are a few OTC medications that may help prevent symptoms like nighttime cough, these include:.
Sometimes, home remedies are not enough. If you want to be a bit more aggressive, take a look at the following medicinal options.
Decongestants are OTC medications that treat congestion. Viruses like the common cold and the flu cause the lining of your nose to swell, making it hard to breathe. Decongestants work by constricting blood vessels, so that less blood flows to the swollen tissue.
If you fall into that category, it's even more important that you resolve your night cough and get a good night's rest. Why do coughs get worse at night? There are a number of reasons why they do — or at least why they seem to. Gravity The number one factor that makes your cough worse at night is simple: gravity.
Blass suggests. A dry, indoor environment Dry air can aggravate an already irritated nose and throat, making your nighttime cough worse. To relieve a dry air cough, you can try a humidifier to put moisture back into the air and make it easier to breathe, but be sure to take proper care of the unit. Gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD is a condition where acid leaks from the stomach back up into the esophagus, or food pipe.
This can make it difficult for doctors to diagnose GERD in people with just a chronic, dry cough. Over-the-counter OTC and prescription medicines, such as antacids, H2-receptor blockers, and proton pump inhibitors, may also help relieve or prevent symptoms.
When the mucus drips into the throat, it can trigger a cough. Although this cough is often productive, it can sometimes also be dry. Postnasal drip often occurs with a sinus infection or due to a nasal allergy, such as hay fever. Treatment options for postnasal drip include decongestants, nasal sprays, and nasal saline irrigation.
Upper respiratory infections, such as common colds and the flu , can cause acute coughing. The cough often starts out productive but may become dry as a person recovers from the infections. A person can usually treat viral upper respiratory infections at home with plenty of rest, staying properly hydrated, and taking OTC medications to relieve aches and fever. A doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication for people with the flu. A chronic, dry cough can sometimes be a symptom of lung cancer.
However, other causes of dry cough are far more common. Treatment depends on the type and stage of the lung cancer. Treatment options can include surgery, chemotherapy , and radiation therapy. They will then perform a physical examination. Treating the underlying cause is usually the best way to reduce the severity and frequency of a dry cough. People with dry coughs that get worse, do not go away, or cause one to start producing blood or green mucus should see a doctor.
It is also advisable for a person to see a doctor if a dry cough occurs along with any of the following symptoms:.
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