Cough can be called one of the most useful reflexes in our body. It helps clear the airways of foreign particles and mucus buildup that interfere (or may interfere) with breathing. Inhalation of dusty or polluted air, accidental entry of water into the windpipe, and other potentially dangerous situations for health and life are accompanied by a cough.
But sometimes it turns from saving skill into a symptom of problems in the body. Night dry cough — one of the signs that you should pay close attention to
How to Recognize the Problem: Causes of Nighttime Dry Cough
Cough that does not end with sputum is called dry or unproductive. If it occurs only at at night, it may be due to several reasons.
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Dry air. Drying of the mucous membrane leads to irritation and, as a result, to an obsessive dry cough. If the cause is dry air, in the morning there is usually severe dryness in the mouth and nose, nasal congestion, hoarseness — after brushing your teeth and breakfast, these symptoms disappear.
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Upper Respiratory Diseases. Most Likely Causes — pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis. Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, larynx and trachea can be caused by infection, frequent consumption of very hot, cold, sour, spicy foods and drinks, inhalation of polluted air. Dry cough in such diseases is also observed in the daytime, but at night it sharply increases. In addition to coughing, there may be pain in the throat when swallowing, hoarseness of the voice, an increase in body temperature up to 37.5-38.5 ° C.
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Sinusitis and rhinitis. In chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and a runny nose, mucus during sleep flows down the back of the throat, irritating the cough receptors and provoking a dry cough. In addition to such a nocturnal symptom, there may be a thick discharge from the nose during the day, nasal congestion, bad breath, headache, which increases when the head is tilted forward and down.
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Allergies. For nighttime dry coughs, it makes sense to consider an allergy to bedding materials as the cause of this symptom, especially if you are prone to allergic reactions. In addition to coughing, there may be watery eyes, a feeling of foreign particles in the eyes, severe watery runny nose, sneezing attacks.
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Heart disease. Cough occurs not only at night, but also at other times of the day, when a person assumes a lying position. Coughing fits may be accompanied by white frothy sputum, but this does not bring relief. In addition, a person often complains of pressing pains in the chest, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
The listed causes of dry non-productive cough are the most likely. But on on the on the basis of the described symptoms in in no case can one draw independent conclusions — only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Methods of treatment of dry night cough
Cough — not an independent disease, but only a symptom of some kind of trouble in the body. And any cough relief measures are symptomatic — not affecting the cause of the symptom.
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Therefore, it is important to contact a doctor as soon as possible for examination and appropriate treatment.
The list of independent measures that can be taken to relieve a nocturnal cough is quite limited, but it can be used in addition to the main therapy:
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Keep your bedroom at temperature at 18-22°C and humidity — not less than 40%. In the latter case, you can use containers of water placed around the room or a humidifier.
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Replace bedding with hypoallergenic ones. Also pay attention to bedding: it is better to use undyed fabrics, without bright patterns. Do not forget that the life of a mattress is about 5-7 years, and pillows and blankets they accumulate a large amount of dust and bed mites.
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Use a warm drink. At night, a cup of herbal tea with honey (if you are not allergic) or a glass of warm milk — — this will soften and moisten the mucous membrane of the throat and relieve coughing fits. Alternatively, you can suck on half a teaspoon of butter before bed.
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If body temperature is normal — use steam inhalation. To 0.5 liters of water, add 1 tsp. soda or 2-3 drops of essential oil of pine, eucalyptus, tea tree. The duration of the procedure 3-5 minutes.
The above measures can be used at the initial stage, when the nocturnal cough has just appeared. But if within 2-3 days there was no relief, or other symptoms were added to cough (fever, sore throat or chest, body aches, loss of appetite or others) — see a doctor as soon as possible.
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