The most common cause of a long dry cough is bronchitis, which is the coughing up of mucus from the lungs. The inflammation that causes bronchitis is usually due to a viral infection, but it can also be caused by smoking or air pollution.
Symptoms may include a high fever and nasal congestion as well as decreased appetite and weight loss.
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What is a dry cough?
A chronic dry cough without any other symptoms suggesting allergies or acid reflux usually does not indicate anything serious or worrisome – it may just indicate an irritant in the throat such as cigarette smoke irritating the back of your throat resulting in a nasty cough. In this case, it would simply go away on its own with time since all that is happening is that you are coughing because something irritates the back of your throat.
If you are coughing up blood then it means that there is damage to some part of your respiratory tract or even lung tissue. So, if you are coughing up blood, please consult a doctor immediately. The reason why you should consult a doctor if you are cough ing up blood is because this might be an indication of lung cancer.
However, if you are coughing up blood that is rust coloured then it is indicative of bleeding from the lungs and should not be taken lightly. So in this case, consult a doctor immediately because even though it may seem like just mucus with blood in it, which can occur especially when you have asthma or chronic bronchitis , coughing up blood is never a good sign, and it needs to be evaluated by a doctor at the soonest.
Doctors use chest X-Rays and other imaging tests to determine if there may be an infection or any other cause for your cough . If you can remember when and how and how much you were exposed to smoke and fumes, you can help your doctor determine if the cause of your cough is due to air pollution or smoking.
Treatment for a chronic dry cough will depend on what is causing it. If there is an allergy involved, then antihistamines may be prescribed in order to reduce the inflammation and swelling in that area. Some cases call for antibiotics when bacterial infection is the cause of the cough . For cases in which smoking is the cause, your doctor may recommend quitting smoking altogether.
Dry cough treatment at home
If you are coughing up mucus with little or no blood in it then go ahead and treat this symptom using home remedies. You can try drinking lots of fluids so that more phlegm might be produced to loosen whatever irritant may be causing this problem.
You can also try hot water to soothe the back of your throat because it might be inflamed due to smoke irritating it. Drinking warm liquids is even better because they are less likely to have bacteria in them, unlike cold drinks which can worsen inflammation in the throat. You could try adding some honey or lemon to your hot or warm drink, because it may soothe the back of your throat and reduce inflammation.
If you need a more efficient treatment for a chronic dry cough , you can try some herbal treatments. Herbal teas made from slippery elm bark, licorice root, marshmallow root or peppermint leaves are known to be very soothing to the throat. Slippery elm bark is known for its demulcent properties which means that it forms a protective coating on irritated bronchial tubes, relieving dry cough symptoms.
Licorice root also has demulcent and expectorant qualities, so it too can be used to treat dry coughs . Peppermint leaves are anti-inflammatory and their menthol content acts as an expectorant. The mucilage found in licorice root, slippery elm bark and marshmallow root forms a protective coating over irritated bronchial tubes.
What is the best medicine for dry cough?
If dry cough medicine is what you need, then the best dry cough syrup that your doctor can prescribe is Benilyn Expectorant. It is ideal for dry coughs accompanied by congestion and excessive phlegm production because it contains dextromethorphan which helps dry up excess mucus while clearing the throat.
You may also try dry cough syrup that contains codeine, because it is a good painkiller which can help relieve dry cough symptoms. However, codeine dry cough medicine should not be given to children under the age of 12 years old.
Remember that dry cough medication may only provide temporary relief and will not cure your problem. So make sure you consult your doctor if dry cough medicine still does not take care of dry cough symptoms even after taking it for several days.
What are the dry cough natural remedies?
Herbal dry cough remedies are better than dry cough medicine because they do not just provide temporary relief but they also cure your problem. You can try drinking herbal tea mixed with thyme or honey to soothe the back of your throat. Licorice root, slippery elm bark and marshmallow root are also known to be effective for treating dry cough symptoms.
You should also drink lots of fluids like water or fruit juices which can help loosen phlegm in order for you to expel it easier. Drinking hot liquids works even better because they do not contain bacteria like cold drinks do.
Eucalyptus oil can be added to your hot bath water and inhaled deeply to ease dry cough symptoms. You can also add some eucalyptus oil in a steam inhaler that will help you breathe in the vapors from the oil which is another effective dry cough treatment.
Is hot water good for dry cough?
Hot water is a good remedy for dry cough because it helps loosen phlegm and relieves congestion. So drinking lots of hot liquids like tea, broth or water will help your throat feel less irritated and ease dry cough symptoms. Hot beverages such as caffeine-free tea or non-alcoholic warm drinks like cocoa are even better because they don’t worsen inflammation in the throat.
Honey is also soothing to the throat and it has antibacterial properties that help fight any existing bacteria, as well as coat and protect your irritated bronchial tubes. Warm honey and lemon tea works great for this problem, but you may also try some other herbal teas like thyme or licorice root tea.
How should I make honey and lemon tea?
What you need to do is pour boiling water over one tablespoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of honey, stir the mixture until the honey has dissolved completely. You can also add a few drops of thyme oil or steep several thyme leaves in your hot water for ten minutes before straining them and adding the tea to your honey and lemon tea.
How long should I take hot water for?
As we said, hot liquids like herbal teas mixed with thyme or honey work best for soothing a sore throat. In order to get rid of dry cough symptoms, you need to drink lots of fluids which can help loosen phlegm and make it easier for you to expel it. However, remember that your throat needs time to heal properly, so complete recovery from dry cough symptoms will depend on how long you have been experiencing them.
If you keep having a dry cough, especially if coughing spells wake you up at night or they prevent you from sleeping, you should make an appointment with your doctor. You may also start feeling chest pain, fever, fatigue and other flu-like symptoms which would indicate that you have developed pneumonia as a complication of dry cough.
So if you’ve got any of the above symptoms or if dry cough has lasted for several days even after using herbal remedies like hot water mixed with thyme, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Remember that dry cough medication may only provide temporary relief and will not cure your problem. So make sure you consult your doctor if dry cough medicine still does not take care of dry cough symptoms even after taking it for several days.
How should I sleep with a dry cough?
Sleeping with a dry cough can be very uncomfortable. During the night, coughing spells are generally more common, especially if you’re sleeping on your back.
If this is the case for your dry cough, try to sleep in an upright position or put several pillows behind your back so that it will elevate your upper body and allow gravity to drain the phlegm and mucus from your throat.
There are also pillows designed to help you sleep with a dry cough, so you may want to check them out if sleeping with a dry cough continues to bother you at night.
Another way of reducing the discomfort associated with sleeping while having a dry cough is by taking an herbal cough medicine before going to bed. Herbal remedies for dry cough will relax your throat muscles and make it easier for you to fall asleep, as well as help prevent coughing spells from occurring during the night.
Why does a dry cough get worse at night?
A dry cough is your body’s way of expelling mucus that has accumulated in your lungs or throat. During the day, it is easier for you to expel this phlegm because gravity helps drain it down to your stomach where it can be digested and removed from your body.
As opposed to coughing spells which are triggered by the irritation of your throat and lungs, night time coughing is caused by a buildup of mucus. If you sleep on your back, the accumulated mucus gets pushed towards the top of your throat which makes it difficult for you to swallow or expel it.
This can also cause discomfort and pain because these muscles are not used to working during the night.
You may also experience night time coughing if you sleep with your mouth open, which would prevent the mucus from draining down to your stomach.
People who suffer from chronic respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema are more prone to developing phlegm at night because their lungs do not filter out air efficiently. So breathing cold air during the night may cause the mucus in your lungs to thicken up, which would result in phlegm accumulation and night time coughing.
It is also worth noting that many people experience more frequent coughing spells at night because they are less active during this time of the day. So if you tend to engage more frequently in strenuous activities like sports or outdoor activities during the day, it would be good to rest before going to bed so that your lungs can properly filter the air you take in.
What are possible complications of dry cough?
A dry cough is an indication that there is something wrong with your respiratory system. As such, untreated dry coughs may develop into acute or chronic problems like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia or tuberculosis.
Depending on the duration and severity of a dry cough, untreated cases may also result in complications like problems swallowing solid food. If you have difficulty swallowing your own saliva while having a dry cough, it would be best to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Is cold air bad for cough?
Cold air can be bad for your dry cough if you have chronic respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema.
Since cold air irritates the airways and causes them to constrict, this would make it harder for you to breathe and cause further irritation of your lungs. So breathing in cold air could worsen a dry cough if you have chronic respiratory problems.
On the other hand, cold air can actually help ease acute dry cough symptoms because it causes your throat to constrict and expel phlegm more easily. So if you have a bad case of night time coughing caused by accumulation of mucus in your throat, breathing in some cold air would make it easier for you to get rid of this phlegm.
Also, the low pressure caused by cold air would cause your throat to relax and relieve some dry cough symptoms.
This is why you often see people who have a cold or flu drink some hot tea or coffee while wearing a scarf over their nose and mouth. Drinking something warm helps loosen up the phlegm in your throat making it easier for you to expel this mucus.
However, it would be best to consult a doctor first before taking in cold air because there are other reasons why you may develop night time coughing aside from accumulation of phlegm.
What makes dry cough worse?
It is important to note that even if you do not have a cold or flu, you may still develop dry cough symptoms because of other factors. So if you suspect that your night time coughing is caused by something else other than accumulation of phlegm in your throat, it would be best to consult your doctor first before trying any home remedies.
Some of the things that make dry cough worse include allergies, cold weather, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke and some respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema.
Taking in too much caffeine, drinking alcohol excessively and taking certain medications may also worsen your dry cough symptoms.
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