A coughing spell may indicate one of a number of possible illnesses caused by viruses or bacteria. Pneumonia, in contrast, is an infection in the lungs that can have nearly the same symptoms. A variety of stimulants, inhaled, may also trigger coughing fits. A variety of factors can trigger coughing, most of them are not alarming.
If the cough is not explained and continues to occur for over one month, it is important to determine its cause, so serious illnesses may be excluded. If you are experiencing persistent cough, it is important to schedule an appointment with a health care professional who can help determine the cause. Seek medical attention if you have an existing respiratory illness and coughing fits are getting worse. A healthcare provider should be seen to provide care for a cough that is secondary to an infection, either to alleviate symptoms or to rule out a more serious reason for coughing.
It may also help to work with a health care provider to determine whether the coughing is due to allergies, asthma, the common cold, or another condition. You might also want to know what questions your practitioner may ask, and how you might treat your ongoing cough. If you regularly take medications, ask your pharmacist about any potential side effects related to a dry cough.
If you are only dealing with a common cough, you may want to try home-based solutions to try and find relief. People with allergies, and those who encounter irritating substances that trigger coughs, should take antihistamines, which inhibit the bodys immune response. Aside from medications, there are many things that can be done at home to help keep your coughing fits at bay. This will help people who have asthma, allergies, and infections cough less. You may also want to put a humidifier near your babys bed nighttime, which may help with the coughing during the night.
Using a vape pen or humidifier adds humidity to the air, which may dampen your airway passages, potentially decreasing the chance of dry, hacking coughs that awaken you. Dry, hot air may dries your throat and airways, making you more susceptible to coughing fits. It is easier for irritations to find their way into your throat and cause coughing fits while you are lying down. Eating may impact the way that congestion builds up in the throat, leading to a need for coughing to clear your passages.
Postnasal drip, in which mucous drains down the nose and down into your throat, may cause a non-threatening cough. Sleeping with the head elevated may decrease the cough caused by postnasal drip. Sleeping like this can also ease GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), which may contribute to coughing.
You may also be able to decrease the likelihood that you will cough after eating by changing the way you eat. Eating slowly, sitting upright when eating, and taking smaller sips of water in between bites may reduce the chances that you will cough.
In most cases, coughing can be avoided by changing diet, eating habits, or using medications. If coughing often happens after eating, you may want to try changing your diet to minimize symptoms. As you can see, there are many factors that may be contributing to your coughing risk after eating.
The body may be increasing its phlegm production, increasing the chance that coughing will occur after eating. For instance, if food particles or phlegm are left in your throat, your body will start a cough to get those unwelcome things out of your airway.
An occasional cough, which produces small amounts of clear mucus, is normal and helps to clean up the throat and lungs. Some coughing is normal and is part of the bodys mechanism for clearing the airways and expelling any foreign materials, but this coughing should only be short and periodic. Causes for persistent coughing may vary, ranging from serious to mostly annoying.
A cough may just be a tickle in your throat, or it may persist after your cold has passed. For example, the coughing fits may come on suddenly, with the lingering cough lasting a few weeks (acute cough), or it may linger more than eight weeks (chronic cough). Coughing may begin as a small scratch, an uncomfortable twinge in the throat…but just as fast, it escalates to a full-blown, snarling fit that keeps you awake as you attempt to sleep.
After snoozing in the bed, you feel that tickle feeling in the throat causing a little cough, and a few minutes later, you are having a full-blown coughing fit that makes you think you are going to cough out a lung. A sudden coughing attack can be terrifying, and oftentimes, you need quick help to get it stopped. It is also important to call 911 right away if you get a stridor — an elevated, choking sound when breathing — cough suddenly starts, or have swelling on the tongue, face, or throat, because those symptoms may be signs of a medical emergency.
A buildup of fluids in your lungs from your heart, known as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, is a common cause of uncontrollable nighttime coughing fits. When the heart cannot pump enough blood, the fluid builds up in the lungs, making breathing harder and coughing more frequently.
Getting plenty of fluids is always a good idea, and it is even more important when you are sick with a cold, because staying hydrated helps to thin out the mucus and makes coughing more productive, which may help combat infection. Reaching for clear fluids, such as water or broth, is best for stopping a coughing fit.
Natural remedies for coughing, like a teaspoon of honey, moisture (such as from a steamer), and rest can help, regardless of cause. Studies show that taking a teaspoon of honey before you go to sleep can be more effective than real cough medicines in stopping your cough. Research has suggested that thyme may help to lessen coughs, including a study in which a thyme mixture was found to lower the number of fits that coughed up bronchitis patients had by almost 69%, compared to almost 48% for those given a placebo.