Are you worried about your Cough?
Most often coughs are caused by a common cold, or the flu. Other common causes include smoking, heartburn, allergies, infections, and mucus. Although coughs affect all of us, women are more likely to develop persistent coughs as their reflexes are more sensitive.
More recently a new continuous cough is a possible symptom of Covid-19, if you are experiencing any other Covid-19 related symptoms and you think you may have been exposed to the virus, you should take a test and act accordingly within government guidelines.
There are plenty of home remedies to help alleviate the discomfort, pain, and inconvenience caused by a persistent cough, these include:
- Getting plenty of rest
- Drinking fluids
- Use cough drops to ease the effects coughing has on your throat
- Stop smoking
Most of the time a cough will disappear after a few days to a couple of weeks with proper rest and intake of fluids. However, if you are experiencing chronic symptoms lasting 3 weeks or more, are in severe pain, struggling to breathe or are experiencing any of the following you should seek medical help from your GP:
- You feel extremely sick and nauseous
- Losing weight dramatically
- Your immune system is already weakened by chemotherapy or other conditions.
- Acute sinusitis
- Asthma (most common in children)
- Bronchiectasis (a chronic lung condition in which abnormal widening of bronchial tubes inhibits mucus clearing)
- Bronchiolitis (especially in young children)
- Choking: First aid (especially in children)
- Chronic sinusitis
- Common cold
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) exacerbation — worsening of symptoms
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Croup (especially in young children)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Heart failure
- Influenza (flu)
- Inhaling an irritant
- Lung cancer
- Medications called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Neuromuscular diseases that weaken the coordination of upper airway and swallowing muscles
- Postnasal drip
- Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in an artery in the lung)
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — especially in young children
- Sarcoidosis (collections of inflammatory cells in the body)
- Whooping cough
Can hay fever cause a cough?
Hay fever can result in a number of symptoms you experience when you have a cold including coughing, sneezing and a runny nose however, unlike a cold, hay fever can last for weeks or months. There is no cure for hay fever however, it can be treated with antihistamine tablets or nasal sprays.
If you believe your symptoms are getting worse or not improving, you should speak to a GP who may prescribe alternative treatment or refer you to a specialist.
Why is my cough worse at night?
Coughing is typically worse at night due to lying flat which can result in a build-up of mucus in the throat. It can also be a result of air and allergy exposure including dust, pollen or mites. To help ease coughing at night you should sleep with your head elevated. Humidifiers can also help to put moisture back into the air.