Generally speaking, the cough is completely normal. A cough can help keep your throat away from phlegm and other troubles. However, sustained coughing can also be symptomatic of some conditions.
Irritated air contains substances that irritate your throat or nasal passages and can cause coughing. A cough is your body’s way of rejecting that irritant. Sometimes the irritant comes in the form of an allergen, such as pollen or pet dander. It causes your body’s immune system to produce a chemical called histamine that reacts to an allergen.
If your cough occurs immediately in a certain environment or season, it may mean you are allergic.
Other infections are caused by viral or bacterial cough. These symptoms may be accompanied by:
- Nasal congestion
- Fever
- Stomach upset
- Runny nose
The duration of these symptoms is short, only up to a week or two. When you are allergic, they usually persist during the allergy season or whenever you are around the substance that you are allergic to.
Sometimes a cough is not caused by anything related to your lungs, Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) can also cause a cough.
Home Remedies For Dry Cough
Honey
Ginger
Ginger tea gives you good taste and also helps you in treating the common cold and cough. You can eat ginger raw, or you can mix ginger root with honey and put it in hot tea. Research suggests that some pure compounds in ginger root can relax the muscles that tighten your airways.
Luke-Warm Water
Drink lukewarm water again and again as it helps in fighting the common cold, cough, and sore throat. Hot drinks do not alleviate a stiff head, but they can improve a cough better than room temperature drinks. If you want relief, sip on hot tea or water.
Neti Pot
One of the most common causes of cough is inflammation of the upper airways. Saline irrigation, or washing your nasal passages with a saltwater rinse, can reduce inflammation by removing irritation and removing mucus.
Menthol/Peppermint
Menthol, a compound naturally found in peppermint, helps to open your airways so that you can breathe more easily. The menthol in peppermint calms the throat and helps break down mucus, acting as a decongestant. You’ll find menthol in rubs you spread across your chest, cough drops, and even peppermint tea. You can also do the method in steam and breathe it.
Steam
Steaming is a non-expensive solution that everyone can do at home. Breathing in steam can help with cough as it calms and moisturizes your airways. You can also mix essential oils like peppermint in water for extra comfort.
How To Stop Cough
In addition to learning how to treat a cough, you might want to learn how to prevent it in the first place. To prevent against flu, make sure you get your annual flu shot, usually starting in October. Other steps you can take include:
- Avoid coming in contact with others who are sick. If you know that you are sick, do not go to work or school because you can infect others as well.
- Whenever you come to cough or sneeze, first cover your nose and mouth well.
- Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
- Clean the common areas of your home, work, or school often. This is especially true for countertops, toys, or mobile phones.
- Wash your hands properly especially after coughing, eating food, going to the bathroom, or taking care of a sick person.
With allergies, you can reduce flare-ups by identifying the allergies that affect you and avoiding contact with them. Common allergens include dust mites, animal fur, trees, pollen, mold, and insects. Allergy shots also are helpful and should reduce your sensitivity to allergies. Make sure to talk to your doctor so that he can tell you what plan is right for you.
